The Contract That Put Me in His Father's Bed의 모든 챕터: 챕터 71 - 챕터 80

Arthur's POVMy son couldn't take his eyes off us.The bedroom door was open. He remained there, in the doorway, his body still, his arms crossed. His blue eyes scanned the bed, the IV, my hand in hers. His face showed nothing. No anger. No sadness. Nothing.Just that silence that weighed more than anything.The room smelled of antiseptic and wilted flowers. The red roses he had brought were scattered on the floor, petals trampled, stems broken. The bed creaked softly, once or twice, whenever Emily took a deep breath.My hand remained on hers. Her fingers cold. Mine too.He bent down to pick up the flowers from the floor. The broken stems. The crushed petals. His fingers gathered them one by one with a calm that hurt to watch, all while watching us.A nurse stopped behind him in the doorway. Small, dark hair pulled into a tight bun, immaculate white uniform. The tray in her hand clinked softly. Bowl of soup. Glass of water. Paper napkins."Ohayo," she said in Japanese, her voice low.

Arthur's POVThe hospital corridor was empty.White walls, white floor, white light. Total silence. Just the sound of my shoes on the floor as I moved my legs. The echo came and went, faint, distant.My phone vibrated in my pocket.I took it out. Looked at the screen. Signora Fontana. I answered before the second ring."Yes?""Sterling. You're still there."I looked at the clock. 2:14 AM. The minute hand seemed not to move. Each second was an eternity in that place."I am. Tell me what happened, in detail. I'm alone now and no one can hear me."I heard the sound of her lighter on the other end of the line. Click. Then the sound of a drag. She always lit a cigarette when she was nervous. And Fontana was a woman who almost never got nervous. That worried me more than any words she could say."The vote was close, Sterling." Her voice came out low, direct. "Eleven in favor, four against."Eleven.I closed my eyes for a second. Took a deep breath. I felt the cold air from the corridor ente

Emily's POV I woke up with the weight of a body on the bed beside me.It wasn't my weight. It was heavier. Warmer. More present. The mattress sank on one side, and I felt the tilt pulling my body toward him.I opened my eyes slowly. The ceiling light hurt. My mouth was dry. My head was heavy.Marcus was sitting on the edge of the bed, his body leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his head down. His blond hair was disheveled, falling over his forehead. His shirt was wrinkled. His beard unshaven.He looked like a man who hadn't slept in days. Dark circles. Pale skin. His hands hanging between his knees, limp, as if they had no strength for anything."Marcus…," I called. My voice came out hoarse, scratching my throat.He raised his head. His blue eyes were red, tired, with those fine lines that appear when a person has been awake all night. But it wasn't anger I saw in them. It was something else. Something I couldn't name."You're awake," he said. His voice was strange. Lo

Arthur's POV"Am I not your son? Then why are you here? Why haven't you left? Why are you protecting my wife as if she were yours?"My son's question cut sharply through the air.I felt every word like a blow. Not because they hurt me. But because I could see the pain behind them.Marcus stood in the middle of the hospital room. His chest was rising and falling too fast. His breathing was uncontrolled. His blue eyes were shining.But it wasn't just anger.It was abandonment. It was the certainty that no one stayed. It was the fear of being left behind. Again.His jaw was trembling. His teeth were clenched so tightly that I could see the muscle jumping at the corner of his face.His fists were clenched at his sides. His knuckles white. The veins bulging in his forearms.My son wasn't just angry. My son was lost.I didn't answer right away.I turned my face to Emily.She was sitting on the bed. Her eyes were wide, so wide you could see the white around her irises. Her face was pale. Too

Emily's POVI woke up. My head was throbbing. A dull ache behind my eyes that had been going on for days. I had lost count.The bedroom in the Sterling mansion was enormous. A king-size bed where I slept alone. Heavy curtains that blocked out the New York sun. A vanity table with a mirror that showed me a woman I barely recognized.Pale skin. Dark circles. Hair longer than I remembered.And the belly.I placed my hand on the curve beneath the silk nightgown. The bump was there. Impossible to ignore now. Three months. Almost four. The doctors said the baby was growing normally, despite the scare in Tokyo.Three weeks.Three weeks since the hospital. Three weeks since Arthur had punched his son in the chest.Three weeks since I had lied to Marcus's face and said I had asked Arthur to stay. Three weeks since the kiss in the hospital room. That quick, light kiss that still burned on my lips.I sat up slowly. The room spun for a second. Then stopped.A tray with coffee and toast was on the