The Contracted Hearts Novels & Stories

“Protection doesn’t mean ownership, Alexander. And it doesn’t mean secrecy. I need to know that what we have isn’t conditional.” He stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair, the intensity of his emotions making the room feel smaller, hotter, charged. “You’re asking me to tear down walls I’ve spent years building, to risk everything for something I can’t guarantee even to myself.” She rose to meet him, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. “I’m asking you to risk it for us,” she said softly. “Because I can’t keep pretending that the contract gives me rights to your heart. I want your heart freely. Not because of terms, not because of structure, not because

] [It's an A-rank cursed item that targets congenital weaknesses! [These players are disgusting! They exploited her kindness!] [It's over. They're going to use her heart condition against her!] "Hand over your Tarot cards and those artifacts," Brad threatened. "Or this 'Heartbeat Hourglass' will make your heart explode." "We did our research on you," another player sneered. "Congenital heart disease, right? This item will put an infinite strain on your heart." "Why?" The word was a choked whisper. I stared at them, my heart shattering. "I thought... we were friends."

“Strong heartbeat.” Another contraction hit, and I clenched my jaw, my back arching off the bed. “Damn it,” I hissed, squeezing the hand of the nurse standing nearby. The pain was all-consuming, but beneath it, there was something else - a deep, primal strength. I could feel it building within me, pushing me forward, a force as unrelenting as the contractions themselves.

I couldn’t help, but just sigh. What else can I do? The operation contract marriage 101 is really happening. “Sure, Dad. What’s that? I’m all ears po,” Neil gladly said, and he focused on him. “First and foremost that you need to know about my daughter is that…she has a heart problem. She has a CHD or coronary heart disease, which means her heart, is weak. So my only advice to both of you if you have any misunderstandings, arguments, and fights, or you’re mad to each other that we all know you cannot avoid because you’re already there on that relationship, I suggest you think first before reacting. Talk things out first before concluding things. Don’t blame one another, and don’t rush things

The kind of face you wore when the news was bad but you needed the patient calm enough to hear it. "Your echocardiogram shows significant left ventricular hypertrophy," Dr. Walsh said, pulling up the images. Emma's heart appeared on the screen, the walls thickened in ways that spoke of chronic strain. "Combined with your blood work and the information you provided about the trial drug—Compound 7—I can confirm what you suspected. Your heart has been working at elevated capacity for years. The damage is progressive."

“That's quite helpful of you…” “What? What else was I supposed to say?” He was unapologetic about it, despite my subtle emotional blackmail that never failed to work on others. What was the definition of heartless again? “Besides you were the one who was all about us not getting emotions involved in this. It's a contract and we must treat it as such.” “So you're going to use that against me right now…?” even with a shattered heart, I was still breathing somehow. “Even though it's a contract marriage, it doesn't mean you just suddenly forget that you're human. You also check up on your contract partners.”

So, he picked her up, cradling her like glass, and rushed her to the hospital himself. That call saved her life. The doctors said she had barely made it. They used twelve liters per minute of oxygen to stabilize her. Twelve. She was almost gone. And at that moment, so was he. As he stood behind the transparent hospital door, watching her fight for her life, Noah felt his own heart stall. Her body convulsed with every electrical surge. She had gone into cardiac arrest, and the doctors administered defibrillator shocks, one after the other. Ten shocks. Fifteen. Twenty-one. Still nothing.

She said and walked in closing her door behind her. What the hell did she get herself into? She sighed. What kind of a man is Dario, he didn't even find the courtesy of bringing her home and introducing her to everyone like every normal couple would do, He was the one who wrote in their contract that no one was allowed to find out that this marriage is a contract. She knew his attitude was a bad one— an arrogant, rude, heartless bastard but she didn't believe he would abandon his son like this.

The way I saw it, there was no getting out of it. We argued, but the more we talked, the more I realized that... Maybe it's not a bad idea. This marriage will surely be complicated, but at least I'll be away from Trevor, and I won't have to deal with him anymore. There's a lot to still go over, and if we are going to make a contract for this marriage, than surely he'll have to deal with my terms and conditions as well. "Fine. It's a deal. One year, no more." I say, holding my hand out to shake Daniel's. His face lights up, and he gives me a big kool-aid smile.

"What if Gael decides to neglect me and the child once the contract is over? What guarantee do I have that he won't walk away?" Chloe understood Elma's apprehension and the fear of being left alone to face the consequences of her decisions. She reached out, gently taking Elma's hands in hers, offering a reassuring smile. "Elma, I understand your concerns, and they're valid. But remember, life is full of uncertainties, contract or not," Chloe replied calmly. "While a contract marriage may have started as an arrangement, emotions and connections can evolve over time. We've seen it happen before, where contractual relationships become real marriages."