THE NEXT MORNING —
Ryan didn't sleep at all. He had dark circles forming, his neck ached, and his temper was razor-thin when he finally went home.
He barely reached the staircase when one of the house staff stopped him.
"Sir, your father wants to see you in the study."
Of course he did.
Ryan dragged his feet to the office, irritation radiating through him. Mr. Hale was seated behind the large oak desk, papers stacked neatly in front of him.
"You look tired," his father commented.
"Gee, I wonder why," Ryan snapped.
Mr. Hale ignored the attitude.
"Sit."
Ryan did not sit — he paced.
"What is this?" he demanded. "Why was I the one stuck in the hospital? There are nurses. There are caretakers. Why me?"
"Because she needed someone she knew," his father replied calmly. "Someone familiar. Someone who wouldn't make her feel abandoned."
Ryan scoffed. "I'm the last person she needs."
His father's tone sharpened. "Must you be cold to everyone?"
"I'm not cold," Ryan muttered.
"You are," his father corrected. "Especially when you don't want to face something."
Ryan turned away.
He didn't want this conversation.
He didn't want anything that would make him feel anything.
"Ryan," his father said quietly, "sit down."
Ryan hesitated, then lowered himself into the chair.
Mr. Hale slid a folded paper across the desk.
Ryan picked it up.
Opened it.
Froze.
"What is this?" His voice was a whisper. Sharp. Angry. Shocked.
"A marriage agreement," his father said.
Ryan shot to his feet. "Marriage?!"
"To Riley," Mr. Hale added calmly.
Ryan paced again. "No. No. Absolutely not. I'm not getting married. I'm not falling in love. I'm not tying myself to anyone—"
"This was her father's dying wish."
Ryan stopped breathing.
"I don't care," he said coldly.
But a part of him did.
And he hated that part.
"Three years," Mr. Hale continued. "Just three. After that, you can divorce her if you want."
"No." he said as he was about to walk away
His father's next words cut through him like a blade.
"I'll make you CEO."
Ryan froze mid-breath.
"Immediately," his father added.
Ryan turned slowly. "CEO?"
"And if you refuse," Mr. Hale said gently, "I will remove you as chairman. Ethan will take your place."
His step brother's name hit him like a hammer.
Ethan? he smirked, he doesn't even care about the company, he barely makes it to work or complete his task.
Don't forget I have other capable partners that are fit for the position. If you reject the marriage , you can also forget becoming my heir and taking over the company.
Ryan's jaw tightened.
His father had him.
Cornered.
Again.
"And besides," his father said quietly, "Riley won't reject you."
Ryan's voice sharpened. "What do you mean?"
"She won't say no," Mr. Hale said with certainty. "Whether she likes you or not, that girl will never push you away."
Ryan didn't know why…
…but something about that bothered him far more than it should have.
Okay I'll think about it . Ryan said with calmness this time.
His father smirked and added before leaving, think we'll and do not forget you're staying with her tonight too so do not worry about the office and get some sleep.
---
Later that day .
Ryan didn't waste a second.
He stormed into the hospital room like a hurricane, heart hammering, chest tight, anger and confusion warring inside him.
Riley looked up from her pillow.
Her hair was messy, damp from the hospital bath, strands sticking to her forehead. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, but there was a faint glimmer of amusement in them.
"My father wants me to marry you ," Ryan said bluntly, his voice sharp, demanding, filled with disbelief. What did you do, did you ask him? Ryan asked
Riley blinked.
Then tilted her head.
Slowly, teasingly, a small, crooked smile tugged at her lips.
"Marry you?" she echoed, voice soft, a whisper like silk and fire. Deep down she felt a little happy, that wasn't such a bad news
"Yes," he snapped. "I mean… my father. He says you… want to—"
He stopped himself, gesturing vaguely. "You know… him. He thinks—"
She laughed softly. A sound that was half-amusement, half-pain.
Ryan's chest constricted at the noise. He wanted it to stop — he wanted her to stop.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," she said, still smiling faintly.
"Don't play games with me, Riley!" he barked, frustration spilling out. "Do you even know what you're doing to me? What my father expect? What he—"
"Stop," she said softly, holding up a delicate hand.
Ryan froze.
The softness of her voice cut through his anger like a knife.
Her small hand lifted toward him, almost asking for calm.
"I… I just lost my father, Ryan," she whispered, eyes glistening. "Why… Why are you talking about marriage?About things I never even asked for?"
Something in him cracked.
Not the anger.
Not the stubbornness.
A different kind of ache — heavy, sharp, unrelenting.
"I'm not forcing you," he said, softer, almost ashamed. "It's… it's just…" He closed his eyes briefly. "I can't let my father make me do anything like this, but I also… I can't just ignore it."
She turned her head slightly, pretending to wince.
"Ouch… my head… it's spinning."
Ryan rushed to her side.
"What? Are you hurt? Should I call—"
"No!" she said quickly.
Her lips curved mischievously.
"You're worried."
He froze.
She was playing with him — even now.
And somehow, it made him angrier than before.
"Riley!" he yelled, voice rough.
She giggled faintly.
Small, breathy, teasing.
"I'm joking," she whispered.
Ryan's hands dropped to his sides, clenching and unclenching.
"Unbelievable," he muttered.
She let out a small, broken sigh.
And suddenly the teasing disappeared.
The laughter vanished.
"I just… I just lost my father," she said softly, voice breaking now, fragile but not weak. "I… I didn't know what to do. And now… now this. Why? Why do I have to deal with this too?"
Ryan's chest tightened.
All the irritation, all the frustration, all the stubbornness he carried evaporated.
It was replaced with… guilt.
And a helpless kind of anger he didn't know how to deal with.
"I… I'll… I'll help you," he said, voice low. "I'll… I'll stay."
She looked at him, the faintest smile breaking through the tears.
"Thank you," she whispered.
---
Minutes later, Riley weakly asked for food.
Ryan, without thinking, got it for her.
He cut the sandwich carefully, made sure the soup wasn't too hot, adjusted her pillows so she could eat comfortably.
All without her asking.
All quietly.
All while she watched him.
The way she looked at him — soft, observant, curious — made his heart feel like it might explode.
And he hated it.
"Eat," he said gruffly, pushing the plate toward her.
She smiled faintly, biting her lip.
"You don't have to be… so… nice," she whispered.
"I am not being nice," he muttered, eyes darting away. "I'm just… doing what I'm supposed to. That's all."
And that was it.
That one moment, small and quiet, shifted something inside him.
The stubborn, cold, logical Ryan Hale felt something warm, confusing, and undeniably powerful creeping in.
He spent the entire night by Riley's bed again.
The next morning
The drive home was quiet, almost painfully so.
Ryan sat in the passenger seat of his father's car, staring out the window at the slick streets, rain still streaking against the glass. His thoughts twisted in loops he couldn't untangle.
Marriage… Riley… CEO… three years… divorce… Father… Ethan…
His jaw tightened at the thought of his brother, Ethan. The golden boy, perfect in every way, always ready to take what Ryan wanted. Always ready to step in where Ryan hesitated.
And yet, he didn't want this — this arrangement.
He didn't want Riley.
He didn't want a contract.
He didn't want to be forced into something that felt like a trap.
But the CEO position… that was everything he had worked for. Everything his father had promised. That was his late mom's wish too.
And if he refused… Ethan or another of his dad's partner would take it.
He could see it already — Them smiling politely while Ryan stood aside, powerless.
The storm outside mirrored the one inside him.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, heavy and foreboding.
---
Back at the Hospital
Meanwhile, Riley rested in her room, still weak, still aching in ways that went beyond the physical.
Her mind replayed the scene with Ryan, the way his irritation mixed with reluctant care. The way he had stayed the entire night despite his protests.
It made her smile faintly, but then her chest ached again for her father.
And for some reason, a question lingered, unspoken:
Why does Ryan irritate me so much… and yet feel like the only safe place in this hospital room?
She shook her head, trying to push the thought away.
She was grieving.
She wasn't thinking about boys.
Especially boys like Ryan Hale.
---
Ryan's Return to Reality
Ryan's father summoned him to the office again.
Ryan's patience had worn thin.
He stormed in, shoulders tight, jaw rigid.
"Sit," Mr. Hale ordered.
Ryan remained standing, pacing.
He couldn't sit. Not yet.
Too much was happening.
Mr. Hale's eyes were calm, sharp, calculating. "Ryan, you have to understand — this isn't just about your father's wish. It's about the future. About control. About responsibility."
Ryan clenched his fists. "Responsibility? My responsibility was… to grieve, not to be forced into a… into a marriage with… her!"
Mr. Hale leaned back in his chair. "It's her father's last wish. And it is also my wish. For the sake of both families, you will honor it."
Ryan's stomach twisted. "You're asking me to treat someone I barely… I barely care about… like a partner. Like a… wife."
His father's voice softened slightly, almost pitying. "You will. For three years. After that, you are free. You can divorce her if it doesn't work. You will still get the CEO position. Ethan cannot touch it. This is the only way to protect your future."
Ryan's mind spun.
Three years. That's nothing. I can survive three years.
But deep down, he felt a cold knot of dread.
Because even three years could destroy him.
---
Ryan returned to the hospital once more.
This time, he didn't storm in.
He simply stepped into the room, chest tight, anger buried under a layer of reluctant concern.
Riley looked up at him immediately.
"You're back," she said softly.
"No teasing this time?" he muttered.
"Not yet," she replied, though her eyes danced with amusement.
He walked over, pacing slightly, unsure. "Do you… know what my father wants?"
She tilted her head. "I heard him mention marriage."
And do you want to get married to me , he said almost feeling furious
I really don't mind , Mr.Hale Ryan , Riley said with a smiley face
"Marriage," he echoed, voice low, almost incredulous. "For three years. Then… then divorce if it doesn't work. Do you… understand?"
Riley's eyes widened slightly. Then she smiled faintly. "I think I get it. But… Why are you here? Why care?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately.
The words were heavy on his tongue, but unsaid.
Because he didn't know if he cared.
Because he didn't want to admit that maybe… just maybe… part of him was already unsettled by her presence.
"I… I'm here because… I don't want anyone else to handle you," he said finally, voice low. "I… I can't explain it. But my father… forced me… I'm here. That's it."
Riley's lips twitched into a faint smile.
"Good enough," she whispered.
And for a brief moment, the world felt still.
The hospital room is quiet except for their breathing and the faint hum of machines.
Ryan handed her a small paper bag — snacks and fruits he had prepared earlier.
"You'll need your strength," he said gruffly.
She looked at him, studying his face. "You didn't have to. You could have walked away."
"I didn't," he said simply.
She nodded slowly, eyes softening.
And for a second, they simply looked at each other — two people caught between grief, obligation, and something unspoken.
--
The Contract Signed, The Countdown Begins
By the time Riley was discharged, Ryan had already signed the contract — three years, loveless, emotionless, and clinical.
His father took it and stored it away.
"Don't tell her," he instructed. "She doesn't need to know about the contract yet. Not until the wedding."
Ryan nodded, but his chest tightened.
He couldn't shake the feeling that… something was shifting between them.
Something dangerous. Something he doesn't know
And Riley…
She didn't yet know what was coming. All she knew was she wants to win Ryan over , not just get married.
The countdown to their marriage had officially begun.