His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 73 GABRIEL Several. Months. Ago.

I froze when I read the caller ID displayed on my ringing phone Lily Grant.

Her ID had been Lily with a st*pid emoji that she'd set all those years aback until six months ago, when I shifted it back to her full nthe day I had broken up with her, the day I had told her I was marrying a girl my grandparents chose for me, the day she askedto choose between her and my work and I chose my work, the day she cried in my arms and I told her maybe if she could wait forfor a few months, I would return to her. Just maybe, me.

She hadn't answered, just walked out on n She never called after that.

I had forgotten that the six month contract marriage I had signed myself into was ending when Sophia's grandfather passed away, and she was so consumed in her grief, and me, in her. She didn't givetoo much of her, but whatever she gave, I obsessively accepted, whether it was the ghost of a smile on her perfect lips, or her longing gaze in her very broken eyes. I held her, because I knew that her longing was for me, her smiles were for me, and anything in between, anything that Sophia gave me, was only for me.

Sophia was my kryptonite. She entered my life unwanted, and unknowingly crept closer until I gave her space. I was bewitched by her. Her mind, her body, her soul.

I was never a jealous man, but for her... Oh, for her, I would kill.

When she was with me, when I was with her, the rest of the world didn't exist. And seeing Lily's non my phone was this reality check that the six months I had signed myself to Sophia for were ending, and there was a world outside that, a world that I fully intended on ignoring.

Lost in my very thoughts, I didn't realise when the phone stopped ringing, and then rang again. I picked it up at lightning's speed catching Sophia's eyes on it from the other side of the bed and a pang of guilt hitas I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?" "Gabriel." The voice on the other end wasn't Lily's at all. It was my grandfather's. He had left just the day before because if 1 was here, someone had to be at the office to head meetings. There was only so much tthat we could both take off together, so despite his best friend's body barely being cold in his grave, he returned to the city, leavinghere for a few more days with Sophia. Before I could reply at all, he said, "It's Alister. Can you hear me?" My eyebrows knit in confusion. "Hm?" "Good. Is Sophia with you?" "Yes." I half look back at the girl covering herself more in the blanket, her face suddenly void of any colour. "Okay. I know I asked you to stay with your wife for a few days longer, but I need you to chere.” "No." I reply, my voice firm.

"Gabriel..." he sighs, groans, almost. "It's an emergency. I need you to chere, now." "I can't," I reply, voice firmer than earlier. This old man was nuts he thought I was leaving Sophia alone. Why was he calling from Lily's number any way? "Gabriel, son, I need you to chere. One thing about Alister Whitlock is that he never shows affection. Another thing is that he demands, and the world just follows any way. I learnt it from him. So for him to sound so... soft and desperate, it really was something. Perhaps Jim's death had affected him more than he let on. "Please." "Just I pause, I wanted to ask about Lily, but I didn't want to take her nin front of Sophia. My wife was grieving, she broke down so often, she barely slept or ate, and she'd been through so much. And through it all, her constant worry had been that I would leave her and go back to Lily. As if. I didn't wanted to bother her more by taking Lily's nunless there was something to worry about. "F*ck. I curse, "Okay" "Don't utter a word about anything to Leila or Sophia, yes?" "Okay," Lagreed.

"You're understanding, right, son "Yes, I said I was just as annoyed as I sounded when I disconnected the call.

I turned back to face Sophia, who looked like she would cry any moment, her voice so meek when she asked, “Is something wrong?" "It was just work, Freckles Work emergency. Sone that Alister left with." I told her, truthfully.

"Do you have to go "Yes, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I leaned to her side, taking in her scent before I kissed her forehead. I wanted to do anything but leave her like this, and I hated that I had to go "I will double the security, make sure you're safe every hour, okay? You won't be alone for even a minute, not even here. I'll see you at htomorrow, yes?" "I see you. She replied, but there was no promise in her words, press her hand once again before pulling it away and the ghost of her touch stings, because all I wanted to do was hold her hand forever.

I didn't bother going hafter driving three hours from Sophia's hometown to the city. I went straight to work, heading to my Grandfather's office. I entered his office without knocking.

I would've been castrated for this a few years ago, but now I didn't have the patience to deal with anything, He looked like he had been expecting me. "You cfast. Good. He nonchalantly got up from his humongous chair, one that was a tacky shiny black, and straightened his crisp suit.

Alister Whitlock, even at seventy, was nothing if not put together till his last grey hair strand, a quality he worked years to cultivate intoafter failing to do so to my father.

I try to not grit my teeth when I ask, “What emergency was it that couldn't wait!" His gaze softens, something that doesn't happen often. In the past week, the paranoia of my age catching up tohas bee playing on my mind obsessively. Losing your best friend to cancer does that to you" He pauses, clears his throat, and E wonder where is this going 1 There are certain changes I have noticed inin the past few months My eyebrows knit. "Lake?" "Nothing much. Just little blood in my..." He pauses.

I blink I didn't have all day, really. I planned on getting back to Sophia and although I told her I would see her at htomorrow, I wanted to go pick her up You know stools I pag. "You have pales?" "I thought so. But, my overthinking gotto get tested and turns out, it's actually colorectal cancer." I blink. My mouth opens and closes. Nothing comes out.

He immediately adds, "The doctor says he caught it at a decent time, and I don't really need to go through chemotherapy sessions like Jim did." "Alister... I begin, pause. "Grandfather.." "Save it, Gabriel. The word grandfather seems forced. He rolls his eyes, "We're on first nbasis most days, and that's just fine. I don't need you to calla cute nto know that you love me." I wince. "I.. I'm sorry." My lack of words was strange even t even to me.

I'm not dying, Gabriel. I won't even need chemotherapy" I stay silent for a painfully long moment, processing what I had just heard before clearing my throat. "Can I speak to your doctor once?" "You may." He gives a half nod, "Dr. Grant. Lily's uncle." Eyebrows knit again. "Lily's family is in the diamond industry."

"Her uncle is a famous oncologist, Gabriel." The disappointment in tone was This was clearly evident, his eyes narrowing at me. "Tellyou knew this much about the girl you were going to marry." "Of course I knew." I raise my shoulders. lying, "I called you from his clinic. He adds, "My phone had died and had to borrow Lily's phone, who happened to be visiting.

I nod firmly.

Talk to that girl, Gabriel." "To Lily?" Surprise was evident in my voice.

He nods. "If you plan on returning to her, tell her. And if not, free her.” I just stare at him for a few seconds. "You knew?"

"I always knew." He says, and slides a file from his end of the table to mine. "Those are the papers transferring my share the company to you." I pick it up with trembling hands. "Why now?" "I wanted you to have it. You kept your end of the deal by marrying Sophia, I'm keeping mine.” "I thought you weren't dying." "I'm not." He laughs, "I'm just retiring." "It's time," I say, before picking up the pen and signing above my nwritten in bold letters on the five page document. I pass it back to him.

He nods, and I nod back. I turn on my feet to leave when a thought that often lingered in my mind in the past six months resurfaced Why@you do it?" look at him, "Getmarried to Freck- Sophia. And don't givethe crap about Jim and you having this deal about you paying for his chemotherapy, because I know you would have done it regardless of her decision to marry me." 3/4 X