His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 51 The small party lasted for a few hours. We had lunch, and boy, was I happy to taste food other than that from the hospital.

I think I must've had the most that day, like a teenage boy with an insatiable appetite, Zach and Anna had swine, they made jokes about the tthe three of them used to hang g out and Gabriel used to third wheel them.

I didn't talk, but they filled the silence enough.

I was tired when Gabriel kicked them out. He does that a lot these days, I realised. It wasn't just Sam. Any tI felt drowsy. he didn't hesitate asking any company we had, to leave.

Zach and Anna didn't mind his bluntness. They were used to it. They were his found family.

It was early evening when we went upstairs and Gabriel c*cked an eyebrow at me. "Where are you going?" He asked.

I blinked, confused. "Room?" He smiled. "You're cute," I knew he was just teasingand not complimenting, but my checks heated. Oh, I really was in trouble. "What?" "I asked Luna to shift sof your things to my room," He replied nonchalantly. "Only some, because I didn't have space for all of it. Once you're feeling better, I can call in my interior designer who can help you make changes to the room to fit your wardrobe needs." I just stared at him for a second too long, flabbergasted. "What?" sounded like a broken tape recorder. "What?" He repeated. "You didn't think I was going to let you live alone at the end of the hallway, did you?" An eyebrow was raised again, and then his lips lifted to reveal a smug smile. “Besides, we're husband and wife. Don't you think we should start acting like it?" Had he forgotten the whole Lily thing that happened just before I left? It was two weeks before, but the sting that I had been trying to ignore still felt fresh when I thought about it.

"Gabriel. Reluctance must clear in my voice, because he sighed "Just come, please?" I stare, sigh, and then nod.

He leads the way.

Once we're in his room, I see it. The pastel pink throw over shifted from my room to his, a stark contrast to his modern furniture. An emptied wardrobe which originally had his business suits was now lined up with shoes and bags, and I'm assuming my clothes were in the added wardrobe.

The frthat was on my nightstand, a childhood picture of my parents andis also shifted.

"It isn't much, but it's yours," Gabriel says carefully, watchingkeenly take in. "And if you don't wantto share the bed with you, I will be happy to take the couch." As if you'd fit on the couch, I wanted to tease, I don't. I just shake my head. "Not necessary," "You will have all the privacy you need here. His expression softens. "Just stay." 1/3 Chapter 51 I didn't want to do this, I didn't want to talk about this, I just wanted to be delusional and believe that the man I had fallen in love with did more than care forbecause I was his responsibility. But I had avoided this topic long enough, so I gulp and voice out, "Lily" He looks like he was expecting this question any tsoon. Don't waste your precious voice on her right now, hm?" He steps. ahead, wraps one of his arms around my back. "We'll talk about it after you heal. I know I wronged you by not telling you the truth about her. I know I have a lot to make up for. But I meant what I said. You are my wife, Freckles. You" ou a bath?" A little smile escapes me. He reflects it, placing a feather kiss on my forehead. “Now, you wantto run you a I raise my eyebrows playfully. "You?" "Yeah, I figured I better get used to it since I have self-appointed myself as your assistant these days, he teased back.

I laugh.

He just kept looking at me.

Conscious of his gaze, I bite my lower lip. "What?" "Nothing" He really did giveno explanation, just moved to the bathroom. In moments, I could hear the water running He really was serious about runninga bath.

I smile to myself, moving to my new wardrobe. Having no idea where my lounge wear was, I just settled on a bathrobe, figuring I'd ask Luna about it later. I could ask now, but I didn't feel like talking. My throat felt lumpy, and my voice felt. tired, something I didn't know was possible to feel.

When I stood in the bathroom in front of the long mirror, the clothes I was wearing pooled below my feet, I stared at myself in the long mirror.

There was a mark along my torso, spreading from under my left breast, all the way to the right, and a little towards the back. It was stained with colours of purple, brown, red.

It hurt.

Even though there wasn't any physical pain because of the medications, touching it stung me. This was the first tI was seeing the mark it left, multiple of them. In the hospital, all my showers were sponge baths by a nurse, and I had been too dazed by the high dose of painkillers to investigate myself then.

It was clear now.

The belt wasn't the only thing that left a mark. There were brown coloured lines where the ropes were tied on my wrists and ankles, the one on the ankle being more prominent. There were multiple other bruises on my arms, ones I didn't event remember getting.

They all hurt in different measures.

I might have been staring at my bruises with undivided attention and pain, because I didn't realise when the bathroom door opened.

Gabriel hadn't letlock it in case I needed help. He said it would save him the trouble of breaking the door. He was also paranoid, because I hadn't been left alone since I was found, not even for a minute. Someone was withat all times.

I think he thought I would breakdown. Or get scared. Maybe even go into a panic attack.

I felt numb.

Chapter 31 Gabriel stood behind me.

A week or so ago, I would've flinched. Even though I was wearing lingerie, I would tell him, 'so much for the privacy you promised me, and kick him out or kiss him, depending on my mood.

Today, I didn't even move.

My eyes fixated on Gabriel in the mirror, and his on my body. They wandered, through every bruise, every mark, every discolouration.

In the end, they stopped on the belt mark for so long that I felt conscious, squirmy under his gaze. His soft expressions disappeared to turn stone cold, the affection and concern in his eyes dissipating to give way to anger before he looked up at me. “Never again,” he promised, "I will burn the world if it means that the warmth of the flames will keep you warm. No one. exceptwill ever touch you again, and if they f*cking try, I will cut their limbs off before they even cclose.

His head bent to my shoulder, his lips placing a chaste kiss there Hands wrapped around my waist from both sides, pullingcloser into him. I shut my eyes, letting the back of my head lean on his chest.

"You're mine to hurt." Kiss. "Mine to protect." Kiss. "Mine to own. Another kiss. I opened my eyes to see him only staring at me. "And mine to love. Mine." SEND GIFTChapter 521

Days passed in the blink of an eye. It was easy to, if your husband had truly given up everything in the world to becyour assistant. And then there was Luna who had taken up the role of an overbearing mother. The two of them had customised my diet, which consisted of more healthy things than I had ever eaten in my life, there were a lot of warm water baths involved and doctor's hcheck up visits il 1 as much as groaned.

Gabriel worked from hfor the entirety of the two weeks, He only went to his office once or twice, only when he absolutely had to. Even then, ely had to I wasn't alone, Anna cto keep the company, and Luna gave hourly updates to Peter. Even his parents and grandparents visited me, perfectly aware of what had happened. Alice called every day, and Sam days despite Gabriel being next toin every call, openly granping about it. every few It was almost embarrassing, the way they were treatinglike a child, but also sweet. I had always taken care of everyone around me, never the one being taken care of.

The only complaint that I had- and a big one-was that Gabriel refused to touch me. He did touch me, obviously, and always keptat arms length, but he refused to kiss me, to f*ck me. I was desperate, and it was frustrating now. I slept curled up to him every night and nobody has any idea how hard it is to not grab him and just make him kiss me.

The bruises were taking their own thealing even though they had faded considerably. But, the silver lining in the past two weeks had been I could talk again normally. Still no screaming, but at least I didn't have to whisper anymore.

Today was the day that things were supposed to fall back to normal. Although Gabriel would rather my new normal be staying in the house and painting all day, that was a huge no for the.

I'd go crazy. I loved painting, but it was a hobby. I needed work to keep myself sane.

We argued. Gabriel didn't wantto work at all unless I was surrounded by four scary men who were built like a wall for my security (yes thadm bodyguards now even though I hadn't stepped out of the house in weeks), and I wanted to work not matter what. So, we compromised. One bodyguard, and I'll work in his company, in front of his eyes. Not something I wanted, but anything else wasn't on the table right now." I had my own conditions though.

"I want to be on the pay roll like everyone else," I remind him that morning while putting on my lipstick. Gabriel usually left for work earlier than this, earlier than most of his employees, but he was going in late today, being my first day at work and all.

"Yes, Freckles." "And, my nis Sofia Baker.

This gothis attention. He stopped going through his wardrobe of business suits, which was what he was doing in all the tI'd taken to do my make up. "No, your nis Sofia Whitlock." I give him an obvious look. "I want to join your company as Sofia Baker. No special treatment if I'm not your wife." "You are my wife. His eyes narrowed at me, "And your nand our wedding pictures were across every news article when we got married. Everyone knows you are Sofia Whitlock." "Viktor didn't." I remind him.

He huffs out sair. “As if. Then he turned back to his suits, picking out a random one, makingwonder why he spent so much tlooking through them in the first place. They all looked pretty much the sto me, half a shade up and down.

"You know "1 left my make up aside, turning to him. "Viktor did mention that he didn't think you would letwork under him, owing to the history you both have" X 1/3