Getting His Contractual Wife Back

"Hanna, I've prepared a special birthday gift just for you. I really hope you love it."

As Brynn Murphy stood laughing boldly beside the bed, Hanna Murphy was unable to move at all.

She didn't know what substance Brynn had slipped into her drink. Though she was now awake, she could not move her lips or hands.

She lay still on the bed, as motionless as a fish on a cutting board.

Brynn turned off the lights as she left, plunging the room into complete darkness.

Time slipped by, though Hanna had no way of knowing how long it was.

Bang!

The door burst open, and a piercing cold swept through.

"Help me detox, and I will repay you."

A man's voice, affected by some drug, sounded deep and raspy, almost as if it came from another dimension.

With heavy steps, a tall figure staggered to the bedside.

At that moment, Hanna felt as if her breath had stopped.

"Save me."

In the darkness, Hanna could not see the man's face, only his eyes, which appeared profound yet icy, carrying an eerie and dignified presence.

Hanna was still trying to understand what was happening when she passed out.

The following morning.

A middle-aged woman in a formal suit approached a Bugatti parked by the roadside and tapped on the car door.

After being allowed in, she opened the door with care and entered, then reported respectfully, "Shadow Master, the girl who saved you last night is named Brynn Murphy."

"Are you sure?" the man, referred to as the Shadow Master by the woman, asked with a cold, deep voice.

"I'm completely sure of it. Miss Murphy has the ring you lost last night. I asked her myself, and she even confessed to having saved you."

In the dim light of the car, it was difficult to make out the man's face, yet his piercing, icy eyes radiated an eerie and dignified presence. "Send someone to propose to the Murphy family for me. I intend to marry her."

The usually calm and composed woman was visibly stunned by the man's abrupt decision. "Shadow Master, there are other ways to repay a debt. Moreover, last night, you weren't in your right mind. Your status is exceedingly high, and marriage is a serious matter that should be thought over..."

Under the man's serious look, she quickly stopped talking and reluctantly said, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements."

When Hanna woke up, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

She found herself not in the hotel but in a flowerbed beside the road, her clothes in disarray.

Upon inspecting herself, she discovered bruises all over her body, with each pore throbbing painfully.

Tears streamed down Hanna's cheeks.

She had never imagined losing her virginity on her twentieth birthday.

Upon reaching her home in the Serenity Villas by the sea, Hanna saw Brynn and Jessie Murphy on the living room sofa, drying their eyes as they talked.

Brynn, who had conspired against Hanna the day before, was her half-sister, sharing the same father.

And Jessie was Hanna's stepmother.

"Mom, look!"

"Hanna! You're finally here!" A moment ago, Jessie was filled with concern, yet now her face lit up with happiness.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you all day. Why didn't you answer?" Jessie asked.

Ignoring her, Hanna grabbed a vase from the windowsill and smashed it at Brynn's face.

But she missed.

The vase struck Brynn's chest with a heavy thud before crashing to the floor and breaking.

Despite her pain, Brynn clenched her teeth, her eyes brimming with anger. "You bitch, have you gone insane?"

"You're the one who's insane! You know very well what you've done. Today, I'll ruin that hypocritical face of yours and get my revenge!" The trauma and humiliation of losing her virginity had consumed Hanna. She seized a fruit knife and charged at Brynn.

She was done with all of this!

For fourteen years, she suffered abuse and endured a cruel life in this family. Brynn had always tormented her mercilessly. Today, she was determined to stand up for herself.

"Stop!" A thunderous voice filled the air.

Then, a stout middle-aged man rushed to Hanna's side.

Driven by a fierce need to protect Brynn, he grabbed Hanna by the hair and threw her to the floor.

He used all his might and Hanna hit the floor hard, her nose bleeding.

For a moment, Hanna couldn't get up, realizing the one who hit her was her own father, Cristian Murphy.

"Hanna, look at yourself! As the elder sister, how can you stoop to fighting with Brynn like a thug? Brynn merely played a prank on you naughtily. You're making too much of it."

Cristian glared at Hanna, whose face was smeared with blood, his eyes full of disgust.

"Merely... played a prank?"

Even though Hanna was in excruciating pain at this moment, she sarcastically laughed.

"If our roles were reversed and I had played a trick on Brynn as she did to me last night, you wouldn't call it a prank. You'd have punished me severely, wouldn't you?"

"You..." Cristian, feeling the sting of guilt, was at a loss for words.

In that moment, Brynn kicked Hanna fiercely in the back.

With her hands still pressed against the floor, Hanna was knocked down once more, coughing up blood and feeling as though her back had been torn apart.

However, she pressed her lips together tightly, determined not to let a single tear fall.

Cristian was Hanna's biological father.

When Hanna was just a little girl, Cristian had treated her kindly.

Fourteen years earlier, after Jessie drove Hanna's biological mother to madness and moved into this house with her and Cristian's illegitimate daughter Brynn, Cristian's demeanor changed drastically.

He adored Jessie and Brynn, treating them like precious jewels, while Hanna was subjected to routine domestic abuse.

From that moment on, Cristian was dead to Hanna.

She resolved never to cry in front of him again.

"You pissed me off. You're my daughter too. Why must you be so troublesome?" Cristian was visibly angry.

Jessie positioned herself in front of Cristian.

"Cristian, it's clear Hanna has been rebellious for a while now. Please, calm down. Don't hit her again. If you end up killing her, who will marry into the Collins family in Brynn's place?"

As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, Hanna shivered deeply.

"Hanna, this morning, representatives from the Collins family came to propose. They specifically asked for Brynn to marry into their family. Your father and I did our best to persuade them to consider you instead of Brynn."

Jessie gazed down at Hanna with a smug grin.

"As you know, the Collins family is the most distinguished in Zreles. This marriage is an excellent opportunity. You will marry Kayce Collins in six days."

It finally clicked for Hanna.

Jessie wanted her out of the picture. In the past, Jessie wouldn't bother to call her, even if she vanished for a month...

But today, after waking up in the flowerbed, Hanna discovered over a dozen missed calls from Jessie on her phone.

Clearly, Jessie's recent interest was solely to have her step in for Brynn in the upcoming marriage!

Huh!

Everyone in Zreles knew that Kayce Collins was severely ill and could die at any moment.

It was more accurate to say that Jessie and Cristian were exploiting her to curry favor with the Collins family.

Hanna's eyes were filled with sarcasm.

"You want to curry favor with the Collins family, yet you hesitate to marry your beloved daughter into that family. Why don't you just marry into that family yourself?"

"How dare you speak to me that way!" Without the need to play nice, Jessie showed a vicious face.

"You have been searching for Helena, haven't you? Three days ago, your father and I found her. We're the only ones who know where she is. If you agree to marry in Brynn's place, I'll disclose her whereabouts and allow you to see her again."

A photo was tossed beside Hanna.

With trembling hands, Hanna picked it up, and tears she had suppressed for so long began to flow when she saw Helena in the picture.

Helena Owen was Hanna's biological mother.

Fourteen years earlier, Cristian's mistress Jessie had driven Helena to madness, resulting in her confinement to a mental institution. Since then, Hanna had been forced to live with Jessie and her daughter.

For the past fourteen years, Hanna had visited Helena daily.

However, Helena had vanished from the mental institution last month, and Hanna had been tirelessly searching for her.

The cruelty of Jessie and Cristian took Hanna by surprise.

They had located Helena three days earlier but withheld this from her, now using Helena as a leverage to manipulate her!

"A crazy woman like Helena wandering out on her own would face numerous dangers. She could meet an untimely end through drowning, being struck by a billboard, or a traffic accident. Hanna, you care deeply for Helena, don't you? Just agree, and I'll tell you where she is. Once you bring her back, she'll be safe. Helena..."

"Shut up!" Hanna cut Jessie off sharply. "You have no right to even speak her name!"

As she looked at Helena in the photo, her resolve hardened.

"I'll do what you've asked."

Ever since Helena was declared insane, Hanna had not felt any genuine warmth in this harsh world.

Now, despite Helena's mental condition, she was the only person who had ever shown Hanna love and the only one Hanna truly cared about.

For Helena, Hanna was willing to do anything!

Six days later, Hanna was marrying into the Collins family.

Because the wedding was put together in a short time, everything was kept simple.

The Collins family did not organize a grand wedding ceremony; they simply sent a wedding car to pick up Hanna from the Murphy family's villa at nightfall.

By the time the wedding car reached the Collins family's mansion, night had already fallen.

Two women escorted Hanna to a bedroom.

The room was dark except for a single red candle burning, casting a flickering red glow.

In the dim candlelight, Hanna could barely make out a figure lying motionless like a corpse on the double bed near the window.

This person had to be her groom-Kayce.

"My bride is finally here." The "corpse" suddenly spoke.

His voice was gentle yet chilling, with a commanding presence that seemed to freeze Hanna in place.

It was rumored that Kayce had become severely ill a month earlier, paralyzed from the waist down and his face was so disfigured he looked like a zombie. He had become a useless person who could die at any moment.

Hanna couldn't believe that the voice of a greatly ill person could be so powerful.

"Come to bed." That voice sounded again.

Before Hanna could move, something soft yet firm encircled her waist.

She was pulled forward with great force and tumbled onto the bed.

"Oh, God."

Hanna cried out as pain surged through her and she opened her eyes. Above her was a man pressing down, his face as perfect as a statue. His eyes, cold and deep, pulled her in with a single look.

"Are you really... Kayce Collins?"

Hanna's breathing was unnaturally heavy, her voice shaking.

Wasn't Kayce supposed to be disfigured?

Had she walked into the wrong room...

"Yes, I am Kayce Collins." The man's tone remained unemotional. Yet, the breath he exhaled was warm, like a gentle spring breeze caressing Hanna's delicate face.

Hanna's heartbeat quickened even more.

The man fixed his gaze on her, a trace of curiosity flickering in his cold, narrowed eyes.

He was drawn to a unique scent coming from Hanna.

It was a distinctly unique natural aroma, like an ice flower blossoming on the top of a snowy mountain, faint yet soothing, calming Kayce's heart.

Just seven days earlier, Kayce had encountered this scent for the first time in a hotel room.

That night, his loss of control over the girl wasn't solely due to the poison but also because of the captivating scent she carried.

He couldn't believe Hanna had the same scent, which brought back memories of that night, the urge to indulge without restraint, the overpowering desire that consumed him...

Damn it!

As a man who valued self-control, he detested the sensation of losing it the most!

Kayce quietly fought back the rising desire.

"Have we met before?"

Hanna, gaining back some of her calm, blushed without realizing it. "No..."

"Are you sure?" Kayce's gaze remained intense as he looked at her, his presence commanding.

Hanna normally wasn't intimidated by anyone's stare, yet now she felt unusually anxious under his.

"Uh-huh." She instinctively lowered her eyes but could still sense his daunting stare, causing her cheeks, already warm, to turn even redder, as though they might bleed.

"I'm sure."

Girls naturally appreciate beauty.

If Hanna had ever seen such a remarkable man, she would definitely have taken a keen interest and remembered him clearly.

Kayce's expression shifted suddenly.

"Then, it might hurt. Bear with it."

His face was already close to Hanna's, and as he spoke, he leaned in closer, his perfectly shaped lips inching towards hers.

Hanna's heart missed a beat.

Then, it began to race uncontrollably.

But just as Kayce's lips were about to meet hers, they stopped less than one inch away and instead moved downward, pressing against her neck.

"Ah!"

Hanna felt an excruciating pain that left her mind blank.

When she came to her senses, Kayce had already climbed down from her, leaving red blood spreading across her skin.

Kayce had bitten her!

"Go sleep on the sofa." Kayce's cold voice filled the air once more.

Hanna became clear-headed.

She opened her eyes wide, ready to argue with Kayce.

But the sight of his deep, cold eyes scared her into silence before she could utter a word.

Hanna wasn't one to be easily intimidated, yet she knew when to back down.

Upon first seeing Kayce, she was struck by his striking looks but sensed his chilling aura of authority.

Such a man was clearly dangerous.

She knew better than to provoke him!

"You have two seconds to get off my bed, or you'll regret it." Kayce's charming yet emotionless voice echoed once again.

Hanna was extremely annoyed.

Yet, she just shot Kayce a dirty look and quietly convinced herself to forgive this man.

He was merely twenty-five years old! For someone so young and terminally ill, bound to die soon, his temper was somewhat forgivable!

"Remember, that was your last time on my bed. From now on, the sofa is yours."

Hanna had just settled on the sofa when a thin blanket was tossed her way.

"I got it."

Hanna's fine eyebrows arched with a hint of defiance.

Humph!

She had married Kayce solely to save her mother. With that mission accomplished, she saw no reason to complicate matters further.

Yet, Hanna wasn't one to easily let go of her dignity.

One day, she was determined to make Kayce plead for her to join him in bed!

And when that day arrived, she would see how he made up for the humiliation she suffered today!

Hanna eventually drifted off to sleep.

Kayce, however, lay awake for a long time.

Hanna had already left his bed.

Still, her lingering scent remained.

This scent caused Kayce to constantly think back to that night when he and the girl had slept together. It even tempted him to throw himself on the sofa and treat Hanna the way he had treated the girl from that night...

Damn it!

The woman he intended to marry was Brynn, not Hanna. Hanna was merely a substitute because of a series of misunderstandings!

As someone who usually remained composed, how could he be so disturbed by Hanna?!

The following morning, Hanna was shaken awake.

As she slowly opened her heavy eyelids, the first thing she saw was a man in a designer suit sitting in a wheelchair. When her eyes traveled up to his face, she was instantly terrified, as though someone had grabbed her throat, leaving her unable to utter a sound.

She had never seen such a hideous face before!

The face before her was grotesque, with wrinkled and cracked skin, marred by red and purple acne and pockmarks. If someone were to encounter this face unexpectedly in the middle of the night, it would surely cause a heart attack.

"Just one night, and you don't recognize your husband?" The man's voice was mocking.

Upon hearing this familiar, cold, and deep voice, Hanna recognized that the man was indeed Kayce.

"Get up and put this on."

A crimson shadow fluttered towards Hanna.

It was a vivid red bridal dress.

According to the customs of Zreles, a bride must wear red for three days following her wedding to fully seal the marriage.

Hanna paid no attention to the red dress and continued to gaze intently at Kayce's horrifying face.

It was no surprise that people said Kayce looked as ugly as a zombie.

He must be wearing a mask.

People usually show their best side, and many wear makeup to appear more attractive.

But why would a handsome man put on such a hideous mask?

"The more secrets you know, the more dangerous it is for you. Remember, in this house, if you wish to survive longer, don't ask questions," Kayce said coldly as if he could read minds.

Hanna felt a deep chill from his warning.

Yet, instead of being scared off by Kayce's warning, she found herself more intrigued by his mysteries.

"I have no interest in you. Feel free to dress as though you're alone." With that, Kayce turned his wheelchair, showing her his back.

Hanna lifted her eyebrows and retorted arrogantly, "Rest assured, Mr. Collins. I have no interest in you either. You're too cold for my taste."

A flicker of an odd expression briefly crossed Kayce's strikingly handsome face behind the mask.

As she dressed, Hanna found herself unable to stop watching him.

Undeniably, despite Kayce's aloofness, he had a charm that was irresistible to women.

With his long legs and well-built physique, he would probably stand between 6.1 and 6.2 feet tall.

Last night, he had used an unknown tool to pull her onto the bed. She hadn't seen him stand, and now he was in a wheelchair. It seemed he might indeed be paralyzed from the waist down.

In Zreles, it was well-known that Kayce was a prodigy. He conquered the business world by thirteen and had become one of the top tycoons in Zreles by the age of twenty. He was known for his ruthless and relentless nature, so some referred to him as the Shadow Master.

Yet Hanna had seen his incredibly handsome face...

Such a strikingly handsome man, now paralyzed and reduced to helplessness...

What a shame!

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a middle-aged woman dressed in elegant clothes entered, beaming with joy.

Hanna recognized this woman from the previous night.

She was none other than Kayce's mother, Margot Collins.

Kayce greeted her gently, saying, "Morning, Mom."

Hanna was taken aback to see that Kayce wasn't always so distant. Though his tone remained cool, there was a softness in his voice when he spoke to Margot.

"Hmm."

Margot gave Kayce a quick look, then headed straight for Hanna.

"Sweetheart, it's still quite early. Don't you want to sleep a bit more?"

Before Hanna could reply, Kayce had already tugged at her collar, pulling it down slightly.

"Oh, what's this... A love bite from my son?"

Margot's eyes twinkled with excitement.

Hanna was stunned. So, the reason Kayce had bitten her neck was to create a misunderstanding for Margot!

"My bedsheet is soiled. Take it to be washed." Kayce's voice rang coldly.

"Yes, sir." A maid tiptoed over to Kayce's bed.

Shortly after, she returned to Margot with a bedsheet covered with bloodstains.