The Contract Bride He Left To Die

Seven days after my twin sister Bianca suffered cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma, my fiancé Matteo De Luca sat beside her ICU bed, holding her cool hand through the night. “So you were telling the truth.” “If I don’t marry you, you really will die.” “Bianca, wake up, and I’ll marry you immediately.” After his promise, her pulse quickened on the monitor, and Bianca opened her eyes. Everyone called it a miracle. Only then did I learn that Bianca was a Contract Holder, and the man she had been assigned to win was Matteo—the man I had loved for five years and was about to marry. His promise had only stabilized her. According to Bianca, the contract would not be complete until the marriage became legal. That same night, our two mafia families rewrote the wedding plans. The De Luca chapel remained booked. The reception, guest list, and priest stayed the same. My mother placed the De Luca heirloom veil that had been fitted for me on Bianca’s head, my father ordered the lawyers to replace my name on the marriage documents, and Matteo slid my engagement ring onto her finger. They were relieved that Bianca had survived and assumed I could wait. Standing outside her room, I watched Matteo kiss her hand as the system spoke inside my mind. 【Target individual is preparing to marry another Contract Holder.】 【Original task entering failure countdown.】 They did not know I was a Contract Holder too. Bianca and I had received the same task, with the same man as our target. She was awake. Now I was the one marked for erasure. Chapter 1 The day Bianca fully regained consciousness, the De Luca lawyers had already been waiting at the hospital for three hours. When I entered the top-floor conference room, Matteo was signing new marriage documents. The name Isabella Caruso had been replaced with Bianca Caruso. The chapel confirmation, the priest’s schedule, and the revised guest list lay across the table, each stamped with the De Luca family’s black-and-gold seal. Matteo saw me and paused. “Isabella.” Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his shirt collar was wrinkled. He had barely left Bianca’s room all week. I approached the table. “You’re marrying her.” “She’s recovering.” “Because you promised to marry her.” Matteo set down the pen. “Her heart stopped once. I can’t let that happen again.” “So our wedding is canceled?” “Postponed.” “Until after she becomes your wife?” His brow tightened. “This isn’t about love.” “Then what is it?” “Saving her.” Matteo stepped closer and reached for my coat collar, the way he always did when he thought I was underdressed. “Isabella, I’m not abandoning you. I can’t stand by and watch Bianca die.” I stepped away. “Then marry me legally first.” His hand froze. “What?” “She can have the chapel, the reception, and the ring.” I held his gaze. “Sign the civil papers with me first. It will take ten minutes.” Disbelief flashed across his face. “Bianca needs a legal marriage to survive. If I marry you first, you take away her only chance.” “What about mine?” The door opened. My mother entered, her eyes still swollen from crying. “Your sister just woke up. Do you have to upset her now?” “I only need ten minutes.” “And then what?” She gripped my arm. “You know Bianca needs this marriage, yet you still want to sign first. When did you become this cruel?” I did not pull away. “What if I die without it too?” She hesitated. “What if I’m the same as her?” Her doubt vanished almost immediately. “Don’t imitate your sister.” My father entered and closed the door behind him. “The De Lucas saw Bianca’s heart stop, and they saw her wake after Matteo promised to marry her.” His tone was as calm as it was during a family ruling. “This marriage will proceed.” “Because of the alliance?” “And because she is your sister.” “I’m your daughter too.” He looked away. “We’ll discuss that later.” My mother softened her voice. “Bella, you’ve always been stronger than Bianca. Her body cannot survive another collapse. You’re losing a wedding. She would lose her life.” Matteo did not disagree. I looked at him. “You think I should give her everything too?” “I know this is unfair.” “But you’ll still marry her.” “Yes.” He stepped closer, trying to touch my shoulder. “When she’s stable, I’ll make it up to you. We can prepare another wedding and commission another ring. I’ll give you whatever you want.” “Including you?” He did not answer. A nurse called from the corridor. “Matteo, Bianca is awake. She keeps asking for you.” He turned at once. As he passed me, he stopped. “Isabella, don’t make this harder for her.” He only used my full name during family meetings or when he was angry. Usually, I was Isa. But when he opened Bianca’s door, his voice softened. “Bia, I’m here.” My mother followed him. My father returned to the lawyers and the marriage documents. Then the system spoke. 【Original task has suffered irreversible deviation.】 【Temporary alternative condition activated: obtain one unconditional, sincere declaration of love from the target within twenty-four hours.】 【Time remaining: 23:59:59.】 Through the glass, I watched Matteo sit beside Bianca and raise a cup of water to her lips. I opened the door and called his name. Chapter 2 Matteo turned back. Bianca was propped against the pillows, still holding the glass he had given her. “What is it?” “Do you still love me?” The room went quiet. Matteo studied me for a moment, exhaustion clear in his face. “Of course.” “I want to hear you say it.” “Isabella, I love you. But Bianca needs me right now.” I waited, but the system remained silent. Matteo rubbed his brow. “Is that enough?” “Do you mean it?” His patience thinned. “I just told you I love you. Bianca has only just woken up. Do we have to do this here?” “Only once.” I held his gaze. “No duty, no compensation, and no one else attached to the answer. Just tell me you love me.” Bianca’s eyes filled with tears. “Isa, don’t force him. If you don’t want me to have the wedding, I can give it up.” She reached for her IV. Matteo caught her hand at once. “Don’t.” He steadied her before turning back to me. “My feelings for you haven’t changed, but she needs this marriage to survive. We can’t let her die for our relationship.” The system remained silent. Every time he said he loved me, Bianca came with the answer. “What if I die too?” I asked. Matteo went still. “If I’m the same as her, and I’ll die unless you marry me, who would you save first?” He stared at me for a long time. “Stop this.” I gave a faint smile. “So you only believe her.” “I watched her heart stop. I watched her wake after my promise.” His voice lowered. “Now you suddenly claim you have the same task. How am I supposed to believe that?” I did not argue. “Do you remember where we first became a couple?” “The old clock tower by the lake at Northwestern.” Five years ago, Matteo had waited there for hours and told me, in front of everyone passing by, that he would always choose me. “Meet me there at eight tonight,” I said. “Tell me again, the way you did then.” His brow tightened. “If you come, I won’t interfere with your wedding to Bianca again.” He studied me, as though weighing whether I meant it. “That’s all?” “That’s all.” 【Time remaining: 23:41:12.】 At last, he nodded. “All right.” “You promise?” “I promise.” Not long after I left the hospital, Bianca posted on Instagram. The photo came from the De Luca family archive. Matteo stood over an old ledger while Bianca sat beside him. A place card bearing her name lay on the table. Her caption read: Some doors open only after you survive the night. My mother commented: You were always meant to come back to us. My father added: The family will protect what has been returned. Several De Luca elders liked the post, as if Bianca had already been welcomed into the family. I closed Instagram and messaged Matteo. Eight tonight. The old clock tower. I’ll wait for you. He replied almost immediately. I remember. I arrived by seven. A thin layer of snow covered the bench beneath the tower, and wind swept in from Lake Michigan as the square slowly emptied. At seven thirty, Matteo had not appeared. At seven fifty, my phone was still silent. At eight, the clock struck and the surrounding lights came on. Snow settled on my coat and hair as the system announced: 【Time remaining: 08:00:00.】 I opened our chat and sent one message. Are you here? It showed as delivered, but Matteo did not reply. Chapter 3 Five minutes past eight, Matteo still had not replied. I called him. He answered on the seventh ring. Low organ music and hushed voices sounded in the background. “Isa?” “It’s eight.” A brief silence followed. “I know,” Matteo said. “Bianca is rehearsing in the chapel. She nearly fainted when she stood up. The priest and the family elders are here. I can’t leave yet.” I tightened my grip on the cold coffee. “You promised you’d come.” “I haven’t forgotten.” “Then when will you be here?” Fabric rustled on the other end before Bianca spoke softly. “Matteo, is the comb pulling my hair?” “Don’t move. I’ll fix it.” His voice softened at once. A moment later, he returned to me. “It’s the De Luca family’s heirloom wedding veil. We need to finish the full rehearsal tonight. I’ll come as soon as it’s over.” “How long?” “Half an hour. An hour at most.” 【Time remaining: 07:55:00.】 “Do you remember why I’m waiting?” “You want me to confess my love again.” “Not casually.” “I understand.” His patience was fading. “But Bianca just woke from a coma. This is her first time entering the chapel as a De Luca bride. I can’t abandon her in front of the entire family.” Someone announced that the rehearsal was continuing. “Matteo,” Bianca called. “The priest is waiting.” “Coming.” When he spoke again, he was already ending the call. “Isa, go home. I’ll pick you up when we’re done.” “I’m staying.” “It’s snowing. Don’t be stubborn.” “Will you come?” He paused. “Yes.” The call ended. I sat beneath the clock tower and watched my screen go dark. By nine, only campus security remained in the square. After ten, the nearby café switched off its lights. Matteo never appeared. At eleven, the De Luca family’s official account posted a rehearsal photo. Bianca stood inside the private chapel in an ivory dress, an antique lace veil covering her hair. Its edge carried the family’s embroidered lily crest. Matteo stood behind her, arranging the veil across her shoulders. Light from the stained-glass windows fell over them like a wedding portrait. The caption read: The family has saved a place for her. My mother called as soon as I closed the post. “Isabella, are you still at the university?” “Yes.” “Matteo isn’t coming. I told him tonight’s rehearsal matters more than repeating a confession from five years ago.” I said nothing. “Bianca and Matteo are getting married next week. Both families have agreed. If you keep delaying him, you’ll embarrass everyone.” “So you can cancel his promise for him?” Her voice hardened. “Why must you compete with your sister? Bianca’s heart has already stopped once. Do you want to push her there again?” “She’s marrying my fiancé.” “Matteo is saving her.” That sentence had become their excuse for everything. As long as they called it saving a life, I was expected to surrender whatever they took. I ended the call. 【Time remaining: 05:00:00.】 The snow thickened, covering the bench and stone steps. When I stood, my legs were numb, and a sharp ache pulled through my abdomen. I caught the railing beside the tower, but my vision still went black. When I woke again, hospital lights burned above me. A nurse adjusted my IV and handed me the test results. “You’re eight weeks pregnant, and there are signs of a threatened miscarriage. Have you been resting at all?” I stared at her before taking the report. “Pregnant?” “The baby is stable for now, but you can’t stay out in the cold or keep pushing yourself like this.” Chapter 4 After the nurse left, I stared at the report. Eight weeks. That was when Matteo still came home late, held me in bed, and talked about our future. He once said that if we had children, he would step back from family business and make it home for dinner. I called him. “Isa?” Someone was discussing the chapel seating plan in the background. “Matteo, I need to tell you something.” “I can’t talk. There’s a problem with the wedding schedule.” “I’m pregnant.” Silence followed. “Isa—” Someone called his name from the chapel, and the line went dead. I removed the IV and returned to the Caruso estate with the report. My mother and Bianca sat near the fireplace, surrounded by chapel plans, seating charts, and bridal catalogs. My father was reviewing the guest list with a De Luca lawyer. Matteo stood behind Bianca while she chose the processional music. The room fell silent when I entered. I walked to Matteo and handed him the report. “I’m eight weeks pregnant.” Shock crossed his face. Bianca’s catalog slipped from her hands. “Isa… could the hospital be wrong?” “They tested twice.” My mother took the report. “You had to get pregnant now?” “The child didn’t appear today.” Tears filled Bianca’s eyes. “If she’s carrying your child, the wedding should go back to her.” She looked at Matteo. “I can’t leave a child without a father. If my task fails, let it fail.” She pressed a hand to her chest, struggling to breathe. Matteo caught her at once. “Don’t say that.” My mother rubbed Bianca’s back, then turned on me. “She just started recovering. Why would you tell her this now?” “Because it’s Matteo’s child.” “How do we know you aren’t using a report to take back the wedding?” My father checked the hospital seal. “You’ll be examined again tomorrow at the Caruso clinic.” “You don’t believe me either?” “This affects two families. I need confirmation.” I looked at Matteo. He was still holding Bianca, but his eyes had dropped to my stomach. “The baby is yours.” “I believe you.” Bianca’s fingers tightened around his arm. Matteo looked back at me. “I’ll take responsibility. You and the child will have my protection, and the child will carry my name.” “But you’ll still marry her.” “The wedding cannot be canceled.” 【Time remaining: 03:46:08.】 I gripped his sleeve. “I don’t want money. Look at me and tell me you love me. Mean it.” “I already did.” “You added Bianca afterward.” “Because she will die.” “So will I. And so will the baby.” I told him about the countdown and the alternative condition. One sincere declaration, without duty or conditions, would save us. His doubt hardened. “Now you’re copying Bianca’s task?” “I’m telling the truth.” “I watched her heart stop. You only told me today that you have a system and a few hours left. How am I supposed to believe that?” I pushed the report toward him. “Then believe the baby.” “I’ll protect the child, but I won’t abandon someone whose heart has already stopped once because of a countdown I can’t prove.” Bianca began to cry. “Matteo, go with her. I can manage alone.” She tried to stand and immediately swayed. Matteo steadied her and turned to take her upstairs. I still held his sleeve. “One sentence won’t change your wedding.” “Isa, let go.” “Matteo, save our baby.” He pulled his arm free. I stumbled into the marble edge of the fireplace, and pain tore through my abdomen hard enough to fold me forward. Matteo moved toward me. At the same moment, Bianca gasped and collapsed, her fingers catching his jacket. For one second, he stood between us. Then he turned and caught her. “Get Dr. Russo. Now.” The guards rushed forward. My mother passed me without stopping, helping clear a path for Bianca while I remained bent beside the fireplace, one hand pressed over my stomach. Matteo carried her toward the stairs without looking back. Only after they disappeared did my mother return, grip my arm, and pull me from the room. She never asked whether I could still stand. Behind the closed door, she threw the report onto the table. “If this pregnancy is real, end it tomorrow.” My father stood by the door in silence. “Why?” “That child will keep Bianca afraid and could destroy the alliance. Matteo has chosen her. Keeping it will only make Matteo, Bianca, and the baby suffer.” She had not counted me. My father finally spoke. “Isabella, let this go. The family will compensate you. You can have another child. Bianca cannot survive another failed task.” “So I lose my fiancé and my baby.” My mother’s voice softened. “You’re losing a relationship and a child who hasn’t been born. Bianca would lose her life.” I looked at the two people who were supposed to love me most. “All right.” “I understand.” Chapter 5 No one followed me when I left the Caruso estate. My mother stayed behind with the medical report, while my father returned downstairs to finish reviewing the wedding guest list. Through the closed door, I could still hear the doctor examining Bianca and Matteo answering in a low, urgent voice. The snow had already settled thickly. I did not return to my apartment. I went back to the old clock tower at Northwestern and sat on the same bench where I had waited for Matteo only hours earlier. The ache in my abdomen had not stopped. 【Time remaining: 02:17:46.】 During Bianca’s coma, my mother barely left the hospital, my father canceled every family meeting, and Matteo spent night after night outside the ICU. I handled the Caruso family’s legitimate business during the day, brought them food and clothes at night, then returned alone to an empty apartment. No one ever asked whether I was tired. They only said that if Bianca never woke, the family would fall apart. I had wanted her to wake too. I had even defended her to Matteo, telling him she was not trying to ruin our wedding; she was afraid of dying. Now that she had survived, they expected me to pay for it with my marriage and my child. My phone vibrated. Matteo had sent a message. Bianca is stable now. I really can’t leave tonight. Another followed minutes later. After the wedding, we’ll talk properly. I’ll confess my love as many times as you want. Then I understood why he had never believed me. Bianca’s heart had already stopped once in front of him, so her fear was real. I had always remained beside him—quiet, healthy, and willing to wait. He thought I had endless time. Once Bianca was safe, he could make it up to me with another wedding, another ring, another belated promise. But I had no later. 【Time remaining: 01:03:21.】 I did not reply. Snow gathered in my hair and across my shoulders. My body grew colder, while the pain in my abdomen slowly faded. I rested a hand over the life inside me and remembered Matteo once saying he hoped our first child would look like me. He had promised to teach them to ride and never let the family decide their future. Now he would not give them even one unconditional declaration of love. Shortly before three in the morning, Bianca posted on Instagram. She sat beside the fire at the De Luca estate, wrapped in a blanket bearing the family crest. Matteo sat beside her, warming her hands between his. The revised wedding guest list lay on the table. Her caption read: Home is where no one lets you face the cold alone. My mother liked the post. My father commented: You are safe now. Another hour passed while the snow continued to cover me. I looked at those words and smiled. They had finally protected the person they had chosen. The final countdown began. 【00:00:05.】 I closed my eyes and pressed my hand over my abdomen. I’m sorry. I did not know whether the apology was for my child or for the woman who had trusted them. 【Three.】 【Two.】 【One.】 When the countdown reached zero, the pain disappeared. The snow was still falling, but I was standing beside the bench now. My body sat beneath a layer of white, head lowered, both hands still protecting my stomach, as though waiting for someone who would never come. The phone slipped from my frozen fingers and lit one last time. Matteo had sent another message. [Isa, stop this. Go home and wait for me.] The screen went dark.