A Desperate Woman Signed a One-Year Marriage Contract With a Ruthless Mob oss to Save Her Sister

The sterile white lights of the hospital hallway buzzed with a low, agonizing hum.

Claire paced back and forth outside Room 402, her hands wringing together so tightly her knuckles turned white. Every second felt like an eternity, the terrifying specter of losing her only remaining family member looming over her like a executioner's axe.

A strong, warm hand caught her wrist, halting her nervous steps.

She looked up to find Adrian standing beside her. He had shed his suit jacket, his shirtsleeves rolled up, his dark eyes steady and grounding.

"Stop pacing, Claire. You're going to make yourself sick," he said gently, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her inner wrist.

"You don't understand, Adrian," she choked out, a tear finally spilling over her lashes. "She's all I have left. When our mother died, I promised her I'd take care of Madison. If anything happens to her... I don't know who I am without that promise."

Adrian pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head. He didn't offer empty platitudes or toxic positivity. He just held her, a pillar of unyielding strength in the middle of her personal storm.

"She's a fighter," Adrian murmured into her hair. "She has her sister's strength. She's going to be fine."

Before Claire could reply, the door to Room 402 clicked open, and Dr. Evans stepped out into the hallway, pulling off his surgical mask. His expression was serious, but there was a faint hint of relief in his eyes.

Claire pulled away from Adrian, rushing up to the doctor. "Dr. Evans? How is she? What did the bloodwork show?"

"Take a breath, Claire," the doctor smiled softly. "The markers we found initially pointed toward a potential rejection of the experimental protocol, which understandably alarmed us. However, we ran a secondary confirmatory panel this morning."

He paused, letting out a long breath. "The markers were a false positive caused by a minor medication interaction. Madison’s body is responding remarkably well to the treatment. Her white blood cell count is stabilizing, and the autoimmune inflammation is receding."

Claire let out a ragged, explosive gasp of pure, unadulterated relief. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she would have hit the floor if Adrian hadn't caught her by the waist, sweeping her up against his strong frame.