Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ

Waiting A week had passed since Aren had becunconscious. Throughout this time, | basically lived in the clinic, only migrating between my Grandma's room and my husband's room. | quickly found out that frustration and restlessness weren't the only things that | had to struggle with in the meantime. Being Aren’s wife cwith responsibilities that | hadn't been aware of until the moment my husband fell into a coma, and | was given the authority over... basically everything he owned.

Aren’s suite within the clinic had strangely becmy office; the place where | met Neil, the lawyers, and even Lan Diamond Corporation’s executives. | was terrified of every decision | had to make on my own in Aren’s name.

Neil helpedas much as he could, but at the end of the day, | was the one calling all the shots.

| spent endless hours in front of my computer, learning about business terms and definitions that would helpunderstand what those people were talking toabout. Thank God that | was a fast learner. Nonetheless, | barely slept and even fainted in the bathroom once. Doctor Crawford threatenedthat he would putinto one of the clinic's hospital rooms if | didn’t start taking care of myself better. As much as | loved that guy, | didn’t want to bechis patient... | couldn't. | had no tfor that.

While | was sitting by Aren’s bed, Jack and Chris spent their days taking care of the mess that Packton and his men made. The case had reached the highest authorities’ ears and the investigation was now moving at full speed. With the recording from the night at the Red Hook and the evidence Norton, Alan, and | had found provided by Jack Collins, Lester Packton, his men who were visible in the recording, Francis Marshall senior and junior, and Nolan Marshall were all accused of a series of charges. Of course, | was happy with that result, especially since it had given Jack his job back, but this whole mission hadn’t brought us any closer to finding out the identity of the man who had planned my kidnapping.

“Are you still sitting here?” Jack frowned, looking atas | was leaning over Aren’s bed.

| shrugged. “Where else would | be?” He walked closer, crossing his hands over his chest. “I thought that the doctor told you that there is nothing endangering his current state. All he needs to do is wake up.” I nodded. “Yes, and | will be here when it happens.” He sighed, lookingup and down. “Cora, you look miserable and exhausted. Do you think he would have wanted you to act like this? Go get srest.” “I get enough sleep now that | got scolded by Doctor Crawford. Besides, | cannot rest”-l pointed at the pile of documents lying on the table-“because | have tons of documents to analyze and sign.” “Cora, you are overworking yourself, and you are stressed. Go home,” Jack said commandingly. “I can’t go back to the penthouse, Jack!” | snapped. “I can’t go there because I can’t handle being there without Aren! | will go insane there, Jack...” My agitated tone quickly turned into a soft cry.

Jack walked over and hugged me. “I didn’t mean to upset you... | just wanted to help.” I smiled dryly. “Jack, | appreciate your good intentions, but you can’t help me. Yet, you can start investigating Aren’s mother’s death. You can begin by checking George Richardson and looking for the missing pathology report. | can contact you with my friends, Alan and Norton if you need help with tracing bank transactions and stuff like that.” A sound of frustration escaped Jack’s throat. “You begin to sound like him, you know? You beca boss a little over a week ago, and you already orderaround. For your information, | am already on the case.

It is now officially reopened, and | will soon work with the prosecutors’ office to form charges against James Winton and George Richardson,” he stated, frowning at me. | couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do | really sound like Aren?” “Yes, you do! And you are turning into a crazy workaholic like him! Don’t let those corporate bastards exhaust you to death!” he exclaimed., “Jack... Keep your voice down,” | said calmly, glaring at him. “This is a patient's room, and you need to be quiet.” “You are impossible,” he huffed, helplessly dropping his hands before he walked toward the door. “Take care of yourself, Cora, or Chris and | will force you to.” He wavedgoodbye and left.

| wasn’t sure what his threat was about, but | had no tto think about it. | grabbed my computer, took the pile of documents, and started going through every paragraph on every page while simultaneously reading emails from lawyers and managers. Thankfully, Neil kept sendinga list of issues and people's requests that | could temporarily ignore, hoping that Aren would wake up before | would be forced to make my decision. | had never thought that | would be forced to run a multi-billion dollar corporation with hundreds of people wanting to eatalive every day. How could Aren do this all by himself? From the moment | stepped into his shoes, | started to admire my husband even more...

| finished dealing with the documents around 1 AM. | was dead tired, but at the stime, | felt a strong need to confess to someone. | left Aren’s room and walked down the corridor to my Grandma's. She looked as peaceful as ever in the rose room where Aren put her. | think she would have loved the design. | sat by her bed and grabbed her hand.

“Granny...” | started softly. “There is something | need to tell you...” | took a deep breath as a smile instantly curled my lips at the thought of what | was about to say. “I broke with the women of the Bell family’s tradition. | got married, and | fell in love with my husband. He treatswell, and | hope that one day he will lovejust as much as | love him. Perhaps one day | will bear a child with the man who cherishes me... Isn’t that weird?” | laughed, shedding a few tears along the way.

| knew that Grandma wouldn’t wantto follow in her and Mom's footsteps and struggle on my own for many years. | was the first to have a man by my side, even if it was a contractual marriage. “You know, Granny... The man | love is in a coma right now. He is lying in a bed a few rooms away from your room. If it is true, and you in your state have access to a different level of consciousness, would you find him for me, and tell him to get his ass back here?” | smirked, trying to sound smug before bursting out into tears. “I really need him right now...” | couldn’t even tell when | stopped crying or when | collapsed and fell asleep by Grandma's bed. The nurse wokeup at six o'clock, asking if | was feeling OK. Since it was the snurse who snitchedto Doctor Crawford after she had foundin the bathroom, | spent a whole hour convincing her that | was all right and that my falling asleep in a strange position with my upper body lying on the bed and the rest ofsitting in the chair was purely an accident.

By the t| walked back to Aren’s room, Neil was already there to handa new pile of documents to review, revise, or sign. The new day had begun. | couldn't even remember if | had eaten anything that day. | only remember spending a few hours trying to understand one of the deals. Even if Neil assuredthat it was one of the contracts that Aren had already accepted and | only needed to sign it, | wanted to make sure that | wouldn't make any mistakes and jeopardize my husband's business.

It was past 10 PM when | shut down my laptop, deciding to take a break. | got up from my seat and stretched when suddenly, someone grabbedfrom behind and gaggedwith tape. As | looked behind me, | saw Chris, smirking at me. | raised my eyebrows in shock, trying to ask him what he was doing, but before | could react, he used the stape to restrain my hands, threwover his shoulder, and walked out of Aren’s room. | groaned through the tape and struggled, but it didn’t affect Chris at all.

“Oh, shut up, Cora! You're in a clinic; keep your voice down!” He chuckled mischievously, walking into the elevator while carrying me.

| was more pissed off by the second. Why the hell would Chris do something like that?! | was even more annoyed to see absolutely no guards or medical staff in the corridors as he carriedout of the clinic. | bet that he must have arranged it beforehand. We cdown to the underground parking lot where he walked withon his shoulder toward the black Porsche. As we walked closer, | saw Jack sitting inside. My annoyance turned into a wild rage. Jack opened the backseat door and Chris threwinside the car.

“You didn’t want to listen to me, so we are going to do it the hard way,” Jack said, a wicked grin crossing his mouth | frowned, trying to guess their intentions. Then | watched them get into the car and start the engine.

When we were driving out of the parking lot, | mumbled something questionably, but at least they understood me... “We were thinking about how to help you, Cora, and we figured it out...” Jack chuckled, turning my way and winking at me. “We seriously need a drink. So tonight you are going with us, and we are going to drown all of your problems and sorrows.”