The Contract Bride of Westwood

Leonard's POV 

The city skyline looked endless from his hotel room, but Leo's mind wasn't on the view.

Not today.

He leaned back in his chair, a glass of untouched scotch in hand, as his assistant finished briefing him on the agenda for the day. Contracts. Numbers. Investors. All the same old dance.

But he couldn't stop thinking about Melanie.

She'd handled herself well lately—better than he expected. Especially with the run-ins they had with Aaron and his mother's surprise visit. She was resilient. Graceful. But he knew all too well that even the strongest people cracked when no one was looking.

He exhaled slowly, letting the silence fall around him.

Three days away. It wasn't much. But for some reason, it felt like a lifetime.

He picked up his phone.

Leo: Good morning, have a great day.

He paused, then added another message.

Leo: If anything happens—anything—call me.

Melanie's POV 

The sun was already warm by the time Melanie stepped out of the car, wearing a soft beige blouse tucked into cream slacks. She smiled when she saw Leonard message. It was her third day at Harrington's Institute, and the air still buzzed with the same blend of nerves and creativity. This place felt like something out of a dream.

She adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder, the driver nodding politely before pulling away. Today, she was determined to learn and avoid unnecessary drama.

But drama, apparently, had other plans.

The hallway outside her class buzzed with whispers the moment she arrived. Melanie didn't notice at first, until the hair on her neck stood on edge.

Just as Melanie reached her locker outside the main design studio, that unmistakable voice sliced through the air.

"Well, if it isn't my darling big sister."

Melanie froze for a second before turning around.

Rose stood there—dressed like she walked out of a magazine spread. Hair curled in soft waves, subtle makeup with just enough shimmer, and a smirk tucked behind her sweet facade. Her ever-loyal friend Lara stood beside her, looking like she wanted to disappear.

"I knew you were trying your hand at fashion design," Rose continued with a faux-pleasant tone. "It's so... inspiring to see you chasing dreams again. I didn't think you'd be back so soon after, you know... everything."

Melanie kept her voice steady. "I didn't come here to relive old stories. So don't start one."

Rose pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh, I would never. I'm just happy to see you again. Family's family, right?"

Lara gave a tight smile. "She means it, Melanie. She's really been hoping to talk to you."

Melanie didn't bother replying. The hallway had already grown quieter. Students nearby had paused, their curiosity piqued by the unfolding tension.

Melanie tilted her head. "Strange how you still have time to stalk my life when you're supposedly happily married."

Rose's expression faltered—but only for a second. Then she smiled again, voice trembling with fake emotion.

"I just wanted to talk," she said, her eyes now moist. "I wanted to apologize. For everything. For the wedding. For Adrian. You didn't deserve that. And I... I just want my sister back."

Whispers deepened around them. Students stopped, watching.

"Rose, don't do this," Melanie said, her tone sharp. "Not here. Not for an audience."

Rose reached out like she might hug her. "I mean it. I'm sorry."

Rose's eyes sparkled—not with guilt, but with the thrill of being watched. "I didn't come here to fight," she said sweetly. "I actually wanted to talk... to clear the air. I'm your sister, Mel. I just want us to be okay again."

Lara stepped forward, feigning sympathy. "She's telling the truth. Rose hasn't stopped feeling bad about it."

Melanie looked from one to the other. "If she really felt bad, she'd have said this years ago—not in front of an audience."

The students murmuring nearby froze.

Melanie stepped back.

"You're sorry you got caught. You're sorry I didn't break the way you hoped. And you're sorry because you can't stand the fact that I'm still standing."

More students appeared, drawn by the tension.

"You played the perfect sister for years, Rose. I played the quiet one. But I won't play anymore."

"That's not fair—"

"No. What wasn't fair was you lying to my face while planning your dream wedding with my fiance. What's not fair is pretending I'm the villain just because I refused to stay your victim."

Betty, who had been passing by, paused and raised a brow. "Is this a sisterly reunion, or a publicity stunt?"

Rose turned her head smoothly, smile never faltering. "Just family catching up."

"In front of strangers?" Betty said sharply. "You didn't come to apologize. You came to embarrass her."

Melanie stepped forward, voice calm but firm. "You don't get to rewrite the past, Rose. You lied. You stole. You humiliated me. And now you want to play the perfect sister because it makes you look good?"

More gasps.

Rose's smile faltered for a second. "Melanie, you're twisting everything."

"No. I'm just not staying silent anymore."

A pause. A sharp silence.

Melanie stepped forward. "If you have something to say, Rose, say it directly."

"I already said it." Rose's smile widened, sickly sweet. "I forgive you. I know you must feel awful about everything that happened between us... and Adrian."

The gasp from a few classmates was audible.

Melanie's tone dropped a degree. "I don't feel awful. I feel lucky."

Rose blinked.

"Because I'm not the one who has to pretend every day that she didn't ruin her sister's life just to feel wanted."

That wiped the smile off her face.

Before Rose could recover, Melanie turned to Betty and said calmly, "Let's go. Class is about to start."

The instructor soon appeared, ordering everyone inside, but the tension lingered like smoke.

As class ended and students gathered near the doors, Betty nudged Melanie.

"You okay?"

"I will be," Melanie replied with a small smile.

Then her phone buzzed.

Leo: There's a dinner party tonight for all the newbies, right?

She blinked. How did he know?

Melanie: Yes. At the Hilton restaurant. How'd you—?

Leo: I have my ways. Be careful tonight. Call me if you feel off.

Melanie: I will. Promise.

***

As Melanie slipped her phone back into her bag, her steps slowed near the exit.

The hallway was empty now, the earlier tension replaced with silence. But her heart hadn't calmed. If anything, Leo's message had made it worse.

Not because he said anything wrong.

But because he cared.

She could feel it in the way he checked in. In the quiet warmth behind every protective word. In the way he saw her—even from miles away.

And that terrified her.

Because caring back meant opening up. It meant trusting again. And trusting Leonard Westwood… felt like stepping off a cliff with no parachute.

Melanie stared out at the fading sunlight beyond the glass doors.

What if she was already falling?

What if her heart, despite everything she'd sworn, was no longer her own?

She pressed a hand to her chest, as if she could quiet the ache building beneath her ribs.

"Don't fall," she whispered to herself.

"Don't hope."

But she already had.

And the scariest part?

She didn't know how to stop.