C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T!

Theo's breath brushed against her neck.

That was it. Her brain short-circuited.

"Ahh! Pervert Igloo! What are you doing?!" Daisy shrieked, full volume, hands flailing.

In a panic, she grabbed the closest thing she could—his ears.

"Let go," he said, completely unfazed, like she wasn't currently yanking at both sides of his head like a malfunctioning claw machine.

"You let go first!" she snapped, still clinging to his ears like they were emergency handles.

"I'm not holding anything," he said, calmly pushing her hands away from his ears.

Daisy's eyes quickly dropped to his hands which were now folded neatly across his chest.

"I knew it," she muttered, letting go of her hands. "I can sense the perverted aura coming off you…" Still unsatisfied, she added, "I'll report you to the police next time, and don't you dare—"

She didn't get to finish.

Because Theo calmly reached into the inner pocket of his suit… and pulled out their marriage certificate. He held it up right in front of her face, clear and with intention.

The message was obvious: We're married.

"Huh? Did you carry it everywhere?" She scoffed, leaning back in disbelief. "Mr. Theo, need I remind you… we married by contract. C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T!" Her brows furrowed, anger bubbling fast. "Don't play innocent now."

Theo leaned back in his seat, unfazed.

"Contract?" he said quietly. "Which one?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"I don't remember signing anything," he added, eyes closed now, not because the conversation bored him, but because the ache in his head had finally quieted.

That hit her like a slap at the back of her head. Was she tricked into agreeing to something that didn't officially exist? Something that could shift and twist depending on this weird alien's mood?

"Di–did you just trick me?" Her voice cracked, anxiety creeping in faster than she could control.

"I did not," he replied calmly. "I stick to what we agreed to… The money… I already transferred half this morning. You received it, right?"

Her brain paused, then restarted.

"I–I did… but…" she blinked, her gaze dropping. "Can I leave now?" The words felt unfinished… like her mind couldn't catch up with her mouth.

Theo hummed lightly. "Make sure you take a flight to me the day after tomorrow. Marla will arrange everything for you."

She nodded automatically, hand already gripping the door handle when his voice stopped her.

"Here," he said, placing something in her palm.

She looked down. A black card.

She blinked, stunned, eyes darting between him and the card.

"Yes," he said dryly, "the one you've seen in dramas."

Though she froze, Theo could read her eyes.

"Yes, use it as much as you want. It's unlimited. You can go now," he sighed. "My word quota of the day is almost used up, because of you…" he said, leaning back to the seat.

She pressed her lips thin, "Thank you…contract husband."

She continued to get out of the car, and not long after, it drove away, leaving her standing there, gazing until the vehicle was no longer visible to her eyes. She stared down at the card in her palm.

"Why?" she muttered, flipping the card, still confused about why he had given it to her. "Ah, never mind!" she snapped, pushing all her thoughts away. 

For now, she needed to settle her father's treatment and make sure he got the best place and was fully taken care of.

=====

Later that day, Daisy arrived at one of the facilities Aurora had managed to find. It was tucked away from the busy city streets, quiet and clean, with a calming atmosphere that instantly told her the bills here weren't going to be modest.

She hadn't even stepped fully into the lobby when a man in a formal suit approached her with a warm smile.

"Miss Daisy Sinclair?" he asked.

She nodded, slightly caught off guard.

"We've been expecting you. Please, follow me. Director Kim would like to meet you personally." The man gestured the way.

'Expecting?'

She blinked but followed without asking. Moments later, they entered a spacious and modestly designed office. The man behind the desk, Director Kim, stood up with a polite bow.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Sinclair. We were informed you'd be coming."

Daisy looked around slowly, unsure how or why this place felt like it had already prepared itself for her arrival.

"Ah… right," she mumbled, still not entirely sure what strings Aurora had pulled.

They sat, and soon the conversation moved to her father's condition. Director Kim listened carefully, nodding at every note she brought up. After reviewing some documents and assuring her of the facility's resources, he offered her a solution she wasn't expecting.

"Your father can move in as soon as today, if you'd like. We've already prepared a private room."

She blinked. "Today?"

"Yes. Everything is ready," Director Kim confirmed it.

Daisy nodded slowly, then hesitated. "About the payment… I mean, the cost—how do we proceed with that?"

Director Kim offered a reassuring smile. "No need to worry. Everything has already been settled by the sponsor."

She blinked. "Sponsor?"

"Yes. The full amount has been covered, including the long-term care fees."

Her brows furrowed. "May I know who the sponsor is?"

"I'm afraid the sponsor requested to remain anonymous," he said, still polite but firm.

Of course they did.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion beginning to form. But she said nothing.

She was just glad that everything had been covered. It made things easier, especially since everything in her life was complicated these days.

After finishing the registration, Daisy walked out of the director's room and was immediately greeted by Aurora, who looked like she had just rushed in.

"I'm sorry," Aurora said, slightly out of breath, "there was something at the office I needed to settle first. How is it? Do you think this place is okay? If not, we can go to another facility."

Daisy looked at her for a second before answering. "It's fine. More than fine, actually."

Aurora raised her eyebrows, looking dumbfounded, "What do you mean?"

Immediately linking her arms with Aurora, she smiled with her eyes, "Let's talk outside."