Ever since their secret contract marriage, life had taken a strange, almost comedic turn for both Ethan and Elena. By day, they were CEO and employee—pretending to be indifferent, polite, and professional. But by night, they were housemates living under the same roof with a curious child who had no idea what "contract marriage" meant and treated them like the perfect little family.
Elena had started to notice small changes in her routine. Her mornings began with Alex sneaking into her room to wake her up, whispering, "Good morning, Mommy." And while she told herself this was all part of the "act," her heart melted every time.
Ethan, on the other hand, was becoming suspiciously considerate. He started asking Elena what she liked to eat. He no longer just sent the driver to pick her up from work—he came himself. Alex, of course, loved every second of it, humming wedding songs while drawing family portraits with stick figures that looked suspiciously like Ethan, Elena, and himself.
Despite all this, the company remained clueless.
"Have you noticed, Elena always has the CEO's favorite coffee on her desk now?" one colleague whispered.
"She's just efficient," another said. "It's not like they're married or anything!"
If only they knew.
But one rainy Thursday, everything shifted.
Elena was working late, absorbed in sketches for a new game character. The rain hammered outside the office windows like tiny fists. Her phone buzzed—a message from Ethan.
> "Going home early. Alex is a bit quiet today. Let's talk when you're back."
She didn't think much of it. Alex was always full of energy, maybe he had tired himself out. But something tugged at her chest—a strange worry she couldn't shake.
And soon… that worry would turn real.