The dawn spilled through the half-open blinds, slicing the hospital room into sharp bands of light and shadow. Maya blinked against the sudden brightness, her skin still cold from restless sleep, her mind tangled in the lingering haze of dreams she wished she could forget.
Outside, the city was waking — honking cars, hurried footsteps, and the distant murmur of voices. But inside this fragile bubble of sterile walls, time felt suspended, suspended like the fragile thread connecting her to Liam — a thread frayed but not yet broken.
Liam sat across from her at the small, plastic table shoved into the corner. His face was unreadable, sculpted in sharp lines against the pale morning light. There was something distant, a storm brewing behind his eyes, hidden from the world but impossible to miss for anyone who looked closely enough.
"You're quiet this morning," Maya said softly, breaking the heavy silence.
He gave a small, bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Quiet is all I can afford."
She leaned forward, trying to read the man she once knew so well — and so little now. "What's going on, Liam? What aren't you telling me?"
He hesitated, fingers tracing the rim of his coffee cup like it held the answers. "There's something... something I haven't told you. Something I've been trying to protect you from."
Maya's breath caught. "What?"
He swallowed hard, voice dropping to a whisper. "There's more to this disease than they say. More than just a countdown."
Her heart tightened in sudden, icy fear.
"What do you mean?" she pressed.
Liam's eyes locked onto hers, fierce and haunted. "There's a reason they want us to stay together. Not just for your treatment, but because they're watching. Because this isn't just about you... it's about something bigger."
A cold shiver ran down Maya's spine. The sterile hospital walls suddenly felt thinner, like they could shatter and spill secrets into the room.
"Who's watching?" she demanded.
He looked away, jaw clenched. "People. Organizations. Ones with power, money, and agendas that don't include you surviving."
The words hung heavy between them, thick with danger and dread.
Maya's hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. "So this contract... this marriage... it's more than just paperwork?"
Liam nodded grimly. "It's a shield. A way to protect you — and maybe even us."
She swallowed, the fragile hope battling with rising fear. Could she trust him again? Could she believe in the possibility of a future when shadows lurked so close?
The tension between them crackled, a fragile thread ready to snap under the weight of secrets and lies.
Suddenly, the hospital room door swung open, slicing through their fragile bubble. A woman in a crisp white coat stepped in, clipboard in hand, eyes sharp and assessing.
"Mr. and Ms. Clarke," she said, voice clinical but with an edge. "We need to discuss your treatment plan and the terms of your agreement."
Liam stood, tense and protective, stepping slightly in front of Maya.
Maya's heart pounded — the countdown was no longer just about time. It was about survival, trust, and the impossible fight ahead.
As the door closed behind the doctor, the room plunged back into uneasy silence — two souls bound by fate, fear, and a love that refused to die.