The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 4

The room fell into a brief silence.

A few seconds later, Ferris walked over at a leisurely pace, looking at Vivian. "Have you eaten?"-

His voice was even, his face devoid of excess emotion, making it impossible to read his mood.

Vivian shot me a glare and raised her voice. "How could I possibly eat under these circumstances? Ferris, this wife of yours is quite something. Instead of being a proper Mrs. Sterling, she insists on applying to Capital General. A doctor's work never stops. At this rate, your father and I will definitely lose out on our dream of a grandchild again this year."

This year.

I chewed on those two words, a bitter taste spreading through my chest.

Perhaps Ferris and I were such incredible actors that we had actually fooled both sets of parents into believing ours was a real marriage.

What they didn't know was that this hollow sham of a marriage was already on a countdown.

"Ferris, say something," Vivian complained when he didn't respond. "It's been three years and her stomach is completely flat. How is this acceptable?"

Vivian's dissatisfaction practically radiated from her impeccably maintained face.

Ferris remained as unfazed as ever. His detached gaze swept over my face before he spoke. "Call HR later and decline tomorrow's exam."

Decline it?

So Ferris shared the exact same stance as Vivian?

A crushing sense of disappointment gripped my heart. My nose stung, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

Had he forgotten that he was the one who had personally left the morning-after pill for me just last night?

"Why?" Once the word left my mouth, I realized my voice was thick with emotion.

Why did he insist on trapping me in the role of Mrs. Sterling when he never even treated me like a real wife?

"You know why," Ferris said, looking straight at me as if stating a universal truth. "A doctor's workload is incredibly demanding."

So he wanted me to remain exactly as I had been—lying idle in this seemingly luxurious yet freezing apartment every day, waiting for him to come home?

"What other reason could there be? How can you focus on getting pregnant if you spend all day at the hospital?" Vivian chimed in. "If you ask me, I'll book you an appointment with a top OB-GYN. If natural conception isn't working, we can always rely on modern medicine."

After a long moment, seeing that I hadn't spoken, he finally raised his head. The overhead lights illuminated his sharp features, making him look even more devastatingly aristocratic.

But a sudden, icy hostility flared in his predatory gaze.

His thin lips parted as he looked down at me. "Are you really in such a hurry to join Capital General?"

I fired back, "Are you really that desperate to keep me out of Capital General?"

It made sense. That hospital was Ferris's territory. If I actually started working there, over time, I might jeopardize the single persona he so carefully maintained.

After all, Dr. Sterling now had a new darling to dote on.

Thinking of this, I added, "But don't worry, Dr. Sterling. If we do cross paths at the hospital, I'll pretend I don't know you, just like before."

I had practically perfected the act anyway.

"Oh? In such a rush?" His mocking tone rose, his probing gaze sweeping over me. "Are you actually using the Sterling family as a stepping stone?"