The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 524

There was a long period in my life when I couldn't sleep through the night.

In fact, from the time I could remember up until now, I had only enjoyed two solid years of peaceful rest.

And that was during my three years of marriage to Ferris Sterling.

It was Ferris who had cured my insomnia.

Back when we first got married, he noticed that I would often wake up in the middle of the night, crying and tensed with fear. After waking up like that, I usually couldn't fall back asleep.

I refused to see a therapist, and I refused to tell him what I was so terrified of. But Ferris didn't pry. Instead, he simply stayed by my side every single night.

He bathed with me, wrapped me securely in his arms, and coaxed me to sleep. Whenever I jolted awake in a panic, he would pull me tight, his low, husky voice murmuring right against my ear. "Don't be afraid, Selena. Hubby is here. No one is going to hurt you."

The broad expanse of his chest enveloping me, the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my ear, and the crisp, cold scent of pine lingering around him gradually restored the profound sense of security I had always lacked.

Back then, Ferris's most frequent gesture was slipping one arm beneath my neck to pull my slender shoulders flush against him, while his other hand rested gently against my cheek, his thumb softly and meticulously stroking my temple.

It was a small movement, but it possessed immense soothing power. Night after night, whenever a nightmare startled me awake, that touch—paired with Ferris's low, comforting voice—slowly chased away the terror that had weighed on my heart for years.

Ferris kept that routine up for an entire year.

And miraculously, the trauma that had haunted me for so long vanished under his care.

Though I still occasionally had nightmares and woke up frightened, those moments became rare exceptions. I was finally able to sleep through the night.

However, Ferris's novelty and patience only lasted a year. Right when I was finally able to sleep soundly, he grew cold toward me.