I was still wearing my worn-out cleaning uniform when I sprinted into the courthouse.I only had four minutes to marry a complete stranger, or my little brother was going to die.

Part 1

I was still wearing my worn-out cleaning uniform when I sprinted into the courthouse.

I only had four minutes to marry a complete stranger, or my little brother was going to die.

The revolving doors spun wildly as I practically fell into the lobby.

My phone buzzed constantly in my canvas bag with urgent texts from the hospital coordinator.

If the marriage agreement wasn’t finalized today, the contract payment wouldn’t be released.

Without that money, Sam’s emergency heart surgery would be canceled.

I dashed toward the closing elevator and shoved my hand between the metal doors just in time.

A tall man inside stepped back in surprise.

Still panting heavily, I shoved my feather duster into his hands without really looking at him.

I quickly unzipped my oversized work jacket and pulled a cheap white blazer over my uniform.

My hands shook as I checked my reflection in the mirrored wall.

The stranger watched my frantic transformation in complete silence.

He finally asked if I had a big interview.

A nervous laugh escaped my throat.

I told him I was actually getting married to save my little brother.

The elevator doors chimed open before he could respond.

I snatched my duster back and bolted down the corridor toward the registration room.

Inside, a lawyer and a man in a dark suit stood waiting with their backs to me.

The registrar tapped her watch impatiently.

A massive stack of legal documents sat on the heavy oak table.

My fingers trembled as I grabbed the pen.

I signed page after page without reading a single word.

The registrar offered a warm smile and handed over the marriage certificate.

My phone immediately rang with a call from the agency coordinator.

Relief washed over me as I told her the paperwork was done.

A long, confused silence stretched across the line.

She started screaming that the man I was supposed to marry was still waiting in a different conference room.

The heavy parchment certificate slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the floor.

Cold dread pooled in my stomach.

I slowly turned to look at the man standing beside me.

It was the exact same stranger who had held my feather duster in the elevator.

An amused smirk danced across his face.

He calmly picked up the fallen certificate and read it over.

My vision blurred as I realized I had just legally bound myself to Craig, the billionaire founder of the city’s largest investment firm.

Panic consumed me as I begged the registrar to cancel the mistake.

She adjusted her glasses and stated coldly that the marriage was completely legally binding.

Craig asked the room to clear out.

He walked over to the massive window overlooking the skyline.

His grandmother had given him thirty days to settle down, or he would lose voting control of his own company.

He offered to pay for Sam’s surgery in full if I simply remained his wife until his family situation was resolved.

Pride flared in my chest.

I flatly refused to take his money, insisting I would only accept the original contract payment.

A flicker of genuine respect crossed his eyes.

Before we could argue further, the heavy wooden doors swung open.

Martha, his terrifyingly elegant grandmother, swept into the room.

Her sharp gaze locked onto the blue collar of my cleaning uniform peeking out from under my blazer.

Instead of lying, I lifted my chin and admitted exactly what I did for a living.

A soft, unexpected smile touched her lips.

She gently squeezed my hand and praised the dignity of honest work.

By that afternoon, my little brother’s medical bills were entirely paid off.

Craig brought me back to his sprawling family estate.

Heather, his glamorous and vicious executive assistant, dropped her tablet on the marble floor the second she saw my scuffed shoes.

Jealousy radiated from her perfectly manicured pores.

She spent the entire evening trying to humiliate me in front of the wealthy family.

During dinner, she deliberately bumped into me while I was carrying Martha’s priceless porcelain tea set.

I dropped straight to my knees and caught the teapot before it shattered, letting the teacups smash around me.

Martha didn’t get angry at all.

She loudly commended me for protecting the irreplaceable teapot over the replaceable cups.

Heather’s face turned a violent shade of crimson.

A few days later, I insisted on returning to my normal cleaning job.

My husband’s wealth didn’t mean I was going to stop working hard.

I walked into the lobby of the corporate tower with my heavy janitor cart.

Heather was already waiting near the supervisor’s desk with a nasty grin.

She immediately announced a sudden management change.

My assignment was being forcefully upgraded.

I had no idea that the massive glass office I was about to scrub belonged to the exact same man I had accidentally married the day before.