And The Daddy Is... The Infertile Guy?! novel Chapter 2

The car meandered through the fading twilight until it reached the gates of the Chadwick Manor, one of the most opulent households in Bayridge City.

The Sawyer family had struck gold when they managed to forge a matrimonial alliance with the Chadwick family. Within the Chadwick family, power was divided between the elder branch and the younger one.

Howard, the pride of the younger branch, was a formidable contender for the heir. Tragically, a car accident a month prior had left him comatose, his vital spirit tethered to the realm of the living by the thinnest of threads.

Once the toast of the city, now the ladies who once fawned over him gave him a wide berth, afraid to even whisper his name.

Rumor had it that the accident had robbed him of more than his consciousness.

What a pity it was!

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the younger branch of the Chadwick family found themselves clinging to the marriage for luck.

Gwendolyn's vision was obscured by a veil as Marina, a Chadwick family servant, guided her into the mansion. The weight of the traditional headdress bore down on her, nearly bending her neck.

She was ushered into a spacious bedroom and seated at the edge of the bed.

With a length of ribbon, Marina bound Gwendolyn's right hand, wrapping it meticulously before securing the other end to the left hand of the man on the bed.

"You mustn't untie it. That's the rule," Marina warned. "If you mess this up, the consequences are on you."

Gwendolyn nodded slightly, feeling the stiffness in her neck.

At the sight of her compliance, Marina added, "You'll have to endure tonight with Mr. Howard. Call me if you need anything."

With those words, she closed the door behind her, leaving Gwendolyn alone in the eerie silence of the room, accompanied only by the incessant beeping of monitors and the faint breathing of the unfamiliar man beside her.

She set down her medical kit, drawing a small comfort from the faint aroma of her medicines. As long as she had her kit, her skill with acupuncture was her confidence.

Stiff and sore, she instinctively reached up to massage her neck, forgetting the ribbon binding her hand.