Contract Marriage: I’ve Always Loved You

Steve’s P. O. V.

As I come outside to convince my father to give Grace a second chance, I see him seated on the sofa, glaring straight.

I settle down beside him.

“Dad, I know your anger is justified. Keep Grace aside and think about your grandchildren. They deserve to live with their mother. It’s not right to separate them from her.” As I explain to him, he stares at me, his face etched with anger.

“I’m thinking about my grandchildren only, Steve. If they stay with that woman, they’ll become like her. Why don’t you understand, Steve, she’ll have a bad influence on them?” I lower my gaze, hearing all this. It really hurts me to see my father angry at Grace because I love her. Although l can’t forgive her, I can’t see her in pain and let anybody berate her. But what dad is thinking, I can totally understand from where he is coming from. So, I must handle this situation with care.

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to convince him. “Dad, I believe people can change. Grace is their mother, and I’ve seen a different side of her. Maybe, with time, you can see it too. We can’t let our personal feelings overshadow what’s best for Giana and Evan.” I make him understand, staring at him with hopeful eyes, wishing he might change his mind.

He scoffs, shaking his head. “Steve, you’re too forgiving. She deceived me, ruined your life. I can’t just forget all that.”

I explain, “Dad, I’m not asking you to forget. I’m asking you to consider the possibility that people can learn from their mistakes. Grace has expressed remorse, and she wants to be a wonderful mother. Our children deserve to have both of their parents in their lives.”

His expression remains stern. “Steve, you’re risking everything for a woman who ruined your life.”

“Dad, I’m not risking anything, trust me. I just wanna give our kids the chance to grow up in a family. For Giana and Evan’s sake, I’m begging you to give Grace a chance to prove herself.” I implore, my voice filled with determination.

He utters after a few seconds of silence. “Fine, she can stay with us, but only as a mother of the twins. I’ll never make her a part of our family.

I give him a slight nod, understanding his decision.

He warns me after a few seconds of silence. “Steve, if you’re willing to take the risk of entering Grace in our life again, then be prepared for the consequences.”

I reassure him, “Don’t worry, Dad.”

I am willing to face any consequences to have Grace in my life. Without her, my life becomes unbearable. Despite she was a pain in my ass in the past, deep down, her presence brought me happiness. The time we spent apart made me realize that I need Grace in my life, no matter what. Without her, my life feels incredibly dull.

As I return to the room, I see Grace strolling around, holding our little princess close. Giana looks up at her mommy with those adorable blue eyes. It’s such a heartwarming sight!

“Grace.” As I call her, she immediately looks at me.

“Did Dad agree to let me stay with the twins?” She asks in a worried tone.

I give her a nod in response, and a wide smile lights up her face. Her eyes shift back to little Giana, filled with love and joy.

“See, my angel? I told you Daddy would make everything okay. He convinced Grandpa to let me stay with you. Now Mama will be right here with both of you.” As she holds our baby close and plants a gentle kiss on her forehead, I admire them with a smile on my face.

She again looks at me and expresses her gratitude. “Thank you, Steve. Although I did so wrong with you, you’re still supporting me. It means a lot to me.”

I give her a subtle nod in response before walking towards the crib and talking to baby Evan.

***

The next day, Dad decides to return to New York, saying he can’t stay with Grace in one suite.

As he comes to the room to meet Giana and Evan before leaving, he lashes at Grace. “I have allowed you to stay with my grandchildren, but when you return to our home, don’t expect me to welcome you with an open heart.”

Grace remains silent, her wet eyes fixed on the floor. My heart sinks seeing her like that. I’m seriously trying my best not to lose my cool. In the situation we’re in, I have to handle everything with calmness.

He continues, “And just don’t show me your face because it reminds me of your betrayal. You-”

“Dad, you need to meet Giana and Evan. You’re running late,” I interject, unable to bear witnessing him yelling at her anymore. It’s so heartbreaking. I can’t stand to see anyone make her cry, even if he is my father.

He nods at me before approaching the crib.

After talking to the twins, he leaves, casting one final angry glance at Grace.

Later, I find Grace crying in the bathroom. Although I have the urge to console her, I restrain myself because I’m still angry and don’t want to reveal that my heart has been softened.

***

A week passes as we settle into a routine of caring for Giana and Evan. We take shifts to stay up during the night, ensuring one of us is always available to soothe a crying baby.

Handling twins is a quite tough task, seriously! When we lie down to take some rest after soothing one baby, the other starts crying, and this continues.

I observe Grace’s patience and tenderness when she rocks them to sleep every night with soft lullabies.

I can’t deny the positive changes I see in her. She isn’t like before, showing attitude, arguing with me all the time, losing her temper on trivial issues. Now she’s all calm and collected, not losing her cool even when the babies are getting on our nerves. I gotta admit, sometimes it is annoying when they cry for no reason, but she’s got this incredible superpower of knowing exactly why they’re crying and how to make them feel better.

I’m highly impressed with her, and I wonder how she became so patient.

She has become the woman I always desired to have in my life, and now I can’t stop myself from falling for her a little more every day.

Deep inside, I’m still afraid to forgive her and confess my love. It’s like I can’t shake off this nagging feeling that she might still be putting on a show. And the fact she’s changed so much in just eight months… it’s mind-boggling. Like, how is that even possible?

In the morning, as Grace breastfeeds baby Giana, Evan pops.

“Such a wrong timing, little boy.” I tap his nose after checking his diapers.

In this one week, I have done everything related to handling babies, from changing their diapers to giving baths to them, except cleaning up their pops.

After laying Evan on a sheet, I take off the dirty diaper, closing my nose with one hand.

As Grace notices me struggling to clean him, she smiles and offers to take over. “Steve, I’ll handle this. You’ve been amazing this past week, but I can take care of Evan’s mess.”

I insist. “No, Grace. I want to do this. I’ve learned a lot this week, and I can handle cleaning a dirty diaper too.”

She chuckles, “Alright, if you say so,” and continues feeding Giana. I take a deep breath, determined to complete this task.

As I clean Evan’s tiny buttocks with the wipe, he wriggles and giggles, making me chuckle. Grace watches with a playful smile on her face.

Just as I finish cleaning Evan, he lets out a mischievous giggle, and in the blink of an eye, a little stream of pee shoots up into the air, shocking both Grace and me.

Fuck! He peed on me.

I exclaim, “Whoa, little guy! It’s a nice way to bathe your daddy.”

Grace bursts into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I guess you’ve officially joined the ‘got peed on by your baby’ club.” She teases, still chuckling.

I shake my head. “Definitely.”

Giana also lets out a soft gurgle, as if she is also laughing at his brother’s antics.

“Oh, my little princess is laughing at her daddy.” Grace takes her hand in her and kisses it.

***

We board the private jet to New York, and Giana and Evan secured in their cosy carry cots.

The flight is surprisingly calm; the twins sleep peacefully for most of the journey.

As we land in New York, Grace and I each hold a carrycot, our little ones nestled inside. Little Giana is all dolled up in a cute pink frock with a matching hairband, while our little Evan is rocking a blue onesie and a tiny cap. They look so adorable, and I have this overwhelming urge to gobble them up!

As we exit the airport, news reporters surround us, flashing cameras and bombarding us with questions.

Grace and I exchange a worried glance.

“Why did you run away, Grace? And why did you keep your pregnancy a secret?” A reporter demands, shoving a microphone in her direction, and she clenches the handle of the carrycot, becoming blank.

My bodyguards quickly step in, creating a protective barrier around us.

I respond to the reporters in a calm tone. “We appreciate your curiosity, but we ask for some privacy at this time. Our focus is on our family and the well-being of our babies.”

The bodyguards guide us towards the waiting car, shielding us. Giana and Evan, unfazed, peacefully rest in their carry cots as we pass through the crowd.

The driver wastes no time and opens the car doors for us right away. As we get comfortable inside the car, a wave of relief washes over us.

Being a top billionaire isn’t an easy task; the media are always hounding you, wanting to know every little detail about your life.

As Grace sits tensely in the car, I reassure her, holding her hand. “Everything is fine, Grace.”

She gives me a slight nod before looking out of the window and getting lost in deep thought.

This is not the same Grace. She wasn’t scared of anything before. She was fearless. And I miss my fearless Grace, who wasn’t scared of anyone and confronted every situation head-on. Now I promise myself to bring that Grace back.

Suddenly, Giana starts crying in her carrycot placed between us, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Aww, princess, are you hungry?” Grace cradles her in her arms, comforting her.

Swiftly, I signal the driver to close the partition that separates us from the front of the car, giving us some privacy.

She unfastens her shirt buttons and starts feeding our hungry princess. Giana takes a breath of relief after getting her mommy’s milk, and Grace gently presses her lips on her forehead.

My smile doesn’t fade as I witness this beautiful scene before my eyes.

I turn my gaze to Evan, who is still peacefully sleeping in his cot. I take his tiny hand in mine and kiss it.

This is my family – my people. I can’t lose them at any cost.