The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 43

I didn't even get the chance to stop him.

Staring at the ripped agreement, a surge of anger flared up in my chest. "What exactly are you doing, Dr. Sterling?" I snapped, my tone icy.

Ferris gave me a calm look and drawled lazily, "You're in such a rush to get divorced, Dr. Hayes. Found yourself a new stepping stone already?"

A stepping stone?

Hearing his passive-aggressive tone, and recalling the scene at The Onyx Lounge last night, I shot back, "I'm just giving you what you want. Clearing a spot by your side a little earlier, that's all."

If he wanted to play the passive-aggressive game, I could play it too.

"Is that so?" He glanced at me carelessly, his tone flippant. "Should I be thanking you for being so incredibly considerate, Dr. Hayes?"

A hint of mockery laced the end of his sentence.

In the past, I might have just taken it. But after everything, I was done being a doormat.

"You flatter me, Dr. Sterling," I replied smoothly, mirroring his overly sweet, mocking tone. "After all our time as husband and wife, it's the least I can do."

Ferris probably hadn't expected the woman who used to obey his every command to throw his attitude right back at him. His brow twitched slightly before he spoke again. "Since we're married, you should remember we signed a prenuptial agreement."

"Not only do I remember, I also know there are exactly fifty-two days left until it expires," I answered honestly. "If you're really this impatient..."

"I'm not the one being impatient here, am I?" Ferris cut me off, his dark eyes sweeping over my face. "Seems to me like you're the one in a hurry, Dr. Hayes."

I was suddenly at a loss for words.

He was the one shamelessly showering Zoey with affection right in front of me, blatantly disrespecting his own wife, yet now he was interrogating me?

How was this any different from a thief crying 'stop thief'?

I stared at him, suppressing the urge to bite back, and decided to just lay it all out. "Yes, I am in a hurry. Can we end this early..."

"No," Ferris stated definitively, not letting me finish. "This marriage of convenience was your family's idea. What, couldn't keep up the act for three whole years, Selena? Fine, let me be perfectly clear—I am not getting a divorce."

By the time he finished, his brows were knitted into a deep scowl.

A fierce anger seemed to burn in his eyes.

But why? He clearly cared so much for Zoey. Didn't he want to give the poor girl a legitimate status?

Or was he still harboring a grudge against my father for 'forcing' the marriage, choosing to torment me as revenge?

I paused, then said sincerely, "I still hope you'll reconsider."

With a cold scoff, Ferris continued tearing the already halved agreement to shreds. A mocking smirk curled on his lips. "I suggest you give up on that idea. Until the prenup expires, keep your little schemes to yourself."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he tossed the shredded paper right at me. Like a sudden snowfall, the pieces scattered and fluttered down around my feet.

Ferris turned toward the door. After two steps, he paused and glanced over his shoulder, a mocking glint in his eye. "Oh, and Dr. Hayes, next time you sign something, check the date."

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