My Pulse Keeps Him Alive

Since I was a child, my heartbeat has been so unnaturally steady that I sometimes wondered if I was actually alive.

Even during the grueling physical fitness tests in high school, when everyone else was panting and clutching their chests, my pulse remained a perfectly flat, unbothered line.

It was an anomaly. A medical quirk.

I never thought much of it until the day Tiffany, my family’s biological daughter, dragged me along to call off her engagement to the reclusive heir of the Dumont empire.

That was when I discovered Adrian Dumont had a congenital heart condition. His heart was a ticking time bomb, liable to stop working at any moment.

We stood in the grand parlor of the Dumont estate. Tiffany was clinging to the arm of Adrian’s cousin, Zach, looking down her nose at the man sitting in the leather armchair.

She sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "I’m not marrying you, Adrian. Everyone knows the Dumont men don't make it past twentyfive. Zach is the future of the company now.

I’m not signing up to be a widow before I'm thirty." She glanced over at me, a cruel, calculating smile spreading across her face. "But hey, why don't you marry my charitycase sister instead?

You’ve only got about a month left.

If you work hard enough, maybe you can get her pregnant so you actually leave an heir behind." Before I could react, Tiffany shoved me forward by my shoulders. "A broken toy for a broken girl," she mocked. "You two can rot together." I stumbled, but my eyes didn't land on Tiffany.

Instead, they were locked onto the sleek, metallic device resting in Adrian’s pale hands. It was the Dumont Group’s highly classified medical prototype—the Heartbeat Resonator.

My chest tightened, not with fear, but with a sudden, electric rush of adrenaline. Who said he was going to die? His ultimate cheat code had just walked through the door.

If they could sync that device to me, I could take this dying billionaire skydiving, bungee jumping, or through the wildest corporate battles without his pulse skipping a single beat.

I looked at Adrian, my eyes shining with an excitement I couldn't suppress.

I reached out my hand toward him. "Hey," I said, my voice steady, carrying a confidence I didn't know I possessed. "Are you interested in burning this place to the ground with me?

Let’s take back what’s ours." … "Burn this place to the ground?" Adrian raised his head, his pale, strikingly handsome face clouding with quiet skepticism.

He was likely surprised that a girl who looked as fragile and discarded as I did could harbor such sharp ambition. "Don't waste your energy," he whispered, looking back down at his hands, retreating into the familiar, heavy melancholy that had clearly defined his life. "My body is failing.

I don't have the strength to match your ambition. Besides, the marriage contract with Tiffany was my grandfather's dying wish.

I have to honor it." Across the room, Tiffany let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Honoring a dead man's wish? Adrian, you’ve got one foot in the grave yourself.

Anyone with half a brain knows which horse to bet on." Zach, standing beside her, chuckled warmly as he looked down at Adrian. "Come on, cousin.

Tiffany is already pregnant with my child. Don't embarrass yourself.

Or did you already know, and you were just hoping to claim my kid as your own to keep the family seat?" They turned and walked out, their arrogant laughter echoing down the hallway.

As the front door clicked shut, a faint, unnatural flush crept up Adrian’s pale neck.

He leaned back against the headrest of his chair, chest heaving as he struggled to draw in a breath. Panic flared in my chest.

I rushed forward, kneeling beside him to gently rub his back, trying to help him ease the tension.

I let out a slow breath and gestured subtly toward the servants in the foyer, who were pretending to be very busy polishing silver and dusting vases. "In their eyes, you're already dead," I murmured softly. "Are you really just going to lie here and let them write the ending of your story?" Adrian looked up, his dark eyes searchingly deep as they locked onto mine.

I met his gaze, refusing to look away. We were more alike than he realized. Both of us were puppets manipulated by the hands of people who viewed us as disposable.

I wasn't the biological daughter of the family. Because Tiffany had been a sickly child, my parents had adopted me from an orphanage.

On paper, I was the second daughter of a wealthy family. In reality, I was a glorified, highclass maid.

In high school, I had to run the mile fitness test twice—once for myself, and once under Tiffany's name.

My phone logged fifty thousand steps a day because I was constantly running her errands, carrying her bags, living in her shadow.

But looking at Adrian, I knew our fortunes were about to shift. I took his hand—it was cold, his fingers trembling slightly—and pressed it firmly against the center of my chest.

He flushed, trying to pull his hand back in embarrassment, but I held it there. And then, he felt it. The heavy, incredibly powerful, rhythmic thrum of my heart.

It was a perfect, unyielding metronome.

As his eyes widened in sheer disbelief, I leaned in closer, whispering, "Adrian, I am the missing piece you've been looking for." I slid my hand over to his chest.

Beneath the fine fabric of his shirt, his heartbeat was so weak, so chaotic, it felt like a dying bird fluttering against a cage. "If I could give you my heart, what do you think would happen?" Adrian went entirely rigid.

I let out a soft laugh to break the tension. "Don't worry, I'm not that saintly.

Besides, a transplant is a massive gamble." I pointed to the silver device cradled in his lap. "I read the tech journals.

The Dumont Group’s research team developed this Resonator, right? It was designed to sync a failing heart with a external host's healthy sinus rhythm.

But you couldn't find a host with a stable enough baseline." I smiled. "My heart is as steady as a mountain.

I was practically made to save you." A spark of genuine life finally flared in Adrian's eyes.

It was the first time he looked like a man who believed he might have a future. "You're saying... if I wear this, your heart rate becomes my baseline?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

I nodded. "So, who could possibly be a better match for you than me? What do you say, Adrian? Do you want to marry me?" A slow, beautiful smile broke across his face.

He wrapped his pale, almost translucent fingers around mine, squeezing gently. "It's a deal, partner. Or should I say... my fiancée?" We didn't waste any time.

When the engineers calibrated the device and the first powerful, steady vibration resonated through Adrian's chest, he looked at me with an expression of pure awe.

He pulled me into a sudden, fierce hug. "Sadie," he breathed into my hair, "I never imagined I would feel this alive again." I patted his shoulder, a triumphant smirk on my face. "Come on.

Let's go to the office. It's time to take back your crown." When we arrived at the executive suite of Dumont Enterprises, the top floor was buzzing with activity.

The main boardroom was packed. "Move it, people, this meeting is crucial," Zach's personal assistant barked, clutching a stack of folders as he hurried toward the elevators.

Adrian frowned, stepping in front of him. "What meeting?" he asked. "Add two chairs.

We're joining." The assistant glanced at Adrian, then looked right through him as if he were a ghost. I stepped up, waving a hand in his face. "Did you lose your hearing?

Your CEO told you to add two chairs." The assistant sneered, showing a flash of irritation. "I’m sorry, Miss.

This meeting is strictly confidential, and the attendee list was finalized days ago. Mr.

Zachary Dumont's orders." I let out a dry laugh and grabbed Adrian's arm. "This is Adrian Dumont, the actual head of this company, and I am his fiancée.

Since when do we need Zach's permission to enter our own boardroom?" The assistant ignored me entirely, looking at Adrian with a condescending sigh. "Mr.

Dumont, please don't make this difficult for us." We were blocking the doorway, and the executives arriving for the meeting began to gather behind us, whispering among themselves. "A fake daughter and a dying man... do they really think they still have a card to play?" "Mr.

Dumont, take some advice. Go home, enjoy whatever time you have left. Stress isn't good for someone in your condition." These were men Adrian had personally hired and mentored.

Hearing their casual betrayal made a hot wave of anger surge through my veins.

I started to roll up my sleeves, ready to give these hypocrites a piece of my mind, but Adrian gently took my hand. "It's fine," he murmured.

He stood there, surrounded by the empire he built, looking incredibly solitary and profoundly hurt.

That afternoon, Adrian’s mother, Victoria Dumont, arrived at the headquarters to review the proposals for our next major expansion.

Even though we had been barred from the morning session, Adrian had spent the last few hours drafting a flawless, bulletproof counterstrategy.

But when it was our turn to present, Victoria didn't even look at us. Her gaze was fixed entirely on Zach, who sat beside her.

Zach stood up, delivering a slick, polished presentation with absolute confidence. But as I listened to his projections, something felt entirely off.

It was all superficial buzzwords and theoretical nonsense. Worse, his execution plan was going to cost the company an extra hundred million dollars compared to Adrian’s design.

Yet, Victoria nodded with an approving smile. "Excellent work, Zach. I'm pleased. Put together the final draft and bring it to my office." I was stunned.

I nudged Adrian hard with my elbow, urging him to speak up. But he sat there like a statue, silent.

Frustrated, I stood up myself. "Adrian has a proposal that is ten times more efficient, and it cuts the budget by a hundred million!" Victoria finally looked at me, her expression cold and indifferent. "Adrian's health is delicate.

You should focus on keeping him comfortable, Sadie." Beside me, Tiffany let out a soft laugh, looking at me as if I were a clown performing for her amusement.

My eyes stung with hot, angry tears.

Once the room cleared, Adrian gently took my hand. "I’ve been away from the daytoday operations for too long because of my health," he explained quietly. "Zach has effectively cut me out.

But don't worry.

I will make this right." I didn't know what Adrian said to his mother over the next few days, but when the bidding war commenced, we found ourselves sitting directly across the aisle from Zach and Tiffany at the municipal convention center.

Zach leaned over, lowering his voice so only we could hear. "This contract is already ours.

Mom promised me that once the papers are signed, she's handing over full operational control.

Adrian is out." He glanced at Adrian's calm face and scoffed. "Some people just don't know when to die gracefully.

Try not to have a heart attack when my name is called, cousin." Adrian didn't even give him the satisfaction of a glance. The bidding began.

When the municipal board projected the target criteria on the screen, my heart skipped a beat.

Adrian's projected budget was within fifty thousand dollars of the city’s ideal margin. It was a statistical masterpiece.

Seeing my eyes light up, Adrian offered a small, amused smile.

I grinned back, leaning toward Zach. "I think someone's CEO dreams are about to turn into a nightmare." When we returned to the office after the session, Victoria’s secretary was waiting for us.

She requested our presence in the executive suite immediately. As we reached the door of Victoria's office, we could hear her voice through the heavy oak panels.

She was on the phone with Adrian's grandmother. "Mom! I already promised Zach the keys to the company once this deal goes through. You know Adrian's condition.

For the sake of the Dumont legacy, I have to let him go." The secretary standing beside us looked at Adrian with pity in her eyes. "Zach hasn't secured the contract yet," the grandmother’s voice faintly Crackled through the receiver. "You're moving Adrian out of his office prematurely.

And Adrian’s business acumen has always surpassed Zach’s." Victoria sighed, her voice weary. "Even if Adrian wins, what does it matter?

It just gives him another month in that office. He's dying, Mom.

In the end, everything he builds will just be inherited by Zach anyway." Outside the door, Adrian stood perfectly still. He looked entirely abandoned by the world.

A protective fury washed over me.

I pushed past the secretary, threw the office doors open, and stepped inside, shielding Adrian behind me. "Do you even care about him?" I demanded, confronting Victoria. "Have you ever actually looked at the work he puts into this company?" Victoria froze, holding the phone to her ear.

Her dark eyes hardened with displeasure. "Do you honestly think you two can outmaneuver Zach?" she asked coldly. "From what I gather, Sadie, you have zero formal training in corporate finance.

Zach spent three years on Wall Street." To prove her point, Victoria put the phone down and dialed the bidding coordinator. Five minutes later, the speakerphone crackled to life.

It was our lead project manager, his voice breathless with excitement. "Mrs. Dumont! We won the bid!

The committee was so impressed by the proposal, they’ve offered us a tenyear exclusive contract!" The room fell dead silent.

The manager's voice continued, echoing off the walls. "They said it's the most brilliant, costefficient strategy they've seen in a decade.

This is a historic win for Dumont Enterprises!" Victoria stared at us, her expression a mix of shock and calculation. "Well, Adrian," she said slowly. "Tiffany certainly picked an aggressive little helper for you.

But your body is failing.

When you're gone, who is going to guide this untrained girl?" She looked at me with open disgust, clearly assuming I was some social climber trying to secure a fortune before my husbandtobe kicked the bucket.

Adrian knew his mother too well. He stepped forward, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. "Sadie didn't write this proposal, Mother. I did.

Is it really so hard for you to believe in my capability?" "What difference does capability make when the Dumont curse is hanging over your head?" she snapped.

Adrian opened his mouth to explain that his heart was functioning perfectly, but seeing the stubborn, dismissive look in her eyes, his shoulders slumped.

He knew she would never believe a piece of wearable tech could solve a genetic death sentence.

She wouldn't risk the company's stock on a "miracle." Adrian took my hand and led me out of the office, up to the quiet sanctuary of the rooftop garden.

The wind ruffled his dark hair, and his eyes were redrimmed as he looked at me. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You shouldn't have to deal with this because of me.

My mother has carried the weight of this company alone since my father died. Her own health is deteriorating.

She just wants someone reliable to take over so she can finally rest." I kept my head down, feeling a dull ache in my chest. "But she's completely written you off.

Even with this win, she's still going to hand the keys to Zach. By tomorrow, they might force you out entirely.

Are you really okay with that?" Adrian clenched his fist. "There's one more way.

A way to bypass the board and my mother entirely." I looked up, blinking. "How?" "Next month is the National Economic Summit in New York," he explained. "It's a statesponsored event.

Every major enterprise in the country will be there.

If we can secure the manufacturing bids before Zach even gets his foot in the door, the state will recognize us as the primary partners.

The board won't be able to touch me." I reached out my hand, a spark of hope reigniting. "Let's go ruin their plans." By the end of the day, the office was buzzing with the news of the massive Chicago contract.

The employees were laughing, planning a celebration dinner—but they completely ignored the two people who had actually won it.

Zach had his arm draped around Tiffany, looking smug. "Tonight is on me, everyone!

Open bar, order whatever you want!" The room erupted into cheers. "Thanks, boss!" "You're the best, Zach!" Adrian and I stood near the exit, watching the spectacle.

When they noticed us, the cheers died down into an awkward silence.

Zach squeezed Tiffany's shoulder and smirked at us. "Cousin, don't get ahead of yourself just because you got lucky with one bid. Mom said your health is failing and you need rest.

So, I'm taking over." He took a sip of his drink. "Actually, we have some logistics issues at our manufacturing plants in New York. A few minor discrepancies.

I need someone of authority to head down there and handle it personally.

I think you're the perfect man for the job." Tiffany beamed, clearly thrilled to see her man treating the actual heir of the company like an errand boy.

But Adrian and I locked eyes, suppressing our excitement. The National Economic Summit was being held in New York next month.

We had been trying to figure out a plausible excuse to slip away and set up our operations there without raising suspicion.

Zach had just handed us the perfect cover on a silver platter. Tiffany, assuming our silence was a sign of defeat, smirked. "Zach is the acting COO now, Adrian.

You're just a name on a piece of paper. You wouldn't want to disobey a direct corporate directive, would you?" I squeezed Adrian's hand so hard my knuckles turned white.

I was already imagining the look on their faces when we stripped them of everything.

Adrian nodded slowly, keeping his expression perfectly blank. "If there's an issue at the plants, I'll handle it personally." A week later, we were on a private jet heading to New York.

Halfway through the flight, Adrian’s grandmother called from her clinic in Europe.

I couldn't hear the details, but Adrian looked over at me, his gaze soft and unwavering as he spoke into the satellite phone. "No, Grandmother, there's no need to discuss it further.

Sadie is my choice, and she's the only one I want by my side." He paused, listening. "I know your concerns. But I am going to take back the Dumont Group legally and publicly.

I won't let it fall apart.

Honestly, I'm quite curious to see my mother's face when her Wall Street prodigy loses everything to a dying man." He glanced out the window at the clouds below. "She's still my mother.

Once I take over, I'll arrange a comfortable retirement for her overseas.

She doesn't care for Sadie, so it's best they don't have to cross paths." He hung up, saying nothing, but he took my hand and held it tightly against his chest, where the steady rhythm of our shared pulse beat in perfect unison.

The moment we landed in New York, Adrian bypassed the failing factories entirely. We went straight to the private estate of the Chairman of the National Summit.

For twentyfour hours, Adrian used his brilliant mind, sharp intuition, and deep understanding of global markets to completely win the elder statesman over.

When we finally stood up to leave, the Chairman looked at Adrian with genuine admiration. "I was led to believe the Dumont heir was a fragile, bedridden boy.

I didn't expect you to keep up with an old man's rambling for an entire day and night." Adrian looked down at me, a warm smile touching his lips. "My health was poor, sir.

But since I met my fiancée, I've never felt stronger." On the day of the summit, Adrian and I sat in a private secondfloor gallery overlooking the bustling convention floor.

Below us, Zach and his team were running around like headless chickens, failing to secure a single meaningful contract over the course of eight grueling hours.

As the closing ceremony commenced, the master of ceremonies took the stage, his voice echoing through the massive hall. "And now, please join me in welcoming our most distinguished guest of the evening.

Operating entirely behind the scenes, this individual has swept every major manufacturing contract of this summit—a feat unprecedented in our industry's history!" The spotlight swept across the room, climbing up to the second floor and landing squarely on us.

Down on the main floor, Zach’s face went pale. He stood up from his seat, staring up at us in absolute horror. "How is this possible?!"