The Reluctant Bride

The heavy rain fell without mercy, flooding the streets and everyone unfortunate enough to be caught outside. Amara Cole stood under the hospital entrance, her fingers holding to a folded medical bill so tightly that the paper had become squeezed. Her eyes were swollen from crying, but the tears refused to stop. Three days. That was all the doctors had given her. If her younger brother, Ethan, did not undergo surgery within three days, his chances of survival would drop fastly. The amount written on the hospital bill was more money than she could earn in five years. She had already sold her late mother's jewelry, borrowed from friends, and even begged relatives who had once promised to stand by the family. Every one of them had turned their backs on her. "I'm sorry," one uncle had said. "I have my own family to feed." Another simply blocked her number. Amara let out a shaky breath. "What am I supposed to do now?" she whispered. Her phone vibrates. She looked at the screen. It was another message from the hospital reminding her about the payment deadline. Her heart skipped. She switched off the phone before another tear rolled down her cheek. Gathering all the little courage she had left, she moved into the rain and began walking toward the bus stop. She had nowhere to go except back to the small apartment she stayed with Ethan. Suddenly, a shiny black Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up beside the sidewalk. The expensive car looked completely out of place in her struggling neighborhood. People walking nearby slowed down to stare. The passenger window rolled down slowly. A man sat inside. He looked to be in his late twenties, dressed in a neatly tailored black suit. His face was too handsome, yet cold enough to make anyone think twice before speaking to him. His sharp grey eyes settled on Amara as though he had known exactly where to find her. She frowned. Was he looking at her? A bodyguard stepped out of the front seat and walked toward her. "Miss Amara Cole?" She blinked in surprise. "Yes..." "My boss would like to speak with you." She hesitated. "I don't even know your boss." "You will." The bodyguard opened the back door. Curiosity mixed with caution. After a few seconds of hesitation, Amara stepped closer and looked inside the luxurious car. The man didn't even look away from the tablet in his hand. "Get in or you just stand there looking." His voice was calm, deep, and carried the confidence of someone who was used to being obeyed. "I think you're mistaken for someone else," she replied. He finally looked up. "I never make mistakes, not with you ." Something about the certainty in his tone sent a cold running down her body. Against her better will, she entered the car. The door closed behind her. Warm air filled the cabin, shielding her from the cold rain outside. "My name is Damien Blackwood," the man said. Amara's eyes widened. Everyone knew that name. The youngest billionaire in the country. CEO of Blackwood Holdings. A man whose business deals top headlines almost every week. People called him brilliant. Others called him heartless. She had never imagined she would meet him, let alone sit beside him. "What do you want from me?" she asked carefully. Damien handed her a small file. Inside were pictures. They were pictures of her, Ethan, and even the apartment where they lived. Her heartbeat fastened. "You know my background ?" "I prefer to know who I'm dealing with." Fear gripped her face. "If this is some kind of joke..." "It isn't." He folded his hands. "Your brother needs surgery." She looked away. "Yes." "You owe the hospital a large amount of money." She nodded silently. "I can solve all your financial problems today." Amara laughed softly. Not because it was funny. Because she was not expecting help from anywhere at the moment. "Unless you're giving me millions of dollars, there's nothing you can do." "I'll pay every hospital bill." She stopped smiling. "I'll clear every debt your family owes anyone." Her breathing became uneven. "I'll also transfer ten million dollars into your account." Silence filled the car. Her mind struggled to process what she had just heard. "No one has ever given me such an amount of money," she finally said. "Correct." His expression remained unreadable. "I expect something in return." She swallowed hard. "What do you want?" Damien reached into his briefcase and placed a neatly prepared contract on the seat between them. Then he looked directly into her eyes. "I want you to become my wife." The words were very loud inside her head. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. "What did you just say?" "A one-year contract marriage." She stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "You don't even know me." "I know enough." "There are thousands of women who would gladly marry someone like you." "I don't want them." His answer came without thinking. "Its you I want ." Amara shook her head in disbelief. "This doesn't make any sense." "It doesn't have to." Outside, it was still raining heavily. Inside the car, her entire future seemed to hang on a single paper. Accept the offer... Or watch her brother slip away forever. Damien calmly brought a gold pen across the seat. "You have twenty-four hours to decide." The driver started the engine. As the car pulled away, Amara remained standing in the rain with the contract held tightly against her chest. Her eyes fell on the signature line. And for the first time in her life, she wondered whether saving the person she loved most would cost her everything else.