Owned by the Ruthless Billionaire

Chapter 3

Annalyn

The sun was my first enemy that morning. It spilled through the gaps in my blinds like a searchlight, hitting my swollen eyes and making my head throb all over again. I groaned, pulling the duvet over my head, but the noise wouldn't stop.

It wasn't the sun, it was my phone.

It was vibrating so hard against the wooden nightstand that it sounded like a jackhammer. I reached out, my bruised ribs screaming at the movement, and grabbed the device. The screen was a chaotic mess of notifications. Missed calls, texts, emails, and then I saw the news alerts.

I sat up too fast, the world spinning for a second. I tapped on the first link.

LORENZO HEIRESS MARRIES MYSTERY MAN IN MIDNIGHT CEREMONY!

There was a photo. It was grainy, taken from a distance across the street from the courthouse. It showed me. Pale, messy-haired, and leaning heavily into the man beside me. Aidan was a dark, blurred shape, his leather jacket looking like armor in the streetlights. His hand was on my waist, shielding me from the world.

"Oh, no," I whispered. My heart started a frantic rhythm against my chest. I had expected some noise, but this was a roar. The whole city knew.

The phone vibrated again. This time, a name flashed across the screen that made my blood turn to ice.

Kathryn.

I didn't want to answer. I wanted to throw the phone out the window, but I knew how my stepmother worked. If I ignored her, she would show up at my door with a locksmith and a legal team.

I swiped the screen. "Hello?"

"Annalyn, darling," Kathryn’s voice came through, smooth and sweet as poisoned honey. "I saw the news. A secret wedding? And here I thought we were close enough for an invitation."

"It was private, Kathryn," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I stood up, pacing on the small rug in my bedroom.

"I didn't think you'd care about the details."

"Oh, I care very much about the details," she purred. "Especially since this... marriage... seems to have happened right as you were about to lose your seat at the table. It’s almost too convenient, don't you think?"

In the background, I heard a sharp, high-pitched giggle. Sophie. She was right there, probably leaning over Kathryn’s shoulder.

"The timing doesn't change the law," I said firmly. "I’m married. The shares stay with me."

"Is that so?" Kathryn’s tone shifted. The sweetness evaporated, replaced by a cold, sharp edge. "Because the board is already asking questions, they want to know who this man is. They want to know why the heiress to Lorenzo Enterprises married a man who looks like he belongs in a prison cell rather than a boardroom."

I gripped the phone tighter. "He saved my life."

"How romantic," Kathryn mocked. "Well, if he’s truly your husband and not some thug you bought for the night, you won't mind bringing him to the mansion tonight. Eight o'clock. A family dinner to celebrate your... happy news."

"Kathryn…"

"Don't bother with excuses, Annalyn," she interrupted.

"If you don't show up with your husband, if he doesn't prove to me and the family lawyers that this marriage is real, then I’ll have the board move for an injunction. I’ll say you’re mentally unstable after the crash, i’ll say you’re being coerced. Either way, you’ll be out of a job by morning."

Sophie’s laugh rang out again, a mean, jagged sound that made my stomach turn.

"Eight o'clock," Kathryn said. "Don't be late."

The line clicked shut.

I dropped the phone onto the bed and sank to the floor. My knees wouldn't hold me up. I was alone in my apartment. I looked down at my hand. The silver band Aidan had given me caught the light. It looked so simple, so out of place against my skin.

What had I done? I had tied my life to a man I didn't know. I didn't know his favorite color. I didn't know where he lived. I didn't even know if he was a good person. For all I knew, he could be just as dangerous as Warren, but I remembered the way he had held me in the hospital. I remembered the steady heat of his hand on my back as we walked into the courthouse. He hadn't asked for anything, he hadn't tried to take advantage of the situation. He had just... been there.

The clock was ticking. It was almost noon. I had eight hours to find my husband and convince him to walk into a den of lions with me.

I picked up the phone and looked at the number he had written on that scrap of paper. My fingers hovered over the screen. What if he didn't answer? What if he had changed his mind?

I hit the dial.

The phone rang once and then twice. My breath hitched.

"Yeah?"

The voice was deep, raspy, and instantly recognizable. It was like a jolt of electricity straight to my spine.

"Aidan?" I said, my voice barely a whisper. "It’s Annalyn."

"I know," he said. There was no surprise in his voice. He sounded exactly the same as he had last night…calm, steady, and completely unfazed.

"Are you okay? You’re breathing hard."

"The news broke," I said, the words tumbling out. "It’s everywhere. My stepmother... she called. She’s demanding dinner tonight. She wants to meet you. She wants to prove the marriage is fake so she can take the company."

I waited for him to swear. I waited for him to tell me this was too much and that he was out.

"What time?" he asked.

I blinked. "Wait, you'll go? It’s going to be a nightmare, Aidan. They’re going to grill you, and they’re going to try to trip you up. Warren will be there. He’s the one who tried to kill me."

"I don't care about Warren," Aidan said, his voice dropping an octave.

There was a sudden hardness in his tone that made me shiver. "And I don't care about your stepmother. I told you I’d help you. I meant it."

"Thank you," I breathed, closing my eyes. "Thank you so much. It’s at the Lorenzo mansion. Eight o'clock."

"Send me the address," he said. "I’ll be there."

"Aidan?" I called out before he could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"They’re going to expect... Well, they're going to expect someone who looks like me. Wealthy and polished, you don't have to change who you are, but they are going to be looking for a reason to judge you."

"Let them judge," Aidan said. "I’ll see you at eight, Annalyn."

The call ended.

I stayed on the floor for a long time, staring at the empty room. I had a husband. A husband who was coming to fight for me. I looked back at the ring on my finger. It feels heavier now, and it wasn't just a piece of metal anymore; it was a promise. I didn't know if I could trust Aidan Klein, but I knew I had to. He was the only thing standing between me and the people who wanted to destroy me.

I stood up, shaking the fear out of my limbs. I had work to do, I had to get ready. I had to look like a woman who was happily married, not a woman who was terrified for her life.

As I walked towards the bathroom to start cleaning the makeup off my bruised face, I whispered, "Please, Aidan. Please don't let me down."