CHAPTER 2
1251 Words
OPHELIA'S POV
“Where the hell am I?” That was the first thing I asked when I woke up in a strange room.
I suddenly felt dizzy as my eyes glanced around the room. This was no ordinary hospital, I was in a high-end suite.
“You’re awake,” a deep voice said from across the room.
I turned to see a man leaning casually against the doorframe.
Dark hair, piercing blue eyes, a face that seemed to belong on the cover of Forbes. He wore an expensive suit that screamed money.
I blushed even though I didn't want to.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice hoarse. I felt little under his gaze and sat up.
“I’m the one who found you," he said, with a mischievous wink. “You're safe now.”
“Found me?” Then, I remembered what happened and how I ended up here. The betrayal, the cold water, the feeling of sinking. “You... you saved me?”
He nodded. “Brought you to my yacht, then to the shore. Had my private doctors take care of you. You’re lucky to be alive.” He pushed himself off the doorframe and stepped closer.
“Alexander Drake is my name. What's yours?"
"Ophelia," I replied, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and relief.
“Nice to meet you, Ophelia. You're lucky we found you when we did. Another minute in that water... well, let's just say it wouldn't have been good.”
I shuddered at the thought. "Thank you, Alex. I don't know how to repay you."
He shook his head and smiled. "We'll figure that out later. Do you need anything? Water? Food?"
"Water, please," I croaked. My throat was dry, raw from the saltwater.
Alex handed me a glass, his eyes never leaving mine. Why couldn't he stop staring? "Here. Drink slowly."
I took a sip, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. "Thank you," I said again, feeling a bit stronger.
“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why would you help me?”
He smiled again, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s just say I have my reasons.”
“What reasons?” I demanded, trying to push aside the fear creeping in.
He pulled a chair to my bedside and sat down, leaning forward. “I need something from you, Ophelia.”
My heart pounded. “What do you mean?”
“I saved your life. In return, you’re going to marry me.”
I stared at him. Has this man lost his mind? “What the f**k are you talking about?”
“It’s simple,” he said, his tone calm like he was simply asking me for an easy favor. “You owe me your life. And I need a wife.”
“Wha—what?” I could not even speak well anymore. “I don’t even know you! And you expect me to marry you?”
His eyes hardened. “You’re in no position to argue. Without me, you’d be dead. Consider this your second chance.”
I felt like I was in a dream. “I can’t just marry someone I don’t know!”
“You can, and you will,” he said, his voice cold. “Or you can find yourself back in the water. Your choice.”
My blood ran cold. “You’re threatening me?”
“Call it what you want,” he said with a shrug. “You owe me, Ophelia. This is how you repay your debt.”
I did not understand what was going on. “Why do you need a wife so badly?”
He leaned back, studying me. “That’s none of your concern. Just know that this arrangement benefits us both.”
“Benefits?” I scoffed. “How the hell does this benefit me?”
“You get a new life. Away from whatever mess you were in. I'm sure you didn't end up in the water out of your own free will. If you marry me, you'll get protection, wealth, freedom.”
“Freedom?” I laughed bitterly. “You call this freedom? Being forced into marriage?”
“It’s better than being dead,” he said simply.
I wanted to retort, but there was a knock on the door and I paused, turning my gaze to the door.
A young man, possibly one of his servants, stepped inside clutching a laptop.
He stopped at the entrance raising a finger as if asking for permission, and Alexander motioned him to come forward.
He took the laptop from him and whispered a few words into his ear and the man left as quickly as he came. Awkward silence.
But then, I looked at Alexander, feeling a mix of anger and confusion. Who was this man who suddenly thinks he had so much power over me? And what did he really want?
I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Why me?” I asked, my voice breaking the tense silence.
He looked up from his laptop, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Why did you choose me? Out of all the people in the world, why me?”
He closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair, studying me. “You are… I'd say, convenient.”
“Convenient?” I repeated, feeling a surge of anger. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means I needed someone who wouldn’t be missed. Someone who could disappear without causing a stir.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. “How do you expect me to trust you enough when you say such things to me?”
“I never asked for your trust, Ophelia. Only your compliance.”
I shook my head, feeling trapped. “What do you really want from me, Alexander?”
He stood up and walked over to me, his expression unreadable. “I want a wife.”
“And if I say no?”
His eyes darkened. “Then you go back to where I found you. And this time, no one will save you.”
I swallowed hard, the reality of my situation sinking in. I was trapped.
I wanted to scream, to tell him to shove his offer where the sun doesn’t shine, but the reality was, I had no other options. Ryan and Veronica had ripped my life apart, and now, here I was, negotiating my survival with a man who saw me as a pawn.
I stared at him, searching for any hint of deception. But his face was a mask of cool indifference. His eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto mine.
"And what about my freedom? Can I still live my life?"
He shrugged. "As long as it doesn’t interfere with our arrangement, I don't care what you do in your free time."
I sighed, and started to think hard. "How long will this last or are you going to keep me forever?”
"After a year, we’ll quietly divorce. You’ll get a generous settlement, and you can walk away with a new identity if you want."
I felt like yelling out my frustrations, like throwing something. But I couldn't afford to lose control. Not now.
I glared at him, my mind racing. I had no idea what his game was, but I knew one thing: I had no choice. Not really.
“So what do you say, Ophelia?”
- Writer
