CHAPTER 4
1389 Words
OPHELIA'S POV
“Ophelia! Wake up, Ophelia. It's time to pack up.”
Alexander's voice sliced through the morning silence.
"What?" I blinked, still groggy from sleep.
His chiseled face and his eyes, cold and commanding, came into focus.
“You heard me. You're moving in with me. Today.”
He was already stepping aside as his team barged in, opening closets and drawers.
I scrambled to sit up. "What? Now?" I stammered, rubbing my eyes.
"Yes, now." His tone left no room for argument.
Before I could gather my thoughts, his team were already moving around the tiny room, packing my belongings into sleek, black suitcases.
"Why the rush?" I finally managed to ask, my voice trembling.
Alexander's gaze locked onto mine. "You're my wife now. You can't stay on this island. You belong with me."
His words sent a shiver down my spine. Belong with him? I didn't belong to anyone. Yet here I was, bound by a piece of paper and his iron will.
"I need time to—"
"No time," he cut me off sharply. "We leave now."
I shot up from the bed, clutching the sheets around me.
"You can't just—"
"Enough," he snapped. "You're not a guest anymore. You're my wife. Act like it.”
By now, my bags were packed. One of the men—a tall, burly figure with a scar running down his cheek—yanked the zipper on the last suitcase, sealing my fate. I stood there, feeling like an outsider in my own life.
Alexander didn't even glance at my packed belongings. Instead, he grabbed my arm, his grip firm. "Let's go."
I followed him out. The driver was already waiting outside.
"Get in the car, Ophelia."
Alex's voice was like ice, sending shivers down my spine.
I glanced back at the small space that had been my home for the past few days. I had just signed the marriage contract, and now Alexander was whisking me away from the temporary apartment on the island to his mansion.
Within thirty minutes, the mansion loomed ahead, a cold fortress of glass and steel. Modern and intimidating, just like Alexander.
As the car rolled up the long driveway, I felt like a prisoner being delivered to my cell.
"Welcome to your new home," Alexander said.
His tone did not sound welcoming, at all. He didn’t even look at me as he spoke.
The driver opened my door, and I stepped out.
Inside, the mansion was even more imposing. Cold marble floors, high ceilings, and sleek furniture. It was beautiful, but it felt lifeless.
"This way," Alexander's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
He led me through different rooms, each more extravagant than the last, until we reached a bedroom.
“This is where you’ll stay.”
I turned to thank him, but his phone rang.
He answered it, his face darkening.
"Handle it," he barked into the phone before hanging up.
He turned to me, his eyes cold. "Come with me."
I walked with him into a dimly lit room where a man was tied to a chair, his face bruised and bloodied.
I gasped, my heart pounding in my chest. "Alex, what is this?"
Alex's eyes never left the man. "This is what happens when someone crosses me," he said, his voice icy.
The man looked up, the look on his face was more than enough to know that he was scared to death. "Please, Alex, I didn't mean to—"
"Shut up!" Alex yelled and I flinched. He turned to me. “Watch closely. You need to see what happens to those who defy me.”
He pulled out a gun, and I felt my stomach turning uncontrollably in fear. "Alex, you can't—"
"Silence!" he snapped. "This is necessary.”
He aimed the gun at the man's head. The room was silent, the air thick with tension.
"Please," the man whispered, tears streaming down his face.
BANG! The gunshot echoed through the room, and the man's head slumped forward.
I screamed, my hands flying to my mouth.
"Oh my God, Alex, what have you done?"
He turned to me, his eyes as cold as ice.
"Remember this, Ophelia.This is my world, and now it's yours too. Be a good girl, and you'll be safe. Defy me, and you might just end up like him."
My legs felt like jelly, and I sank to the floor, trembling.
“Do you understand me?!”
"I... I understand," I whispered with tears rushing down my face.
"Good," he said, his voice softening slightly. He reached out and lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You're mine now, Ophelia. Never forget that."
I nodded, unable to speak. The horror of what I had witnessed left me numb.
He helped me to my feet, his touch gentle now.
"Let's get you cleaned up," he said, guiding me out of the room.
****
That night, dinner was quiet. The clinking of spoons on plates and bottles on glasses were the only sound at the dining table. I stared at the plate, pushing the food around with my fork.
I watched Alexander across the table, his brow furrowed in thought. He looked up suddenly, catching my eye.
He set his fork down, leaning back in his chair.
“Ophelia, I have some fantastic news,” he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“What?”
I'll be damned if I wasn't feeling like a total basket case as Alexander dropped the bombshell.
"We have an event coming up. We'll be making our first public appearance together."
My heart skipped a beat. "A public appearance? Like, in front of people?”
“Yes,” he said, pouring himself a glass of wine. “It’s a high-profile event. And you'll be accompanying me.”
My fork clattered against my plate, and I felt my heart sink like a stone in a dense lake. "What? Uh, wow, that's... great?" I stammered, trying to sound convincing.
Alexander chuckled, a low, smooth sound. “Don't be nervous, my dear. It'll be fun. You'll get to meet all sorts of people, and I'll be by your side the whole time.”
Easy for him to say. He was a goddamn supermodel, and I was just a nobody. The thought of being in the spotlight made me want to crawl under a rock and hide.
“But... I don't know if I'm ready for something like that,” I said, trying to sound reasonable.
Alexander's smile faltered for a moment, and I could see a flicker of annoyance in his eyes
He sighed, clearly annoyed. “It's part of our agreement, Ophelia. You signed the contract.”
“I know, but—”
"No buts," he interrupted, his tone sharp. “You need to get used to this. It’s your life now.”
“What if I mess up at the event? I don't want to embarrass you in front of your friends.”
His eyes softened, just for a moment. “You won't.”
I fumbled with my napkins, my fingers already shaking. All I could think of at that moment was the way he killed that man. He reached across the table, his hands warm on mine.
“Come on, Ophelia. It's just a party. You'll be fine.”
I felt my heartbeat rise at the way he was talking to me, like I was some kind of child who needed to be patted on the head and told everything would be okay.
“I don't think you understand what this means,” I said, my voice rising in frustration. “I'm not exactly... I'm a nobody, Alex. A total wipeout.”
Alexander leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my dear. You're not a nobody. You're my somebody. And with me by your side, you'll be the belle of the ball.”
I snorted. “You're not being serious, are you? You're just saying this to calm me down because you feel guilty about dragging me into this mess.”
Alexander's expression turned cold.
“I'm doing this because I want to, Ophelia. Not because I feel guilty. And you'd better get used to the idea, because it's non-negotiable.”
- Writer
