Steal My Heart, Mr Cole

Chapter 10

Laura Sterling

“Sign a marriage contract with you? Are you insane?” I blurted out, my voice cracking with disbelief as I stared at Aaron like he had just asked for my soul instead of my signature, my heart pounding violently against my ribs.

The room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating, as his words echoed over and over in my mind. "Marriage contract for one year and love him." Unbelievable.

“I don’t even know you,” I added, my tone dropping into something sharper, defensive, even as my fingers curled into the blanket, gripping it like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Aaron didn’t flinch. Not even a little.

“You don’t need to know everything about me right now,” he replied calmly, his voice steady in a way that only made me more unsettled, like he had already thought ten steps ahead while I was still trying to breathe. “What matters is that I can give you what no one else can...protection, recovery, and a future.”

His eyes locked onto mine, unwavering, as if daring me to challenge him, and that only made my chest tighten further.

“A future?” I let out a weak, almost bitter laugh, shaking my head slowly as tears stung my eyes again. “What future? I can’t even walk. I can’t have children. My life is already over,” I whispered, my voice breaking at the end despite my attempt to sound strong.

His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt me.

“And now you want me to marry a stranger?” I continued, my tone rising again, panic creeping in. “What if you’re just like him? What if this is another cage, just with prettier walls?” I swallowed hard, my throat burning as fear wrapped around me like a familiar chain.

For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes…something dark, unreadable…before it disappeared.

“I’m not Derick,” he said firmly, his voice low but carrying a weight that made my stomach twist. “And if I wanted to control you, Laura, I wouldn’t be asking for your consent.” His words were calm, but there was an edge beneath them that made me fall silent.

Before I could respond, his phone rang sharply, slicing through the tension in the room.

He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening instantly.

“I need to take this,” he said, already reaching into his jacket. Then, without another word, he pulled out a set of neatly arranged documents and placed them carefully on the bed beside me. “Look through it if you can. I’ll be back.”

And just like that, he stepped out of the room.

The door clicked shut and there was immediate silence.

I stared at the papers beside me, my heart still racing.

“Marriage contract…” I muttered under my breath, my fingers trembling as I slowly reached out and touched the edge of the document, like it might burn me.

This was insane. Completely insane.

“I just escaped one monster, and now another man wants to tie me down again,” I thought bitterly, pulling my hand back quickly as if the paper had already betrayed me.

My eyes darted toward the door.

He was gone. The room suddenly didn’t feel safe anymore.

It felt like a trap.

“What if he locks me up the moment I sign? What if this is just a different kind of prison?” My chest tightened as panic began to rise again, faster this time, sharper. “I can’t stay here. I can’t risk it. I won’t survive another cage.”

My breathing became uneven as my gaze shifted to the wheelchair beside the bed.

Freedom. Or at least… a chance at it.

“I have to leave,” I whispered to myself, my voice shaking but firm, even as fear clawed at my insides. “Even if I don’t know where to go… it has to be better than this.”

With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed the blanket off my legs.

The moment my feet touched the cold floor, a sharp wave of weakness shot through me.

“Ah....!” I gasped softly, gripping the edge of the bed as my body nearly gave out, my legs refusing to cooperate.

Tears filled my eyes instantly.

“Useless… just useless,” I muttered bitterly, biting my lower lip to stop myself from crying again, anger mixing with humiliation.

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t...unless I wanted to be dead meat.

Slowly, painfully, I dragged myself toward the wheelchair, each movement feeling like my body was betraying me.

“Move… just move,” I whispered under my breath, gritting my teeth as I forced my arms to do what my legs couldn’t.

Finally, after what felt like forever, I managed to pull myself into the wheelchair.

I froze for a second, breathing heavily, sweat forming on my forehead.

“I did it…” I murmured softly, almost in disbelief, even though the victory felt small compared to everything I had lost.

Then I grabbed the wheels and pushed.

The chair rolled forward. My heart leapt as hope flickered.

I moved slowly at first, then faster, pushing with everything I had as I made my way toward the door.

Each turn of the wheel felt like rebellion. Each inch forward felt like defiance.

“I’m not staying. I’m not signing anything. I’m not letting another man decide my life,” I thought fiercely, even as fear lingered in the back of my mind.

The corridor outside was bright, too bright, filled with unfamiliar faces and distant voices.

I kept my head down, pushing forward, ignoring the stares.

“Miss! You’re not supposed to be out of bed yet!” a nurse called from behind me, her voice filled with concern.

“I’m fine!” I shot back quickly, forcing my voice to sound stronger than I felt, my hands tightening on the wheels as I pushed faster.

My heart was racing wildly now.

What if Aaron came back?

What if he saw me?

“No… no, I can’t let him catch me,” I whispered, panic rising again as I turned a corner sharply, nearly losing control of the wheelchair.

The exit. I spotted it ahead.

My breathing became shallow as I pushed harder, ignoring the burning in my arms.

“You can do this… just a little more,” I encouraged myself, even as doubt crept in.

Finally, I reached the doors.

The cool air hit my face the moment I stepped outside, and for a second… just one second… I felt free.

"Really free."

“I made it…” I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of relief and disbelief, my eyes scanning the open space ahead of me.

But then “So you didn’t die in the fire… Laura.”

The cold familiar voice filled my ears.

My entire body froze. "Oh no...."

My blood ran cold as dread flooded every inch of me.

Slowly… painfully… I turned my head.

“No… it can’t be…” I whispered, my voice barely audible as my heart sank into darkness. “He found me...“