Steal My Heart, Mr Cole

Chapter 9

Laura Sterling

“Who… who are you? Am I really alive?”

My voice came out as a weak, raspy whisper, barely audible even to my own ears.

I blinked slowly, trying to adjust my eyes to the soft golden light filling the unfamiliar room.

My body was drenched in sweat, the thin hospital gown clinging uncomfortably to my skin.

Every breath felt heavy, and worst of all, my legs… they felt completely numb, like two dead weights attached to me that refused to obey.

“Why does everything hurt so much? Why am I still here, suffering? I thought the fire had finally ended it all. I almost welcomed death… at least then the pain would stop." I thought, as I felt tight knots in my chest.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as self-pity washed over me in waves.

“Look at me. Broken. Useless. A woman who once ran an empire, now reduced to this....trapped in a body that won’t even let me walk away from my nightmares. My family is gone, my womb is gone, my future is gone. And Derick… he did this to me. He stole everything.“

I turned my head slightly, and that was when I saw him.

A tall, powerfully built man sat beside the bed, his dark eyes watching me with intense focus.

He was strikingly handsome...sharp chiseled jawline, broad shoulders that spoke of strength and authority, short black hair slightly tousled.

There was something so commanding about his presence, yet his expression held a surprising gentleness.

He looked vaguely familiar, like a ghost from a half-forgotten life, but my traumatized mind couldn’t place him.

The trauma of the past five years had blurred too many faces.

He leaned forward slightly and spoke again, his deep voice calm and steady. “My name is Aaron. I pulled you out of the fire. You’re safe now.”

"Aaron?" I repeated in a whisper as if I was afraid he'd hear me.

The name sent a jolt through me, but before I could grasp why it felt important, memories of the prison fire crashed back...the roaring flames, the choking smoke, the guards running past my locked cell, the explosions that shook the walls.

I had screamed for help until my throat burned, convinced I was going to die alone in that hell.

My eyes widened in shock, and a raw, guttural sob tore from my chest. “The fire… I thought I was dead. I wanted to be dead because my life is ruined already!”

Tears flooded my eyes uncontrollably. I tried to sit up, desperate to escape the bed, to run from the pain even though my legs wouldn’t cooperate.

“Let me go… please, just let me go. I can’t do this anymore. Everything hurts. My legs… they’re numb again. I can’t feel them. I’m so tired of being trapped in this useless body!”

Aaron moved quickly but gently, his strong arms wrapping around me before I could fall. He held me against his broad chest with surprising tenderness, one hand stroking my damp hair as if I were something precious and fragile.

“Shh… it’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you,” he murmured softly, his voice like a warm anchor in the storm. “Breathe, Laura. Just breathe.”

"How did you know my name?" I asked, feeling completely confused.

"Shiii.... I'll explain later." He said, soothing my hair till more tears began to flow.

His touch was so sweet, so careful, nothing like the rough hands I had known for years. Yet my mind could only focus on the crushing grief and pain. I buried my face against his shirt, sobbing loudly, my entire body shaking.

“Why is he being kind? No one has been kind to me in so long. But kindness won’t fix this. It won’t bring back my family, my baby, or my legs. It won’t erase the years Derick stole from me. I’m still broken… still worthless.“

“I hate this,” I cried brokenly, my voice muffled against him. “I hate feeling so weak. My legs… they’re dead. Just like the rest of me. Why did you save me? I was ready to die in that fire. At least it would have been over.”

Aaron didn’t let go. His arms stayed firm yet gentle around my trembling frame, his presence steady even as my world continued to crumble.

“Tell me what you need,” he whispered, still holding me close. “I’m here now.”

I could only cry harder, the pain in my heart far greater than any physical ache, as fresh waves of grief and self-pity consumed me.

“Why does it still hurt so much… even when someone finally tries to save me?”

My voice cracked on the last word, muffled against Aaron’s broad chest as fresh sobs wracked my body.

I felt completely drained, my sweat-soaked gown sticking to my skin, my numb legs heavy and useless beneath the thin blanket.

The grief refused to let go, pressing down on me like a stone. I must have looked ridiculous crying this much in front of a stranger.... but I kept feeling like I knew him so well.

Aaron held me for a long moment, his strong arms steady and surprisingly gentle. Then he slowly pulled back, keeping one hand on my shoulder to support me.

With his other hand, he picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and offered it to me carefully.

“Here,” he said softly, his deep voice calm yet firm. “Drink this slowly. You need it after everything you’ve been through.”

I took the glass with trembling hands, the cool liquid soothing my raw throat as I sipped. The simple act of kindness made fresh tears sting my eyes.

"Why is he doing this? No one has cared whether I lived or died in years.“

Aaron watched me closely, his dark eyes intense but patient. When I lowered the glass, he spoke again.

“Laura, listen to me. You won’t be taking those pills anymore. They were never medicine. They were slow poison meant to keep you weak and dependent. Derick used them to control you. From now on, no more pills. Your body needs to heal properly.”

I stared at him, my mind foggy and exhausted. The words sank in slowly, but I felt too broken to argue. For many years, those white pills had been my daily reality.

The guards forced them down my throat, and Derick had made sure of it. They were the only constant I knew.

“He’s right… I think. But what does it matter now? I’m already ruined. My legs don’t work, my body is empty, and my heart is shattered. Disagreeing takes energy I don’t have anymore.“

“I… I was supposed to take them,” I whispered hoarsely, my voice small and defeated. “Every day. For my ‘recovery.’ That’s what they always said.”

Aaron’s jaw tightened, but his touch remained gentle as he took the empty glass from my hands and set it aside. “No more. That part of your life is over.”

He paused, studying my face as if measuring how much more I could handle. Then he continued, his tone leaving little room for argument.

“You will be staying at my place from now on. I want to monitor your recovery closely. My home has the best doctors and security. You’ll be protected there....from the bad people who might still be after you. You’re not safe anywhere else right now.”

The words hit me like a fresh blow. Staying with him? Protected? My eyes widened in panic, and tears spilled over again.

I shook my head frantically, my hands clutching the blanket.

“No… please,” I cried, my voice rising with fear. “I don’t want Derick to find me. If he knows where I am, he’ll come for me. He’ll drag me back or worse. I can’t go through that again. I just want to disappear. Please don’t let him find me…”

My sobs grew louder.

The thought of Derick’s face, his cruel hands, his cold orders to the guards...it all flooded back, making my chest tighten with terror.

Even safe in this moment, the fear of being returned to that monster paralyzed me.

“He’ll never stop. He stole my life once. If he finds out I’m alive and with this handsome man… what will he do to me? To both of us? I’m too weak to fight anymore.“

Aaron didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me again, holding me securely against his solid frame as I cried.

“Shh… breathe, Laura. He won’t touch you because you’re with me,” he murmured, his voice low and reassuring, though I could hear the steel beneath it. “You’re under my protection now. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

I clung to his shirt, tears soaking the fabric, my body trembling with exhaustion and fear. The pain in my heart felt endless, drowning out everything else.

“But what if he does find me?” I whispered brokenly between sobs. “What if I’m never free from him?”

Aaron’s arms tightened just slightly, his presence steady and unyielding.

“You will be. I promise you that. But I do have a condition. ?...If you agree, I will offer you all the protection and security in this world, I'll even help you walk." His expression suddenly changed, but something about the way he said straight made me feel like I could trust him.

"What is that condition?" I spoke, my voice was half shaky.

"Sign a marriage contract with me, you'll have one year to fall for me...To completely forget about your ex husband and to love me completely." He said firmly.

"What?! Isn't there any help that's for free?" I felt my chest tighten.

"This isn't about free help... You'll thank me later. So do you agree or not?"