THE BILLIONAIRE'S SUBSTITUTE BRIDE 3
524 Words
Later that night, Sofia could not sleep. She quietly walked downstairs to get water but stopped when she saw Adrian standing alone near the window.
“The rain is loud tonight,” he said softly.
“It sounds peaceful,” Sofia replied.
“No. It sounds empty.”
For the first time, Adrian did not sound cold.
He sounded broken.
Sofia slowly stepped closer. “You miss your eyesight that much?”
Adrian laughed bitterly. “You ask dangerous questions.”
“You avoid honest answers.”
Silence filled the room.
Then suddenly Adrian asked quietly, “What do you look like?”
Sofia blinked. “What?”
“I’ve never seen my wife.”
Her heartbeat became uneven.
Trying to lighten the mood, she smiled nervously. “Well, I’m obviously very beautiful.”
“Hm.”
“What does that mean?”
“Beautiful people usually announce it less.”
Sofia gasped dramatically. “Wow. Blind and savage.”
A quiet laugh escaped Adrian again.
Then slowly, he reached his hand forward.
“Come here.”
Sofia’s breathing stopped for a second.
“I want to know who I married.”
Nervously, she stepped closer.
Adrian’s fingers gently touched her forehead, her cheeks, then finally her lips.
The moment his fingertips brushed against her skin…
Everything became still.
And for the first time in years, something dangerous awakened inside Adrian Sterling’s heart.
The next morning, Sofia entered the dining room only to find Adrian’s family waiting for her.
Vanessa, Adrian’s younger sister, looked Sofia up and down before laughing softly.
“So this is the replacement bride?”
Sofia forced a smile. “Good morning.”
Nobody answered.
One maid pulled out a chair for Sofia, but Vanessa smirked.
“That seat is expensive. Be careful you don’t stain it with poverty.”
The women laughed quietly.
Sofia sat down anyway, refusing to cry.
The moment Adrian entered the room, everyone suddenly acted sweet.
“So Adrian,” his aunt asked casually, “how does it feel marrying a stranger your mother picked from the street?”
Sofia’s fingers tightened under the table.
Adrian answered calmly.
“It feels exactly how a fake marriage should feel.”
The words hurt more than Sofia expected.
Then her phone rang.
It was her aunt.
The moment Sofia answered, the older woman shouted angrily.
“People are saying you sold yourself to rich people!”
Tears filled Sofia’s eyes immediately.
“No, Auntie, it’s not like that—”
“Your mother nearly fainted from shame!”
The words shattered something inside her.
After the call ended, Sofia leaned weakly against the wall and cried silently.
Then Adrian’s voice came from nearby.
“You’re crying.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You forget I hear better than most people.”
Slowly, Adrian reached for her wrist.
“Nobody has ever touched me without wanting something,” he said quietly. “But your sadness feels real.”
That sentence broke her completely.
Without thinking, Sofia buried her face against his chest and cried softly.
After a long silence…
Adrian gently placed one hand on her back.
- Writer
