THE STRANGER SHE CHOSE

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Fury simmered beneath my skin as I glared at him. "I really don't want to go anywhere right now, James. I don't feel like it." He let out a dry scoff and looked at me as though I'd just said the dumbest thing imaginable. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose with exaggerated patience, like I was the one making his life difficult. "Serah... you're already dressed for this outing, and now you suddenly don't want to go?" I have clicked his tongue. "Get in the car. We can't keep postponing this." Asshole. And that was the man my late father had chosen for me in his will. Arrogant. Selfish. Stubborn as f**k. Sometimes I wondered what my father had been thinking before he died. Out of every man in the world, he left me shackled to James. It felt less like an inheritance and more like a punishment. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of walking away. Not yet. Until my family's inheritance was legally mine, I had no choice but to play along. Without another word, I slipped into the waiting Rolls-Royce. The instant I closed the door, I caught the corner of James's mouth curling into a smug smile. He actually thought he'd won. Let him. For now. A few minutes later, we pulled up outside the most exclusive suite in town and headed straight for the VIP lounge. Soft music drifted through the luxurious space while conversations blended with the clinking of crystal glasses. I swirled the champagne in my glass without taking a sip, watching the tiny bubbles rise to the surface as my thoughts wandered somewhere far away. "Do you always have to be like this, Serah?" James lowered himself onto the couch beside me, close enough for our shoulders to almost touch. "In less than no time, you'll be my wife." A smug grin spread across his face. "I think it's about time you stopped resisting me." His hand slid onto my lap slowly. "Stop it, James." I caught his wrist before his hand could wander any further and pushed it away. "I need time to think this through." I set my champagne glass on the table with deliberate care. "I'm not ready for this." "That's all I ever heard from you!" His palm crashed onto the table, rattling the glasses hard enough to make the champagne ripple. I jerked in my seat. "Whether you like it or not, you and I were destined to be together from the day we were born. That was the agreement our parents made." Those words again. The same damn speech my father had drilled into my head for years, as though repeating it often enough would make me fall in love with my own prison. Before I could protest, James grabbed my hand and led me out of the lounge. Moments later, we stepped into another private VIP suite. This one was completely secluded. No guests. Not staff. No witnesses. Only the two of us. He guided me onto the couch while I looked around. A bottle of expensive wine, two crystal glasses, and a neatly arranged platter of fruit were already waiting on the table, as though the room had been prepared long before we arrived. Everything about it felt planned. "Come on, Serah." James reached for the bottle of wine and uncorked it with a flourish, flashing himself a grin like he'd just accomplished something extraordinary. "Lighten up." He poured the wine into both glasses before lifting one toward me. "I'll be the best f*****g husband in the world." The confidence in his voice was almost laughable. If arrogance were a profession, James would have retired a billionaire years ago. Frustration boiled over. I snatched the glass of wine from the table and emptied it in one long swallow. The burn barely registered. I poured another glass. Then again. Each one disappeared as quickly as the last. Maybe… Just maybe… If I got drunk enough, the thought of f*****g James for the first time wouldn't feel so terrifying. Across from me, James watched with a slow, satisfied smile spreading across his face. Like this was exactly what he'd been waiting for. The room gradually blurred around the edges. My vision wavered. A strange warmth spread through my body, heavier than ordinary alcohol. Something wasn't right. Wine usually made my cheeks warm. This… This felt different. Before I could piece the thought together, James's hands were already on me, gliding over my waist. My pulse spiked. The next second, my back hit the couch. I barely had time to react before he pinned me beneath him. James yanked off his belt, tossed it aside, and hurriedly unfastened the top buttons of his shirt. His hands reached for my dress, trying to peel it away. Panic crashed through the haze clouding my mind. No. My body might have been weak, but my mind hadn't surrendered. Not to him. "James... stop." The words came out slurred, barely louder than a whisper. He ignored me. "Stop." This time my voice was stronger. Still, he didn't f*****g stop. I shoved at his chest with every ounce of strength I could gather, but my arms felt like lead. The alcohol or whatever had been in that wine had drained the fight from my body. James only tightened his grip. Just as desperation threatened to swallow me whole... Click. The door swings open. A waiter stepped inside carrying a fresh bottle of wine. I froze. His eyes darted from James to me. Then he saw me struggling beneath him. The color drained from his face. Without a second thought, the waiter set the tray on the nearest table and lunged at James. He grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him off me with enough force to send him stumbling backward. James's loosened trousers slid halfway down his hips. For one gloriously embarrassing second, he had to clutch them with both hands before they dropped any farther. "You bastard!" he roared through clenched teeth. He threw a wild punch. The waiter tilted his head just enough for the fist to slice through empty air, then shoved James again. Harder this time. James staggered all the way to the door, barely managing to keep his balance while wrestling with his trousers. "Just wait!" I barked, pointing a furious finger at the waiter. "You'll f*****g regret this!" Still struggling to pull his pants back into place, he stumbled out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Silence settled over the suite. The waiter turned to me at once. "Ma'am... are you okay?" I looked up at him. Even through my blurred vision, one thing stood out. Those ocean blue eyes. The kind that made you believe you'd survive simply because they were looking at you. Without thinking, I reached for the front of his shirt and fisted the fabric in my hands. His eyes widened. Before he could react, I tugged him forward. He lost his balance and landed on the couch with a startled grunt. I climbed on top of him, my fingers refusing to let go of his collar as I leaned in, my lips inches from his. "Wait..." He caught my wrists before I could close the distance. "What are you doing?" My gaze drifted to his wrist. Something immediately caught my attention. A double silver bracelet accented with delicate touches of gold. "What a beautiful bracelet," I murmured, a faint smile tugging at my lips. I glanced at it before looking back at me. "It was a gift from my grandmother." A warmth flickered in his voice that hadn't been there before. "It's beautiful," I whispered, my fingertips grazing the cool metal. For a brief second, neither of us spoke. Then I gently pulled him closer until my lips hovered beside his ear. "Please..." My voice trembled. "Please don't leave me." The playful confusion vanished from his face, replaced by concern. He studied me for a heartbeat, as if trying to understand what I truly meant.. Without another word, he eased me onto the couch. His hands settled on my waist before sliding to my hips, drawing me closer as his lips found mine. The room seemed to disappear around us. The music. The lights. The noise beyond the closed door. Everything faded until there was only the warmth between us and the haze clouding my thoughts. As his attention remained fixed on me, my fingers quietly found his left wrist. Careful not to draw his notice, I unclasped one of the silver bracelets and slipped it into my palm. He never realized it was gone. If I ever want to find him again… This may be the only clue I have. Moments later, we were both consumed by the night. If I were being honest… It was my first one-night stand. And somehow, it became the best night I'd ever shared with a man. It was also the night that changed my life forever.