"Bought as His Bride"

Bought as his bride:....

🛏️ Episode 4: First Night, Cold Bed

The night after the wedding, I waited for him.

Dressed in a silky nightgown one of the maids had laid out — soft, white, and delicate — I sat at the edge of the giant bed like a statue.

But hours passed. Midnight came. Then 2 a.m.

Still, no footsteps. No knock. Nothing.

The silence in the mansion was suffocating.

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I finally got up and walked to the window. The moonlight washed over the garden outside, calm and perfect. But in my chest, everything was storming.

> He’s not coming, Amara. He never planned to.

I crawled into the bed and curled up under the covers — not because I was cold, but because I was hollow.

A wife should not spend her wedding night alone.

But I did.

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The next morning, I stepped out of the room, determined to face him.

He was in the study — sleeves rolled up, eyes focused on his laptop, already dressed like the world was waiting for him.

> “You didn’t come to the bedroom last night,” I said, standing by the door.

He didn’t even look at me.

> “That wasn’t part of the contract, was it?”

My stomach turned. I wanted to scream, to throw the contract in his face, to ask him why he even bothered marrying me at all.

But I didn’t.

> “I’m your wife, Darius,” I said quietly. “At least try to pretend.”

That made him pause. His eyes slowly met mine — grey, distant, unreadable.

> “I don’t pretend,” he said. “And I didn’t ask for a wife. I bought a solution.”

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I turned away before the tears could fall.

I wouldn't let him see me cry. Not yet.

But as I walked back to my room, something caught my eye—a door slightly open at the end of the hallway. Curiosity pulled me toward it.

Inside was a dimly lit room with old photos, dust-covered frames, and one large painting of a woman with haunting eyes.

She looked familiar... in a strange, cold way.

Before I could step further, a voice behind me froze me in place.

> “Don’t go in there again.”

I turned slowly.

It was Darius. And for the first time... his voice wasn’t cold.

It was low. Hurt. Almost broken.

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💭 End of Episode 4

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