The Billionaire's Debt Bride

The warm winter sun lavishly blanketed the entire Coral Bay City, its pure rays sneaking through the curtains as the wind lifted them, gently spilling into the room and falling on the young girl whose head was wrapped in bandages. "The experts said there’s no hope left, yet the young master still refuses to give up. What’s the point?" "Exactly, it’s been almost a year. Lying there, neither dead nor alive, must be a living nightmare!" The shrill voices screeched incessantly, grating against ears that longed for silence. Lost in a fog of confusion, Aija’s eyes fluttered open, the blinding white light stinging her vision. She tried to raise her hand to shield herself, but a jagged, burning pain shot through her, making her gasp. Her consciousness, in that moment, snapped into focus. Something cool slid down the back of her hand. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Aija turned her head and noticed the loose IV needle had pierced the skin of her right hand, the fluid leaking from the tube and dripping onto her skin. A maid arranging flowers in the corner suddenly froze, her mouth agape, eyes wide with shock. "Oh my God! She… she’s awake—really awake!?" "What! She’s awake—really awake! Quick, go inform the young master!" The two maids screamed in excitement before bolting out of the room. Aija couldn’t help but feel a blend of wry amusement and frustration. Was her waking up really that terrifying? Couldn’t they at least have helped remove the damn IV needle before running off? Looks like she’d have to "fend for herself." Her body felt completely sapped of strength, every slight movement as exhausting as running a marathon, every breath felt like a battle. Gritting her teeth, Aija twisted her body with great effort, panting heavily as she sat up. Her left hand trembled as it gripped the IV needle. Closing her eyes, she steeled herself and yanked it out with a sickening pop. "Ugh…" She flinched, her brow furrowing in pain, but her mind was now fully alert. Clutching her bleeding hand, Aija glanced around the sprawling, barren room. Aside from a single white sofa, it was completely bare. The place felt so unfamiliar. Where was she? What had happened to her? Her head throbbed as if it might split open, her mind a blank slate, leaving no room for thought. She was so thirsty, her mouth parched and acrid, as if she’d been chewing on a piece of bitter herb. She desperately needed water! Spotting the water dispenser in the corner, Aija clenched her fist and braced herself for another round of "fending for herself." With great care, she slid off the bed, her body heavy and unsteady, and began shuffling painfully toward the wall, leaning on it for support.For the first time in her life, Aija finally grasped what it meant to move as if dragging a boulder. Each step felt like a marathon, her ears filled with the thunderous pounding of her heart. Her eyes snapped to the electronic calendar on the wall, and as she read the date that screamed at her, she stopped dead in her tracks— January 2017! Wasn’t it December 2015? Holy smokes, that was a whole year apart! Wait, she’d been out cold for a whole year!? No wonder the two maids had freaked out! She recalled that night on Christmas Eve—she had been randomly hunted down by a group of men in black, then managed to bolt to the beach… and the next thing she knew, she was here. Thud, thud, thud. The rhythmic yet hurried thud of footsteps echoed closer, snapping her out of her daze. She whipped her head around, her wide-eyed and startled gaze meeting the man who had just stepped into the room— His eyes were calm yet deep, like an unfathomable abyss that seemed to hold everything yet nothing at all. The corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward, adding a magnetic, almost dangerous charm. His piercing gaze was frosty, mirroring the icy detachment he carried. Those eyes were downright mesmerizing! Aija mentally gave him a perfect score. Growing up in the entertainment world, she’d never laid eyes on someone so breathtaking.