THE 24-HOUR SEARCH

ACCIDENTAL COINCIDENCE

ELSA' POV

Hello? Hello… anybody here? My voice echoed weakly into the darkness.

The room was cold—too cold—and the only sound I could hear was the clock ticking. Each tick felt like it was happening right inside my ear. I pushed the door open a little wider and took a hesitant step inside.

Is anybody here? I whispered again.

Then I saw it.

A single chair placed in the center of the room… and the only light in the entire space was focused right on it. My heart thudded painfully. Something told me I shouldn’t go closer, but my body moved anyway. I turned my head slightly—

And that’s when I saw the knife lying on the floor.

I opened my mouth to scream, but the sound barely escaped before a hand slapped over my lips—hard—silencing me. I tried to breathe but the pressure of the palm smothered the air out of me. Tears stung my eyes instantly. I kicked, twisted, and shook violently, trying to break free.

Hello, honey… you were looking for me? The voice was low… dark… poisonous.

I froze. My whole body seized up. That voice— That voice—

I fought harder, shaking my head desperately as the tears spilled. Mm! Mmm! My scream was buried inside his hand.

I felt his grip tighten. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I could hear was the pounding in my head.

LET ME GO! Let me—LET ME GO! The words tore out of my throat when his hand slipped for a second.

Hey—hey! It’s okay. It’s okay! Calm down! Is a dream!

Wait.

That wasn’t his voice. That wasn’t him. That voice was… gentler. Confused. Almost alarmed.

My eyes were still squeezed shut, my chest rising and falling in erratic jerks. My fingers clutched at nothing as I tried to process where I was.

A softer bed.

Warm sheets.

A clean, sweet scent—something expensive and masculine filling the air.

This… this was definitely not my bed.

There was a man’s presence. I could feel it. But Dad didn’t smell like this. Dad didn’t sound like this.

My heart exploded in panic.

AAAAAAHHH! I screamed with my eyes still shut.

Fifteen seconds… Thirty seconds… One whole minute…

Nothing.

No hands grabbed me.

No loud voice.

No breathing hovering over me.

Just my scream echoing into silence.

I opened my eyes slowly.

And there he was.

The best man from the wedding. The man who caught my gaze earlier. The man who made everything pause.

He stood at the other end of the room, arms crossed, watching me calmly.

Fully dressed. Not a hair out of place. Looking like he’d been awake for hours.

My head spun. What day was it? Today? Tomorrow? Had the wedding already ended? Was I still dreaming?

What… what time is it? I croaked.

Instead of answering that, he raised a brow. Are you always this dramatic?

He sighed. Well, before you report me to the police, my name is Prince Adams. You slept in the car last night, and since you didn’t wake up, I couldn’t ask for your home address. So I brought you to my house.

He pointed at the bed. You’re welcome.

And just like that… it hit me.

I spent the night in a stranger’s house.

A very expensive-looking room.

With a man I barely knew.

Oh my God… Mom. Dad! I panicked. I need to call them—now!

As if he had read my thoughts, he spoke first.

They called your phone last night, he said casually. I picked up. I explained everything. Your mom said I can keep you here for many days if I don’t mind.

He burst into laughter.

I blinked.

Seriously?

Mom really said that? I said, offended.

Yes. Word for word.

I groaned and rubbed my face. I cannot believe her.

I got off the bed quickly, slipped into my sandals, and thanked him stiffly. I headed toward the door, intending to walk the embarrassment out of the house.

Elsa, he called.

Mmm? I paused.

Your name is Elsa, right?

Yes.

Your mom said she was supposed to come supervise the event but had a minor accident at home, so you had to replace her. He smirked.

I stared at him, offended and confused at the same time.

I rolled my eyes. Did she also tell you where I come from? My favorite color? My favorite food?

He chuckled but said nothing.

Why did Mom talk so freely to him?

Why did she trust him instantly?

Who even was this man?

He slipped his hands into his pockets. Do you have work this morning? If yes, I’ll drop you off. You can take a shower here. I can get you a dress—

I laughed bitterly and cut him off. I was fired a few days ago.

He grew silent. His gaze softened, but he didn’t say a word.

I instantly felt ashamed. Like I had said something wrong. Like he was judging me.

Then he said quietly, So your mom was right.

I frowned. Right about what?

You joke about marrying a rich man so you won’t suffer looking for another job.

My eyes widened.

MOMMMMM! I groaned and slapped my hand against the wall.

Did she have to tell him that too?

I felt heat crawl up my neck. Embarrassment. Frustration. Pure shame.

I turned sharply toward him.

Who are you?

He ignored the question completely.

Instead, he looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three.

Then he dropped a bomb that almost knocked the air out of me.

“Then marry me.”

_____

I did the first thing my brain could think of.

I laughed.

Not the cute shy kind.

The are-you-crazy-or-is-my-mother-responsible-for-this kind.

Did Mom ask him to turn my joke into reality just to teach me a lesson?

Was this part of some dramatic plan to show me that my jokes have consequences?

I had just learned his full name not even fifteen minutes ago — and he was asking me to marry him?

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, waiting for him to crack a smile or say, Got you!

But he didn’t.

He simply stood there, calm, composed, and unbelievably serious, as if proposing to strangers was part of his daily routine.

I stepped right in front of him, trying not to laugh again.

Well… yes, I will marry you, Mr. Prince Adams, I said dramatically, waiting for him to break character and end the prank.

Instead—

He smiled.

A quiet, confident smile that didn’t look like someone joking at all.

Good, he said softly. Now let’s go to the breakfast place before I take you home and head to work.

He walked out of the room as if nothing strange had just happened.

I remained where I stood, frozen, expecting — hoping — something else to happen. A laugh. A camera crew. My mother jumping out from behind a curtain shouting, SURPRISE!

But the room stayed quiet.

I grabbed my bag and hurried after him. Wait for me! I shouted as I jogged down the hallway.

We ended up at a cozy breakfast restaurant — Morning Blossom Café. The kind of place with warm lighting, soft music, and the smell of fresh bread drifting in the air.

And yet, the silence between us was louder than anything.

He ate quietly.

I ate quietly.

We were two strangers sharing a table with a fake engagement hanging between us.

When we finished, he paid the bill before I could even reach for my bag. Then we walked to the car, and the silence followed us there too, sitting between us like a third person.

The ride home was painfully quiet. Every now and then, I stole a glance at him. He looked so calm, eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel like he did this every day — driving women he barely knew back home after proposing to them.

My mind was still trying to process everything.

Then his phone rang.

A work call.

His voice shifted instantly — deep, professional, sharp. He spoke about numbers, contracts, deadlines… the kind of things people in suits talk about in movies. Listening to him, it hit me again how different our worlds were.

As he talked, my mind drifted back.

Back to last night.

Back to the fear.

Back to him.

What was he doing there?

Why isn’t he in prison?

How could he be out laughing, drinking, walking, breathing — after what he did to me?

Why does money let monsters walk free when victims can barely close their eyes without seeing shadows?

Who invited him?

Who allowed him into that wedding?

Who still socialized with him?

My hands trembled. My heartbeat raced. The image of his face slammed into my mind like a rock.

After everything he did to me… he gets to live freely?

Why? Why?

Elsa!

Prince Adams’s voice cut sharply through my thoughts.

I blinked. What?

He exhaled softly. We’re here.

I didn’t even realize the car had stopped.

I unbuckled quickly and stepped out, my legs unsteady. I walked to my front door and knocked. Hard. Almost desperately.

Prince stood behind me.

Why wasn’t he leaving? Why was he still there? He’d done enough — taken care of me, fed me, given me a place to sleep.

He should go.

I turned to thank him so he could leave, but he just smiled.

Still standing there.

Still looking at me.

And that’s when it clicked.

Of course.

Of course it was a prank.

The proposal.

His straight face.

Mom telling him nonsense.

Him waiting instead of driving away.

They were going to laugh at me later.

They planned it.

He’d go home and call her, Your daughter actually agreed to marry me!

Mom would laugh her heart out.

Well… two can play that game.