The Blind CEO’s Secret Wife

Chapter 1: The Marriage Proposal Lena Williams had never imagined that the day she begged for her mother’s life would be the day a stranger offered her a marriage. “Please, Doctor. I’m begging you. Give me a little more time.” Lena stood outside the hospital room, her hands trembling as she clutched the medical bill against her chest. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her voice had become hoarse from pleading with everyone who would listen. Inside the room, her mother lay unconscious. The woman who had raised her, sacrificed everything for her, and worked until her hands became rough just to put food on the table was now fighting for her life. And Lena couldn’t afford to save her. “Miss Williams,” the doctor said gently, “your mother’s condition is getting worse. She needs surgery as soon as possible. We cannot keep delaying it.” “How much time do I have?” The doctor hesitated. “Without the surgery, I can’t promise you anything.” Lena felt her knees weaken. She looked down at the bill in her hands. The amount seemed to blur before her eyes as fresh tears gathered. Two million naira. Where was she supposed to find that kind of money? She worked at a small restaurant six days a week. Even after taking extra shifts, her salary barely covered food, rent, and the school expenses of her younger brother and sister. She had already borrowed money from everyone she knew. Some people had stopped answering her calls. Others had told her to stop disturbing them. She had even sold the gold necklace her mother had given her on her eighteenth birthday. Still, it wasn’t enough. Lena pressed her palm against her mouth to silence the sob rising in her throat. “Please, Mum,” she whispered, looking through the small window in the hospital door. “You can’t leave me. Not now. I promise I’ll find the money. I promise.” But deep down, she was terrified she was making a promise she couldn’t keep. Her phone vibrated. Another message from the hospital billing department. PAYMENT REQUIRED BEFORE SURGERY. Lena stared at the screen until the words began to swim before her eyes. Then she turned and walked out of the hospital. She couldn’t stand there another minute pretending everything would somehow work out. She needed money. And she needed it immediately. ⸻ By six that evening, Lena was back at the restaurant, tying her apron around her waist. Her feet ached, her stomach was empty, and her head throbbed from the stress of the day. But she couldn’t afford to rest. “You’re late,” her supervisor, Mrs. Collins, snapped when Lena entered the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I was at the hospital with my mother.” Mrs. Collins rolled her eyes. “Your mother again? Lena, I sympathize with you, but this is a business. If you can’t do your job, there are plenty of people who want it.” Lena swallowed the angry words rising in her throat. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” “See that it doesn’t.” Lena lowered her head and hurried to the kitchen. She spent the next several hours serving customers, clearing tables, and carrying heavy trays until her arms hurt. Some customers complained about the food. Others complained about the service. She apologized to all of them. She had no choice. Every naira she earned mattered. Around nine o’clock, a wealthy-looking couple entered the restaurant. The woman wore a cream designer dress, while the man beside her checked his expensive watch. Lena approached their table with a menu. “Good evening. Welcome. What would you like to order?” The woman barely glanced at her. “Bring us your best wine and the chef’s special.” “Certainly, ma’am.” As Lena turned to leave, she heard the woman whisper to her companion. “Look at her. She looks like she hasn’t slept in weeks.” The man chuckled. “Perhaps she needs a better job.” Their laughter followed Lena into the kitchen. She blinked away the tears threatening to fall. They had no idea what she was going through. And she didn’t have the luxury of caring what they thought. She returned with their order and continued working until the restaurant finally began to empty. By the time her shift ended, it was almost eleven. Lena collected her small bag, changed out of her uniform, and stepped outside. The night air was cold against her skin. She had barely taken three steps when her phone rang. It was the hospital. Her heart immediately began to race. “Hello?” “Miss Williams,” the nurse said, “you need to come back to the hospital.” Lena stopped walking. “Why? What happened to my mother?” “Her condition has deteriorated. The doctor needs to speak with you.” Lena’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Is she going to die?” There was a brief silence. “Please come as soon as you can.” The call ended. For several seconds, Lena couldn’t move. Then she broke into a run. She ran down the street, tears streaming down her face, barely noticing the cars passing beside her. She couldn’t lose her mother. Not when she was the only person who had ever loved her without conditions. Not when her younger siblings still needed her. “Please, God,” she whispered between breaths. “Just give me one more chance.” As she reached the main road, a sleek black car pulled up beside her. The rear window rolled down. “Miss Williams?” Lena turned sharply. A woman in her late fifties sat in the back seat. She wore an elegant black dress, a string of pearls around her neck, and an expression that suggested she was accustomed to being obeyed. Lena took a cautious step backward. “Who are you?” “My name is Margaret Blackwood.” The name meant nothing to Lena. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t have time for this.” She turned to leave. “Your mother needs surgery, doesn’t she?” Lena froze. Slowly, she turned back. “How do you know about my mother?” Margaret opened the car door and stepped out. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she approached Lena. “I know that you need two million naira to pay for her operation. I also know that your family is struggling with debt.” Lena’s blood ran cold. “Have you been following me?” “That isn’t important right now.” “Then what do you want from me?” Margaret studied her for a moment. “I want you to marry my grandson.” Lena stared at her. For a second, she wondered whether exhaustion had finally made her lose her mind. “Excuse me?” “My grandson’s name is Adrian Blackwood. He’s the CEO of Blackwood Corporation. He’s wealthy, powerful, and in need of a wife.” Lena let out a disbelieving laugh. “Then he should find someone who wants to marry him. I don’t even know him.” “You don’t need to love him.” The woman’s voice was calm, almost frighteningly so. “You only need to marry him for one year.” Lena shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why me?” “Because I have reasons for choosing you, and because you need something I can provide.” Margaret reached into her handbag and withdrew a white envelope. She held it out. “Inside is a cheque covering your mother’s surgery, her hospital expenses, and your family’s outstanding debts. I’ll also provide a monthly allowance for your siblings.” Lena stared at the envelope. Her mother’s surgery. The debts. Her siblings’ future. Everything she had been desperately searching for was suddenly within reach. But the price was marriage to a complete stranger. “What happens after one year?” Lena asked quietly. “You and Adrian will go your separate ways. You’ll receive an additional payment, and nobody will have to know that your marriage was arranged.” Lena’s heart pounded. It sounded too good to be true. “What is wrong with your grandson?” For the first time, Margaret’s expression changed. Something flickered across her eyes. “My grandson is blind.” Lena fell silent. “He lost his sight in an accident three years ago,” Margaret continued. “Since then, he has become a very private man. He doesn’t trust easily, and he has no interest in marriage. But our family has circumstances that make this arrangement necessary.” “Then why would he agree to marry me?” “Because he will believe the decision is his own.” Lena frowned. “What does that mean?” Margaret glanced at her watch. “You have very little time to make a decision. Your mother’s condition is worsening, and I am offering you a solution.” Lena looked toward the hospital in the distance. She thought about her mother’s pale face. She thought about her younger brother and sister waiting at home, unaware that their entire future might depend on the decision she made tonight. Then she looked at the envelope in Margaret’s hand. “Will you really pay for everything?” “Every naira.” “And I only have to stay married to him for one year?” “One year. You must also keep the marriage secret from the public and follow the terms of our agreement.” Lena’s hands trembled. She was about to agree to marry a man she had never met. A man who was blind. A man whose family seemed to have more secrets than answers. But what other choice did she have? She reached for the envelope. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll marry him.” Margaret nodded, as though she had expected that answer all along. “Good. Then we should leave immediately.” “Where are we going?” “To meet your future husband.” Lena climbed into the car, clutching the envelope against her chest. She had no idea that the decision she had just made would change her life forever. Because Adrian Blackwood wasn’t simply a blind billionaire who needed a wife. He was a man hiding a dangerous secret. And when Lena finally discovered the truth, she would have to decide whether the man she had married was worth risking her heart for.