Chapter 2 The Trapped Bride
1263 Words
He pinned her against the wall, the proximity so intimate that it made her cheeks burn and her breath catch in her throat.
Dora felt dizzy, and only the sound of a low chuckle in her ear snapped her back to reality. “You like my kiss.” Lucian’s voice oozed with the confidence of a man who knew exactly how to play his charms.
“You… how dare you?!” Dora’s mind reeled with insults, none of which could adequately capture her fury. Arrogant, narcissistic, bastard, disgusting, perverted, vile… She cursed him silently as her lips tingled from his touch.
Lucian looked down at the woman before him, a head shorter than himself, finding her reactions utterly fascinating. One moment she was fearless and defiant, the next, embarrassed and shy, and then angry and indignant. His lips curled into a knowing smirk, and his deep, gravelly voice broke the silence in the room:
“You’ll have to get used to my touch if you’re going to be my wife. If you can’t handle something as simple as this, then I’m afraid you’ll never survive our wedding night.” For reasons he couldn't explain, the thought of seeing her beneath him, soft and gasping, made his body react violently.
Damn it! When had he become so weak? Just the thought of her—just looking at her—was enough to ignite a fierce, painful desire?
Lucian cursed under his breath, but didn’t let go of her. Instead, his body pressed against hers, not allowing her to escape. His hand reached through her long, flowing hair, his fingers brushing the back of her neck as he casually twisted the door handle, letting the blinding sunlight flood the room.
The bright light illuminated her slender frame, casting her face in shadow. Her voice, strong and clear, rose from beneath him: “How can you be so domineering?! I said I’m not marrying you! Leave me alone!”
Unable to push the solid wall of a man away, Dora averted her gaze in frustration, refusing to look at him.
Lucian hadn’t expected the same rejection after kissing her, and for a moment, the amusement in his eyes faltered. “Oh? Is that so? Well, let’s see who comes out on top in the end.” He released her slightly, stepping to the side, though his eyes never left her.
“Hmph!” Dora stepped back, her eyes narrowed as she watched him carefully. “I have conditions! You need to agree to them first!”
“Want to bargain with me?” He chuckled darkly, intrigued. “The rabbit’s starting to bite, huh?”
“You must have other reasons for marrying me, right?”
“Hmm.” He gave a small nod, impressed by her insight. She was sharper than he expected. It made him even more intrigued.
“I don’t want anything from you. I just want you to promise me that after we marry, you won’t touch me. And that we’ll stay out of each other’s personal business. If necessary, we can occasionally pretend to be a married couple in public, but at home… we’ll just be regular friends. We’ll respect each other. How does that sound? And no wedding. Just a legal contract. We can’t tell anyone we’re married, either. I don’t want anyone to know about this. That way, I can still escape to work whenever I want.” She smirked internally. This way, she could still get away with her plans.
For a moment, Lucian couldn’t quite read her, and that unsettled him. “You… don’t want a proper wedding?” A woman’s dream was supposed to be a grand wedding, wasn’t it? Why didn’t she want it? Was this some kind of game?
“No! Let’s get this over with. While I’m still not regretting it…” Dora’s final words hit him like a spark, igniting something deep inside him—something wild and possessive.
Dora… we’ll see about that. You will fall for me.
Lucian silently vowed, unaware that his heart had already begun to change in ways he couldn't control.
“No! Let’s just get this over with, before I change my mind…” Dora bit her lip, waiting for him to respond. “Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?”
What did that look mean? Was he agreeing or refusing? Why did his gaze feel like it was about to devour her? She shuddered. His intense eyes were unsettling.
“Well?” His voice broke the silence, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone. “Have you made up your mind yet?”
Dora’s heart raced. She had gathered every ounce of courage to walk into his office. She had expected that with his current woman by his side, he would easily agree to her request—calling off the engagement.
But what she didn’t expect was for him to actually agree to this ridiculous arrangement. He wanted to marry her?
Tears welled up in her eyes. She had never been in love before, never experienced the thrill of romance, and hadn’t even kissed anyone. Was she really about to marry a man she barely knew, a complete stranger?
She couldn’t do it. She would convince him to divorce her as soon as possible. For now, she would have to play along and pretend to be his wife. Ugh…
What was she thinking? Did he misread her? Why did the determined look in her eyes make him feel so unsettled?
With no warning, Lucian pulled her into his private elevator, his hand gripping hers firmly.
The softness of her palm made an unexpected surge of protectiveness rise within him. It stirred a deep desire to cherish and care for her. But reason kicked in, halting the thought before it could spiral further.
Dora struggled for a moment but stopped when she realized it was pointless. She lifted her chin and glared at him. “Let go! What if someone sees us? We had an agreement!”
This bastard! This scheming little man! Her mind cursed him endlessly, but his grip remained unyielding.
Ignoring her protests, Lucian's voice remained low and authoritative. “Don’t move, or…”
“Or what?” Dora licked her lips, feeling the heat of his gaze on her skin, suddenly unnerved.
“I’ll kiss you… in front of everyone.” He watched as her face shifted to confusion and panic. His lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, amusement dancing in his eyes.
She was so easy to play with. How foolish.
“Did you bring your ID?” He studied her blank expression for a moment before reaching out, brushing his fingers across her cheek. The smoothness of her skin made him want to hold her there forever.
“Uh? Oh, yeah, I brought it… Hey, what are you doing?” It wasn’t until she pushed his hand away that she realized just how close their bodies were.
“Stupid woman. How could you get the notarization done without your ID?” Lucian’s tone was sharp again, as if he was trying to hide his own unsettling emotions. He stiffened, his cold façade now an armor against the unexpected turmoil within him.
Dora mumbled a soft “Oh” and fell silent. Her eyes, instead of filled with anger, now lingered on their intertwined hands. A strange warmth spread through her chest.
Was he… being kind to her?
Maybe marrying him wouldn’t be so bad after all. A smile tugged at her lips as she silently entertained the thought.
- Writer
