I thought I was invisible-forgotten and discarded by the family that claimed to love me. When they dragged me out of my countryside solitude, I didn't think it was for love. It wasn't. It was for a deal. To save their own skin, they married me off to Alan Walker-a man they called weak, crippled, and harmless. They lied. Alan wasn't weak; he was calculating, deadly, and harboring a secret that may ruin us all. The marriage was never about love; it was conflict, a battlefield for power and survival. And yet, in the quiet times between our battles, I glimpsed parts of the guy beneath the mask-a man scarred by betrayal, motivated by retribution. But then the lies unraveled. Alan's disability was a façade, his kindness a weapon, and his true enemies closer than I ever imagined. As Philip Louis, his half-brother, launched a vicious attack to claim the family empire, I became a pawn in their twisted game. My sister Maria-cruel, conniving, and unforgiving-joined forces with him. Together, they sought to ruin us. Now, I'm caught in a storm of deceit and danger. Alan says he'll protect me, but how can I trust a man who built his world on lies? How can I protect my heart from a man I might be falling for, knowing love could be my undoing?
Chapter 1 A CONTRACT MARRIAGE
"You could be my wife, but never ever believe you could control me." His voice sounded to be a deep growl, a warning, but also something terrible. Dark and fascinating, his gaze locking onto mine sent an amazing surge through my body. A thousand unspoken words weighted the thickening air between us. It wasn't only a threat. It was an assurance.
My heart pounding, the weight of his words kept me in place as I stood enthralled at the gateway of the magnificent house. My parents had pulled me here, under coercion into a marriage I had not wanted. For reasons I cannot understand, they had sold me body, spirit, and future to someone I knew.
Alan Walker: The name by itself made me shiver down my back. The merciless millionaire, the so-called "crippled heir" to Louis family wealth. someone notorious for his austere manner, terrible ambition, and tendency to destroy everyone he came across.
And here I was-his wife now.
As I moved further into the room, his gaze stayed just beyond mine. Tension-filled, dense and oppressive quiet between us cracked. The apartment was fantastic, luxurious, the sort of place I never would have dreamed I would fit. Still, nothing about it seemed welcoming.
"I didn't ask for this," I said, trying to control my breathing. I asked for none of it.
He slanted back in his chair, his eyes darting over me with a detached interest akin to that of an object rather than a human. He was overwhelming, like a hurricane poised to strike. "That's what makes it so wonderfully ironic, don't you think?" Though it missed his gaze, his lips twisted into a smile. "You consider yourself to be some naive piece in an incomprehensible game. You are not, however. You are chosen, Ariel. Whether or not you like it.
Shaking at the sound of my name, I felt as though it rolled off his mouth like a verdict. It was clear how he affected me.
I moved back, trying to gather myself. I'm not a pawn. Not your property, I am.
His eyes closed. "You are, indeed. Still, you'll know your spot soon enough to relax.
His voice's coldness caused a shiver down my spine, but there was something more hiding behind it that I couldn't quite understand. Concern? Attractivity?
Before I could respond, the passage echoed with a great crash. My pulse accelerated, and naturally I looked toward the sound. Alan's eyes flew to the door, and for a few seconds I sensed something-panic, concern? It vanished before my understanding could catch hold.
"Stay here," he said, his voice once again icy-cold.
My body stiff with tension, I nodded without thinking. Though I knew it was bad, I had no idea what was happening.
Alan got up right away, his tall frame dancing resolutely for the door. My curiosity driving me into the future, I couldn't stop myself from following.
I stopped just before the door. Alan stood at the door, his face a mask of restrained fury, his posture rigid. Two guys stepped in front of him; while they were strangers to me, their threatening demeanor was clear.
"Get out of my house," Alan said in a low, frightening, cold steel warning.
The taller man grinned, looking as though he could split me in two without working at all. Walker, we are not here for negotiations. Here we are to remind you of the people in charge.
From where I stood, I could not see Alan's face; however, I sensed the change in the atmosphere. Something about these guys-the rigidity in their posture-made my gut turn around. This was hardly a laid-back confrontation. This was a power battle for which I was not suited.
Alan clinched his jaw but said nothing. Rather, his eye turned momentarily to mine. It was not necessary for me to grasp.
Leave this out of your reach.
Trapped between dread and the impulse to defend myself, I paused, feet fixed to the floor. Though I had no idea who these men were or why they were here, I could feel the danger radiating off them like heat.
One of the guys, a thin man with black hair and a perfect smile, stepped forward. "I wouldn't be too certain of yourself, Alan. You have overlooked your place in the world. Here to remind you is us.
The words hung about like poison. My heart surged in my chest as Alan's fingers tightened on the doorframe, his knuckles white. Before he turned to meet the lads, he had a flash of something deeper, darker in his eyes.
His voice was like ice, he snarled, "I don't need a reminder." Nevertheless, you will. You will shortly enough.
Over me came a strange sense of doom. Something was going to happen that would fundamentally alter everything. It felt like it was in the pit of my gut.
Alan's hand went out before I could react, dragging one of the men by the collar and slamming him against the wall. The other man jumped for Alan; he was faster, his motions fluent, controlled, and beautiful. A brawl erupted-a violent, quick conflict that left me gasping and frozen in place.
Groaning, the guy Alan had shoved against the wall tried to squirm free. Walker, you are unable to accomplish this. You no longer control. We will take everything from you. Everywhere.
Alan showed no flinching. He gripped the man's neck more tightly. "Try it, hissed." And note how far you go.
As I saw the conflict blossom in front of me, my pulse started beating. Alan's movements' sheer power and ferocity were both frightening and thrilling. His behavior lacked compassion and there was no hesitancy. This dude was lethal.
The lads appeared to understand something I hadn't yet mentioned: they were out of time. The sound of sirens cut right through the air.
The taller person growled, breaking free from Alan's hold and pushed his friend away, "We'll be back." They left the room awkwardly quiet.
Breath shallow, I stood there and Alan turned slowly to face me. Dark and unreadable, his eyes whirled over me like a hurricane. We had terrible tension, a blazing, silent storm. The sorrow hung heavy in the air. Though the lads had left, the horror they carried stayed like a black fog.
"You should have stayed inside," Alan said, his voice a rasp, his usual coolness replaced by something more visceral. With his eyes narrowing, as if examining whether I had learned anything from the encounter, he made a hesitant step toward me.
Opening my mouth to respond, nothing came out. Every nerve on edge, my body was still shivering. Just now something happened. Those men were whom? Furthermore, why had they singled out Alan? Though none of the bits of the puzzle fit in my brain, they danced there. My air came in quick, brief gasps.
"I didn't know..." I started, finally managing to speak. My voice was barely above a whisper. "What was that? Who were they?"
Alan didn't answer directly away. He stood a few steps away from me, his features shrouded. His big shoulders raised and fell with each steadying breath. The tension in the room built as he examined the meeting.
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