Chapter 1 You have to marry him

"You have to marry him."

The words echoed through the room like a sudden clap of thunder. Rachel froze in place, as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs and the world had stopped spinning for a moment. Her once-bright eyes now stared blankly at the middle-aged man lying weakly on the hospital bed.

"Sorry, what did you just say, Daddy?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible. It trembled, reflecting how difficult it was for her to process the reality her father had just spoken.

David offered a faint smile. His face was pale, yet the authority he always carried hadn't faded. His trembling hand reached out, trying to grasp his daughter's, as if to calm the storm raging inside her chest.

"You heard me, sweetheart. I want you to marry Lucian."

Rachel turned slowly toward the man standing in the corner of the room. Tall, neat, stiff-wearing a gray suit and thick glasses that made him look like a bookworm. Lucian bowed respectfully, saying nothing.

"Oh my God. Are you kidding me, Dad?" Rachel looked at her father with an expression close to despair.

"I've never been more serious in my life," David said firmly, though his voice was weak.

"Daddy, this is insane... I don't even know him!" Rachel nearly shouted. "You want me to marry-your employee?!"

"Lucian, would you mind waiting outside for a moment?" David cut in quickly.

Without protest, Lucian nodded politely and walked out. As the door clicked shut behind him, the silence that followed felt like it was squeezing the air from Rachel's chest.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Daddy?" she whispered emotionally.

David didn't answer right away. He gazed at the ceiling, as if speaking to ghosts from his past.

"I don't have much time left, Rachel. And the only thing I care about now... is making sure you're not alone when I'm gone."

Rachel closed her eyes. She hated hearing those words. Hated accepting the fact that her time with her father was running out.

"Don't say that," she said, choking back a sob. "You can still get better, Daddy. We can look for treatment abroad-Germany, Switzerland, Japan-anywhere. Just don't give up!"

David smiled and gently touched his daughter's hand. "I'm not giving up. I'm just... preparing."

Rachel fell silent. There was a deep sorrow in her father's eyes-eyes that had always looked strong, now appeared fragile.

"I know you're independent. Smart, brave. But the world isn't fair. It's full of traps. I want someone by your side. Someone who sees you not just as an heiress, but as a person. As Rachel."

"I don't love him," Rachel whispered.

"Love can grow, sweetheart," David said gently. "Your mother and I were arranged too. But look at us... we loved each other until death parted us."

Rachel sobbed. The mention of her mother brought back warm childhood memories. David, the man who had faithfully raised her alone after his wife passed, never remarried. All his love and life had been devoted solely to Rachel.

And now... that man was preparing to leave the world. And Rachel felt like a little girl again-too small to face the weight of loss.

"What if I say no?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"If you refuse, I've prepared another option," David replied calmly. "You'll stay with Aunt Aneta in Italy."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Aunt Aneta? In that remote part of Italy? No, Daddy! That place doesn't even have a cell signal!"

David chuckled weakly. "Exactly. You'll enjoy life with no social media, no distractions... just vineyards and roosters crowing every morning."

"You're joking, right?" Rachel rubbed her temples. "I'd rather marry Wi-Fi than live there!"

"Unfortunately, Wi-Fi can't protect our family assets," David replied. "And I won't hand over everything to you without someone I trust beside you."

Rachel gritted her teeth. "So Lucian is your insurance for all this wealth? Am I just some business project to secure?"

David shook his head, looking deep into her eyes. "You're not an asset. You're everything. And Lucian... he's the only person I fully trust."

Rachel went quiet. Those words struck her pride, yet also melted the walls she had built around her heart.

"What if I fake the marriage... and run away later?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"You're free to choose, sweetheart. But I hope you'll decide with your heart, not just your head."

The room fell into a long silence. Only the beeping of the IV and David's breathing could be heard.

"Does Lucian know about this?" Rachel asked softly.

"He does," David replied. "And he agreed."

"Agreed to marry someone who doesn't even like him?"

"Agreed to protect and love you-even if it takes time for you to believe it."

Rachel closed her eyes again. Amid all this chaos, one thing was clear: she wasn't ready to lose her father.

"Daddy... if I marry Lucian, can you hold on just a little longer?" she asked quietly, like a child begging not to be left behind.

David squeezed her hand tightly. "If that makes you happy... I'll hold on as long as I can."

Rachel broke down in tears. She hugged her father tightly, as if that embrace could stop time. As if love could defy fate.

Outside the door, Lucian still stood, staring straight ahead. He hadn't heard the conversation inside. But in his heart, he knew... his life would never be the same.

And so it began-with one request. One decision. One marriage not born of love... but of a father's desire to keep his daughter from facing the world alone.