Chapter 3 3

I didn't win. I'd fought. Screamed. Begged. Victoria forced me to marry Ryan anyway. At my own wedding, my stepsister Clara was the only one smiling. Her eyes glittered. Satisfaction. A family-only ceremony-stepmother, sister, Ryan's bodyguard, and best friend. His family? Didn't even bother to show up.

The priest was too afraid to speak during the vow process, Ryan refused to say his vow, he didn't bother trying to show that he felt something. I was the only one saying my vows and happy that maybe he is going to be different.

Now, I sat on the edge of the bed. Our bed. My fingers twisted the hem of my dress. Wringing the delicate lace until it crumpled. My skin felt tight. Breath shallow. Ryan undressed.

Methodical. Each piece of clothing he removed felt like a countdown. His bare torso caught the dim light. Lean. Sharp. The dark chocolate scent of him filled the room. I tried to make myself small. Invisible. But my eyes couldn't leave his body, scanning every edge of his perfectly sculptured body, His gaze found me.

"I don't want that look," he said. Cold. His voice a low rumble. "Blame your family for selling you."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "You could've refused. Taken Victoria's money. Left me out of it."

He grinned. It twisted something inside me. "I know. But the contract stated money. Your stepmother wasn't willing to sell property. She chose you instead."

Disgust churned in my stomach. "You're Ryan. Ruthless. Wealthy. Everyone fears you. Letting go of the money wouldn't have broken you."

His laughter filled the room. Sharp. Humorless. I flinched. The sound slapped my raw nerves.

"If I operated on sentiment, my empire wouldn't exist. Business is business, Alice. I don't mix pleasure with it."

"But sacrificing a human isn't business Ryan. It is illegal" I tried to explain

His tone was cold. "And the police didn't raid the place Alice"

His words crawled over my skin. Cold. Sharp. Trapped. But something in his eyes-fleeting, buried-made me feel a sliver of safety. I couldn't understand it.

"Then why me?" My voice was small. Unraveling. "There were other girls. My father wasn't the only one who owed you."

Ryan's expression shifted. A shadow passed over his features. "Because I wanted you."

My breath hitched. He stepped closer. The bed dipped under his weight.

"I've known you since you were a child, Alice. No one else would marry a man like me. They'd rather die." His lips curled into a sad smile. "I thought you might, too."

"I am sick and I need a bride and you are the only person among the wealthy hierarchy that doesn't care about money"

Sick. The word clanged in my mind. The rumors. Was he really dying? Balls of sweat on my face despite the humming sound of the air conditioning.

Horror twisted through me. How dare he marry me, knowing he could leave me a widow? The thought burned. Betrayal on top of betrayal.

"I'm not sick." His voice drew me back. Soft. A tether. "It's a rumor I let spread. To confuse my enemies."

I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Relief. Dread. Tangled in my chest. "What do I do now?"

He leaned back. The mattress sighed beneath him. "What do married couples do, Alice?"

The corner of his mouth quirked up. I hated that smile.

"I can't." My voice cracked. "I can't do it."

Tears blurred my vision. I bit my lip until I tasted blood.

Ryan's face softened. "I'm not going to force you."

He sat at the edge of the bed. Keeping a careful distance. His scent enveloped me. I hated that it wasn't unpleasant.

"I want my old life back." The words scraped my throat raw. "You're a businessman. I want a divorce. What do you want?"

His silence stretched. Wrapping around us. His expression is unreadable. A mask.

"I knew you'd ask." He finally spoke. His voice held a weight I couldn't understand. "I want a baby. Give me that, and you're free to divorce me."

The world tilted. My head spun. Pulse pounded in my ears. "A baby? You want to use me, then throw me away?"

My voice rose. Sharp. Wild. Breaking. I refused to cry.

Ryan reached for me. His hand brushed mine. Cool. Controlled. I yanked my hand away. Recoiling.

"Disgusting," I hissed. "You want to turn me into a broodmare. And then what? After the divorce, I'll be nothing. Your discarded pet."

His jaw tightened. A storm gathered in his dark eyes. For a moment, I thought he might lash out. Instead, he stood. His broad shoulders cast a shadow over me.

"You don't understand," he said. His voice dangerously low. "I'm never going to sleep with you."

I stared at him. Confusion clawed through the anger. "What do you mean?"

He moved to the dresser. Pulled out a crisp folder. Flipped it open. A thick stack of papers. The sharp scent of ink and paper filled the room.

"This is a contract." He tossed it onto the bed. "If you sign it, we'll proceed clinically. You'll get pregnant through IVF. After the baby is born, we'll divorce. You'll receive a billion dollars as compensation."

I blinked. The words swam in front of me. "A billion dollars?"

Ryan's expression remained stone. "Enough to free you from your family. Enough to give you a life of your own."

I trembled. My hands hovered over the contract. Everything I wanted-freedom, independence. But the price...

"A baby." My voice was thin. Brittle.

"Yes." His voice softened. "I need an heir, Alice. That's all."

Tears spilled over. Hot. Unwelcome. "And what about me? What happened to me?"

Ryan knelt before me. His eyes finally, painfully, human. "You get to live, Alice. You get to be free."

His words cracked something inside me. The pieces shifted. Sharp edges scraping together. I didn't know if I could ever be whole again. But maybe-just maybe-I could survive.

With trembling hands, I picked up the pen.

And signed away my future.