Chapter 5 THE STRANGER IN THE STORM

Annabel leaned beside the window, her arms crossed as she watched birds fly freely in the sky. Cold breeze blew her hair softly, but that wasn't what gave her chills - it was the reality she had been forced into.

She was getting married.

To a man she didn't know. At that moment she felt like nothing but a pawn in her sisters game. A remedy for their failures.

Her whole life felt like it was falling out of her control. The engagement, the threats, the fear... and now, silence. A deep, painful silence that had built walls inside her chest.

She needed air.

She lazily wore her hoodie, slipped on a slippers and stepped out into the quiet evening.

The street was almost empty, except few people who didn't seem to notice about Annabel who walked aimlessly, lost in thoughts.

Suddenly, a black car zoomed past her and suddenly stopped few inches away from her

Nathan steppe out of the car but before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the car.

"Are you out of your mind?!" she gasped.

But the voice that followed sent a different kind of chill down her spine.

"I heard about your marriage," Nathan said sharply, eyes blazing.

Annabel's heart dropped, he was been obsessive again. Nathan. Her ex. Her mistake.

"How did you-?"

"So it's true," he cut her off, clenching his jaw. "You're really doing this? Marrying that monster?"

She pulled her hand back, trying to free herself. "Let go of me, Nathan. You have no right-"

"I should hit some sense into you," he growled.

And just as he raised his hand, someone grabbed him from behind.

The grip was strong, firm - a quiet force of warning.

Annabel froze.

Her eyes slowly lifted to meet a pair of piercing blue eyes. The same eyes she saw that night - the night everything blurred into one heated, confusing mess.

It was him.

The mysterious man. The one who mistook her for someone else. The one she had slept with.

Nathan tried to fight back, but with a single blow, the blue-eyed stranger punched him across the jaw, sending him stumbling back.

"You're a fool," Nathan spat. "You're hitting me over a girl who's getting married in days?"

The man said nothing. His glare alone was enough to shut Nathan up.

Nathan picked up his pride, dusted off his clothes, and walked away.

Annabel's eyes remained on the stranger.

She was impressed. By his strength. By how he appeared, once again, when she was at her lowest.

As he turned to leave, something inside her pulled forward.

"Wait!" she called out.

He turned slightly but didn't say anything.

"What's your name?" she asked, her voice soft.

He raised an eyebrow, confused, almost like he didn't recognize her.

"You don't remember me?" she asked, taking a few steps closer. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "The other night... you called me Carrie... we-we spent the night together."

He stared at her for a second before smirking, then with a teasing scoff, said, "Oh, you're the girl from the other day. We had sex right? Buh.....So what?"

Annabel's heart sank.

He was cold. Different. Not the gentle, desperate man from that night.

"What happened to you?" she whispered.

He laughed darkly and added, "you should probably know this, i don't do girls more than once, especially the one ones that are bad kissers ."

Her mouth dropped open in shock.

Then, with a bitter twist of her lips, her face twisted in disgust

"You're disgusting," she hissed. "In fact, out of all the men I've ever been with, you were the worst kisser. And your size? God, you're so small I couldn't even feel anything!"

He burst out laughing. "Good thing I'm getting married then. As long as my wife likes it, I'm fine."

Annabel glared at him, chest rising and falling in fury.

"You're the most irresponsible man I've ever met. I really pity the woman who ends up with you."

With that, she turned and left in anger.

The man simply leaned against his car, still smiling, watching her disappear.

Just then, a man in a dark suit stepped forward. His face looked sharp, neat, almost like he belonged in a fashion magazine.

"Mr. Reynold," he began.

The man turned quickly with a dangerous look.

The assistant stuttered, "S-sorry. I meant Mr. Drey."

Drey rolled his shoulders and kept his eyes where Annabel had walked off. "I left for a few weeks and that bastard Reynold already starts knocking people up."

The assistant frowned. "Sir... why didn't you tell her you weren't Reynold? That you two share the same body?"

Drey grinned. "Watching her get frustrated gave me a little joy. I like it that way."

"But... she deserves to know."

Drey chuckled. "She'll find out... eventually. But for now, I enjoy watching her confusion."

Annabel stormed into the mansion, slamming the door behind her. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble tiles as she kicked them off and let out a loud sigh.

"Arghhh!" she screamed into the empty hallway.

She threw her hoodie across the room and muttered under her breath, "I really pity the woman who'll end up with that godforsaken man."

Just then, Samantha entered with a calm but wicked smile on her face.

"You better start getting ready," she said.

Annabel straightened herself. "For what?"

"Your wedding," Samantha replied. "It's in a week."

Annabel's eyes widened. "A week?"

Samantha turned to leave but paused and tossed a photo on the table. "At least know what your husband looks like," she said before walking out.

Annabel stared at the photo, her hands trembling.

She picked it up slowly.

And the moment her eyes landed on the image - her knees almost gave way.

The man in the picture... the one she was marrying...

It was him.

The blue-eyed devil.

The man who teased her.

The man who slept with her.

The man who just stood there, laughing while she fell apart.

Annabel dropped the photo, her chest tightening with confusion, anger, and something else she couldn't quite name.

It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

She stepped back, gripping the edge of the table for support.

Her thoughts were spinning.

How could this be happening?

And worst of all...

Why did part of her heart still race when she looked at his face?