The Billionaire Proxy Bride

"Kevin, slow down!" Natalia urged, her voice tight with fright and worry.

Kevin's eyes wavered as he gazed at the winding road ahead, the dashboard lights blurring together.

His fiancée, Natalia, clutched the door handle, her knuckles white with tension.

"I'm fine, babe," he slurred, swaying slightly in his seat. "Just need to get us home quickly. It's a great day! Woohoo!"

As they rounded a curve, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared in the opposite lane, barreling towards them.

Kevin's heart skipped a beat as he jerked the wheel to the right, but it was too late.

"Oh God, Kevin!" Natalia screamed, bracing herself for impact.

Their car smashed into the other car with a deafening crash, sending glass shattering and metal crunching.

Kevin's head whipped forward, his vision blurring.

"Holy shit!" Kevin groaned, the drunkenness clearing from his eyes almost immediately.

Natalia struggled to free herself from the airbag and hurried to the other car in panic, Kevin following suit.

On reaching there, she let out a terrified gasp at the sight before her. Both passengers, a man and a woman, were unmistakably dead.

She shivered and shrieked back, overwhelmed by the grotesquery of blood, glass, and shattered steel splattered all over. It was her first time seeing dead bodies, and the gruesome sight added to her horror.

Kevin's face paled at the scene. He stood completely numb for a while, trying to take in what had just happened.

"They... they are not dead, right?" She stuttered, her voice trembling in denial.

Her question pulled Kevin out of his trance. He ran his hands over his head, his face contorted in distress. "What do we do now? The police will be here any minute."

Dead silence followed, as if time itself had frozen.

Natalia started wiping imaginary sweat from her face. Her heart hammering, "We can explain...it wasn't intentional."

"No! Do you think they will buy that? We just broke the rules and murdered---"

"We?" Natalia interrupted, quite puzzled.

Kevin rushed over to her and held her hands in both of his. "Natty, I can't afford to go to jail. What will happen to my potential and my dreams? I just got my dream job today. That was the reason we went out to celebrate, remember? I'm my parents' only hope."

He tightened his hold on her, shaking her slightly. "You love me, right? We have known and loved each other since childhood. And today our love is being tested."

"What are you trying to say, Kevin? I'm quite confused." Her face was etched with bewilderment.

"I am asking you for a huge favor," he paused, searching for any change in her expression. "Please take the fall, Natalia."

Her eyes widened in terror. She winced, as if his words struck her physically, and forcefully snatched her hands away from his.

"What--"

He ate her words, "Please, babe. I have so much more to lose than you. I drove in a drunken state. I've been driving for years, and the company just entrusted me with a meticulous--"

He knelt down before her. "My punishment will be far worse than yours. Please, you are the only one that can save me now. Pleaseee," he whimpered.

She stared down at him blankly. Her voice, low and deflated.

"What about me? Who will save me? What about my own dreams? I'm just 20."

Kevin scrambled to his feet, hope flashing in his eyes. He cupped her face, saying, "Me. I will save you. My dreams are big enough for us both. I promise to take care of you and support your dreams. Trust me to do that, Natty."

Another dead silence.

She thought for a while, weighing everything. Her dreams were quite simple; to be a school teacher and start a family with the man she loved. None of these would be achieved if Kevin were to be imprisoned.

She doubted she could last long in the teaching department as she would be spending all her thoughts and time on trying to get him released.

Her dreams would be invalid without him present.

Kevin had the upper hand in thoroughly sorting things out more than her. She would do this for them, for their love, for their future. It couldn't be so bad, could it?

Natalia took a deep breath and signed in resignation, "Alright, I'll do it."

He crushed her into a hug, his face washed with relief. "Thank you so much, babe. I love you so much. And I know for sure, you love me truly."

Natalia just stood still without returning the hug, her eyes hollow.

Just then, they heard the police siren not so far away. Kevin hastily released her and scooted her into the driver's seat, his heart pounding. And then, he headed to the passenger's seat and settled in.

The police officers arrived shortly, investigated the scene, and questioned them. Natalia took the blame without further ado.

She was taken into detention, and after a few trials, she was found guilty and sentenced to a minimum of fifteen years imprisonment with no bail.

Kevin tried all he could but to no avail. It seemed the victim's acquaintance was quite powerful and influential.

On hearing this, her parents officially disowned her, scared to lose their honorable prestige in town due to her illicit act. To them, status was more important.

Natalia withered in prison as years passed by. At first, Kevin came to visit her frequently, but as months went by, his visits became infrequent, and then they stopped.

She understood his career was booming, and he was trying to gain affluence and influence to appeal. He was her only hope.

Her only family member who had cared enough to visit was her younger sister, Natasha.

However, her parents threatened to get her arrested themselves if they found her anywhere near her again.

She was deserted, and even though it killed her inside, she knew she had to stay strong and overcome it all, no matter what.

She held onto the glimmer of hope that one day she would walk out of these cold, gray prison walls, feeling the warm sun on her face and the gentle breeze in her hair.

Kevin would be waiting to embrace her with open arms and begin their life together once it's all over.

Fourth year behind bars...

"Inmate 3553, you've got a visitor!"

The prison doors creaked open, and a corrections officer beckoned Natalia forward.

Her mind raced with possibilities as she stood up from her bunk. She had gotten no visitors for over two years now.

Who would it be? Was it Kevin? It must be him, definitely. Has he finally found a way? Perhaps gotten an appeal?

She hastily followed the officer to the visitation room, where a stern-looking man in a suit waited.

She was a bit puzzled; the man looked expensive.

Was Kevin now able to afford such? She took a seat opposite the man and let out a small smile, which wasn't returned.

"Miss. Holmes, I'm here to inform you that the case against you has been dropped," he said gruffly, his expression unreadable.

Natalia's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "What? Why? How?"

Have they finally forgiven her and decided to let her go? Oh God, what a miracle! Her prayers have been answered at last.

The man's expression didn't change. "The accuser has decided not to pursue the case further. You're free to go."

Natalia battled with questions, but the man's cold demeanor discouraged her from asking any.

She nodded, still in disbelief, as the officer handed her a small bag with her belongings.

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, taking the bag.

The man nodded curtly. "There's one more thing," he said, halting her movement. "The person who dropped the case wants to see you before you're officially released."

Sure! Of course, she owed it to whoever it was that had decided to set her free, willingly. Even without requesting this, she would have taken it upon herself to find this kind-hearted soul and show her immense gratitude later.

Misinterpreting her silence for uncertainty and unwillingness, he continued with a firm voice. "It's not a request. It's a condition of your release."

Realizing she hadn't responded, she corrected that by nodding affirmatively with a glint of gratitude shimmering in her eyes.

The man nodded and gestured her towards the gate where a black Mercedes-Benz was waiting for them. She followed him diligently.

But why was her heart pounding in her chest? Wasn't she going to meet a kind soul who had dropped her case?

She bit her lips, trying to calm her nerves. Nothing would possibly go wrong, right?

She climbed into the luxurious car, the lush smell of leather hitting her senses. She had never had the privilege to enter such an expensive car. The finesse of the car was quite gratifying.

A release. A ride in an expensive car she had only seen in movies. She was just being paranoid for nothing.

With that, she relaxed, a smile etched on her face as they drove to their destination.

They arrived at an opulent mansion over fifteen minutes later. Wow! Everything about the house was top-notch! Luxury at its peak if she was being completely honest right now.

The owner must be filthy rich and powerful. It was no surprise to her that her case was handled the way it was. Who would dare to defile such a personality?

Her eyes wandered around, taking pleasure in the grand scenery as she made her way through the man's lead upstairs.

The man led her through marble-lined hallways and crystal-chandeliered rooms, finally stopping at a door made of dark wood.

"He's waiting for you in there," the man said, his voice low and serious.

Natalia's hand trembled as she raised it to knock on the door, her fingers faltering for a moment before making contact. Why was she suddenly so nervous again? Her palms were sweating as she reached out to open the door.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing inside her, but her legs still wobbled like jelly as she stepped into the room.

An enigmatic figure was sitting behind a massive desk. The room was dimly lit, with only a single lamp casting a golden glow on the figure's face.

"We finally meet," the figure said, his voice low and smooth. "I've been waiting for you."

His piercing gaze on her was quite unwelcoming. It was far from what she anticipated on her way here.

The gratitude speech she had rehearsed over and over again as they drove to the mansion died on her lips as she met the stranger's foreboding eyes.

Eyes that bore into her very soul. She turned hers away, feeling cowed.

He stood up from the desk, making the room look smaller and more menacing than it already was.

He walkz towards her, and she instinctively took a step back. His sinister demeanor made her feel very uneasy.

He closed up the gap mere seconds later. Towering her with his overbearing presence.

She willed herself to stand still, clutching her skirt as a means to unnerve her, and spoke up, not daring to look up.

"T...thank...thank you for dropping the case and setting me free." She stammered, "I'm... I'm deeply grateful. I also want to use this medium to offer my deepest condo--" the fear in her voice was so obvious.

"Cut it." He growled. He stepped into her space and lifted her chin up. Her gorgeous green eyes met his pitch-black ones in a flash.

He let out an ominous sneer, "Is that what you think? Do I look like some kind-hearted angel with a forgiving soul?"

Natalia swallowed. She had thought so too, until she met him. Nothing about him was angelic or kindhearted.

Instead, it was the contrast. Devilishly and sinfully handsome. Ominous. Evil. Dangerous. All she wanted was to be far away from this compelling figure. He screamed, Run!

"So, why did you let me out, if...?" she asked lightly, her voice barely audible in the silence.

He cut her short again. A slight smirk played on his lips. "To atone for your sins."

Perplexed. She solicited: 'He just said he didn't look like an angel, of course, which he's not. Then why is he talking about atoning for my sins? He doesn't look like a priest or a God-fearing fellow.'

She was even more confused at his answer. However, she remained mute, waiting for him to unveil his true intentions completely.

"I have decided to exchange your penalty, replacing the initial sentence with a different yet equivalent one. In other words, I will be adjusting the punishment to better fit the circumstances."

Natalia: "..." 'I'm afraid I still don't understand. Why is he speaking in riddles?'

"Four years ago, you killed a woman," he thrust her away, turning his back as he tried to hide the pain in his eyes.

"The woman you killed that night was no other than my ten-hour-old wife!"

Natalia's eyes struck in horror at the same time, losing her balance at his forceful push.

The man's words hung in the air like guillotine. She choked on her throat, her breathing quite erratic.

She remembered the accident, but she had never known the details or the identity of the victim. Oh God! What has she done? She ended a family before it even got the chance to begin...

Wait, she wasn't even the one that had killed her, but the habit of taking the blame and suffering for it had become so deeply ingrained in her.

At this point, it had become second nature to her.

She stumbled on the floor, overcome with grief and guilt.

Her eyes welled with tears. She would only imagine the depth of his pain and loss. "I am very sorry," her voice muffled with sobs.

He swirled back, his gaze turning icy. "I didn't call you here to solicit sympathy. You will replace what you brutally tore from my life."

Her mind reeled with fear and remorse at his intended words. What does he mean by replace? How?

Her heart was pounding as she lay limp on the floor, waiting to hear his verdict. She mused to herself: To think she was over the moon a few hours ago...

"You will replace her."

She scrambled to her feet, a bit distraught as she struggled to comprehend his words.

"Re...re...replace her? How? What...what do you mean?" She stammered, her voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.

"You shall become my wife." He declared with fierce determination.

"My ten-year contract wife," he emphasized.

Natalia froze. His ultimatum hung in the air like a death sentence.

Natalia's body sagged against the train window, her eyes sunken and haunted by melancholy. Her brows were furrowed in total anguish and despair.

He wasn't a man anyone dared to defile. And she was just anyone-a bloody nobody at that.

Flabbergasted, she had refused at first. She would rather spend the remaining tenure in prison, where she felt safe, than be with such a menacing and dangerous man.

But it wasn't a matter of choice. Either she did that, or he would be forced to ensure she got life imprisonment this time. She was still defiant until he threatened to make her family's life more miserable than it already was.

He would do that. He didn't look like a man who would make empty threats. Cowed and defeated, Natalia had meekly and resignedly agreed to the marriage contract, signing the papers without a fuss.

She hadn't even bothered to read the fine print, too exhausted and demoralized to do so. She had to do this. She wouldn't bear to see any other innocent person paying for a crime they didn't even commit.

Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, and her hands clenched into fists as she struggled to contain her emotions. Their wedding was in freaking two weeks!

She didn't even know how to break the news to Kevin yet! He would be in agony just as she was.

Guess it was karma.

They had broken up a marriage before it got the chance to even begin, and theirs was about to get broken. The train pulled into the station, and Natalia's bitter smile faltered.

Tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She wiped them away with a trembling hand, the motion a futile attempt to erase the pain and hopelessness she was experiencing at the moment.

Nostalgia washed over her as she stepped out of the train, the familiar sights and sounds enveloping her like a bittersweet embrace.

The station was just a mile away from Kevin's house, a place she would have never seen again if she had adamantly refused his proposal.

The mere thought of that made her shiver and rub her arms to get rid of the goosebumps that had formed. She hastened to Kevin's house, only to find it occupied by a stranger.

The old homeowner greeted her with a sympathetic look, his eyes filled with concern and pity as he took in her haggard appearance. He informed her that Kevin had packed out a couple of years ago.

Natalia hailed a cab as soon as she obtained his new address from the homeowner. She couldn't afford to waste a minute.

Oh, all those years of not seeing his sweet turquoise eyes and hearing his honeyed, velvety voice had been the real torture, to be frank.

She urged the driver to speed up a little. Her time with him had been cut short by that sinister stranger. As she stepped out of the cab and gazed up at the building, her jaw dropped.

Kevin's house was a luxurious masterpiece! Every detail of the opulent apartment screamed success.

In fact, if all these trappings of wealth were truly Kevin's, then he could easily afford to hire the expensive, eerie man who had come to bail her out a while ago as instructed.

Her chest swelled with pride; she never for a moment regretted her decision; in fact, she felt more pleased and truly vindicated seeing these accomplishments.

Her sacrifice had been worth it after all. Kevin could definitely counter that man and save her from the awful fate of marrying that creepy guy.

She gleefully made her way inside, her heart overflowing with love and excitement.

She knocked on the door and waited for Kevin's response. For a moment, the ache that had brought her to his doorstep faded away, and all she felt was the thrill of being reunited with the one person who truly got her.

She gleamed as she played his reaction in her head, imagining the shock and delight that would spread across his face when he saw her standing there.

With a sly smile, she straightened her shoulders, ready to make a memorable entrance.

The door opened, and Natalia's eyes struck at the sight before her-a radiant pregnant woman stood before her.

Not just any radiant pregnant stranger, but her very own twin sister! "Natasha?"

Natalia shockingly spoke out in confusion and disbelief. The glowing happiness on Natasha's face before she opened the door drained almost immediately.

"N.. Natalia?" She stammered, her own voice a bit pitched.

Still in doubt, Natalia bombarded her with questions: "Is this Kevin's house? Did you come to pay him a visit? Is he a friend to the father of your child?" earnestly hoping her assumptions were true.

Before Natasha would answer, a voice called out from inside. "Darling, who's at the door?"

That voice was Kevin's; she would recognize his voice anywhere. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, every single breath of hers knocked out.

Darling? No! This isn't true; this can't be happening to her! The world around her seemed to spin as she tried hard to make sense of what was going on.

"Darling, why aren't you--?" The words died in his mouth as he stepped into the foyer to be met with the unbelievable sight of his ex-fiancee.

" Natalia?!" Kevin exclaimed in bewilderment, instinctively wrapping his arms protectively around Natasha, shielding her from the sudden intrusion.

What in the world are you doing here?" he demanded with a hint of accusation. Kevin's eyes squinted, his disturbed mind grappling with questions.

How did she escape? How was this possible? How did she find him? The woman he thought was still locked away, paying for his sins, was now standing in his foyer, looking like a fish out of water.

His mind reeled, struggling to process the impossibility of it all.

Yet another unanticipated reception, this one was far more hurtful and heartbreaking.

Recovering from the agonizing shock, she snapped back at his words, "What in the world am I doing here? Is that what a man who is supposed to be in love with me should be asking?"

She let out a scoff. Today has been filled with awful surprises.

"Shouldn't I be the one with the questions? Can you explain what the hell is going on here?"

"I...I can explain," Natasha ventured, trying to dampen the sizzling situation.

"Explain?" Natalia's voice rose, her emotions simmering just below the surface.

"Explain what? Why is my sister standing on the doorstep of the man I thought I was in love with? Why is she pregnant with his child?" Natalia's eyes flashed with hurt and anger, her words spilling out in a torrent of confusion and betrayal.

"Don't raise your voice! How can you be so inconsiderate? Can't you see she's with a child?" Kevin raged, shoving Natasha inside with care.

He then turned to face Natalia. "There's nothing to explain, okay? You have seen it for yourself. I have a life and a wife now. I've moved on. You should too."

"What do you mean you have moved on?" She went up to him, pulling him by his shirt. Tears were uncontrollably escaping her eyes. "What do you mean by that? I sacrificed myself for you. I gave up everything for you! I even got disowned. I lost everything. My pride, my dignity, my family, my career-four years of my youth. Everything!" Her voice was muffled by sobs.

She scrunched her runny nose and continued, still clutching his shirt. "I survived all those tortures and pains, knowing I had a man who stood by me and loved me unconditionally..."

Kevin extracted her hands from his shirt and pushed her away. Natalia lost her balance and fell like a heap on the floor.

He let out a loud laugh, his eyes throwing daggers at her. "Unconditionally? You must be crazy and delusional to think I would have anything to do with you after your arrest. I am a successful businessman with a dignified reputation now. The possibility of marrying a woman with a criminal record is zero! I would never be caught dead doing so. And you being here is a taint to my reputation already! You're an ugly past I have put behind, and I oblige you to better stay that way!"

Natalia's voice got caught in her throat, as she listened to the vile words emitting from his mouth.

She was beyond stunned, and she continued staring at him blankly. Her emotions spiraled in chaos.

" I see you're paralyzed now," he sneered, the contempt in his voice didn't go unchecked. "Security!" he barked, pressing a button on his phone.

The security team arrived in no time, responding to Kevin's urgent summons.

"Take this piece of trash out of here!" he ordered, gesturing dismissively at Natalia.

"And if I find her anywhere near my property again, you will be fired on the spot, with immediate effect!" he threatened, his eyes as furious as a fox.

Natalia stood outside Kevin's house, the cold night air a harsh slap in the face after being so callously thrusted out. She felt utterly wretched, her chest squeezed tight at the shock and betrayal threatening to consume her.

"How would they do this to her!" She forced tears to flow but they seemed to have deserted her too. She had been crying all day, so no tear was left.

But in the midst of all these ugly events, a fierce resolve suddenly burned in her chest. Justice must be served, no matter the cost. Kevin must pay for his own crimes.

She will see to that. She was done paying for his crimes or anybody elses'. She won't be the scapegoat anymore. She had been blinded by his charming facade, but now she saw him for the cunning coward he truly was.

The ominous man, with his sinister intentions, was at least honest about his nature.

The devil she knew was indeed better than the angel she thought she had known. But where does she go from here?

She had asked the man to give her a week to recollect herself, hoping to spend a memorable week with Kevin and find a way out of the mess.

Her parent's house was out of the question. She was dead to them. She had few friends, well, that was until she got arrested.

As she stood there ranking her brain, " maybe I should head back to the prison util--" a sleek black Lamborghini suddenly screeched to a halt in front of her.

The window glided down, revealing the crude man she had just been thinking about, seated with poise at the backseat.

Without even looking in her direction, his stern order caught the air: "Get in."

Without hesitation, muttering, 'As if I have any other place to go to, ' Natalia opened the door and slid into the passenger's seat.

"To the airport." he barked, his voice firm and authoritative.