OLIVIA BROOKS’S POV

That night at the hospital, I felt colder than I ever had in my life. My hands trembled as I hurried through the fifth floor, where my aunt had told me Ethan was in the ICU.

When I walked into the room, my heart almost broke. Ethan lay weak on the bed, tubes and machines keeping him alive. The soft beeping of the monitor filled the air, each sound reminding me how fragile his life was.

I sat beside him, holding his hand tightly. Every shallow breath he took through the oxygen mask made my chest ache.

Alexander’s offer rang in my mind again—the contract marriage, his rules, the house, my answer. I had already agreed. A sealed deal. All for Ethan.

I brushed Ethan’s damp hair back from his forehead and whispered, my voice shaking, “I’ll fix this. I’ll save you… no matter what it costs me.”

The door opened. I expected a nurse or doctor, but instead it was Eric. His presence gave me a strange relief. He carried a small box in his hand and smiled gently.

“You haven’t eaten, have you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”

He pulled a chair closer and placed the box on the table. “If you collapse, who will look after your brother?”

My aunt, Sophia, nodded. “He’s right. Listen to him.”

I introduced Eric as my friend, and she finally agreed, “Ah, then it makes sense. He’s only worried for you.”

Eric smiled calmly. “Just a few bites, Miss Brooks.”

I hesitated but finally gave in, eating slowly while he stayed quiet, giving me space. His small kindness eased the weight on my shoulders.

“Thank you, Eric,” I whispered.

“No need for thanks,” he said softly. Then his eyes sharpened. “You’re about to become family, aren’t you?”

Sophia’s head turned quickly. “Family? What family?”

I forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Aunt. Don’t take Eric’s words seriously.”

Later, I pulled Eric aside to the corridor. “Please don’t say anything in front of my aunt,” I begged. “This marriage is not real. It’s only a business arrangement. I’m just Alexander’s contract wife.”

Eric looked at me deeply. “Maybe. But I know him. He wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t see something special in you.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Special? What could he possibly see in a desperate woman with nothing to offer but her name on a contract?”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Eric said gently. “You’re stronger than you think. Maybe even stronger than him.”

His words stirred something inside me I hadn’t felt in a long time.

As I walked back to Ethan’s room, my phone buzzed again. A message from an unknown number flashed on the screen:

I told you. You don’t know what you’ve stepped into. Watch your back.

Fear gripped me. I quickly hid the phone in my dress as Eric’s voice reached me. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” I lied, moving past him.

Eric studied me but didn’t press further. Instead, he said, “Alexander wants you at his house tomorrow evening. I’ll come get you. Try to rest.”

---

The next evening, I stood frozen before Alexander’s estate. The mansion rose tall and grand, the kind of place a king could live. My feet refused to move.

Eric’s friendly voice broke the silence. “It’s just a house, Miss Brooks.”

“No,” I whispered. “It’s a cage.”

Inside, everything was beautiful but cold. Alexander stood in the main hall, dressed in a sharp black suit. His unreadable eyes fell on me.

“You’re late,” he said in a low, harsh tone.

My lips parted to answer, but he cut me off. “From today, you live here. No excuses. Tomorrow morning, we meet the board members. They must see you as my wife-to-be, not some fragile little girl.”

His words stung. I lifted my chin. “I’ll manage.”

For a brief second, his expression shifted—something unreadable—but it was gone in an instant.

He opened a small box and held it out. Inside was a diamond ring. My breath caught.

“You’ll wear this,” Alexander said. “From tomorrow, the world will see you as mine.”

The cold certainty in his voice made my stomach twist. Still, I slipped the ring onto my finger. It felt heavy, not because of its size, but because of the weight it carried.

“Eric will show you your room,” Alexander said before walking away.

As we climbed the stairs, Eric whispered, “Don’t let him scare you. He likes to act worse than he is.”

I gave a small smile, though my heart still pounded.

---

The next morning, I dressed in the elegant outfit Eric had chosen for me. Sitting in the private boardroom of Alexander’s company, my hands trembled on my lap.

Alexander introduced me calmly. “This is Olivia Brooks. My fiancée. My future wife.”

Every eye in the room turned to me.

One of the older members spoke, “Miss Brooks, being the wife of the CEO is not a title—it is a role. You must learn everything that happens in this company. The board will expect you to keep up.”

Their words pressed into me, but I forced a smile. “I understand.”

Alexander’s gaze flicked toward me—sharp, unreadable—but he said nothing.

By the end of the meeting, my head spun. I had stepped into a world where mistakes were not forgiven.

When the members left, I finally found my voice. “Alexander… I am not a toy. I’ll learn. But don’t treat me like I’m worthless. You can’t move me like a piece on your chessboard.”

His jaw tightened. For a moment, silence hung between us, heavy and tense.

Then Eric rushed in, breathless. “Alexander—Olivia—it’s Ethan. He’s missing from the ICU.”

My blood froze. “What do you mean missing?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

“He vanished,” Eric said, eyes wide. “No one knows who took him.”

***