Aluna's cold, damp fingers gripped the man's hand tightly. The touch of their skin felt strange, a blend of sudden safety and a creeping uncertainty. She looked at his hand, large and veined, feeling the strength that contrasted with her own fragility. Doubt still clung to her heart, but the image of her pale mother and her starving younger brother resurfaced, silencing all the questions she wanted to ask. She had no other choice. For them, she had to be brave and step into the darkness offered by this stranger.
The man gently but firmly pulled her toward the open door of the luxurious car. The scent of expensive leather and a faint masculine fragrance greeted Aluna as she sat in the soft, unfamiliar seat. The atmosphere inside the car was tense, filled with silence, only broken by the sound of rain tapping against the windows. The man sat next to her, his posture straight, his gaze fixed ahead, but Aluna could feel the intensity of his presence, a fire burning behind his cold eyes. There was something emanating from him, a mix of power and danger that, for some reason, drew her in, igniting a dangerous curiosity.
After a few moments of suffocating silence, the man finally spoke. "We have a deal." His tone was flat, but there was an emphasis that made Aluna feel an odd shiver in her stomach, a mix of danger and an unexpected attraction.
Aluna turned to him, her eyes reflecting confusion and a hint of fear, but there was also a curiosity she couldn't hide. "What deal?"
He glanced at her briefly, his dark, sharp gaze seeming to strip her bare, making Aluna feel her skin heat up despite the cold. "I saved you from those leeches. In return…" He paused, his eyes returning to the wet road, but Aluna could feel his gaze lingering on her, an invisible touch. "You will marry me."
Those words hit Aluna like a cold wave, making her gasp. "Marry?" Her voice was barely audible, mixed with the frantic pounding of her heart. Marriage? A sacred bond, full of love and commitment. How could this stranger say it so coldly, with no emotion, yet with a gaze that hid something burning inside?
He nodded briefly, without a hint of doubt. "A contract marriage. For one year."
"Contract?" Aluna repeated the word, her mind struggling to comprehend the insane logic behind it. Could marriage be contracted like a business agreement, but with such personal and intimate implications?
"Yes. You'll be my wife on paper, before the law, for three hundred sixty-five days. After that, all ties between us end. You're free." Rey's voice was cold and impersonal, as if he were explaining a clause in a business contract that had nothing to do with emotions. But there was a hidden intensity in his voice that sent a chill down Aluna's spine.
Aluna shook her head weakly, trying to gather the remnants of her sanity amidst the confusion swirling inside her. This must be some strange and terrifying nightmare. "But… why? Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?" She dared to ask, though fear gripped her heart like chains. She had to know the reason behind this crazy offer, the reason that made her feel so uncomfortable yet also so curious.
He finally turned his gaze from the dark road and looked at Aluna with a cold, intense stare, making her feel exposed under his scrutiny. "You have something I need." His answer was short, mysterious, offering no clue about his true intentions. Yet the emphasis on the word 'need' made Aluna feel an ominous sensation, mixed with an odd, inexplicable attraction.
"What… what is it?" Aluna asked, her voice trembling, feeling the uneasy feeling growing stronger, creeping up her nerves. She felt like an object being desired, not a person, and his gaze made her feel as though she were being evaluated, not seen.
He did not answer her question directly. He simply stared at Aluna with an intensity that made her uncomfortable, as if weighing the value of a newly discovered object. There was a strange gleam in his eyes, something difficult to decipher, but it made Aluna feel a strange wave in her stomach. "That's not your concern right now. What you need to understand is that this is the only way you and your family can be free from the debt and the threats from those loan sharks."
Aluna fell silent, her mind in turmoil. She was once again reminded of her mother's pale face from sickness and her younger brother's hollow eyes from hunger. Her father's debts were towering, and the loan sharks would never stop harassing them until they got their money—or worse. In the midst of the yawning abyss of desperation, this stranger's offer sounded like the only lifeline, even though it felt strange, suspicious, and full of risk. There was something in his gaze that made her feel that the 'price' she had to pay might be much more than just a marriage on paper—it could involve something far more personal and intimate.
"What will happen after one year?" Aluna asked again, her voice a little steadier this time, trying to find out more about the details of the agreement that felt like selling her soul. She needed some certainty, even if it was small, to calm the strange turmoil inside her.
"After three hundred sixty-five days, our marriage contract ends. You are free to do whatever you want. I am also free." His answer remained cold and impersonal, as if this marriage was merely a business transaction with a clear time limit. No emotions, no sincere promises, just invisible clauses that felt binding. Yet his gaze held something contradictory—an intensity that made Aluna wonder about the true meaning behind his words.
The car continued speeding through the dark night, cutting through the shadows still lingering from the rain. Aluna looked out the window, trying to recognize the streets they were driving on. The city lights glimmered, seeming so distant from her simple life. The feelings of anxiety and discomfort gnawed at her heart, mixed with a strange curiosity she couldn't deny. Where was this man taking her? And what exactly did he want from her, something so valuable that he was offering a marriage?
After what felt like an eternity, the car finally turned into a high wrought-iron gate, towering and adorned with intricate, expensive carvings. The golden lights of the garden illuminated the long, winding driveway, flanked by perfectly manicured trees. Aluna was stunned by the sudden grandeur surrounding her. This wasn't just a house. This was an estate, a different world she had never imagined, a chasm separating her from the man beside her. She felt smaller, insignificant amidst all this excess. She glanced at the man, searching for answers in his dark eyes, but all she found was unreadability, only deepening her curiosity.
The car stopped smoothly in front of a grand mansion that looked like a palace from a fairytale. The building rose tall with sturdy pillars, stained-glass windows shimmering, and expansive gardens that were meticulously arranged. The warm light spilling from the windows illuminated the luxurious furnishings visible from the outside, but all the opulence could not warm the cold and alien feeling now gripping Aluna's heart. She felt smaller and more irrelevant in the face of this excess. She looked at the man, seeking an answer in his eyes, but all she found was that same unreadable coldness that only deepened her curiosity.
The car door opened with a soft click, and the man stepped out with graceful, unhurried movements. He then turned and looked at Aluna, his gaze flat but carrying an unspoken command. "We've arrived."
Aluna stepped out of the car with hesitant steps, her legs feeling heavy and reluctant. The cold night air immediately pierced her skin, even though the rain had long stopped, leaving behind the faint smell of wet earth. She looked up, gazing at the grand mansion before her, feeling a mix of awe and fear. This was a world completely different from her own struggle-filled life. What would happen to her in this strange place? Who was this mysterious man who had brought her here? And what exactly did he need from her so badly?
The man now stood before her, pulling a thick folder from his jacket. He opened it, revealing a neat stack of papers filled with writing. His gaze locked with Aluna's, intense and uncompromising. "This is our marriage contract," he said coldly, offering her the folder. "Read it and sign it. After that, your family's debt will be paid off." There was something threatening yet promising in his tone, making Aluna feel a dangerous mix of fear and hope.