Suffering from the inability to recognize faces, Carl Oswald struggles to navigate the world of high-stakes business and social obligations, unable to recognize even those closest to him. He has it all, looks, wealth, and the position of CEO in his father's prestigious company. But his life is far from perfect. To manage this hidden vulnerability, he hires Mia Miloslava Pankraz, a spirited young woman to be his secretary and help him connect with the world. Mia has spent years applying for a job at Livestrong Company, only to face constant rejection. Her perseverance finally pays off when she receives an unexpected call for an interview, landing a position that is far more complex than she ever imagined, as if that wasn’t enough, an arranged marriage by her grandfather and mother to someone she never expected. How does she navigate these unconventional arrangements? Will she opt for the job and decline the arranged marriage or will she toss aside her dreams to fulfill her grandfather's wish? Read on to find out………
view morePrologue
"Hello, somebody help me, please! Anybody, can you hear me?" I called out, my voice echoing in the confined space.
"Keep your mouth shut and remain calm. No one can hear you," a gruff voice responded.
"Please, where am I? Why am I being tied up? I need to go back to my husband and family," I pleaded with my vision blurry.
The short, bald man gave a long, mocking laugh. "Husband? The same husband who has rejected you and sold you out?"
"Sold? What do you mean sold? He would never do that," I said, my voice shaking.
"You have been sold, and you are going to meet your new owner. So stop screaming and preserve your strength. I will bring you food later." With that, he left.
I sank to the floor as tears flooded my eyes….
Being sold for the second time, here I was, tied up in a container on a ship in the middle of an ocean, heading to an unknown destination.
The only thing I could remember was driving to the office to meet up with Carl for the investors meeting when a car ran into mine, causing my car to somersault.
Because of my negligence and rushing to get to the office, I forgot to wear a seatbelt. I was ejected from the car, landing hard on the ground.
I struggled desperately to rise but was devoid of strength, my whole body throbbing with pain until I became unconscious. Only to wake up and find myself here.
Pain radiated throughout my body, especially my face.
*************
The man in charge, I guess, came back afterwards with some bread and water, which I grabbed quickly from his hands and shoved into my mouth. I was famished and couldn't take it slowly.
I didn't wait to swallow the bread before gulping the water down my throat. After that, I fell asleep, only to be woken up by the clicking sound of the keys used to lock the container I was in.
I opened my eyes and stretched my weak body. I didn't know how long I had been in the container.
He got in and untied me, leading me out.
"Is she the one?" a deep, husky voice said.
"Yes, boss, she is," the man replied.
He walked towards me slowly and stopped right in front of me, puffing thick smoke into the air.
"She would serve just fine as my sex slave. Get her in the car," he said.
"Sex what?!" I blurted out, throwing up on his clothes….
Chapter 1Mia's POV
Years earlier…..
I stepped out of the company entrance, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on my shoulders.
The constant nagging from my boss, and his never-ending errands had left me mentally and physically exhausted.
As I walked down the street, memories I had fought so hard to forget about that night began to resurface.
My heart raced as flashes of that night, that mistake, crept back into my mind.
It had been one of those nights—too much to drink, too much to forget. The loud music, the dim lights, and the haze of alcohol had drowned my senses. All I had wanted was an escape from my own thoughts. But I had gone too far.
I woke up the next morning in a strange bed. My head was pounding, my body aching. The faint scent of expensive cologne hung in the air, and my pulse quickened as I realized I wasn't alone.
Lying next to me was a man, a stranger. His face was calm in sleep, his features sharp and strong, but I didn't recognize him. My heart raced with panic. What had I done?
With trembling hands, I quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to make a sound. My clothes were scattered around the room, a silent reminder of the night I wished I could erase. I dressed hastily, avoiding looking at him again.
The memory of the tangled sheets and the reckless decisions filled me with shame. I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the room, my breath catching in my throat as I ran down the hotel hallway, desperate to leave it all behind.
I thought I'd escaped that night, buried it deep, and that it would never resurface. But life had a cruel sense of irony. I saw him again.
I sighed heavily, spotting a cab in the distance and waving it down, but it sped by without stopping.
"How am I supposed to get home now?" I muttered to myself, frustration evident in my voice.
The streets were nearly empty, with most workers already gone for the night.
Biting my upper lip in frustration, I decided to walk further in hopes of finding another cab.
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed a black car speeding towards me. I barely managed to run out of its path in time.
"Are you drunk? Didn't you see me?" I yelled at the car. "Crazy people who call themselves drivers," I grumbled.
The car screeched to a halt behind me, its windows tinted black. Unable to see inside, I dismissed the incident and continued walking, trying to find another cab.
Suddenly, I felt someone approaching from behind. Before I could react, a strong grip seized my arm.
My eyes were blindfolded, and I was lifted off the ground, thrown into the back of the car.
"Please, let me go! I don't have money or anything valuable. I only have my cab fare in my bag. You can take it, but please, let me go," I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear.
"Young lady, keep quiet," a man sitting beside me commanded.I sobbed quietly, begging them not to kill me.
The driver yelled, "Shut up!" and sealed my mouth with tape, ignoring my pleas.
After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at a mansion. I was roughly dragged out of the car and led inside.
Confused and terrified, I was pushed into a room, and the door was locked behind me. I tried the door knob, but it wouldn't open. Sliding down the wall, I sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face.
My bag was taken from me,I had no way to call for help. Exhausted and scared, I cried myself to sleep on the floor .
The next morning, the sound of people moving in and out of the room woke me.
A woman in her 30s approached me. "Ma'am, I'm Sharon. Please go and take your bath so we can have your makeup and dress done on time."I stared at her, bewildered, although her face rang a bell.
A beautiful wedding gown lay on the bed, along with makeup supplies and a pair of silver heels.
Still in disbelief, I pinched myself, hoping to wake up from this nightmare."Ma'am, your bath is ready," one of the maids said, leading me to the bathroom.
I followed her slowly, my legs heavy with dread, still in doubt and confused about everything happening. While in the bathroom, I heard a familiar voice and rushed out.
"Oh, thank goodness," I murmured in relief as I registered the face before me. "Everyone here is crazy. I don't know what's happening..." I trailed off as a realization struck me.
"Wait, what are you doing here?" My eyes narrowed with suspicion as I stared at her. "I haven't seen you for over a year.” After her 7th wedding, in the past 7 years she has being getting in and out of marriage.
"Stop being a drama queen and come get prepared for your big day," my mother, Mathilda Pankraz, replied, rolling her eyes as she walked to the dress on the bed and looked at it closely.
"What do you mean, Mom? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused and puzzled.
"Where are the maids? Come on, get my daughter ready for her big day. We don't have much time," my mom ordered.
"This must be some sort of joke," I muttered.
"Ma'am, are you ready for your makeup?" the makeup artist asked.
"Now I remember you. You did my mom's makeup for her last wedding," I said, recognizing the artist.
"Yes, and today it's your wedding. I'm privileged to be your makeup artist for your big day," she said, smiling.
"My what?" I screamed, my eyes widening in shock……
I felt a rush of panic wash over me.
"My wedding?" I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.
My breath quickened, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
This couldn't be happening."Ma'am, please remain calm," Sharon said, her voice gentle but firm.
I wasn't calm. Not even close. I began to hyperventilate, my vision blurring with tears.
Seeing my distress, my mother motioned to one of the guards.
A tall, burly man stepped forward, his expression stern."Keep an eye on her," my mother ordered, her voice cold and unyielding. "We don't have time for her antics today.
"I was dressed reluctantly, each piece of the wedding ensemble feeling like a shackle. Despite my resistance, the makeup artists and maids managed to make me look stunning.
The dress was beautiful but unbearably clingy and uncomfortable. I could hardly breathe, let alone think straight.
Staring at my reflection in the standing mirror, I barely recognized the woman looking back at me.
My face, expertly made up, hid the pain inside. I saw a young woman on the verge of a breakdown, trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.
Everyone around me was preoccupied with their tasks, giving me a fleeting sense of freedom. I needed to act quickly.
I stepped towards the door, trying to leave the room unnoticed.
"Where are you headed?" a voice called from behind.I froze, closing my eyes briefly before turning to face him with a forced smile.
"I need to talk to my mom. I lied.
Can you tell me where she might be?"
"She's in the garden outside," he replied, eyeing me suspiciously."Thank you," I said, my voice trembling.
As I tried to walk away, he stopped me again. "You can't move around without a guard."
"Please, I just want to talk to her for a few seconds. I'll be right back," I pleaded, my desperation evident.
After a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly agreed. The mansion was enormous, and I did my best to avoid being seen. Reaching the main entrance, I saw people milling about and knew I had to find another way out.
I held up my gown and hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. Spotting a door, I smiled to myself, but my relief was short-lived, it was locked.
I looked around and noticed a bunch of keys hanging nearby and quickly grabbed them, trying each one until I heard a satisfying click.
The door swung open.As I unbolted the door, I heard noises behind me but didn't dare look back. I took off my shoes and ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my ears.
********************
"Please call out the bride," Mathilda Pankraz instructed, her voice authoritative.
"She's not here, ma'am. She asked to speak with you," one of the maids responded.
"Speak with me? I haven't seen her, and I gave strict instructions not to let her out," Mathilda said, her voice rising in anger.
"Who let her out?" she screamed, her eyes flashing with fury.
She stormed over to the guard, her face livid. "Find her!!!"
Hans’ Discovery(Hans’ Personal Point of View)I never believed in fate.Coincidences, sure. But fate? That was something weak people clung to when they needed an excuse for their choices.And yet, as I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the small, delicate hairpin in my palm, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the realization crashing over me.This was Mia’s.And I had seen it before.Not just recently. Years ago.It had been tucked away in the back of my wardrobe, inside a small, forgotten box I hadn’t touched in years. The moment my fingers brushed against it, something in my mind snapped into place—a memory that had been buried so deep, I hadn’t even realized it was missing.A memory of her.Of that night.And suddenly, everything I thought I knew came unraveling before my eyes.I had been drunk that night.Not the kind of tipsy that made you laugh at everything, but the kind where the world blurred at the edges, and thoughts no longer made sense.The party had been loud, chaotic
Hans’ Curiosity Deepens(Third-Person Point of View)Hans Oswald was not a man who believed in coincidences.Everything in life followed a pattern—an equation waiting to be solved.So why was it that the sight of a single hairpin had set off a nagging feeling in his chest?He had been watching from a distance as his father humiliated Mia, and for the first time, he had felt something close to pity for her.Mia had always carried herself with an air of quiet defiance, a subtle strength that made it easy to overlook her struggles. But when their father, Richard Oswald, had torn into her with sharp words, she had looked… small.It had surprised Hans.Not because of his father’s cruelty—Richard had always been ruthless—but because of the way Carl had stepped in.Carl had defended her. Not as his assistant. As his wife.That alone had been shocking. But as the heated exchange settled, Hans’ gaze had landed on something unexpected—the delicate silver hairpin tucked into Mia’s dark locks.H
The Unraveling Threads(Third-Person Point of View)The air in the office was thick with tension. Whispers rippled through the employees like an unstoppable current, their eyes darting between Victor Oswald, Carl, and Mia. The moment had passed, but the weight of it still lingered.Hans Oswald stood frozen in place, his mind struggling to process what had just unfolded before him.He had seen his father angry before, countless times, but never quite like this. Victor was a man who prided himself on control, on discipline, on calculated anger. Yet, when he had lashed out at Mia, there had been something more—a deep, unfiltered contempt.It unsettled Hans.But what shocked him more was Carl’s reaction.His brother—the ever-proud, ever-distant Carl—had defended Mia. Not as his assistant. Not as someone beneath him.But as his wife.Hans couldn’t believe it.Carl had spent every moment since this arranged marriage treating Mia like an unwanted burden. He had ignored her, belittled her, t
The Weight of His Words(Mia’s Point of View I couldn't move.I couldn't think.Carl's words kept ringing in my ears, over and over, like a broken record."She is my wife."My body felt frozen, standing in the middle of the office floor, with eyes still on me. Whispered conversations filled the air, the weight of their judgment pressing down on me. I wanted to disappear.Ashley’s smug face wasn’t so smug anymore. She was glaring at Carl’s office door like she wanted to set it on fire.Good.At least something about today wasn’t completely humiliating.But my heart still ached.Not just because of what Victor Oswald had said to me. Not just because of the coffee-stained humiliation.But because Carl had defended me.And I didn’t know why.What Did It Mean?Carl had never stood up for me before.Never.He had made it his mission to remind me, every single day, that I was a mistake in his life. That I didn’t belong in his world. That I was nothing but an inconvenience.So why… why now?
(Mia’s Point of View)I should have seen it coming.Ashley had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and today, she found it.I had been moving carefully, balancing the tray with Carl’s coffee, trying to focus on anything but the argument we had last night.His words still lingered in my mind."You’re nothing but an inconvenience in my life."I knew he didn’t mean it. Not after the way he looked at me. Not after the way his body tensed when I mentioned the colors.But knowing that didn’t erase the pain.And now, as I walked toward his office, trying to shake the memory, Ashley’s voice cut through my thoughts."Watch where you’re going, sweetheart."Before I could react, her elbow slammed into mine, sending the tray flying.Time slowed.The hot coffee spilled through the air before splashing down—not on the floor, but on the one person I had never expected to see today.Carl’s father.Gasps filled the office floor.Employees froze, their eyes darting between me and the man now
Mia’s Confrontation with Carl(Mia’s Point of View I had been patient.I had been silent.I had swallowed my pride, endured the cold glares, the sharp words, the constant reminder that I was nothing in his world.But tonight—tonight, I snapped.Carl had always been unkind to me, but lately, it had gotten worse.His indifference had turned into something sharper, something more deliberate.One moment, he would ignore me completely. The next, he would find the smallest excuse to criticize me.My presence irritated him.Everything I did seemed to bother him.And I could take it—I had taken it for weeks. But what I couldn’t take was the way he kept pretending.Pretending like he didn’t see me.Pretending like I didn’t matter.And yet, I knew he was lying.Because I caught him watching me when he thought I wasn’t looking.I noticed how he drank the coffee I made every morning, even when he never asked for it.I saw how his gaze softened for a split second when I brought him dinner, only
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