Chapter 05~ The Leak

ALVINA

I didn’t remember how I walked out of his study. My legs simply moved on their own, carrying me down the long hallway until I reached my room. I shut the door behind me and leaned on it, breathing hard, my chest rising and falling like I had just escaped a wild animal.

I dropped it on the bed and stepped back, shaking my head. “This can’t be happening,” I whispered to myself. “This has to be a dream… or a joke… or something.”

But no matter how many times I blinked, nothing changed.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pulled my knees to my chest, and hugged them tightly. My whole body was shaking from the raw fear sitting deep in my stomach.

Marry him?

Live with him for six months as his wife?

I’d rather throw myself into a moving truck than say "yes" to him.

I buried my face in my arms, trying hard not to break down completely. I had cried enough these past three days, but it seemed tears were becoming part of my daily routine in this house.

A soft knock hit the door.

I wiped my face quickly. “What?”

The door opened slightly and one of the maids peeked in. “Miss Frost… dinner is ready.”

Already?

“I’m not hungry.”

She nodded weakly. “Should I bring it here?”

“No. I’m not hungry,” I repeated, louder this time.

She bowed a little and closed the door again, leaving me in the silence that once wrapped me.

The quietness in this mansion was the kind that pressed on your chest, the kind that reminded you that even though the house had people in it… you were still alone.

After some minutes, I stood up and walked to the window. I opened it slightly, letting the evening air brush against my skin. The scariest truth wasn't the fact that that bastard wanted me to marry him at all cost, but the fact that getting married to him doesn't guarantee my freedom and peace.

And there was no way that could be solved. Not even by running through that door (which wasn't even an option), nor sneaking through the window. And it's definitely not through begging.

God, what kind of hell on earth have I gotten myself into?

I sighed and turned away.

As I walked back to the bed, I stepped on something sharp. "Ouch!" I cried, staring down to see what it was. On the floor laid a pin I didn't seem to have seen earlier.

I winced at the pain, settling back on the edge of the bed while my finger hoovered the edges of the wound. Thankfully, there wasn't much blood, save only that the pain stung like hell.

I pressed my finger hard against it, until I was sure the bleeding had stopped. I let out another heavy sigh, shoving the strands of my hair back, like that would clear away the confusion staring back at me.

“What does he even want from me?” I muttered. “Why is this so important to him?”

He said I was important. He said my presence meant something to him. But nothing about the last three days proved that. In fact, it made me feel ten times stupid for even interrupting the wedding in the first place.

I paced the room, talking to myself the way someone does when their thoughts are too loud.

“He doesn’t want to see my face.”

“He doesn’t want me near him.”

“He doesn’t want anything from me.”

Then why this?

Why force a marriage if he didn’t even like looking at me?

Everything about him confused me; his anger, his cold attitude, the way he avoided speaking to me, and then suddenly the way he grabbed my chin and spoke like I had been part of his world long before today.

I pressed my palm against my forehead, letting out another sigh.

I needed answers.

I barely slept that night.

I kept turning from one side of the bed to the other, staring out of the window and into the darkness. My mind kept going back to Ethan’s words over and over again like an anthem that wouldn't stop playing.

I wanted to believe this marriage was for the best, and that somehow, ending up with him would save me from those men. Most especially, from that wrinkled old drunkard my parents wanted me to get married to.

When I tried to get myself to sleep, all I saw were those men chasing me that night. It was more terrifying than it was in reality. Like if I dared to shut my eyes for the next second, I'd be dead for good.

Morning came too fast. Thankfully, I wasn't dead.

I woke up with a heavy head and swollen eyes. My body felt sore, like I had fought a battle in my sleep. I stepped out of bed and dragged myself to the bathroom. The mirror welcomed me with the worst version of myself — messy hair, pale face, eyes that looked like they had cried the whole night.

And then I remembered the contract.

I stared at my reflection for a long time. A stupid part of me thought maybe Ethan would knock on my door and tell me he changed his mind. But I knew better. He was not the type to change his decisions.

I left the bathroom and walked back into the room. I was halfway to my bed when I heard whispering voices of more than one person. Curious me walked over to the door, slowly opening it so I could peer out.

Two maids were standing a few steps away, holding their phones with wide eyes. The moment they saw me, they exchanged quick looks and both hurried away.

I felt my stomach fly, nervousness creeping in. Like I had murdered a child, and now the media knows about it. I followed soundlessly until I reached the living room. More workers were there — the butler, two guards, a female cook. All their eyes were fixed on the TV.

No one noticed me. Their attention was glued to the screen.

So, I walked closer.

At first, I only heard the voice of the news reporter.

“…shocking update this morning as new reports confirm that the bride mysteriously replaced at billionaire Ethan Kale’s wedding is not his fiancée but a mystery woman who has been identified as—”

A large picture flashed on the screen.

My picture?

I was staring right at my face on that long screen. And what? How the hell did the media get to know my name in the first place?

I froze. My heart dropped straight to my feet.

“…twenty-one-year-old Alvina Frost,” the reporter continued. “Seen entering the Hale mansion on the night of the wedding. Sources claim she is living there as we speak.”

My throat went dry.

What the hell is happening? Why are they trying to make me look like a bad person? I didn't...

“…rumors are already spreading that Ethan Kale may have married this woman in secret. Social media is exploding with questions, accusations, and debates—”

I stood there frozen, wondering how on earth they imagined all those lies.

“—why did the billionaire replace his bride? Who is this woman? Is she the reason the original bride disappeared from the ceremony? Or… is she a paid mistress?”

My body grew weak, I was close to collapsing. And I knew if nature wasn't with me, I'd probably have my head smacked against the tiled floor.

"No," I shook my head, refusing to believe all these. "This is not true."

Why were they pointing fingers at just me? Why wasn't anyone blaming Ethan for making the wrong choice in the first place, like I had mysteriously told him to marry me instead?

Did he pay them to do this to me?

Was it Vivienne trying to have her revenge on me?

Or was it his mother?

At this point, I didn't know who the real culprit was.