CHAPTER TWO

HIS CURSE; HER BLESSING

(Isla’s POV)

Silence. That was all I could hear after my words left my mouth.

Dozens of stunned faces looked at me, some were fascinated with the words coming out of my mouth while others with pity, but most with disbelief. 

My father’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes lurking with mine as if he hadn't expected me to accept so easily. 

Maybe he thought I would cry, begging for a different fate. But I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Evelyn’s face twisted into disbelief, a weird look on her face before she quickly masked it with a delicate sigh. "Oh, Isla," she murmured, stepping forward, her fingers brushing against my arm in mock concern.

 "Are you sure about this? Marrying a man who… well, who will never walk again?"

A few guests chuckle in amusement, making sure I didn't hear them, their whispers crawling over my skin like insects.

"She’s desperate."

"Of course, she would take whatever she can get."

"Maybe she thinks she can use him for something."

I forced myself to hold my ground, my heart beating fast against my rib cage. "Yes," I said, my voice steady.

 "I’m sure."

Father exhaled sharply, clearly displeased that I had left him no room to humiliate me further. "Very well," he said gently. 

"Then it’s settled. I will arrange the marriage contract."

With that, he turned away, signaling the end of the discussion. The guests took it as their cue to resume their conversations, the gossip spreading like wildfire through the grand ballroom.

But Evelyn wasn’t finished.

She leaned closer towards me, her lips  moving slyly as she whispered into my ears,  "Enjoy being the wife of a broken man, dear sister."

Then, having said that, she walked away, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the room.

I took in a deep breath, ignoring the heat rising to my face. I should have felt ashamed. 

I should have been humiliated. But deep inside, something unexpected burned within me.

Let them laugh.

They had no idea that Ethan Seedorf fate wasn’t as sealed as they thought.

Because I knew something no one else did.

The car ride to the Seedorf estate was suffocating. The thought of meeting him, seeing his face alone gnawed at me. 

I envisioned what he looked like, what his world was like and I wonder if I fit into any of it. 

The grand mansion was visibly seen as we got closer, its tall gates opening slowly as our car approached. The thoughts and heavy weight of what I had agreed to finally started to unsettle me. 

Would Ethan even accept this? Would he be angry? Would he throw me out the moment he saw me?

I clutched my hands together, trying to still the nervous tremor in my fingers. I could feel my finger begin to sweat. It usually does that when I am anxious.

The car stopped.

The driver opened the door, and I stepped out onto the paved driveway, my heels clicking against the stone. The air was thick with the scent of expensive roses, but even their fragrance couldn’t mask the tension in my chest.

A butler stood at the entrance, his expression was gentle but then, it was unreadable. "Miss Carter," he greeted stiffly. "Mr. Seedorf is waiting inside."

I nodded and followed him through the massive doors. The inner design of the mansion was breathtaking—high ceilings, marble floors, grand chandeliers—but none of it mattered right now.

Because at the end of the hallway, seated in a wheelchair, was Ethan Seedorf.

My heart pounded as I walked closer to him. 

He was nothing like the man I had seen in photographs before he had his accident. His handsome and sharp gaze was now cold and icy.

 His dark hair, slightly rumpled, fell over his forehead. And his posture, though still showing his masculine dominance was different—trapped in the chair he couldn’t escape.

He didn’t speak as I approached.

The butler excused himself, leaving us alone in the big sitting room.

For a long moment, Ethan simply stared at me. His gaze eyes swept over my figure, assessing, calculating.

Then, finally, he spoke. His voice was low, rough. "So… they sent me a replacement."

I swallowed. "I came here willingly."

His lips curved, but there was no amusement in it. "Willingly?" He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

 "How noble of you. Tell me, Isla Carter, what exactly do you gain from this arrangement?"

I clenched my hands at my sides. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" His tone was mocking me now and I wasn't sure of what to say. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I expect you to believe whatever you want.” I replied, I was definitely not in the mood to banter words with him. 

His brows lifted slightly, as if my attitude surprised him. "Interesting," he murmured. "You don't seem as spineless as I expected."

I forced myself to meet his gaze. "And you don’t seem as helpless as they say."

His fingers stilled against the chair’s armrest. A tense silence settled between us.

Then, his expression changed. "I’ll make this clear," he said with a cold and icy tone. "I don’t want a wife. I don’t need a pity marriage. And I certainly don’t need you."

I looked at him as he ulter those words. They sting  but he didn’t look away. "Then reject the marriage," I said simply.

His jaw tightened, his grip on the chair tensing. "Oh, I plan to."

I tilted my head. "Are you sure?"

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

My pulse quickened. This was the moment. The gamble I was willing to take.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Because I know something you don’t, Ethan Seedorf."

His gaze was a little taken back by the words coming out of my mouth. "And what exactly is that?"

I leaned in, meeting his icy gaze head-on.

"Your legs can be healed."

The air we both draw was stiffened for a bit

His entire body vibrated with the thoughts of him being able to work again, his fingers gripping the armrests of his wheelchair as if he wasn't expecting to hear the words that were coming out of my mouth. 

 

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper, he asked:

"What did you just say?"

A slow, eerie smile tugged at my lips.

"I can help you walk again."

I said the word again and he let out a cold laugh that sent me looking puzzled once more.