Chapter 5 Someone From the Past

**Ophelia’s POV**

I just looked at his hand without trying to take it.

It wasn’t because I wasn’t grateful, but because I couldn’t bring myself to move closer to him. My body still felt shattered, so I could only stare at him while leaning against the headboard.

“What should I call you, Miss Ophelia?”

“Lia.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off his. Those green eyes were so beautiful yet so mysterious, as if they held many secrets.

It made me both afraid and curious.

Only one thing was sure, now in my eyes, all men looked the same. Even though he had saved my life.

“All right, Miss Lia.”

“Just Lia, please,” I corrected him.

“Lia, I’m so sorry for the loss of your baby. When I found you, you looked terrible. You were unconscious, with blood seeping into the snow beneath you. I thought you’d been stabbed, but the doctor said you were pregnant and—”

“Can you please not go into detail?” I emphasized every word.

He then clamped his mouth shut. “All right. I respect your preferences.”

I turned my face away. “Why did you save me? Because you knew I was a member of your orphanage too?”

“No. I saved you because you needed help.”

“Who says I needed help? I never said that. I probably wanted to stay there anyway.”

He chuckled. “Even if you did, I wouldn’t let you die right in front of me.”

“If it wasn’t your fault, then it’s fine.”

He nodded and crossed his arms. “I just couldn’t possibly let you lie there until you froze to death.”

I let out a sharp sigh and pulled the blanket back a little. “I have a lot of questions.”

“Go ahead. I’ll answer them.”

“How did you know I was from that orphanage, too?”

“Because there’s a record of it.”

“You have it—oh, of course. But that was a long time ago. I left there years ago. The face you saw in the records may be very different from the one you see now.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But your face is still the same.”

“You’re lying. Of course there have been changes. I’m older now. You probably saw me in those records when I was still a teenager. That’s why it feels strange if you recognized me just from the records.”

“I do find it easy to recognize people.”

No matter how Nix explained it, I still couldn’t believe him. My trust in men had been destroyed, and I didn’t want to rebuild it now.

“I can understand if you’re scared and suspicious.”

“I just can’t trust you.” I pulled back the blanket, intending to leave. But Nix held my hand.

“To be honest, I’ve seen your face before—back in the orphanage records my parents had.”

“So?”

“I read your name. And yesterday, when I found you, I saw your ID. They’re the same.”

I nodded. “That makes sense. Thank you for taking the initiative to help me. I’m leaving now.”

Unfortunately, when I tried to move, my whole body still felt stiff. In the end, I forced myself to get up—after all, there was no way I could stay at Nix’s house, even if he knew me.

I didn’t know him. And more importantly, I didn’t know his true motives for helping me. Because, as they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, right?

“You haven’t asked the rest of your questions yet,” he said once I’d managed to plant both feet on the floor.

“One last thing,” I finally mustered the courage to look him in the eye. “What do you want from me in return? I hope you’re not asking for money because all I have right now is the clothes and my body.”

“I don’t want your money.”

“So? My body?”

Suddenly, he placed one hand on my shoulder. That put me on guard.

“What are you doing?”

Before answering me, he lifted both my legs back onto the bed. Then he piled pillows behind my back. “I’ve got a big deal to offer. And I want you to listen in comfort.”

“What kind of offer?”

Nix tucked the blanket around me, and then a meaningful smile appeared on his face. “Revenge.”

Although I was a little surprised, I tried not to react. I just clenched my hands inside the blanket.

“Revenge for what?”

“I know you left in such a state not because you wanted to.”

“I’m sorry, but you don’t know anything.”

“I do.”

“You’ve been digging into my life? That’s illegal—I didn’t give you permission.”

“You’re right. But now you know. I want to offer you a partnership.”

“I’m not interested in partnering with someone who dares to pry into my life without permission.”

“Even if it means making Elio—your ex-husband—suffer?”

Hearing that bastard’s name mentioned again made my blood boil all over again. The pain he caused was still too fresh to forget. It made me relive the entire incident at that house.

“This is an offer that benefits you. You’ll see him suffer because he hurt you.”

I looked back at him more boldly. “What else do you know besides that?”

“Everything—but enough to know who you are, Ophelia.”

God. Does this mean I have to accept Nix’s offer?

On one hand, I no longer want anything to do with Elio. Everything about him hurts me.

But on the other hand, I also really want him to feel remorse and get his just deserts for wasting my time all this while. I truly resent all the sacrifices I’ve made for him.

I’m so torn. I don’t know which choice will truly benefit me.

I don’t know what Nix is like yet. I don’t know if he’s like a lion who’ll truly protect me or the opposite.

“If you’re curious, I can explain the terms of our partnership. Then you can think it over.”

“What kind of partnership?”

“I’ll help you destroy Elio, and you’ll help me build the image I want in front of my family and the public.”

“How?”

“Marry me in a contract marriage. We’ll adjust the contents of the contract to suit both of our needs.”