Chapter 4

Liam crouched beside her, his hands hovering uncertainly, unsure whether he should touch her. He paused briefly, his eyes narrowing, and Sophia guessed he had just recognized her.

“I'm sorry, Miss,” he began, polite but with a clipped edge. “But you just emerged from nowhere, and I was caught off guard. Lucky for you, I hit the brakes in time.”

Sophia struggled to sit up, wincing as pain lanced through her skull. Liam let out a deep sigh, his expression solemn.

“You're that girl from the club, aren't you?” he muttered, his brows furrowed as though the universe were playing some kind of joke on him.

Sophia didn't respond, her hazy gaze transfixed on him as her mind wandered. Liam wondered what she was thinking about.

“I'm Liam… remember?” he added, as if to confirm she hadn't lost her senses.

Still, Sophia was speechless. Her brain stalled for a couple of minutes, trying to process what had just happened—how close she’d come to death.

“Miss, are you okay?” he asked again, his voice tinged with slight urgency. “I think I should call an ambulance.”

Sophia couldn't even think. Her mind was spinning, not just from the fall but from the avalanche of shame, anger, and desperation choking her chest.

What she said next wasn't planned. It tumbled out before she could stop herself.

“Marry me,” she blurted out.

Liam blinked, completely thrown off balance. “What?”

“I said,” she pushed herself upright, ignoring the blood drying at her temple, “marry me.”

Liam stared at her like she had grown another head. His eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape. She was bruised, bleeding, her dress torn and hair a tangled mess. For a moment, she looked like a madwoman—but the wild, pleading look in her hazel eyes stopped him from laughing it off.

His confused eyes drifted downward to her wedding dress. And then, he understood. She had probably been stood up at the altar on her wedding day.

“You couldn’t get my number last night,” Sophia said hoarsely, forcing a shaky smile, “now’s your chance.”

Liam let out a loud scoff, raising an eyebrow. He sat back on his heels, dragging a hand through his hair. Never had he encountered anything so bewildering.

“You must’ve bumped your head harder than I thought,” he said, half-mocking.

“I’m serious,” she insisted, grabbing the front of his shirt weakly. “Just for a year. One year. Then we’ll divorce. No strings, no drama. I just… I just need a way out. Away from them.” Her voice cracked, her hands unable to stop trembling.

She knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn’t care anymore.

“Um… Miss…,” he stuttered, squirming slightly from her grasp. “I want to help but… I can't just marry someone I barely know. For all you know, I could be a bad guy with crazy intentions.” His tone was flat, almost dismissive.

Sophia let out a deep sigh, lowering her gaze. Liam's words had brought her back to her senses. “You're right. This is stupid,” she mumbled to herself, her words barely audible.

Liam's gaze transformed from shock to concern. He wondered what was going through her head and what must have led to this point.

Weakly supporting herself with one hand, Sophia tried to get up but Liam stopped her, holding her shoulders lightly. “You're too weak to stand. I'll help you,” he said evenly.

Sophia faintly shook his hands off her shoulders, avoiding eye contact with him. “Don't worry. I'll manage.”

Liam looked away, running a hand across his face. His chest heaved as he exhaled through his nose. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty right now?” he scoffed, though his gaze lingered a bit too long.

“Oh, don't make me feel worse than I already do,” Sophia said with a sigh, her cheeks flushed with shame.

She tried to get up again but he stopped her once again, holding her firmly this time. He held her gaze steadily, his expression solemn.

His intense stare unsettled her. His light gray eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, searching out her inner thoughts. She nervously averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

“Do you think another marriage is going to solve your problem? You’ve barely gotten out of one,” he asked, almost like he was demanding a specific answer.

Sophia glanced up at him, squinting against the scorching sun. “Well…” she mumbled. “I guess I wasn't in my right senses when I thought starting a new family of my own would give me leverage to walk away from my current family. Because that actually sounds absurd.” She shrugged, glancing around at the gawking onlookers, their whispers cutting sharper than the pain in her head.

“So what exactly do you think you'd gain by marrying me? Money?” Liam asked bluntly, almost accusingly, his expression neutral.

“Honestly, I don't need your money,” Sophia replied, her expression turning serious. “Just a disguise to prove to my family that I've moved on somehow. Quickly.”

Liam hesitated, still staring at her. He could have walked away. A sane person would have. But something about the raw desperation on her face, something about the way she was gazing at him like he was her last chance—it dug into his chest.

“You’re serious?” he asked, searching her eyes.

She nodded fiercely; her posture sagged with defeat. “Our marriage will be just on paper, nothing else. I’ll disappear after. You’ll never have to see me again. I promise.”

Liam exhaled slowly, glancing around at the curious crowd gathering at the edge of the sidewalk. While cursing under his breath, he helped her to her feet.

He rubbed his jaw, then let out a deep breath. “Fine,” he said flatly, almost too casually. “Let’s go get married—if that's what you really want.” A faint smirk tugged at his lips, the kind that could be mistaken for gallows humor, and then it was gone.

Sophia laughed—a broken, disbelieving sound—and wiped at her half-dried tears. “You agree to this? Really?” she exclaimed, her mouth agape with surprise.

She hadn't expected the stranger to agree so easily, but she was relieved he did.

“Isn't that what you wanted?” he asked. His tone was cool, but his eyes lingered on her a moment too long, unreadable.

The subtle amusement on Sophia's face immediately disappeared and she sealed her lips.

Without another word, they stumbled toward his car, drawing even more stares.

Once they were inside, Liam twisted the key and the car sprang to life. And so, the bloody, battered bride and the bewildered stranger drove off toward City Hall, leaving the gawking onlookers behind.