CHAPTER 5

Violet's heart pounds as she stays trapped under Soren's body.

"This is crazy! Marrying a man I barely know? And why does he want this marriage?" Violet ponders within, feeling uncomfortable with this deal.

"He's The Soren Ashwood. A billionaire for crying out loud. And I'm just a girl who's not up to his level. We're from two entirely different worlds. No, I can't," She concludes in her head, as she prepares to push him away and refuse his absurd proposal.

Then a vivid, agonizing image flashes behind her eyelids. She sees Derek’s cold, indifferent eyes as he swam right past her. She hears her stepsister Chloe’s mocking, victorious laughter echoing over the rushing river. They had left her to drown in the freezing dark without a single shred of remorse.

A cold, hard wave of anger washes over her, replacing her fear with a burning desire for retribution. If she returns to her family now, she will be penniless, disowned, and humiliated. But with Soren, she will have an untouchable shield. Violet swallows the lump in her throat, forcing her voice to remain steady as she glares back at him. "If I agree to this contract marriage, I have conditions," she declares, her tone sharper than before. "I will not be a helpless puppet or a trophy wife. My late mother’s company shares must be legally protected from my father and Derek. They cannot touch a single cent."

Soren stares at her for a long moment, the tense silence in the limousine stretching until Violet can barely breathe. Then, a slow, dark smirk spreads across his handsome face. He likes her fire. He respects a woman who bargains even when she is cornered. "Deal," Soren murmurs, his voice a low, alluring rumble. He signals to his assistant in the front seat, who immediately hands back a sleek tablet displaying a pre-prepared digital legal document. Soren signs his name with a swift, elegant stroke before passing the tablet to Violet. With trembling fingers, she signs her name right next to his. The contract is sealed. She is officially the billionaire's wife.

The limousine finally smoothly glides to a halt in front of a breathtaking, massive estate hidden behind iron gates, Soren's private mansion. As a guard opens the car door, Soren helps Violet step out, but before they enter the grand foyer, he stops and looks down at her shivering form. A dangerous glint sparks in his eyes. "Our arrangement begins immediately, Violet," he says softly, a chilling promise in his tone. "Tomorrow morning, Derek and your family are holding an emergency press conference to clean up their public image and use you as the scapegoat. We are going to hijack it. Tomorrow, you will show the entire world exactly who you belong to now."

Soren leads Violet through the towering double doors of his majestic mansion. Inside, the grand foyer is a breathtaking display of white marble, crystal chandeliers, and opulent wealth. Instantly, a head housekeeper and three elegant maids bow respectfully to them. Soren glances down at Violet's shivering, damp form and commands in a smooth, quiet voice, "Take care of my wife. Give her the finest treatment, prepare her room, and ensure she has everything she needs." The maids immediately spring into action, guiding Violet away from Soren.

The two share one more eye lock, as Soren winks at Violet, making her turn red again, before looking away.

She's led up a sweeping spiral staircase to a master guest suite that is larger than her entire old apartment. Inside the luxurious bathroom, the maids draw a steaming, deep porcelain bath filled with fragrant rose oil and expensive milk soaps. Violet sinks into the warm water, letting out a long, shaky sigh as the exhaustion and chill of the river finally begin to melt away. The maids gently wash her hair, dry her with plush, heated towels, and dress her in an incredibly soft, silk emerald-green pajama set that feels like a second skin. When she finally steps into the main bedroom, she sits on the center of a massive, king-sized canopy bed. For the first time in years, looking around at the sheer luxury surrounding her, Violet feels truly alive.

Suddenly, her phone begins to vibrate violently on the nightstand. The screen lights up with her father’s name, followed immediately by a call from her stepmother. Violet stares at the screen with cold detachment, letting it ring out into silence. She refuses to answer. A second later, text messages begin flooding in. Her father writes, “You ungrateful brat! You ruined Chloe’s night and humiliated our family! You will come home right now and apologize, or I will disown you and take every single share of your mother’s inheritance!”

A year ago, these words would have left Violet weeping in terror. But now, looking at the grand walls of Soren’s estate, she feels absolutely no fear. She deletes the messages with a calm flick of her thumb, only for another text to come in. This time it's from Chloe.

"Hey, sis. How are you? Are you staying under a roof or on the road where you belong? Derek now belongs to me. He just told me we're going to get engage soon. Don't tell me you're crying, sis. Let me guess, that cold hearted Soren got tired of shielding you and threw you in the gutters?"

Violet frowns, seeing another text popping up from Chloe again.

"You know Soren Ashwood is dangerous. He has no time for tramps like you. Now that you no hahe nowhere else to go, I suggest you crawl back home before we completely shut our doors to you."

Violet groans in anger but calms herself. She stops herself from replying the message. She's about to turn her phone off when it starts ringing.

It's Derek calling.