Chapter 6

The two of them remained on the beach for nearly an hour.

She never moved from where she sat, her legs stretched out toward the sea while the small waves washed over her feet, soaking the hem of her shorts.

Dusk slowly settled over the island.

The sky glowed with shades of orange, reflecting beautifully across the calm ocean. With the sun sinking below the horizon, darkness gradually enveloped the shore.

From a distance, Zake continued watching her.

She showed no sign of leaving.

He let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes.

Am I really doing the right thing?

Marriage had never been part of their original agreement.

When Adrianne's parents could no longer repay the enormous debt they owed him, he had decided to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage instead.

But everything changed the moment her father broke their agreement and hid Adrianne from him.

The amount they owed him wasn't small.

It was worth millions.

He had trusted them with his money and even invested in their businesses, believing everything was running smoothly.

He had been wrong.

Her mother had become obsessed with a luxurious lifestyle, throwing extravagant parties, treating friends to expensive restaurants and luxury resorts as though money would never run out.

Her father, meanwhile, had fallen into gambling.

One by one, he had lost nearly every property he owned.

Only their mansion remained, and even that had already been mortgaged.

At first, the man had begged for more time, promising he would repay everything.

But who would lend money to someone with such a reputation?

Left with no other option, Zake demanded Adrianne's hand as payment.

Even now, he couldn't explain why he had made that decision.

He had thought about it for a long time.

Then he saw her.

Not in person—not properly.

Only from afar during a party.

Even from a distance, her beauty had captivated him.

Her graceful figure...

Her elegance...

The memory alone made him clench his jaw.

"Damn..."

He cursed under his breath.

The image refused to leave his mind.

Unable to calm himself, he strode into the bathroom and stepped beneath the cold shower without even bothering to remove his clothes.

The icy water poured over him.

He braced both hands against the wall and tilted his head back, letting the water run over his face.

Several long minutes passed before he finally peeled off his soaked clothes.

No matter how hard he tried...

The heat inside him refused to disappear.

Night had fallen.

Yet Addie remained on the beach.

The evening wind had grown colder, and her clothes were completely drenched from the waves.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling.

She still couldn't accept what had happened.

Or why she was trapped on an island with that man.

Looking up, she stared at the moon and countless stars scattered across the night sky.

She leaned back on her hands, allowing the waves to gently brush against her legs.

She wanted to give up.

But she hadn't even attempted to escape yet.

How could she?

There wasn't a single boat in sight.

She had no idea where this island was.

How was she supposed to leave?

Is this really my fate?

To spend the rest of my life imprisoned by that man?

With all his wealth...

Surely he could have any woman he wanted.

So why...

Why her?

Unable to hold herself together any longer, she lay back on the sand.

The waves continued washing over her until her entire body was soaked.

She shivered violently from the cold.

For a fleeting moment...

She wished death would come before another day of living this nightmare.

A sob escaped her lips.

Maybe it would be better if the sea simply carried me away...

She remained there until a deep voice shattered the silence.

"Get up."

His cold tone sent a chill through her entire body.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Standing beside her was Zake.

Under the pale moonlight, his handsome face appeared almost unreal.

His expression remained as cold and unreadable as ever.

He looked ruthless.

Heartless.

She hated him.

Yet every time he touched her...

Her resolve weakened.

The contradiction infuriated her.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Only the sound of the waves filled the silence.

Finally, she broke it.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He said nothing.

"I said, get up," he repeated firmly.

"Don't make me drag you up myself."

She remained where she was.

Tears continued streaming down her face.

She blamed her parents.

They were the ones who owed him.

So why was she the one paying the price?

A quiet sob escaped her lips.

Zake's expression hardened.

He turned away but stopped after only a step.

"Don't ask me why you're here," he said without looking back.

"You already know the answer."

"And don't think your tears will change my mind."

She clenched her fists.

"I'm not pretending!" she cried.

"And who said I was trying to manipulate you?"

"You don't even have a heart!"

His head snapped toward her.

"Shut up."

In an instant, he was kneeling before her, gripping her face tightly.

Pain shot through her jaw as fresh tears spilled from her eyes.

"You don't know anything," he said through clenched teeth.

For a moment, they simply stared at one another.

Then he released her.

Without another word, he turned and walked away into the darkness, leaving her alone on the beach.

She closed her eyes.

Her body ached.

Her heart hurt even more.

After sitting there for a while longer, she slowly pushed herself to her feet and limped back toward the house.