Proposal

Chapter 5

SOFIA POV

Okay. Maybe I'd somehow died at the hands of those masked men and ended up in the afterlife because there was no way this man standing in front of me was real, let alone my husband.

“Shall we continue from where you stopped at the altar?” His husky voice wrapped around me.

“Last time I checked, you didn't have a walking stick, you're not seventy-five, and my husband doesn't look this good.” I huffed.

His lips curled into a smirk as he slipped his hands into his pockets. His blue eyes were cold. Unbelievably cold.

Nothing like any man I had ever laid eyes on. Then again, this wasn't just any man. He was Adrien Mercer, the man they called the Brooding Devil. He had a reputation to match the name.

“Miss Ross, is it your wish to marry Rico Drake?” he asked.

Why was he asking me that? What business did he have with the man I was supposed to marry?

“I don't think my dear old husband's business is any of yours, Mr. New York. But you're behind my kidnapping, aren't you?” I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to sound confident in front of a man who practically radiated confidence.

He had so much presence it was almost ridiculous.

“You're right. I am. But that's not why we're here. I'll ask you again, Miss Ross. Do you want to marry Rico Drake?”

Gosh. My husband had the ugliest name in the entire world.

Rico Drake?!

I still couldn't believe my father had given me to a man named Rico Drake.

“He's going to be my husband. I'll marry him,” I said, not meaning a single word.

“Why?”

He tilted his head slightly, waiting for my answer.

“My father said he'll treat me right, and he's loaded,” I blurted it out before I could stop myself. The second it left my lips, I wanted to scream.

Why was I sitting here sounding like an absolute idiot in front of Adrien Mercer?

“He married his last wife when she was eighteen. He impregnated her and made her give birth to countless babies. And today? She's nowhere to be found. Rumour has it she's dead.”

I swallowed. Every word coming out of his mouth sounded horrifying.

“That's a lie. He had three wives, and none of them were teenagers.” At least, that was what I'd read in the tabloids.

Adrien scoffed and pulled out his phone, holding it in front of me.

My mouth fell open.

It was a picture of my supposed husband with his mouth latched onto a woman's breast. She looked barely older than a teenager. Thin and pale.

“That's the kind of man your father sold you to. Rico will use you. He'll put his wrinkled dick in your pussy, then bring other men home to fuck you because he can't do it himself. They'll use you and tear your cunt apart.”

He delivered those words so casually, as though he were discussing anything normal.

My chest tightened.

Why would my father make me marry a man like that?

Or maybe he didn't know what kind of man Rico really was.

“Can you stop the wedding, please?” My voice came out shaky.

I'd lose my mind if that potbellied old man ever put his mouth on my breast.

A pleased expression crossed Adrien's face.

“I will…”

“Oh my God! Thank you so mu—”

“On one condition.”

I stopped.

What? What could he possibly want from me?

“What condition?” I asked.

A brief silence settled between us.

“Marry me.”

My head fell back, and I burst out laughing.

Since when did billionaires make jokes?

“Anything funny, Miss Ross?” he asked clearly unamused.

“Of course you are. You're hilarious!” I managed between laughs.

“Well, this isn't a joke. I'm serious.”

My laughter died immediately.

“You mean it?” I asked, my eyes widening.

He gave a small nod.

I swallowed. This was more serious than I'd thought.

“But why?”

“I need a wife… for a year.”

A year?

What kind of twisted romance novel did my life turned into?

“You, Mr. Mercer, need a wife for a year, and it's me you want?” I pointed at my chest.

Me?

Of all the women in the world?

He could have any woman he wanted. He could marry the hottest woman on earth, and he was asking me?

I was the last marriageable woman on earth.

“You, Miss Ross. Are you in?”

This was shady as fuck.

He'd had me kidnapped, brought me here, and was now asking me to become his wife.

None of it made sense.

But I could think about that later. Right now, the last thing I wanted was to lose my only chance of stopping my wedding to that old man.

I didn't want a perverted old man sucking on my precious boobs. Please.

“Fine. I'll marry you, but my father…” I trailed off.

“Your father won't be a problem. I'll speak to him. All you have to do is cooperate. Will you, Miss Ross?”

He tilted his head, his cold blue eyes fixed on me.

There was nothing in them. No excitement, no amusement, not even the slightest hint of interest.

I hadn't seen a single emotion on his face since he'd walked into the room.

What sort of ice was this man?

“Okay, but what happens after the one year?” I mumbled.

“We get divorced.”

I stared at him.

Just like that? He wanted a wife for a year and then a divorce?

But honestly, I didn't care. A year with him sounded much better than a lifetime with Rico.

“Okay, fine,” I said.

He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a document and a pen, handing it to me.

I looked at him hesitantly before shifting my gaze to the paper. Taking it from him, I glanced through the first page.

A marriage agreement.

Adrien Mercer and Sofia Mercer.

“What?” I stared at the names in disbelief.

He already had a marriage agreement prepared?

What sort of calculated menace was this man?

“Sign it,” he said.

I looked down at the document, trying to read through the agreement, but my head was still spinning. I could barely make sense of anything happening in my life.

“Can I read it first?” I asked.

“How about you sign it and read it later when you're settled?” he retorted.

He had a point. I didn't have time to waste. I didn't want him changing his mind and passing this opportunity to someone else while I ended up stuck with Rico.

So I signed the document and handed it back to him.

His lips curled into a satisfied smile.

There was something about that smile. It made him look like a man who had just secured his final chess piece.

“I'll take my leave now.”

He stood from the chair and headed towards the door.

“Hold on. Aren't you going to take me out of here?” I asked, confused.

He didn't answer.

I stared after him, my mouth hanging open.

And it wasn't just because he had casually locked me in the room...

...it was the heavy silver wedding band glinting on his left ring finger as he reached for the doorknob.

I blinked.

Wait.

Does he already have a wife?