The game begins

Episode 3

Scout's pov

She woke up with a sharp inhale, her eyes snapped open, wild, and furious.

I stood still, watching.

She was different.

Ella had been predictable, sweet, quiet, and easy to control. She was the kind of woman who obeyed without needing to be told twice, the kind who folded under pressure and never questioned her place. But Bella? Even now, trapped in a room with a man she didn’t know, she carried herself like she had nothing to lose.

She sat up slowly, eyes scanning the room, taking in every detail like she was calculating an escape route. Then, just as deliberately, she turned her gaze to me.

I leaned back, giving her a moment to adjust, a moment to realize where she was and what had happened. But she didn’t react the way most people would. No screaming, no crying, no pleading for an explanation. Just quiet, sharp awareness.

Interesting, I thought.

"Nice to meet you, little substitute," I said, letting amusement slip into my voice.

I wanted to see her reaction, and she didn't disappoint.

Her jaw tightened.

She stood, not hesitating, not shrinking away. Instead, she took a step closer. Close enough for me to see the fire in her eyes, the defiance radiating off her like heat.

Most women in her position would be crying by now. Begging. But Bella? She was looking at me like she was ready to start a war.

She tilted her head slightly. "Why did you bring me here?" Her voice was steady, demanding answers.

I kept my expression neutral. "You're going to replace your sister." It wasn’t a request. It was a fact.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "And who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"

I smirked. "I’m Scout."

That name alone should have been enough.

But she didn’t flinch. She didn’t so much as blink.

Instead, she folded her arms tighter, eyes narrowing. "I’m not scared of you."

I chuckled under my breath. "You should be."

She stepped even closer, her voice sharp. "Mind your own business."

I leaned in, my amusement only growing. "You are my business. In a few hours, you’ll be my wife, you have to do what I say because you have no choice unless, of course, you’d rather watch your family die."

For the first time, I saw something flicker in her eyes. Not fear, not yet. Just a hesitation.

Then she laughed. A cold, empty sound. "Family?" she repeated. "Do whatever you want with them. I don’t care."

I wonder what kind of relationship she has with her parents for her to say that.

I nodded slightly. Expected. She was good at pretending she didn’t care. But I knew better.

Pulling out my phone, I turned the screen toward her and pressed play.

The live feed was crystal clear that her parents are tied up with their faces pale with fear.

"Please don’t kill me!" her mother’s voice rang out.

Bella froze.

Her entire body tensed as she snatched the phone from my hand, her fingers tightening around it. Her eyes were fierce and unyielding and then wavered for just a moment.

Got you.

She lifted her gaze back to me, voice ice-cold. "Don’t think you can threaten me."

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "I already did. And you will do what I want."

She clenched her jaw, her shoulders rising and falling with controlled breaths. But there was something else in her expression now.

A promise.

"It’s over," I told her.

Her lips curled into a smirk. "Trust me, it’s not." Her voice was low, deliberate. "I’ll prove to you that I’m not like other girls, Scout. Mark my words."

Something unexpected stirred in my chest.

Admiration.

It was rare and almost impossible to find someone who could stand their ground against me. Yet here she was, daring to challenge me, despite everything stacked against her.

I built my empire on control, knowing every move before it was made. Bella was unpredictable, a wild card in a game I thought I had already won.

For the first time in years, I felt genuinely intrigued.

I turned to Ben. "Prepare her for the ceremony," I ordered. "And make sure her family is comfortable."

Bella didn’t fight back as she was led away, but she didn’t bow her head either. She walked with her back straight, her chin lifted. A prisoner, but not a defeated one.

I smirked.

She was going to fight me at every turn.

And I would enjoy every second of it.

Back in my office, I leaned back in my chair, running a hand over my jaw.

Today, something has changed.

Bella could either ruin everything I had built or take it to new heights. The outcome didn’t matter. Either way, I’d win.

I recalled the conversation that had set everything in motion.

earlier

Her mother had come to me.

I had been prepared to marry Ella, prepared to handle her meekness, her obedience. It would have been simple, effortless. Business as usual.

But then she disappeared and I needed to marry someone ,that was when her mother came to me and said something that caught my attention.

"Marry Bella instead."

At first, I thought she was joking.

She repeated herself again, watching closely for any sign of hesitation.

She told me Bella was stubborn, that she’d never yield unless I forced her hand. That she could be fierce, but beneath it, she was soft.

"Threaten her parents. She won’t think twice. She’ll obey."

I had been skeptical. People talked big, but when faced with real consequences, they always crumbled.

But her mother hadn’t lied.

I don't think they have a good mother and daughter relationship for her to propose this, but anyways it was the solution i needed to the problem ella caused.

Bella was strong, but she wasn’t heartless.

And that made her dangerous.

Because now she wasn’t just some unwilling bride.

Now, she had a reason to fight back.

I exhaled slowly, tapping my fingers against my desk.

This was going to be interesting.