A Binding Life

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling of the room I now found myself in, trying to process everything that had happened over the past few weeks. What fairytale title could I possibly give this whole experience? The funny thing is it still does not feel like it is over. In fact, it feels like I am stuck in the middle of it and it is far from ending.

Aleksander is such an intimidating man. His presence is undeniable. He carries himself with a kind of authority that demands respect, that screams wealth and power without even trying. When I looked at him properly during that first encounter in his office, his face, his posture, his calm intensity, I could not help but notice how majestic he looked. Handsome does not even cut it. That man was hand carved by God on a good day. One of His favorites, clearly.

The way he handled the entire situation, so calculated and precise, had me convinced I would end up in jail that night. And yet, here I am. Sleeping under his roof, taking care of his daughter. Honestly, who would believe me if I told them this? It sounds made up, even to me.

I have been trying so hard to fall asleep, but I just cannot. My mind will not stop spinning. Why am I lying here, thinking about a man who almost got my sister arrested just two days ago? Why is he occupying space in my head like this? It is insane.

Just as I started to close my eyes, I heard a knock on the door.

I did not move at first. But then came a second knock.

With a slight frown, I got out of bed, wondering if it was Nora. She sometimes wandered around at night, missing her nanny.

But when I opened the door, it was not her. It was Erik.

He cleared his throat and spoke in his usual clipped tone.

“Mr Barginsen wants to see you. He said you should come with me.”

I blinked, confused.

“Why does he want to see me? It is late.” My voice was hesitant, matching the puzzled look on my face.

“Follow me to find out,” he said simply, offering nothing more.

I hesitated. Waited a few seconds, unsure of what this was about. But when he glanced back to check if I was following, I eventually stepped out.

We walked through the hallway in silence until we reached a large door. Erik knocked and waited. A second later, a muffled voice from inside gave him the go ahead. Erik opened it and motioned for me to go in. I walked in slowly, still trying to make sense of all this.

He closed the door behind me without entering.

I glanced around the room, then my eyes landed on him. Aleksander. He was seated behind his desk in a chair that somehow made him look even more powerful. He wore grey sweatpants and a fitted black shirt, his hair slightly damp, like he had just come out of the shower. The office looked lived in tonight, dimly lit and warmer than I expected. Maybe he stayed here often after all.

His eyes were locked on mine, intense and unreadable. It made me feel uneasy. Like he was trying to see something in me that even I did not know was there.

He gestured toward the chair across from him.

I sat down, reluctantly.

The room went quiet for a moment until he finally spoke.

“Sorry for waking you at this time of the night,” he said, his voice low, his eyes still on me.

“What could not wait until the morning?” I asked, keeping my tone calm but curious.

“Well, it is important,” he said, sitting up so he could face me properly. “It is very important, because it will determine whether or not you have truly paid the debt you owe me.”

He continued, and I was stunned.

All this while, I had assumed that taking care of his daughter just for the weekend meant that Aria and I owed him nothing anymore. So what did he mean by saying it would be decided whether I had paid the debt?

With a confused look, I asked,

“I thought taking care of your daughter was the deal. That it paid everything off. What exactly are you trying to say right now?”

He just looked at me and said nothing.

“What I have to offer you is a very serious deal,” he finally said, his voice firm.

He got up from his chair, came around the desk, and leaned against it on my left side—just like he had done in the other office, the day he threatened to press charges against my sister.

That was the moment I realized this was not going to be anything simple. Whatever he wanted to say was serious.

“What deal?” I asked, slowly turning my head to look at him. I could fully take in the scent of his cologne now, and it made my chest tighten in a way I did not expect.

“I want you to come with me to Norway. Today,” he said, then paused for a moment.

I turned quickly to look at his face, hoping he was not serious about what he had just said. Surely, he did not expect me to agree to that. Obviously, I was not going to.

“And why do you think I would do that?” I asked, staring straight at him.

“You will. Do I need to explain myself?” he said in a quiet but cunning tone.

“Because you would arrest me?” I shot back. “If that is your reason, then go ahead and do it, because I will not go with you. I am done doing what you want me to do.”

I held nothing back.

“I did my part. I looked after your daughter, just like you asked. And honestly, I enjoyed it. She is adorable. But to leave with you to Norway? No. No. No. I would not do that. I am sorry for whatever happened between your nephew and us, but I will not go.”

“What I said was not even half of the deal,” he replied, brushing off everything I had just said.

“Well, I am still not doing it,” I shot back, not backing down.

He walked over to his chair, opened a drawer, and pulled out a set of documents. Holding them in his hand, he looked at me calmly and said,

“I want you to follow me to Norway as my wife.”

I stared at him, completely blank. I could not process what I had just heard. His words echoed in my head. For a moment, I truly thought it was some kind of joke. A part of me wanted to laugh it off, like it was just one more strange twist in this fairytale I seemed to be stuck in.

I let out a short chuckle.

“You are joking, right?”

But the way he looked at me told me he was not. His expression had changed. It was firm now, unwavering. Serious. The humor in my face vanished immediately.

I started shaking my head, trying to reject what I had just heard.

“No. No. No. This has to be a joke.”

“You honestly expect me to follow you to Norway? You think I would say yes to a marriage proposal? From a man I barely even know?”

My voice rose slightly as frustration filled my chest.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you always trying to pull something dramatic? Do you enjoy putting me through mental stress?”

I stood up now, my voice stronger.

“You already played one trick with that whole romance scam. You almost got my sister arrested. And now this?”

I paused and looked at him, breathing harder than before.

“You think I am just going to agree to marry you like this is normal? You cannot just throw out a marriage proposal like it is part of some business negotiation.”

I folded my arms, waiting for him to say something , anything that would make this make sense.

A flood of thoughts rushed through my mind. Just when I almost believed I had finally gotten out of this mess, he somehow found a way to make the situation even worse.

He accused us of a romance scam because of the foolish actions of his own nephew. He dragged us into this forcefully, interrogated us like we were criminals. He threatened us, pressed charges, took my sister into custody. Then, out of nowhere, he dropped the charges and asked me to help him look after his daughter. I agreed, thinking that would be the end of it. I truly believed that once this was over, I would never have to deal with him again.

And now, here he was, standing in front of me with another stunt.

“Marry me and travel with me to Norway.”

Just days after meeting me.

“You have two choices to make,” he said, his voice calm but full of power. “Accept it or…”

He paused, smirked, and continued, completely ignoring my outburst.

“I will make your life and your sister’s life completely ruined for what you did to my seventeen year old cousin. And I am sure you know I have a strong case against you. As a law student, you are fully aware of what that means.”

His threat landed hard, every word spoken with boldness and control.

He watched me cry without the slightest flicker of emotion.

“On the other hand,” he said quietly, his voice smooth but sharp, “if you accept the marriage, you will be compensated.”

He leaned back, smirking slightly, as if this was all just business.

“Everything you and your sister wanted when you thought it was a good idea to scam my cousin… you can have it again.”

He lifted the papers in his hand and tapped them once.

“The penthouse. The salon. Her account unfrozen. All of it. The terms are written here.”

He did not even glance at the tears still running down my face.

“Your emotions do not change the facts. This is the offer.”

I stayed silent, trembling, wiping my face, but he was already pressing forward.

“All I need is your agreement. Be my wife. On paper only. It is for business. Nothing more.”

He looked directly at me. Unblinking. Detached.

“This lifestyle you tasted for a moment can return. And this time, it will be legal. Signed. Protected.”

He stood straighter now, like he had won something.

“You are a law student. Be smart. You already know how this ends if you refuse.”

It was a lot to process in that moment. He sat there, calm and unreadable, and it was clear he had all the time in the world to wait.

I kept thinking through everything he had said. Honestly, those three weeks living in luxury felt amazing. If I had the chance to keep that kind of life, I would take it. But not like this. Not through something that felt more like a threat than an opportunity. Not with a man like him.

His offer was cold, but convincing. Dangerous, but tempting.

I thought about my sister. About what would happen if I said no. If I refused this, I might never see her again. She would serve time in prison for something that was not entirely her fault. That thought alone made my stomach twist.

I had already agreed to watch over his daughter. If I could manage that, then maybe I could manage this too. Although this was far more serious. It required much more from me. It would change everything.

I let out a long sigh.

“You stress the hell out of me,” I said quietly, looking straight at him.

His lips curved into a slight smile at my comment, as if he was amused.

I took a moment, then asked,

“For how long?”

The question caught him off guard. I saw it. He sat back properly in his chair, his eyes sharpening as he realized I was actually considering it.

“Just for a year,” he replied. “Take this and go through it now. It is in your field of study, so you will understand everything.”

He handed me the papers.

I took them carefully, flipping through each page and scanning the details. Just like he said, the important parts were already stated. I would act as his wife, take his last name, appear with him at functions, attend business trips, and move in with him.

The terms were clear. The promises were real.

The offer, written plainly on paper, looked very promising. Almost too promising. It felt like I was falling into another fairytale. Another story I did not ask for.

I was basically an orphan. My older brother, who is Aria’s father, had cut me off simply because I still kept in touch with the daughter he disowned. If I made this choice, I had no real family left to judge me. No one who truly cared about us.

It felt like the decision had already been made. I was thinking of accepting it. Maybe not for me—but for Aria. For her freedom. For our survival.