The first thing I smelled was the scent of expensive soap and clean sheets.
I opened my eyes slowly. Everything was white and bright.
For a second, I thought I was dead. I remembered the rain, the bright headlights of the car, and the terrible pain in my side. But now, the pain was just a dull throb.
I tried to sit up, but a hand gently pressed against my shoulder.
"Don't move yet, Elara. You're still weak."
I turned my head. Sitting in a chair next to my bed was the man from the bar. He looked even more powerful in the daylight. He had black hair that was perfectly styled and a sharp suit that made him look like a king.
"You..." I whispered. My throat was dry.
"You're the man from the hotel. And the car..."
"My name is Caspian Valerius," he said. His voice was deep and calm.
"And yes, it was my car that hit you. I am so sorry. My driver couldn't see you in the rain. I have my best private doctors looking after you."
Caspian Valerius. I knew that name. Every person in the city knew that name. He was the billionaire who owned the biggest tech and shipping companies in the world. He was the man my father always tried to meet but was never important enough to see.
"Why did you help me?" I asked.
"You could have just sent me to a public hospital."
Caspian leaned closer. His golden eyes looked straight into mine. "I told you last night. I've been looking for you since high school, Elara. When you were the popular girl and I was the boy with holes in his shoes, you were the only one who treated me like a human being. I never forgot that."
I looked away, feeling embarrassed. I barely remembered being that girl. The last two years of marriage had crushed my spirit so much that I felt like a different person.
"My parents..." I started to say, but then I remembered the video call. My heart sank.
"They disowned me. They took my money. They want me to go back to Julian."
As if on cue, my phone—which was sitting on the nightstand—started to buzz. The screen showed "JULIAN" in big letters.
Caspian saw the name. His jaw tightened. "Do you want to talk to him?"
"No," I said, my voice shaking.
"I never want to speak to him again."
Caspian picked up the phone. He didn't decline the call. Instead, he answered it and put it on speaker.
"Elara! You stupid woman!" Julian's voice screamed through the phone.
"I know you're hiding somewhere. My bodyguards said you were hit by a car, but don't think that gets you out of this. Your father is furious. If you don't come back and apologize to Serina right now, I'll make sure you never find a job in this city again! You'll be a beggar!"
I felt tears stinging my eyes. Even when I was hurt, Julian only cared about his pride.
Caspian didn't wait for me to answer. He spoke into the phone, his voice cold enough to freeze the room.
"Julian Thorne," Caspian said.
There was a long silence on the other end. "Who... who is this?" Julian asked, his voice suddenly sounding small.
"This is Caspian Valerius," Caspian said.
"And the woman you are screaming at is currently under my protection. If you or the Belrose family try to contact her again, I will buy your company tomorrow and shut it down by Monday. Do I make myself clear?"
"C-Caspian Valerius?" Julian stammered.
"But she's my wife! This is a family matter!"
"She was your wife," Caspian corrected him.
"Now, she is mine. Don't call again."
Caspian ended the call and tossed the phone back on the table. He looked at me, and his expression softened. "He won't bother you today."
"You shouldn't have done that," I whispered, though I felt a huge weight lift off my chest.
"He's a mean man. He will try to hurt you."
Caspian actually laughed. It was a small, dark sound. "He is a bug, Elara. I am the giant. He can't hurt me."
He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the city. "But your family is greedy. They will try to find a way to use you again. And Julian will try to ruin your reputation to save his own. You have no money and no home. You need a shield."
I knew he was right. In this city, without money or a powerful name, I was nothing. My father would eventually find me and drag me back to Julian just to save the family business.
"What are you saying?" I asked.
Caspian turned around. He looked very serious. "I want to offer you a contract, Elara. A marriage contract."
I gasped. "Marriage? But we just... I mean, the bar... and I just got divorced!"
"It's not a real marriage," Caspian explained, though his eyes stayed fixed on mine.
"It's a deal. You become my wife for one year. I will give you a home, a new name, and all the money you need. I will give you the power to look your parents in the eye and make them regret everything they did to you."
"And what do you get?" I asked. I knew men like Caspian didn't do things for free.
"I get to have the only woman I've ever wanted by my side," he said simply.
"And I get to stop my grandfather from forcing me to marry someone I hate. It's a win for both of us."
I looked at my bruised hands. Yesterday, I was a discarded wife. Today, the most powerful man in the city was offering me a throne.
"Will I have to... sleep with you?" I asked, my face turning red as I remembered the hotel room.
Caspian walked back to the bed and leaned down so his face was close to mine. "I won't touch you unless you ask me to, Elara. But let's be honest... last night, you didn't seem to hate it."
My heart hammered against my ribs. He was right. Last night was the only time in my life I had felt seen.
"I need to think," I said.
"Take your time," Caspian said, heading for the door.
"But remember, your father's bodyguards are still searching the hotels. Here, you are safe. Anywhere else, you are prey."
He left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I looked at the television on the wall. The news was already showing a "scandal" about the Belrose daughter running away. They were making me look like a crazy woman. My sister, Seraphina, was on the screen, dabbing her eyes with a tissue and saying how "worried" she was for her poor, unstable sister.
She was lying. She just wanted my inheritance.
I felt a cold hardness grow in my heart. They wanted to destroy me? Fine. I would give them a war.
I pushed the call button for the nurse. "Tell Mr. Valerius to come back," I said, my voice firm.
"I'll sign the contract."