"Stop!"
The voice was as calm as the night, but it delivered a threatening message that hung quietly in the air.
"Oh no!" She gasped as panic gripped her heart when somebody caught her trespassing in a private area of the mansion.
She had carefully planned this night. She had gone through all the trouble to gain access to this house's main layout. She even bribed someone to get an invitation to this exclusive event.
After a couple of hours at the party, keeping her head low and staying out of the spotlight, she finally found the opportunity she had been waiting for.
Careful not to get noticed, she tiptoed her way upstairs and snuck into a private office. But she guessed she was not as stealthy as she thought.
But what was she thinking? She was not a trained spy.
"Fucking Idiot!" That was what she was.
Caught before she could even search the room. But seriously, she didn't even know what to look for or where to find it.
Nevertheless, she assumed that once she saw some clues, she would know. She would finally get the answers she had been looking for. The missing piece in the puzzle.
But now, all she did was get herself into so much trouble.
"Don't make another step." That distinct tone. It sounded familiar as recognition clicked inside her head.
"Oh, shit!" As if struck by lightning, a shiver ran through her spine, momentarily paralyzing her on the spot.
"Damn it! What's he doing here?" It was the host of the party, the man of the hour himself. The owner of this mansion and this very room.
The very man she was investigating and trying hard to avoid.
He was supposed to be entertaining his guests at the ongoing celebration downstairs.
But apparently, not anymore.
"What now, Sophie?" As her brain tried to grasp at straws, trying to find a way out of her predicament.
Instinctively, her fight or flight response told her to run for her life, but logic held her in place.
From the layout of the room, there were only two ways out. First, the door behind her, where the man was probably standing at that moment.
The next was the balcony on the other side of the room. But with her long, tight gown and five-inch heels, it would be challenging to take that route.
Moreover, could she even outrun the man or survive the fall?
"Don't think so." No debate there, raising her hand in surrender.
"Who are you?" The edge in his voice implied his authority, demanding an answer.
Of course, telling him the truth was out of the question. Still, she had to say something.
"I..." She choked on her words, suddenly feeling this overwhelming presence when he walked over and stood just inches before her.
Many questions plagued her mind as she stared at the man who threatened her existence.
Who was this man?
What was her connection to him? So forth and so on.
In truth, this was not their first encounter. She had already bumped into him twice before tonight. The first time, she literally fell into his arms during a Gallery Exhibit that she had organized a month ago.
It was an accident, but it felt like fate was playing a cruel joke on her. The man who had attempted to kill her suddenly came to her rescue. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice her since he was in a hurry.
The second, she coincidentally dined in the same restaurant as him. By the time she noticed him, he was already sitting on the table behind her.
She heard his voice clearly. She even had a whiff of his clean, warm scent, which clearly appealed to her senses. Fortunately, he was busy minding his own business that he barely looked in her direction.
Still, on those rare occasions, she could not help but wonder why her body reacted every time he was near.
Obviously, she didn't remember him, but her body seemed to tell her otherwise.
"But how could she forget a man like him?"
Handsome, built to perfection, exuding a commanding presence that would make people stop and stare.
A man born to lead and stand in the spotlight. Irresistible. Unforgettable.
"Fuck! Focus! Get your head out of the gutter." Hastily, she shoved her unwanted thoughts aside. It was not the time to admire the man when her life was on the line.
As far as she was concerned, this man wanted her dead.
Why?
That was the question.
"Please, don't shoot." Her voice slightly cracked as fear finally crept in, especially when she felt a cold metallic object pressing against her side.
From what she had heard, he was dangerous, ruthless, and merciless. A powerful magnate with strong ties in the underworld. Not exactly a man to mess around with unless they had a death wish.
That meant, at that moment, she was in deep shit.
It was likely that she already had a tombstone marked with her name on it. All that was missing was a body to bury underneath it. Unless she could find a way out of this hole she had dug herself into, she was probably as good as dead.
"I don't think you want to kill me." Using reverse psychology to convince him that she was worth more alive than a cold corpse.
Not blinking. Not flinching. She slowly straightened and stood tall. Lifting her chin, she faced the man who threatened to put bullet holes in her body as soon as she made a wrong move or said the wrong words.
"Is that so?" The man's lips suddenly curved into a devilish smile, as if he found her amusing. But still, his sharp eyes watched her like a hawk. Studying her as if he could not wait to catch her lie.
"Then, tell me..." This time, he pointed the long barrel of his gun from her jugular vein into her temple, "...why I shouldn't blow your brains out," intentionally invading her space and menacingly whispering closely into her ear.
She knew she should be running for her life. Considering this man was the one responsible for her accident six years ago. He was the reason why her husband was dead. And why she had lost many of her memories.
But something stopped her.
Despite her fear, she believed that he was the only one who could answer all her questions. This man held the key to her past. Or whatever it was keeping her awake at night.
A mystery. A missing piece that had haunted her all this time.
"Because..." With her heart pounding wildly inside her chest, she swallowed the lump that was stuck inside her throat and continued. "...because...You see, Mr. Morton... You need me."
"And I need you." Silently, she mumbled.
Not wanting him to think that he intimidated her, she stood her ground. Keeping her composure, or whatever was left of it.
"Hmm... How do I need you?" A cynical smile appeared on his lips, seemingly unimpressed. "Miss...?" He mockingly asked, raising his eyebrows in question.
"Sophie Maddison." She confidently supplied her name, careful to keep her voice steady while shying away from his scrutiny. Afraid that if he looked at her long enough, he might uncover all her secrets.
Of course, she couldn't lie. She could only hope that he didn't know her name, recognize her face, or remember who she was.
After all, it had been six years since the accident, and her physical appearance had changed significantly.
She was not Sophia Clarke anymore. Not the same girl who was bullied back in high school. Not the chubby girl who wore shabby clothes and thick glasses.
Not the nerd that was picked on. Not anymore. Not after the accident.
"Maddison? Hmm?" He didn't even bother to mask the suspicion in his tone. "Ok, Sophie. Enlighten me." All of a sudden, he lowered his gun, moved across the room, and sat on the couch.
He just sat there comfortably, watching her.
Thankfully, the man didn't appear to know her. At least he didn't show it.
Still, she was not out of the woods yet. She still had to come up with an excuse and another plan.
An alternative plan.
"You need a wife, right?" Remembering the conversation she had overheard earlier.
She believed many of the ladies attended the party because they were hoping to get selected.
"Maybe..." Suddenly, he spread his arms on the backrest of the couch. "So, what?" Crossing his legs as he grabbed a cigarette from his front pocket and lit it up.
"Then, do you want to marry me?"
It was a dumb idea, which she would probably regret later on. But was there any other choice?
It was either marry him or die on this spot where she stood.
Of course, she chose the former.
Come to think of it, perhaps she could use it to her advantage. As they said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
It would be easier to gather all the information she needed if she lived under his roof.
After staring at her for a minute or so—
Her nerves eventually wavered. Her dumb idea became the worst idea she had ever come up with.
She regretted it.
"If you don't want to... Maybe we can work out an arrangement or..."
But he didn't let her finish as he casually answered. "I do."