Stephanie's POV
I struggled against my heavy eyelids to open my eyes and I was greeted by the rush of an intense light which increased the throbbing ache in my head.
"Shit!" I muttered under my breath.
My whole body felt paralyzed so I was only able to turn my head slightly. I opened my eyes again and this time I was greeted by a pair of blue eyes. Startled, I jolted upright. Big mistake!
A scream tore out from my already dry throat. I didn't expect to feel this much pain.
"You're alive. Let's not change that by being careless." He said, handing me a glass of water.
Alive? Was I supposed to be...then, it all came rushing back. Wait! I was alive? How did I survive it? Where was I?
I looked around, nothing was familiar
"Where am I?" I asked.
"Alive and safe. That's all you need to know." He said while gesturing towards the water he was still handing to me. I took and and drank slowly.
It was him. Myron's father. His eyes never left mine but there was something different about the way he looked at me. Cold and unfeeling, a total contrast to how he looked at me the first time.
I handed him the glass. "Thank you."
For a while no one spoke but he didn't take his eyes off me. Why did it feel like there was an underlying feel of anger. Or was I thinking too much.
"How did you find me?"
He didn't answer immediately. He went to the table and pick up a bag: my bag. He dropped it by my side followed by my phone then ID.
"How did you go from my place to prison? You killed ...
"I didn't do it. It was a set up, I swear and....
"Don't... interrupt me....ever!" He said between clenched teeth then sighed. "I know."
"You-You believe me?" I asked, surprised.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I said I know, not that I believe you."
He walked towards the window and sighed again. It looked like he was struggling with something.
"Do you want to get back?"
At first I didn't understand him. Get back? Like make them pay? Of course! With every fibre of my being. I want to make them feel double the pain, double the humiliation. But then again, it's his son involved. There's no way he would fight his son.
"So you know who's responsible for it?"
"I don't need to know."
"It's my husband. He's....
"I said, I don't need to know," then he turned to face me, he gaze burning with an intensity i couldn't quite understand. "All I know is, no one has the right to hurt you. No one."
That statement was supposed to sound caring but why didn't it? It sounded more like a threat.
"I'll ask again, do you want to get back at them? Last chance."
I didn't know what to say. I wanted revenge badly but what happens when he finds out that it was his own son who did this. He'll definitely leave me half way or probably turn on me and I'll...
"Fine." He said and started to walk away. "When you're better, you leave."
"Wait! Yes! I want to."
He paused, then turned around. I swear his eyes grew darker. "Good girl." He walked back to me and sat down. "First thing, we get married."
Ma-married? No way! It was marrying a bastard that got into this. How can marrying her me out.
"Relax." He said, like he knew what was going on in my head. "I'm a hundred percent certain that whoever die this to you has power and influence. That's the only way they could lock you up in Renegade penitentiary without a trial. You'll need twice as much power as they have it you want to win over them. Marrying me is the only way you can have that much power."
"You talk as if you're a god or something." I found myself flaring up.
He raised an eyebrow and picked up the paper on the table close to him. He dropped it in front of me. It was the front page of a newspaper. The headline there was, WHO IS BISHOP?
"What it this? Why are you...wait, wait, wait. Are you saying what I think you're saying? You're bishop?"
He smirked.
"The bishop? The one whose words are absolute power? Who controls almost the whole globe. The one who....
"You're giving me a headache. Are you in or not?"
"What's in it for you?"
"That's not something you should concern yourself about. Give me an answer."
Heck! Whatever it is couldn't be worse than the fate I've suffered. "I'm in."
"Good! We get married in a month." He said and just left.
*One month later*
I absolutely don't know the kind of doctors these were or what they used but on less than one month, I was feeling brand new. I could barely feel any pain. Every broken thing was fixed. I wouldn't have believed it but it was happening.
But I'm that one month, I barely saw him. He only came around to check on the progress of my recovery and that was once in a week, twice tops. It was kind of a relief. He was too cold and his presence scared me.
The person who really kept me company was Armstrong, Bishop's right hand man. He was extremely chatty and fun.
That morning, he walked into my room with a large box in his hands. He was dressed sharply, suit and tie, grinning like he was in on a joke I hadn't heard yet.
"Big day, sunshine," Armstrong said, placing the box on the bed in front of me.
I frowned. "What is this?"
He tapped the lid once. "Open it. You'll want to see."
With hesitation, I lifted the cover. My breath caught. Inside was a stunning white gown, beside it was a pair of elegant heels, the kind of shoes I'd only ever seen in magazines.
"You're getting married in an hour," Armstrong announced casually, like he was telling me lunch was ready.
My heart plummeted. "An hour?"
"That's the deal you made, remember?" His tone softened just slightly. "You said yes. No backing out now."
For a second, my instinct screamed to fight it. But he was right. This was the deal. Revenge had a price, and I'd already paid part of it. This was just the rest.
With shaky hands, I dressed. I barely recognized the reflection in the mirror. I looked like a bride. A real one. And for a fleeting, terrifying moment, I felt like one.
When I came downstairs, Cane was already there, standing tall in a perfectly tailored black suit. The way his eyes swept over me made my knees weaken. The cold expression he usually wore cracked for half a heartbeat, replaced by something hotter, sharper.
The air between us thickened with unspoken tension. My breath caught in my throat, and his gaze locked on my lips.
Before either of us moved, Armstrong cleared his throat from the corner. "Hate to break this… whatever this is. But we're running late."
Just like that, the moment shattered. Cane's expression iced over again, and without another word, he gestured for me to follow.
We drove to the registry, where everything was handled quickly, almost like we were making a business deal. No vows, no rings exchanged. Just signatures on paper and a declaration that we were legally bound. It was there, while signing, that I finally learned his full name.
Cane.
The drive back to the house was silent and honestly, I preferred it that way. It's not like I had anything to say to him.
I went straight to my bedroom, took of the dress and took a shower. For a brief moment, I felt normal again. I dressed up In a short nightgown and was ready to go to sleep when the knock came.
I froze. Armstrong would've knocked differently and Cane went back to wherever he lives.
The door opened, and there he was. Cane stepped inside without waiting for permission, his presence filling the room, swallowing the air.
"What are you doing here?" My voice wavered as I backed up a step.
He shut the door behind him. "I'm your husband now." His tone was low, rough. "And I'm here to consummate our marriage."
My laugh was nervous, shaky. "You're joking, right? This isn't a real marriage."
He advanced slowly, deliberately, I backed up until my spine hit the wardrobe. He hovered over me, his lips dangerously close to mine. I didn't want to look but I did and memories of how his lips felt on mine that night came flooding back.
"Don't act like you don't want this." His hand slid up my thigh, pushing the hem of my gown higher. His fingers parted me, slipping inside before I could protest. A sharp moan escaped me. "You want it," he whispered against my ear.
And then, he pulled away. Just like that. He became cold again.
"I didn't come here for that," he said flatly. "I came to lay down the rules."
My chest heaved, confusion and frustration clashing inside me.
"You don't see anyone else. You stay out of my life and my business. And you only appear when I ask you to." He stepped back, hand already on the doorknob. "That's ho
w this marriage works."
The door shut behind him, leaving me breathless, shaking, and drowning in doubt.
Had I just made the biggest mistake of my life?