Freya Stone found herself in the cruel twist of fate called marriage, where the groom was conspicuously absent from start to finish. The crimson bedding, the characters of "happiness" adorning the walls, and the vivid colors felt like stinging slaps on her cheeks. She grappled with the depths of humiliation and resentment, trapped in a life dictated by others, including the shackles of a marriage born out of her father's greed.
Her grandfather, once Jack Silverton's driver, sacrificed his life to save the man in an accident. The burden of colossal debts and impending bankruptcy pressed upon her family's small business. Her cunning father, foreseeing that asking for financial aid would come at a cost, devised a self-serving plan: he demanded that Elijah Silverton marry Freya in exchange for a substantial dowry funded by the affluent Silverton family.
The Silvertons, bound by reputation, status, and loyalty to Freya's late grandfather, reluctantly agreed. Yet, Elijah Silverton, unhappy with the forced union, boycotted their wedding reception attended only by two families. He even went so far as to forbid Freya from publicly acknowledging their marriage without his consent or presence, leaving her voiceless in the matter.
With defiant eyes and subtly curled lashes, Freya, unsure of how to spend her wedding night, received a text from a colleague requesting her help at work. Changing out of her red wedding dress into white scrubs, she headed to the hospital. In the duty room, darkness descended abruptly as the door swung open with force.
"Who is...?" Before she could finish speaking though, someone pressed down hard on top of her body pinning it against table while holding sharp knife against neck threateningly saying, "Don't say anything!"
In the dim light, a bloodied face met hers, emanating anger. The scent of blood hung in the air, revealing the man's injuries.
Maintaining a calm demeanor, Freya attempted a discreet attack, but her movements were thwarted.
"I saw him coming this way."
Someone was approaching the door. The man, in desperation, kissed Freya to divert attention. Freya resisted and easily pushed the man away, who did not harm herself with the weapon in his hand. She was stunned for a moment.
At this moment, the door handle was turned with a click.
With determination in her heart, Freya tilted her head back and planted a kiss on the man's lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to remain calm. "I can save you."
The man's Adam's apple rolled up and down, and in the next second he changed from passive to active. His hot breath fell on her ear, deep and sexy, "I will be responsible for you."
No, he misunderstood. She just wanted to act in a play.
At the moment when the door was pushed open, Freya groaned in a way she learned from the TV, and that restrained, charming and gentle gasp made the man fascinated.
It even makes the people at the door feel emotionally moved.
"Damn, they had a secret affair in the hospital while playing a game of field battle. It's so exciting!"
The door was pushed open, revealing a wide gap through which the slanted light from the hallway spilled onto Freya. The man pressed against her body, blocking any prying eyes from the doorway. In the dim light, all that could be seen were intertwined figures that made one's blood boil.
"It will not be Elijah Silverton. He is so badly injured that even if he were given a beauty, he wouldn't be able to enjoy her."
"This woman is really shouting with great enthusiasm."
"Fucking hurry up and find him, otherwise we'll all die!"
Rustling and shuffling sounds, footsteps gradually fading away.
As the intruders departed, the man, unable to control himself, was captivated by Freya's rebellious spirit. Embracing the unexpected desire, she followed his lead, surrendering her first time in defiance of her constrained life.
Afterward, the man kissed her cheek and his deep, hoarse voice was filled with a satisfied hoarseness.
"I will come find you." He said before quickly leaving.
Freya hasn't gotten up in a long time, her waist pressed against the edge of the table, burning with pain.
Suddenly, the phone rang and it was pushed to the edge of the table, almost falling off. She reached out and grabbed the phone, hearing an urgent voice on the other end. "Dr Valentine, there's been a serious car accident at the emergency center and we need your help to save the injured person. Please come quickly."
Freya adjusted her voice and calmly replied, "Okay, I'll be there soon."
Her disheveled clothes and sticky feeling beneath her told her that what had just happened was not a dream. It was real. On her wedding night, she had slept with a guy she didn't know. That was the most rebellious thing she had ever done in her life. But now was not the time to dwell on it. She quickly dressed and rushed to the emergency center, where she spent the entire night busy with patients. Returning to the duty room, memories of the turmoil overwhelmed her.
"Thank you for covering my shift, Dr Stone." Liora Valentine thanked her for covering the shift, unaware of the disarray.
Freya forced a smile in return. "Not a problem."
"I'm done with my work now, you should go rest." Liora noticed the mess around them and raised an eyebrow. "What happened here?"
Freya turned away, masking any hint of panic in her eyes. "I accidentally knocked some things over... since you're here now, I'll head back first."
Liora found Freya's behavior strange but didn't think much of it as she entered the room to clean up.
At the same time, the director of the hospital appeared at the door with Elijah Silverton's assistant, Xander Cross by his side.