Chapter 8: The Choice Game

Su Jin's heart was pounding in her chest, each beat resonating with a growing fear she couldn't suppress. Luo Xian's eyes burned with an unrelenting determination, and she knew he was serious. He genuinely intended to marry her.

She felt like prey caught in the sights of a predator—no escape, no refuge. The sheer force of his insistence left her breathless.

Their relationship was already unconventional—a twisted arrangement between a benefactor and his prize. Yet, Luo Xian's fixation on marriage seemed absurd. To Su Jin, it felt like madness. He didn't just want her presence; he wanted to claim her completely, to ensure there was no possibility of escape. He wasn't playing games. He wanted it all.

Su Jin's life was turning into a melodramatic soap opera, a story too outrageous even for fiction. But she was no damsel to be swept away by the tides of fate. Beneath her delicate exterior was a spine of steel, one that refused to bend or break for anyone.

"Why?" Su Jin finally asked, her voice trembling. "Why would you want me? There are women far better suited for you—women with family connections, beauty, sophistication. Surely they'd make better matches for someone like you."

Luo Xian's reply was swift and cutting. "None of that matters. If it's not you, there's no point."

He strode over to her, draping his tailored jacket over her shoulders before scooping her into his arms. "Stop resisting. I already told you, I have all the time in the world. You can try to run, to fight, but it's futile. Don't waste your energy."

His words left her shaken. Su Jin wasn't trembling because of the cold, but because of the storm brewing within her. This man, who had upended her life, carried her as though she were his most precious possession—fragile, priceless, and completely his.

The elevator ride down from his private office was silent except for the sound of her shallow breathing. She felt the weight of his presence all around her, his grip firm and unyielding. When they stepped into the waiting car, Luo Xian's chauffeur greeted them with a bow.

"Good afternoon, sir."

"Drive. And turn up the heat," Luo Xian ordered without looking up, his focus entirely on Su Jin. His hands wrapped around hers, dwarfing them in his grasp.

"You're cold," he remarked, brushing his fingers over her pale knuckles. His voice, usually so sharp and commanding, softened slightly.

"I'm fine," Su Jin whispered, but her trembling hands betrayed her.

Luo Xian tilted her face toward his, forcing her to meet his gaze. His dark eyes searched hers, piercing through her feeble facade. "Why are you shaking, then?"

She closed her eyes, desperate to escape the intensity of his stare. "Please," she said, her voice barely audible. "Don't take me to my house. My father doesn't know anything. If he finds out..." Her voice cracked, and for the first time, she let herself beg. "I'll do anything. Just don't involve him."

Her plea hung in the air, a stark contrast to the proud, unyielding woman she'd been. Luo Xian's expression shifted, but only slightly. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch surprisingly gentle.

"That's where you're wrong," he said. "This is your choice, Su Jin. You can either go up there yourself, retrieve your documents, and come with me willingly to register our marriage… or you can let me come with you, and we'll play a little game."

Her breath hitched. "What game?"

Luo Xian smirked, his expression both predatory and amused. "A simple one. I'll bring a five-million-dollar check. I'll hand it to your father and tell him the truth—that I've purchased you. If he takes the money, you come with me. No more arguments, no more stalling. You'll accept that this is your fate."

Her heart sank. "And if he doesn't take it?"

Luo Xian's smile widened. "Then I'll wait. But make no mistake, Su Jin. This isn't over. The only thing that changes is the timeline."

She stared at him, her mind racing. He had thought of everything, cornered her so completely that no matter what she chose, he would win. His confidence was maddening, his arrogance infuriating. Yet there was something about his gaze, the way he looked at her as though she were the center of his world, that made her question everything she thought she knew.

The car stopped outside her apartment building, a run-down complex that stood in stark contrast to the luxury she had been surrounded by. Su Jin's hands clenched into fists. She couldn't let her father see her like this, couldn't let him know what she'd done. But the alternative…

"What's it going to be?" Luo Xian asked, his tone deceptively casual. "Do you trust your father?"

The question sliced through her, leaving her raw and vulnerable. Of course, she trusted him. He was her only family, the one person who had always been there for her. But would he really refuse such an offer?

Her voice wavered as she spoke. "Fine. Let's play your game."

Luo Xian's grin widened, and for a moment, she thought she saw something else in his expression—satisfaction, perhaps even admiration.

"Good choice," he said, opening the car door for her. "Let's see how this plays out."

As they walked toward the building, Su Jin's legs felt like they were made of lead. Every step brought her closer to a moment she wasn't sure she could face. But she had made her decision. For her father's sake, for the chance to give him a better life, she would endure whatever came next.

Even if it meant losing everything.

Deep down, though, she couldn't shake the feeling that Luo Xian had already won.