Dangerous Stranger

SUMMER POV 

Everything freezed, I screamed hearing the gunshot. My heart pounding in my chest. Andrew staggered back, clutching his arm, blood dripping between his fingers. His once-confident look crumbled as he stared at the wound disbelief.

I, myself didn't expect him to fire.

"Hold your fire!" the masked man commanded, His bodyguards immediately lowered their weapons. 

 Andrew's men could not do anything as they don't have any weapon on them.

"You've made a grave mistake," Andrew growled, his eyes flashing dangerously despite the pain. "You don't know who you're messing with."

The masked man stepped forward with a calmness that only made the situation more terrifying. "You overestimate yourself," he said coldly. "She's no longer yours."

"You can't just take her!" Andrew's voice rose with desperation. "She's my wife!"

Before he could finish, one of the masked man's bodyguards opened the limo door and produced a sleek black envelope, tossing it at my feet. I stared at it, confused.

"Sign it," the masked man commanded, his voice sharp and final. 

I froze, glancing between the envelope and his unreadable expression. My hands trembled, unsure whether this was the right path or another trap. 

He stepped closer, "I won't be able to help you unless you sign that contract."

I looked at the masked man, pleading silently. I had no idea who he really was or what this contract contain. 

"How much are we talking about here?" the masked man asked, his voice steady as his piercing gaze locked onto mine.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Three billion," I whispered, feeling the weight of every word. 

The masked man's eyes flickered with mild interest. "Three billion?" He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Now I see why he's chasing you down."

"The money was for my parents' business," I confessed, my voice cracking. "In exchange for me. It's all part of the marriage contract. Can you… can you buy me out of it?"

The masked man laughed darkly, stepping even closer. His presence was suffocating. "Should that even be a question?" He tilted his head, studying me. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

I shook my head, fear twisting in my stomach.

"I'm called the Devil." He leaned in, his breath hot against my skin. "Ask around, and they'll tell you all you need to know."

I swallowed hard, my heart thudding against my ribcage. This man was dangerous-possibly worse than Andrew. But in this moment, anything seemed better than marrying the man who'd tried to buy my life. 

With trembling fingers, I crouched down and picked up the envelope. I had no time to read it before I signed my name at the bottom of the contract.

The moment the ink dried, the masked man grinned, a slow, sinister grin that made my skin crawl.

 "You are officially mine. My slave, my property." His laugh rang out, chilling and triumphant, his head thrown back as if the sky itself was amused by my fate. 

"Welcome to hell."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. Had I just traded one nightmare for another? I couldn't tell anymore. But as I stood there, holding the signed papers, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Did I make the right choice? I wasn't sure anymore.

Suddenly, Andrew stormed over, his face twisted in fury. He grabbed my arm aggressively, pulling me toward him. "Let's go, now," he growled through clenched teeth. "We're going home."

The masked man's eyes flashed with amusement, stepping forward as his bodyguards loomed behind him. "That won't be happening," he said coldly, his voice low and dangerous. "She's mine now."

"That's impossible!" Andrew roared, his face red with fury. "She's my bride!"

The masked man shrugged, unimpressed by the display. "Meet me with your lawyer and her parents," he said, his voice dripping with authority. "Tomorrow at 8 a.m. We'll settle this then." He turned his back, and walked into the gigantic five-star hotel before us. 

I glanced at my parents standing a few feet away, their expressions unreadable, caught between shame and helplessness. They had traded me away, and now I was caught between two devils.

The masked man walked into the hotel's grand entrance, and my feet moved instinctively, following him. Andrew's voice, sharp with desperation, echoed behind me. "This isn't over! You hear me? This isn't over!"

But as I stepped through the gilded doors, my mind whirled with the chaos I'd just signed myself into. 

The masked man led me through the lobby, but just as we reached the elevator, he stopped and turned, his gaze hardening. "You should prepare yourself."

"For what?" I asked, my voice faint, barely a whisper.

"For tomorrow. Things will get... messy." His lips curled into a smirk that sent a chill through me. "And you'll need to decide what you're willing to sacrifice next."