My Fated Husband

Linda's POV 

"Schhhhhhhhhh." 

The sound of screeching tires pulled me back to my senses. My hands gripped the steering wheel harder as the car violently came to a stop. 

"What a mess!" I cursed in frustration, slamming the steering wheel with both hands.

I had barely stopped the car in time, just inches away from a towering oak tree I barely noticed earlier. My heart hammered in my chest as if trying to escape my rib cage whereas tears blurred my vision again. 

I sat there, gasping for air and staring blankly ahead, but my mind wasn't on the road. It was back at the party—back in that corridor where everything I thought I knew had crumbled. 

Kyle's voice echoed in my head, slurred from the alcohol but clear enough to crush my heart. 

"...can't thank William enough for setting me up with a little heiress like Linda," I heard Kyle chuckle through the bathroom door of the engagement party hotel.

I stepped closer to the door in order to hear more when I heard him mention my name.

"Once our marriage is done and her last name changes to mine, I'll be set for life, bro! The old man's paying me a tidy sum for that." His enthusiasm was infectious, even through the door.

"You can't be serious, you sly dog!" Steve guffawed. He was his best friend, who else would Kyle gossip with apart from him? "What does the old man get out of this?" He asked.

Kyle chuckled. "He gets the company to himself, of course. Because she'll be out of the inheritance, you dim fellow." He boasted, as if winning the lottery. 

"But they both don't know I have a better plan." Kyle whispered then. 

"What do you mean?" Steve asked him.

"I'll make her sign the company's papers to me even before our marriage. Why settle with a share when I can have the whole company to myself?" He informed Steve coyly. 

"Think she'll do that?!" Steve gasped.

"Of course... That spoilt princess's stupid enough to do anything in the name of love. She'll do everything I ask." He chuckled. And that's when tears began rushing down my cheek uncontrollably. 

I had wanted to walk out and talk to him about it. Demand answers. But I knew I couldn't. I never was one to speak up for anything in my life. So I sneaked out of the hotel through the back exit and drove out here. 

I whimpered, leaning my forehead against the steering wheel. My tears refused to stop. I had loved Kyle. Trusted him. 

And now, I felt like a fool—a puppet in some property game between my father and him. How had I been so blind? 

I turned my phone off before the inevitable calls started flooding in. From Alice of course, my best friend, who would undoubtedly be worried where I am by now. 

Also from Kyle, also my father. But who cares. I wanted to go back home but I couldn't face anyone right now. I needed to be alone and away. Away from the lies. Away from the betrayal. 

After what felt like forever, I stepped out of the car. The cool night air hit me. It was probably 10pm by now, but this side of the road was too quiet. 

I was still in my engagement gown—a stunning red dress adorned with shimmering stones. It was supposed to make me feel like a star tonight, celebrating and happy, but now it felt like a cruel joke. I was running, crying, and utterly broken. 

A couple of men standing near a parked car glanced my way, their eyes lingering longer than I liked. I escaped them and walked toward the nearest building, a bar that looked upscale enough to make me feel anonymous. 

But the stares only intensified as I entered. I ignored them and I kept my gaze forward. I didn't care who recognized me. I didn't care about anything right now. 

"Isn't that Linda Blake?"

"She's the one getting engaged tonight, isn't she?"

"What's she doing here? Where's her fiance?"

I ignored them and found a corner booth, one of those VIP spots, and sank into the plush seat, keeping my eyes low. 

I wanted to disappear, but it seemed fate had other plans. 

"Rough night?" 

A voice near me startled me. Perhaps too near. It was smooth and deep, with a teasing edge that made me glance up before I could stop myself. 

The man standing near was... breathtaking. Yes, because he took my breath away.

Chiseled features, dark curly hair, and a smile that was equal parts charming and dangerous. He carried himself with an ease that made him seem completely at home, even in a bar full of strangers. 

I quickly looked away, embarrassed by the state I was in—swollen eyes, smudged mascara, and trembling hands clutching at my lap. 

"Not a talker, huh?" he said when I didn't reply him, sliding into the seat across from me without waiting for an invitation. 

I wanted to tell him to leave, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, I stared down at the table, hoping he'd get the hint. 

He didn't. 

"You know," he said, motioning to the bartender for a drink, "if you keep that sad face on, you're going to ruin the illusion. Someone wearing a dress like that is supposed to be lighting up the room, not dimming it." 

His words made me glance at him again, just for a second, and his smirk deepened. 

"There she is," he said. "I knew there was a spark in you... somewhere." 

I sighed, grabbing the drink he slid toward me. I didn't even care what it was. I just needed the burn in my throat to distract me from the ache in my chest. 

"I hope you don't mind my company," he said after a moment, leaning back in his seat. "But if you're going to sit here and cry, at least let me make it worth your while." 

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Worth my while?" 

He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with something I couldn't quite place. "Let me help you forget whatever's making you cry." 

His words caught me off guard, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "You can't help me. No one can." 

"Try me." 

There was something so confident, so sure in his tone, that I found myself opening up before I even realized it. I told him everything—Kyle, the betrayal, the inheritance, and how I'd been nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game. 

He didn't interrupt, but his expression darkened as I spoke. When I finally finished, he let out a low whistle. 

"What an idiot," he said, shaking his head. 

I blinked at him. "Excuse me?" 

"Kyle," he clarified. "He's an idiot. Who would care about money when he's got someone like you? If it were me, I'd spend every day making sure you know how much you're worth." 

His words sent a strange warmth through me, but I quickly pushed it aside. 

"Doesn't matter now," I muttered. 

"It doesn't?" he asked, leaning closer. "You said he's at that party, right? Probably wondering where you are by now?" 

I nodded slowly. 

"Then let's give him a clarification of your intention," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. 

I frowned. "What are you talking about?" 

"Revenge," he said simply. "You want him to know you're done with him, right? Let's make sure he gets the message loud and clear." 

I stared at him, unsure if he was serious. "You mean…?" 

"Spend the night with me," he said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Let the gossipers talk. Let Kyle hear that you've moved on. Let him know you're not sitting around crying over him." 

My breath caught. It was reckless. Insane. Completely out of character for me. And yet, as I looked into his eyes, I found myself nodding. 

He smiled, tossing a few bills onto the table before standing and offering me his hand. "Shall we?" 

I hesitated for only a moment before taking it. 

As we made our way to the elevator, my heart pounded in my chest. I didn't know who this man was, or what would happen next. But for the first time in a long time, I felt something other than pain. 

Once we got inside the room, the stranger did as he promised. He made me lose myself in his touch.

He was gentle, his touch careful and insistent till I remembered nothing of the night apart from him and his touch. 

It was just before sleep snatched me away while still in his arms that I remembered I didn't even know this stranger's name.