Hans’ Curiosity Deepens(Third-Person Point of View)Hans Oswald was not a man who believed in coincidences.Everything in life followed a pattern—an equation waiting to be solved.So why was it that the sight of a single hairpin had set off a nagging feeling in his chest?He had been watching from a distance as his father humiliated Mia, and for the first time, he had felt something close to pity for her.Mia had always carried herself with an air of quiet defiance, a subtle strength that made it easy to overlook her struggles. But when their father, Richard Oswald, had torn into her with sharp words, she had looked… small.It had surprised Hans.Not because of his father’s cruelty—Richard had always been ruthless—but because of the way Carl had stepped in.Carl had defended her. Not as his assistant. As his wife.That alone had been shocking. But as the heated exchange settled, Hans’ gaze had landed on something unexpected—the delicate silver hairpin tucked into Mia’s dark locks.H
Hans’ Discovery(Hans’ Personal Point of View)I never believed in fate.Coincidences, sure. But fate? That was something weak people clung to when they needed an excuse for their choices.And yet, as I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the small, delicate hairpin in my palm, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the realization crashing over me.This was Mia’s.And I had seen it before.Not just recently. Years ago.It had been tucked away in the back of my wardrobe, inside a small, forgotten box I hadn’t touched in years. The moment my fingers brushed against it, something in my mind snapped into place—a memory that had been buried so deep, I hadn’t even realized it was missing.A memory of her.Of that night.And suddenly, everything I thought I knew came unraveling before my eyes.I had been drunk that night.Not the kind of tipsy that made you laugh at everything, but the kind where the world blurred at the edges, and thoughts no longer made sense.The party had been loud, chaotic
Prologue "Hello, somebody help me, please! Anybody, can you hear me?" I called out, my voice echoing in the confined space."Keep your mouth shut and remain calm. No one can hear you," a gruff voice responded."Please, where am I? Why am I being tied up? I need to go back to my husband and family," I pleaded with my vision blurry.The short, bald man gave a long, mocking laugh. "Husband? The same husband who has rejected you and sold you out?""Sold? What do you mean sold? He would never do that," I said, my voice shaking."You have been sold, and you are going to meet your new owner. So stop screaming and preserve your strength. I will bring you food later." With that, he left.I sank to the floor as tears flooded my eyes….Being sold for the second time, here I was, tied up in a container on a ship in the middle of an ocean, heading to an unknown destination. The only thing I could remember was driving to the office to meet up with Carl for the investors meeting when a car ran int
Mia's POV****************My full name is Mia Miloslava Pankraz, and I'm 27 years old. After 3 years of struggling, I finally landed the job I'd dreamed of at LiveStrong, a prestigious company.Living in Harburg, I'd gotten used to the cold stares and whispers that followed me in the streets.My mother, Mathilda, used to be my world. But after my father’s death, everything changed. She turned cold, filled with hatred, convinced that I was responsible. She blamed me, as did everyone else. And I don’t blame her; it was easier to pin the blame on someone else, someone who was just a child at the time. But the weight of that blame has been crushing me ever since.When she left me, I thought maybe things would get better. I was sent to live with my grandfather, but life with him wasn’t easy. He was harsh and demanding.As I ran down the empty street, the wind whipped through my hair, and my tears streamed down my face, stinging my skin.My heart was pounding in my chest with each desperat
Carl's POVToday was supposed to be the day I surrendered to my dad's persistent demands to get married, but instead of feeling excited or nervous, I just felt irritated. I'm Carl Oswald. At 30, I’m the acting CEO of LiveStrong, a company I inherited from my father. On paper, I have everything—a powerful position, endless wealth, and the legacy of a thriving empire. But what most people don’t know is that I live with prosopagnosia, face blindness. I can’t recognize faces or read facial expressions, not even my own family’s.All I see are features that blur together, like pieces of a puzzle I can never solve. Voices, scents, and the way people move those are the only ways I navigate this colorless, faceless world.I looked at the neatly arranged suit beside me, feeling a mixture of resignation and frustration. I had more important things to do, yet here I was, forced into a wedding I hadn’t even agreed to willingly. My father, a man of practicality and power, had orchestrated this w
Mia's POV…….I was expecting to meet my unknown husband today, but definitely not my boss, Carl Oswald.I was staring at my boss, the man known for his icy demeanor and towering ego, dressed in a tuxedo and standing at the altar, ready to exchange vows with me. The man who had made my life a living hell on the first day at work, was now my husband.The priest's brow furrowed in confusion, but I managed to compose myself, giving Carl a light nod though the shock was still present. "What are you doing here?" he whispered harshly.“Getting married to you obviously”I whispered back, with a fake smile.Despite his condescending tone, I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked. "And what are you looking at, huh?" he whispered again, irritation creeping into his voice."I wasn't even looking at you, sir," I replied quietly with rolled eyes, trying to maintain my composure.I couldn't help but admire the way the tuxedo hugged his broad shoulders and chiseled jaw. But then, I reminde
Carl POV The sight of my bride-to-be was a shock to me. The woman standing at the altar was my naive and outdated-looking secretary, Miloslava. This day couldn't get any worse, It was as if the universe had conspired against me, delivering the most unexpected twist to an already unwanted script.When she got to the altar, I could clearly see the color of her gown and skin, and for a brief moment, I was happy to be regaining my sight. But that happiness was short-lived when I realized it was Miloslava standing before me. She was the only colorful person I could see, and I still didn't understand why.There is something about her that made me hire her. Her name was the same as my late mother.That had seemed like a good sign, but not anymore. I couldn't see her face clearly; it was blurry like everyone else's due to my face blindness.She wasn't wearing her glasses either, but I felt her gaze on me. I'm sure she's happy about all this, that's why she came to work for me. This was
She swallowed, trying to keep her composure. “We were just talking. Nothing more.”“Just talking?” Carl’s tone dripped with disbelief. “You seemed awfully friendly for just talking.”“Carl, I don’t understand why this is an issue,” Mia said, frustration creeping into her voice. “Hans is your stepbrother. We work together. I can’t just ignore him.”“Don’t act like I’m stupid,” he retorted, stepping closer. “Is there something you want to tell me?” Carl’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as he turned to face her.Mia frowned, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.”His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer.“You’re my wife, Mia,” he said softly, his voice laced with something that almost sounded like desperation. “You shouldn’t be spending time with him like that. It’s... inappropriate.”Mia blinked, taken aback by his words. The word “wife” felt foreign, like a title that didn’t quite belong to her. The concept was laughable given the state of their marriage. The only thing binding
Hans’ Discovery(Hans’ Personal Point of View)I never believed in fate.Coincidences, sure. But fate? That was something weak people clung to when they needed an excuse for their choices.And yet, as I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the small, delicate hairpin in my palm, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the realization crashing over me.This was Mia’s.And I had seen it before.Not just recently. Years ago.It had been tucked away in the back of my wardrobe, inside a small, forgotten box I hadn’t touched in years. The moment my fingers brushed against it, something in my mind snapped into place—a memory that had been buried so deep, I hadn’t even realized it was missing.A memory of her.Of that night.And suddenly, everything I thought I knew came unraveling before my eyes.I had been drunk that night.Not the kind of tipsy that made you laugh at everything, but the kind where the world blurred at the edges, and thoughts no longer made sense.The party had been loud, chaotic
Hans’ Curiosity Deepens(Third-Person Point of View)Hans Oswald was not a man who believed in coincidences.Everything in life followed a pattern—an equation waiting to be solved.So why was it that the sight of a single hairpin had set off a nagging feeling in his chest?He had been watching from a distance as his father humiliated Mia, and for the first time, he had felt something close to pity for her.Mia had always carried herself with an air of quiet defiance, a subtle strength that made it easy to overlook her struggles. But when their father, Richard Oswald, had torn into her with sharp words, she had looked… small.It had surprised Hans.Not because of his father’s cruelty—Richard had always been ruthless—but because of the way Carl had stepped in.Carl had defended her. Not as his assistant. As his wife.That alone had been shocking. But as the heated exchange settled, Hans’ gaze had landed on something unexpected—the delicate silver hairpin tucked into Mia’s dark locks.H
The Unraveling Threads(Third-Person Point of View)The air in the office was thick with tension. Whispers rippled through the employees like an unstoppable current, their eyes darting between Victor Oswald, Carl, and Mia. The moment had passed, but the weight of it still lingered.Hans Oswald stood frozen in place, his mind struggling to process what had just unfolded before him.He had seen his father angry before, countless times, but never quite like this. Victor was a man who prided himself on control, on discipline, on calculated anger. Yet, when he had lashed out at Mia, there had been something more—a deep, unfiltered contempt.It unsettled Hans.But what shocked him more was Carl’s reaction.His brother—the ever-proud, ever-distant Carl—had defended Mia. Not as his assistant. Not as someone beneath him.But as his wife.Hans couldn’t believe it.Carl had spent every moment since this arranged marriage treating Mia like an unwanted burden. He had ignored her, belittled her, t
The Weight of His Words(Mia’s Point of View I couldn't move.I couldn't think.Carl's words kept ringing in my ears, over and over, like a broken record."She is my wife."My body felt frozen, standing in the middle of the office floor, with eyes still on me. Whispered conversations filled the air, the weight of their judgment pressing down on me. I wanted to disappear.Ashley’s smug face wasn’t so smug anymore. She was glaring at Carl’s office door like she wanted to set it on fire.Good.At least something about today wasn’t completely humiliating.But my heart still ached.Not just because of what Victor Oswald had said to me. Not just because of the coffee-stained humiliation.But because Carl had defended me.And I didn’t know why.What Did It Mean?Carl had never stood up for me before.Never.He had made it his mission to remind me, every single day, that I was a mistake in his life. That I didn’t belong in his world. That I was nothing but an inconvenience.So why… why now?
(Mia’s Point of View)I should have seen it coming.Ashley had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and today, she found it.I had been moving carefully, balancing the tray with Carl’s coffee, trying to focus on anything but the argument we had last night.His words still lingered in my mind."You’re nothing but an inconvenience in my life."I knew he didn’t mean it. Not after the way he looked at me. Not after the way his body tensed when I mentioned the colors.But knowing that didn’t erase the pain.And now, as I walked toward his office, trying to shake the memory, Ashley’s voice cut through my thoughts."Watch where you’re going, sweetheart."Before I could react, her elbow slammed into mine, sending the tray flying.Time slowed.The hot coffee spilled through the air before splashing down—not on the floor, but on the one person I had never expected to see today.Carl’s father.Gasps filled the office floor.Employees froze, their eyes darting between me and the man now
Mia’s Confrontation with Carl(Mia’s Point of View I had been patient.I had been silent.I had swallowed my pride, endured the cold glares, the sharp words, the constant reminder that I was nothing in his world.But tonight—tonight, I snapped.Carl had always been unkind to me, but lately, it had gotten worse.His indifference had turned into something sharper, something more deliberate.One moment, he would ignore me completely. The next, he would find the smallest excuse to criticize me.My presence irritated him.Everything I did seemed to bother him.And I could take it—I had taken it for weeks. But what I couldn’t take was the way he kept pretending.Pretending like he didn’t see me.Pretending like I didn’t matter.And yet, I knew he was lying.Because I caught him watching me when he thought I wasn’t looking.I noticed how he drank the coffee I made every morning, even when he never asked for it.I saw how his gaze softened for a split second when I brought him dinner, only
Carl’s Internal Battle(Carl’s Point of View I didn’t believe in fate.I didn’t believe in accidents either.Everything in life had a cause, a reason, a pattern. That’s how I had learned to navigate the world—by controlling what I could and shutting out what I couldn’t.But now, something was wrong.Mia.I saw her in color.And I had no logical explanation for it.For as long as I could remember, faces had been a blur to me. A disorder, they called it—prosopagnosia—but I had long since stopped caring for labels.I learned to live with it.I memorized voices, movements, the way people carried themselves. I didn’t need to see details to understand who someone was.But my world was gray.Everyone was the same. Shadows. Outlines. No color.Until her.Until Mia.The first time it happened, I thought it was a mistake. A trick of the light.But it wasn’t.It kept happening.Every time I looked at her, I saw more.The deep brown of her hair, the warmth in her hazel eyes, the soft blush of he
Mia’s Growing Influence(Carl’s Point of View I never liked changes.Routine was predictable, controllable. I knew what to expect, how things worked, and where everyone belonged. That’s how I kept my life in order, my emotions in check.But then she happened.Mia Miloslava Pankraz.My unwanted wife. My unexpected problem.She was supposed to be nothing more than a contract—an obligation. Yet, somehow, she was everywhere.And worse?I was starting to notice her.It started with something small.My coffee.I was particular about it—strong, just a little sugar, no milk. No one ever got it right. Not my previous secretaries, not my staff, not even Tashi, despite her years of working with me.But one morning, as I sat at my desk, drowning in files, Mia walked in and placed a cup in front of me.I barely looked at her. “I didn’t ask for this.”She didn’t flinch. “I know. Just try it.”I frowned, but the smell of it was familiar. Too familiar.I hesitated before picking it up and taking a
Tashi’s Growing Rage(Third-Person Point of View Tashi Matsuda had spent years by Carl Oswald’s side, believing—knowing—that she was the only woman who truly understood him. She had been patient, watching from the shadows, waiting for the moment when he would finally see her the way she saw him.But that moment never came.And now, it never would.Because of her.Mia Miloslava Pankraz.The woman Carl barely tolerated. The woman he was forced to marry. Yet, somehow, he was protecting her.Tashi had expected Carl to treat Mia like an obligation—nothing more. But instead, he was defending her. Subtly, perhaps. But still.It was enough to drive Tashi to the edge.She had wasted too much time waiting for Carl to come around. If he wasn’t going to acknowledge her, if he was going to let Mia take what should have been hers, then she would take everything from him.And she knew exactly how to start.By turning to the one man who had just as much reason to hate Carl as she did.Hans Oswald.