Chapter four

Amanda's POV

I froze at the spot, whipping around to look at the stranger. For a second I wondered if I'd heard right. Fresh anger filled me up as I clenched my fist, walking closer to him. 

"W-What? What the hell are you talking about? Are you seriously making some kind of joke?"

He stared at me in that cold manner of his, and despite myself, I felt a chill run down my spine. Gosh, he was actually so scary. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"You know what? I don't have time for this. Keep your games to yourself," I spat.

"Marry me," he repeated. "Be my wife for two years only. Of course you shall be rewarded handsomely for your service."

"Rewarded?"

"Twenty million dollars. Half when you sign the contract, and half after the time lapses."

My eyes widened, and I swore I could feel my mouth watering at his words. "Twenty million dollars?!"

I stared at the man, wondering if this truly was some kind of game. I wondered who he was, and how he could afford such an amount. He did not look like any business man I recognized. But then again, he had sent people to kidnap me. Not to mention those men who were chasing him from the other night…

Was he some sort of drug lord or something? 

"You heard me right. And that's not all. If you agree to my terms, I shall also clear off your mother's hospital bills and the $10 million debt your family owes."

I froze, my eyes widening. "How on earth did you know about the debt? How did you know my mother wa–"

"I have my ways," he cut me off. 

I stared back at the stranger. At this point I could tell that he was obviously a man of power and influence. His offer to wipe off my debt was tempting. But what proof did I have that he was sincere? I still hated him for what he'd done. 

"What makes you think I trust you?" I spat. "You ruined my car and left me in the–"

"I've been in touch with the automobile company," he cut me off once again. "Everything has been paid for, so you don't have to worry about the car. And I think it's time you stop bringing up me leaving you stranded. You made it out alive, didn't you?"

I bit back a curse. Why was he such an arrogant bastard?!

I glared at him. "Why me?" I blurted out. "If you are as well off as you claim, I'm sure you can have any woman you wish. So, why me?"

I had been wondering about that.

The stranger did not miss a beat. "I need a wife, and you need the money. It's as simple as that."

"What if I say no? What if I tell you I'm not interested?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Then you would be losing your one and final shot at saving your family home."

At the mention of my family home, my heart lurched painfully in my chest. My legs faltered as I thought about it, and I had to hold onto a chair to steady myself. Losing the house was one of my biggest fears, and it showed. 

How could I have forgotten? I wanted to slap myself for being so silly. I had gotten so busy in the last few weeks that I forgot about the men who had destroyed my home yesterday. They were coming in tomorrow for their money, and I did not have a penny. My mother and I were going to be thrown out in the street permanently in probably a few hours, and our home would be lost forever.

I stared back at the man's hard gaze, and the thought of everything that was at stake came crashing down on me. 

My family home. I had grown up there, and the memories I'd made with my parents in the good times were too dear to lose. I parted my lips to speak but no words came forth. There were a billion things that could do wrong with this arrangement. 

For one, I had no idea who this man really was. Wouldn't it be a stupid decision to just accept his proposal?!

The back of my neck pricked with sweat and anxiety as I wracked my brain for a solution. 

"Oh, God…" I sighed, burying my face into my hands as I paced around the hotel room. I was so confused. Why did all of this have to happen, and all at the same time! I was beginning to think I was cursed or something. 

First, I lost Logan, and now I was about to lose my home. I had never felt so hopeless before. And the worst part of all this was that I had no idea how to fix it. 

My eyes filled with tears yet again. That thought alone was terrifying. If I shut my eyes, I could reminisce about all the memories we had there. Memories of my father…I know he'd had his shortcomings, but he was a good father. And even though I doubted I could ever forgive him for leaving us with this huge debt, it did not erase the fact that I'd loved him. The house was all I had left of him. 

Thinking about my father made me think of my childhood. Things were not always this bad. I had grown up happy and comfortable because my father was wealthy; his business was flourishing, and things were going nicely for us. 

But the moment my father died, everything changed. The pain I felt was akin to being pushed out of a moving car. Overnight, our entire lives changed, and everything I thought I knew came crashing down on me. First came the pain of losing my father, and then the shock we felt when we learned about the debt. 

It was the most devastating moment of my life. And it was during that time that I met Logan. 

Fresh tears filled my eyes at the thought of my ex boyfriend. He had come into my life and filled the gap in my heart. He had been there for me, and I fell in love with him wholly. And now…I had been betrayed by someone I loved so much again. Logan turned out to be a heartless jerk and a liar. 

"We don't have all day," a deep voice broke into my thoughts. "So, what do you say?"

I looked up to face the stranger again. I was so lost in thought that I almost forgot where I was. 

I took a deep breath. The decision I was about to take would make it break me. But I had no other choice. I had to save my family, or what was left of it. 

I looked into the stranger's blue eyes. "The only reason I am accepting this arrangement is because I desperately need the money. Otherwise, after what you did to me in Italy, I wouldn't even want to be near you. But you didn't answer me. How do I know I can trust you?"

A smirk pulled at his lips at my words. "You don't. All you need to know is that I am capable of paying off your debt in the blink of an eye. The rest of it will unfold as we proceed."

I swallowed, fighting back the urge to hiss. That was an arrogant comment. But he knew I was at his mercy. 

"Okay. I will marry you."

He nodded, and I watched as he pulled out a neatly folded paper from his jacket and handed it to me. It was a contract stating that both parties would be married for two years. My eyes scanned it briefly and I froze when I saw his signature already written on it. I realized that the contract had been drafted and signed since yesterday. 

My jaw clenched angrily. He was so sure I was going to accept, so confident that he had even put his signature. Could he get any more arrogant?! 

I swallowed back all the things I would have liked to say, and instead took the pen he was offering and signed my name on the contract. Once I finished I handed it back to him. 

"Alright. The next step is the court wedding. We have to go."

I froze. "W-What? Today?"

He looked at me like I was asking a dumb question. "Yes, of course. We have to get it over and done with."

"Oh…"

I looked down at the drab dress I was wearing from last night and I suddenly began to feel nauseous. It was already bad enough that I was getting married in a way I never would've imagined. Worse, I didn't even look presentable. This was a nightmare. 

"Come on, we don't have time," the man said, checking his watch. 

I barely had time to smoothen out my hair and check my face in the mirror before he bundled me outside the room. 

Next thing I knew we were inside a luxurious car which he drove until we got to a courthouse. A few minutes later, we were standing exchanging vows. 

"Do you, Quinn McCullough, take Amanda Anderson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

For some reason, his name sounded so familiar. I could've sworn I'd heard it somewhere before, but I could not place. 

Seconds later, we were legally married. The man dipped a hand into his jacket and extracted a check which he handed to me. My eyes widened when I saw it was for ten million dollars, the exact amount my family owed. 

My eyes flashed back to him. Who the hell was this guy?

"Clear the debt and get yourself ready. We have somewhere to be tomorrow. I will wire some money to your account for you to go shopping for a nice outfit."

"Where are we going? To meet your parents?"

He stared at me without answering , his expression unreadable. Immediately fear gripped me. How was I going to explain all this to my mother. She loved Logan, especially since he has been the one to put a smile on my face after my father died. My mother was also very expectant about our relationship, asking me when Logan and I were going to get married. 

And now here I was. 

My heart clenched when I remembered how stupid I was to think that Logan was going to propose on my forthcoming birthday. Everything was a mess. 

"Who are we meeting?" I asked Quinn again. 

"All your questions will be answered tomorrow when you meet the person. For now, don't worry about it."

I folded my arms around myself, knowing that he was not going to tell me. Fear flashed through me as I wondered if I'd made a mistake by agreeing to marry a man I barely knew. The last time I saw him, a group of dangerous men were after him. Not knowing scared me to death. 

What if he was a bad person? What if he tried to harm me by mixing me up with the wrong crowd? But I knew it was too late for regret. I had already signed the contract. 

"Okay then," I said shakily. "You can send me the address to the place and I'll meet you there tomorrow."

"No. I'll come pick you up myself. We have to arrive together."

"No!" I snapped louder than I intended to. How would I explain this to my mother? I had to figure that out first.

Quinn walked closer to me. "Why? Why are you insisting?"

"I-I…I am currently staying with a friend, and I don't want anyone to know about this yet. And my mother…she wouldn't understand. It's all so sudden, and I don't want her to worry. She was expecting me to get married to my ex, but now everything is ruined and I don't know where to start with my explanation."

Quinn grunted. "That sounds like a problem you have to fix soon. Surely you don't think you will hide it from her forever. Soon, you'll be moving in with me. How will you hide it then?"

"Just…give me some time to explain everything to her. Please…"

"Alright. I'll drop you off a few streets away from your home."

I sighed gratefully. "The address is–"

"No need. I know where it is," he cut me off. "How do you think I know about your debt? I can get every piece of information I need without batting an eyelid."

The proud tone of his voice soured my mood. I was about to say more, but he started the engine and zoomed off, drowning out my voice.

Asshole. 

He was so bloody arrogant. As he drove, I snuck a glance at him. I hoped I didn't put myself in danger by marrying this man. There was a mysterious aura surrounding him that made him seem so strange and yet so powerful as if he had everything at the very tip of his finger.

I dragged my eyes away from him and focused instead on what I would tell my mother and Vanessa? There was no way in hell I could possibly tell her that in less than an hour I had gotten married to a man I knew literally nothing about.

And then again there was the check he had given me. How was I going to explain how and where I had gotten 10 million from overnight?