His Forced Bride
Ainsley
He married her because he had no choice. She tried to love him, even knowing his heart belonged to someone else.
At twenty-four, Alina Volkov is forced into an arranged marriage with Dmitri Sokolov, a powerful twenty-eight-year-old CEO whose family demands that he finally settle down and produce an heir.
But from the very first day of their marriage, Alina realizes she will never be the woman Dmitri truly wants. His heart still belongs to his first love, Viktoriya Morozova. He openly brings Viktoriya into their mansion, treats her like she is the real lady of the house, and leaves his legal wife to endure the pain in silence.
What Dmitri doesn't know is that the woman he loves has never loved him back. Together with her secret lover, Viktoriya has been manipulating him from the beginning, plotting to steal his company, his fortune, and destroy everything he has built.
As betrayal, lies, and hidden truths begin to unfold, Dmitri is forced to face the consequences of the choices he made. But when he finally realizes who truly stood by his side all along... will it already be too late to win back the heart of the wife he never chose?
A heart-wrenching story of arranged marriage, betrayal, slow-burn romance, second chances, family drama, and a love that blossoms when everything else falls apart.
CHAPTER 4
ALINA'S POV :
It's enough to watch him choose someone else... every single time.
Two weeks. Two weeks had passed since Dmitri and I got married.
And for fourteen days...
We had never truly been husband and wife. We only spoke when absolutely necessary. He never looked for me. He never knocked on my bedroom door. He had never touched me—not even once.
To be honest...
I felt like nothing more than a ghost wandering through the mansion.
Someone who existed...
Yet remained completely invisible.
---
"Good morning, Ma'am."
I smiled at Nanny Sofia. "Good morning."
"Are you going somewhere today?" I nodded.
"I'm bringing lunch to Dmitri." A warm smile spread across Nanny Sofia's face.
"I'm sure he'll be happy."
I said nothing.
Truthfully...
I didn't even know why I was doing it.
Perhaps...
I simply wanted to try.
Just once.
As his wife.
---
I cooked the meal myself. Beef Stroganoff. The head chef had told me it was Dmitri's favorite.
I carefully packed it into a lunch box. Along with a bowl of hot soup. And a small handwritten note.
«Even if you don't like me, I hope you'll still remember to eat on time.
— Alina»
I didn't know if he'd ever read it. But I hoped he would.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
I was in the conference room. More than ten executives sat around the table.
"Sir." My secretary approached.
"Mrs. Sokolov sent you lunch."
My eyes landed on the lunch box. A brief silence followed.
"Sir?"
I didn't even open it. "Take it back."
My secretary froze. "But, sir—"
"I said return it."
He lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
I turned my attention back to the meeting.
What I never noticed...
Was the sadness that crossed my secretary's face as he carried the lunch away.
---
ALINA'S POV :
I held the lunch box tightly. It hadn't even been opened. The note was still tucked inside.
I didn't know whether to laugh...
Or cry.
"Ma'am..." The secretary called softly. "I'm very sorry."
"Mr. Sokolov said... he doesn't eat food prepared by other people."
I smiled. "It's alright."
But both of us knew...
That wasn't the real reason.
---
When Dmitri returned home that evening...
He quietly headed toward the staircase.
"Dmitri."
He stopped. But he didn't turn around.
"Do you need something?"
I swallowed nervously. "I just wanted to ask..."
"Did I do something wrong?"
Silence.
"No."
"Then why..."
"...do you treat me this way?"
Slowly, he turned to face me. His eyes were just as cold as ever.
"I have no obligation to love you."
"You were never the woman I chose."
"And you never will be."
It felt as though my heart had shattered into countless pieces. But he wasn't finished.
"You should accept reality."
"It'll make life easier for the four of us."
"The four of us?" A slight frown appeared on my face.
"Me."
"You."
"Viktoriya."
"And our families."
With that...
He walked away. Leaving me standing there. Completely alone.
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
I smirked from the second floor. I had heard every word.
Softly...
I applauded. "Very good, Dmitri."
That's right. Break her completely. A woman with no strength is much easier to drive away.
---
Later that night...
I found Alina watering the flowers inside the greenhouse.
"You're quite hardworking." She smiled politely.
"I've always loved plants."
"What a pity." She looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"They're just like flowers."
"No matter how beautiful they are..."
"If the gardener doesn't love them..."
"They eventually wither."
She quietly stared at me. Without saying a word. So I stepped closer.
"Listen carefully." My voice was low...
But razor-sharp. "Dmitri will never love you."
"You'd be better off leaving on your own."
"Don't wait until you're completely humiliated." I smiled as I turned to leave. I expected her to cry.
But instead...
"I have no intention of leaving." I stopped in my tracks. Turning back toward her. She looked at me calmly. Not angry. Not crying.
"I'm his legal wife."
"I'm not going to fight for his heart."
"But I'm not leaving just because you told me to."
My eyes narrowed. For the first time...
She finally fought back.
---
ROMAN'S POV :
"She's becoming a problem." I looked at Viktoriya.
"Who?"
"The wife."
"I thought she'd be weak."
"I was wrong."
A grin spread across my face. "In that case..."
"We'll deal with her."
She smiled quietly. Then placed a small bottle on the table.
"Slowly."
"There's no need to rush."
I stared at it. "What's the plan?"
"I'm not going to kill her."
"But I'll make sure Dmitri ends up hating her himself."
I burst into laughter. "That's exactly why I like you."
---
ALINA'S POV :
It was around ten o'clock that night. I was heading downstairs for a glass of water...
When I suddenly stopped. Voices drifted from Dmitri's study. The door had been left slightly open.
"...We'll transfer the shares after the board meeting."
That was Dmitri's voice.
A moment later...
Another voice answered. It wasn't Viktoriya. And it wasn't an employee.
A man. "Are you sure you can trust her?"
Dmitri was silent for a moment before replying. "Viktoriya?"
"I trust her more than anyone."
I slowly closed my eyes.
I couldn't explain why...
But something felt terribly wrong. Something I couldn't quite put into words.
At the very same moment...
From the darkest corner of the hallway...
A pair of eyes watched me in silence.
And little by little...
A shadow began moving closer...
Right behind me.
It's enough to watch him choose someone else... every single time.
Two weeks. Two weeks had passed since Dmitri and I got married.
And for fourteen days...
We had never truly been husband and wife. We only spoke when absolutely necessary. He never looked for me. He never knocked on my bedroom door. He had never touched me—not even once.
To be honest...
I felt like nothing more than a ghost wandering through the mansion.
Someone who existed...
Yet remained completely invisible.
---
"Good morning, Ma'am."
I smiled at Nanny Sofia. "Good morning."
"Are you going somewhere today?" I nodded.
"I'm bringing lunch to Dmitri." A warm smile spread across Nanny Sofia's face.
"I'm sure he'll be happy."
I said nothing.
Truthfully...
I didn't even know why I was doing it.
Perhaps...
I simply wanted to try.
Just once.
As his wife.
---
I cooked the meal myself. Beef Stroganoff. The head chef had told me it was Dmitri's favorite.
I carefully packed it into a lunch box. Along with a bowl of hot soup. And a small handwritten note.
«Even if you don't like me, I hope you'll still remember to eat on time.
— Alina»
I didn't know if he'd ever read it. But I hoped he would.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
I was in the conference room. More than ten executives sat around the table.
"Sir." My secretary approached.
"Mrs. Sokolov sent you lunch."
My eyes landed on the lunch box. A brief silence followed.
"Sir?"
I didn't even open it. "Take it back."
My secretary froze. "But, sir—"
"I said return it."
He lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
I turned my attention back to the meeting.
What I never noticed...
Was the sadness that crossed my secretary's face as he carried the lunch away.
---
ALINA'S POV :
I held the lunch box tightly. It hadn't even been opened. The note was still tucked inside.
I didn't know whether to laugh...
Or cry.
"Ma'am..." The secretary called softly. "I'm very sorry."
"Mr. Sokolov said... he doesn't eat food prepared by other people."
I smiled. "It's alright."
But both of us knew...
That wasn't the real reason.
---
When Dmitri returned home that evening...
He quietly headed toward the staircase.
"Dmitri."
He stopped. But he didn't turn around.
"Do you need something?"
I swallowed nervously. "I just wanted to ask..."
"Did I do something wrong?"
Silence.
"No."
"Then why..."
"...do you treat me this way?"
Slowly, he turned to face me. His eyes were just as cold as ever.
"I have no obligation to love you."
"You were never the woman I chose."
"And you never will be."
It felt as though my heart had shattered into countless pieces. But he wasn't finished.
"You should accept reality."
"It'll make life easier for the four of us."
"The four of us?" A slight frown appeared on my face.
"Me."
"You."
"Viktoriya."
"And our families."
With that...
He walked away. Leaving me standing there. Completely alone.
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
I smirked from the second floor. I had heard every word.
Softly...
I applauded. "Very good, Dmitri."
That's right. Break her completely. A woman with no strength is much easier to drive away.
---
Later that night...
I found Alina watering the flowers inside the greenhouse.
"You're quite hardworking." She smiled politely.
"I've always loved plants."
"What a pity." She looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"They're just like flowers."
"No matter how beautiful they are..."
"If the gardener doesn't love them..."
"They eventually wither."
She quietly stared at me. Without saying a word. So I stepped closer.
"Listen carefully." My voice was low...
But razor-sharp. "Dmitri will never love you."
"You'd be better off leaving on your own."
"Don't wait until you're completely humiliated." I smiled as I turned to leave. I expected her to cry.
But instead...
"I have no intention of leaving." I stopped in my tracks. Turning back toward her. She looked at me calmly. Not angry. Not crying.
"I'm his legal wife."
"I'm not going to fight for his heart."
"But I'm not leaving just because you told me to."
My eyes narrowed. For the first time...
She finally fought back.
---
ROMAN'S POV :
"She's becoming a problem." I looked at Viktoriya.
"Who?"
"The wife."
"I thought she'd be weak."
"I was wrong."
A grin spread across my face. "In that case..."
"We'll deal with her."
She smiled quietly. Then placed a small bottle on the table.
"Slowly."
"There's no need to rush."
I stared at it. "What's the plan?"
"I'm not going to kill her."
"But I'll make sure Dmitri ends up hating her himself."
I burst into laughter. "That's exactly why I like you."
---
ALINA'S POV :
It was around ten o'clock that night. I was heading downstairs for a glass of water...
When I suddenly stopped. Voices drifted from Dmitri's study. The door had been left slightly open.
"...We'll transfer the shares after the board meeting."
That was Dmitri's voice.
A moment later...
Another voice answered. It wasn't Viktoriya. And it wasn't an employee.
A man. "Are you sure you can trust her?"
Dmitri was silent for a moment before replying. "Viktoriya?"
"I trust her more than anyone."
I slowly closed my eyes.
I couldn't explain why...
But something felt terribly wrong. Something I couldn't quite put into words.
At the very same moment...
From the darkest corner of the hallway...
A pair of eyes watched me in silence.
And little by little...
A shadow began moving closer...
Right behind me.
Chapter 4
— CHAPTER 4 of 10