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 6
ALEXEI'S POV :
Three days had passed since Mrs. Alina was accused. For three days...
She had barely left the guest room. She hardly ate. And as for Mr. Dmitri...
He buried himself even deeper in his work. But there was one thing I couldn't get out of my head.
Viktoriya's smile. It wasn't the smile of someone who was worried. It was the smile of someone who had already won.
---
"Mr. Alexei." I turned toward the head of security.
"We've recovered the CCTV footage."
I took a deep breath. "Bring it to the monitoring room."
---
Silently...
I watched the recording. Mrs. Alina stepped out of the elevator. A paper bag rested in her hands.
A few seconds later...
A female employee "accidentally" bumped into her. "Pause."
I walked closer to the screen. "Zoom in."
The footage became slightly blurry. But it was clear enough. A quick hand slipped a flash drive into Alina's handbag.
I froze.
"Who is that employee?"
The security officer hesitated. "Sir..."
"She doesn't have an employee ID."
"What?"
"We checked our records."
"She isn't one of our employees." My heartbeat quickened.
"So..."
"Someone deliberately let her into the building."
---
ROMAN'S POV :
"Idiot." I smirked as I spoke over the phone with the woman we'd hired to plant the evidence.
"Did the CCTV cameras catch you?" She fell silent.
"Sir?"
"I asked you a question."
"I... I don't know."
I cursed under my breath. "If we get caught because of your stupidity..."
I didn't bother finishing the sentence. I hung up.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
"Sir."
Alexei entered my office carrying a tablet.
"You look serious."
"You need to see this."
I silently took the tablet. Then pressed play. The CCTV footage unfolded before my eyes.
Slowly...
My eyes widened. Without realizing it, my grip tightened around the device. "...Impossible."
Alexei didn't interrupt. He simply let me watch the entire recording.
From beginning...
To end.
I couldn't move.
For several long minutes...
I just stared at the screen. Only one thought echoed inside my mind. Alina was innocent.
Which meant...
I had been wrong.
No...
It was worse than that. I hadn't even given her the chance to defend herself.
---
ALINA'S POV :
I quietly watered the roses in the garden. They had become my only source of comfort. Flowers were easier to talk to.
At least... They never hurt anyone.
"Mrs. Sokolov."
I turned around.nIt was Alexei. A faint smile rested on his face.
"Is something wrong?"
"You're innocent."
I stopped moving. "What?"
"We've reviewed the CCTV footage."
Hope slowly returned to my heart. "Really?"
He nodded. "We've proven it."
My eyes filled with tears. Not because I was hurting.
But because...
At last...
The truth had finally come to light.
"Thank you..." I whispered.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
I stood alone on my office balcony. Restless. Uneasy. For the first time...
I didn't know how I could face Alina. For the first time...
Guilt found its way into my heart. Just then...
My phone rang.Viktoriya Calling
I answered. "Hello?"
"Dmitri!"
"I'm at the mansion."
"I have a surprise for you."
I had no desire to talk. "Alright."
---
When I arrived at the mansion...
Viktoriya greeted me with a bright smile. "Did you miss me?"
I didn't answer.
She immediately noticed the seriousness on my face. "What's wrong?"
Without saying a word...
I placed the tablet on the table. "Do you know this woman?"
She watched the CCTV footage. One second. Two. Three. For a brief moment...
It looked as though she had forgotten how to breathe. But just as quickly...
She smiled. "No."
"Why?"
"Does she have something to do with what happened?"
I stared at her. For a long time. I noticed the slightest flicker of unease in her eyes. But I still didn't have enough evidence against her.
So I simply nodded.
"No."
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
The moment Dmitri left...
I immediately called Roman. "Did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"They recovered the CCTV footage."
Silence.
"...Shit."
"Relax."
"He only suspects something."
"He still doesn't know the truth."
"But we have to move faster."
I nodded. "The board meeting is in one week."
"Once we get the authorization code..."
"It'll all be over."
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
Someone knocked on the guest room door. I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
But when I opened it...
Dmitri was standing there.
For the first time.
The very first time...
He had come to my room on his own.
We stood there in silence.
Looking at each other.
He held a small velvet box in his hand.
"I..." He struggled to find the words.
"About what happened..."
I didn't interrupt him. I simply waited.
"I was wrong." His voice was quiet. Almost a whisper.
But I heard every word.
"I judged you without listening."
He held out the box. "I'm sorry."
I looked inside. A beautiful, expensive bracelet.
Slowly...
I closed the lid. Then gently handed it back to him.
A slight frown appeared on his face.
"I don't need a gift." My voice was soft. Yet unwavering.
"What I needed..."
"...was for you to believe me."
Silence filled the space between us. He couldn't answer.
And for the very first time in years...
Dmitri Sokolov felt something he had long forgotten.
Regret.
Three days had passed since Mrs. Alina was accused. For three days...
She had barely left the guest room. She hardly ate. And as for Mr. Dmitri...
He buried himself even deeper in his work. But there was one thing I couldn't get out of my head.
Viktoriya's smile. It wasn't the smile of someone who was worried. It was the smile of someone who had already won.
---
"Mr. Alexei." I turned toward the head of security.
"We've recovered the CCTV footage."
I took a deep breath. "Bring it to the monitoring room."
---
Silently...
I watched the recording. Mrs. Alina stepped out of the elevator. A paper bag rested in her hands.
A few seconds later...
A female employee "accidentally" bumped into her. "Pause."
I walked closer to the screen. "Zoom in."
The footage became slightly blurry. But it was clear enough. A quick hand slipped a flash drive into Alina's handbag.
I froze.
"Who is that employee?"
The security officer hesitated. "Sir..."
"She doesn't have an employee ID."
"What?"
"We checked our records."
"She isn't one of our employees." My heartbeat quickened.
"So..."
"Someone deliberately let her into the building."
---
ROMAN'S POV :
"Idiot." I smirked as I spoke over the phone with the woman we'd hired to plant the evidence.
"Did the CCTV cameras catch you?" She fell silent.
"Sir?"
"I asked you a question."
"I... I don't know."
I cursed under my breath. "If we get caught because of your stupidity..."
I didn't bother finishing the sentence. I hung up.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
"Sir."
Alexei entered my office carrying a tablet.
"You look serious."
"You need to see this."
I silently took the tablet. Then pressed play. The CCTV footage unfolded before my eyes.
Slowly...
My eyes widened. Without realizing it, my grip tightened around the device. "...Impossible."
Alexei didn't interrupt. He simply let me watch the entire recording.
From beginning...
To end.
I couldn't move.
For several long minutes...
I just stared at the screen. Only one thought echoed inside my mind. Alina was innocent.
Which meant...
I had been wrong.
No...
It was worse than that. I hadn't even given her the chance to defend herself.
---
ALINA'S POV :
I quietly watered the roses in the garden. They had become my only source of comfort. Flowers were easier to talk to.
At least... They never hurt anyone.
"Mrs. Sokolov."
I turned around.nIt was Alexei. A faint smile rested on his face.
"Is something wrong?"
"You're innocent."
I stopped moving. "What?"
"We've reviewed the CCTV footage."
Hope slowly returned to my heart. "Really?"
He nodded. "We've proven it."
My eyes filled with tears. Not because I was hurting.
But because...
At last...
The truth had finally come to light.
"Thank you..." I whispered.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
I stood alone on my office balcony. Restless. Uneasy. For the first time...
I didn't know how I could face Alina. For the first time...
Guilt found its way into my heart. Just then...
My phone rang.Viktoriya Calling
I answered. "Hello?"
"Dmitri!"
"I'm at the mansion."
"I have a surprise for you."
I had no desire to talk. "Alright."
---
When I arrived at the mansion...
Viktoriya greeted me with a bright smile. "Did you miss me?"
I didn't answer.
She immediately noticed the seriousness on my face. "What's wrong?"
Without saying a word...
I placed the tablet on the table. "Do you know this woman?"
She watched the CCTV footage. One second. Two. Three. For a brief moment...
It looked as though she had forgotten how to breathe. But just as quickly...
She smiled. "No."
"Why?"
"Does she have something to do with what happened?"
I stared at her. For a long time. I noticed the slightest flicker of unease in her eyes. But I still didn't have enough evidence against her.
So I simply nodded.
"No."
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
The moment Dmitri left...
I immediately called Roman. "Did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"They recovered the CCTV footage."
Silence.
"...Shit."
"Relax."
"He only suspects something."
"He still doesn't know the truth."
"But we have to move faster."
I nodded. "The board meeting is in one week."
"Once we get the authorization code..."
"It'll all be over."
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
Someone knocked on the guest room door. I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
But when I opened it...
Dmitri was standing there.
For the first time.
The very first time...
He had come to my room on his own.
We stood there in silence.
Looking at each other.
He held a small velvet box in his hand.
"I..." He struggled to find the words.
"About what happened..."
I didn't interrupt him. I simply waited.
"I was wrong." His voice was quiet. Almost a whisper.
But I heard every word.
"I judged you without listening."
He held out the box. "I'm sorry."
I looked inside. A beautiful, expensive bracelet.
Slowly...
I closed the lid. Then gently handed it back to him.
A slight frown appeared on his face.
"I don't need a gift." My voice was soft. Yet unwavering.
"What I needed..."
"...was for you to believe me."
Silence filled the space between us. He couldn't answer.
And for the very first time in years...
Dmitri Sokolov felt something he had long forgotten.
Regret.
Chapter 6
— CHAPTER 6 of 10