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 8
DMITRI'S POV :
Beeeeeeep...
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor echoed throughout the hospital room.
I sat quietly beside her bed. Watching the woman sleeping peacefully.
A bandage covered her forehead. Her hands were scraped. Bruises stained her arms.
Without realizing it...
I had been holding her hand the entire time. It was still warm. But she could no longer hold mine in return.
The doctor approached. "Mr. Sokolov."
I immediately stood. "How is she?"
"Her condition is stable now." I closed my eyes in relief.
"But..." My entire body tensed.
"She's been under severe emotional stress for several weeks."
"She's also lost a noticeable amount of weight."
"It seems she hasn't been eating properly."
It felt like someone had struck me in the chest. I didn't know. I never noticed. I never even asked if she was alright.
---
FLASHBACK
"I'm not hungry."
"I'm fine."
"Please... go ahead and eat without me."
---
Only now...
Did I finally understand those words. She wasn't fine. She had only pretended to be.
Because I...
Was the reason she suffered.
---
ALINA'S POV :
Slowly...
I opened my eyes. The ceiling above me was blurry. The smell of medicine filled the air.
A hospital...
I felt someone holding my hand. At first, I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
But when I turned my head...
My eyes widened. "D-Dmitri?"
A small smile appeared on his face. Gentle. Real. "You're awake."
I tried to sit up. But he immediately supported me. "Easy."
I froze. Was this really Dmitri?
The man who once couldn't even bear to look at me...
Was now the one worrying over me.
---
"Would you like some water?"
I nodded.
He poured a glass himself. Then carefully helped me drink.
"Thank you."
Silence settled between us. Until he spoke first.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at him. "I know..."
"The word 'sorry' means almost nothing after everything I've done." He let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't believe you."
"I let you get hurt."
"I let Viktoriya treat you as if you were worthless." His eyes dropped to the floor. "And I almost lost you."
I didn't know what to say. Because for the very first time...
I saw the cold-hearted Dmitri Sokolov crying.
---
NANNY SOFIA'S POV :
I stood quietly outside the hospital room. Alexei stood beside me.
A smile tugged at my lips. "Do you see that?"
He nodded. "It's the first time Mr. Dmitri has cried in years."
I gazed through the window. "Perhaps..."
"It's not too late after all."
---
DMITRI'S POV :
Three days after Alina was discharged from the hospital...
I brought her back to the mansion. The moment we arrived...
She stopped in front of the guest room. She was about to open the door.
"Alina."
She turned to look at me.
"We need to talk."
She quietly nodded.
Together...
We walked into the master bedroom. The room I had once denied her.
I took a deep breath. "Pack all of your things."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because..."
"You're not sleeping in the guest room anymore."
"This room..."
"...belongs to you."
She remained silent. Then softly said— "No."
I froze.
"No?"
"I'm more comfortable in the guest room now."
Something pierced my heart. For the first time...
I felt the same pain I had forced her to endure.
---
ALINA'S POV :
It wasn't because I hated him. It wasn't because I wanted revenge. It was because...
I was afraid to hope again.
What if tomorrow...
He changed his mind? What if I ended up getting hurt all over again?
Quietly...
I lowered my head. "I'm sorry."
"But..."
"I'd like to stay there a little longer." Then I walked away.
I never saw...
Dmitri standing alone in the center of the room. And for the first time...
He was the one left behind. Alone.
---
ALEXEI'S POV :
"Sir." I entered Dmitri's study.
"We've gathered all the evidence against Viktoriya and Roman." I placed a thick folder on his desk.
"We've also recovered every stolen file."
He nodded. "Leave the rest to the lawyers."
"Yes, sir."
Just as I reached the door...
He called my name. "Alexei."
"Sir?"
"Do you think..."
"...it's already too late?"
I didn't understand at first. "Too late for what?"
"For Alina."
A faint smile crossed my face. "Sir..."
"If it were truly too late..."
"Mrs. Sokolov wouldn't have given you a second chance the day she risked her life to save yours."
"Yes."
"She's been deeply hurt."
"But she hasn't given up."
"Now it's your turn..."
"...to prove that you're worthy of her trust."
Dmitri fell silent for a long time. Then...
He smiled. A smile filled with determination.
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
I decided to visit the greenhouse. As always...
I quietly watered the roses. It was still the one place where my heart could find peace.
A few moments later...
I heard footsteps. I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
"Dmitri?"
He nodded. In his hands...
He carried a small flower pot. He walked toward me. Then gently offered it to me.
I looked down.
A single white rose bloomed from the pot.
"Do you remember..." He asked softly.
"You once told me how much you loved flowers."
I nodded. "I remember."
"I bought this for you."
I looked up at him.
"For me?"
He nodded. "It can't erase the pain I caused."
"And it isn't enough to earn your forgiveness."
"But..."
"I'd like the chance..."
"...to start over."
Silently...
I looked at the little white rose. Then slowly accepted it.
I smiled. Not as his wife.
Not as a woman in love.
But as someone...
Who was willing to try trusting again.
And for the very first time...
We smiled at each other.
It wasn't love.
Not yet.
But...
It was the beginning of one.
Beeeeeeep...
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor echoed throughout the hospital room.
I sat quietly beside her bed. Watching the woman sleeping peacefully.
A bandage covered her forehead. Her hands were scraped. Bruises stained her arms.
Without realizing it...
I had been holding her hand the entire time. It was still warm. But she could no longer hold mine in return.
The doctor approached. "Mr. Sokolov."
I immediately stood. "How is she?"
"Her condition is stable now." I closed my eyes in relief.
"But..." My entire body tensed.
"She's been under severe emotional stress for several weeks."
"She's also lost a noticeable amount of weight."
"It seems she hasn't been eating properly."
It felt like someone had struck me in the chest. I didn't know. I never noticed. I never even asked if she was alright.
---
FLASHBACK
"I'm not hungry."
"I'm fine."
"Please... go ahead and eat without me."
---
Only now...
Did I finally understand those words. She wasn't fine. She had only pretended to be.
Because I...
Was the reason she suffered.
---
ALINA'S POV :
Slowly...
I opened my eyes. The ceiling above me was blurry. The smell of medicine filled the air.
A hospital...
I felt someone holding my hand. At first, I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
But when I turned my head...
My eyes widened. "D-Dmitri?"
A small smile appeared on his face. Gentle. Real. "You're awake."
I tried to sit up. But he immediately supported me. "Easy."
I froze. Was this really Dmitri?
The man who once couldn't even bear to look at me...
Was now the one worrying over me.
---
"Would you like some water?"
I nodded.
He poured a glass himself. Then carefully helped me drink.
"Thank you."
Silence settled between us. Until he spoke first.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at him. "I know..."
"The word 'sorry' means almost nothing after everything I've done." He let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't believe you."
"I let you get hurt."
"I let Viktoriya treat you as if you were worthless." His eyes dropped to the floor. "And I almost lost you."
I didn't know what to say. Because for the very first time...
I saw the cold-hearted Dmitri Sokolov crying.
---
NANNY SOFIA'S POV :
I stood quietly outside the hospital room. Alexei stood beside me.
A smile tugged at my lips. "Do you see that?"
He nodded. "It's the first time Mr. Dmitri has cried in years."
I gazed through the window. "Perhaps..."
"It's not too late after all."
---
DMITRI'S POV :
Three days after Alina was discharged from the hospital...
I brought her back to the mansion. The moment we arrived...
She stopped in front of the guest room. She was about to open the door.
"Alina."
She turned to look at me.
"We need to talk."
She quietly nodded.
Together...
We walked into the master bedroom. The room I had once denied her.
I took a deep breath. "Pack all of your things."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because..."
"You're not sleeping in the guest room anymore."
"This room..."
"...belongs to you."
She remained silent. Then softly said— "No."
I froze.
"No?"
"I'm more comfortable in the guest room now."
Something pierced my heart. For the first time...
I felt the same pain I had forced her to endure.
---
ALINA'S POV :
It wasn't because I hated him. It wasn't because I wanted revenge. It was because...
I was afraid to hope again.
What if tomorrow...
He changed his mind? What if I ended up getting hurt all over again?
Quietly...
I lowered my head. "I'm sorry."
"But..."
"I'd like to stay there a little longer." Then I walked away.
I never saw...
Dmitri standing alone in the center of the room. And for the first time...
He was the one left behind. Alone.
---
ALEXEI'S POV :
"Sir." I entered Dmitri's study.
"We've gathered all the evidence against Viktoriya and Roman." I placed a thick folder on his desk.
"We've also recovered every stolen file."
He nodded. "Leave the rest to the lawyers."
"Yes, sir."
Just as I reached the door...
He called my name. "Alexei."
"Sir?"
"Do you think..."
"...it's already too late?"
I didn't understand at first. "Too late for what?"
"For Alina."
A faint smile crossed my face. "Sir..."
"If it were truly too late..."
"Mrs. Sokolov wouldn't have given you a second chance the day she risked her life to save yours."
"Yes."
"She's been deeply hurt."
"But she hasn't given up."
"Now it's your turn..."
"...to prove that you're worthy of her trust."
Dmitri fell silent for a long time. Then...
He smiled. A smile filled with determination.
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
I decided to visit the greenhouse. As always...
I quietly watered the roses. It was still the one place where my heart could find peace.
A few moments later...
I heard footsteps. I thought it was Nanny Sofia.
"Dmitri?"
He nodded. In his hands...
He carried a small flower pot. He walked toward me. Then gently offered it to me.
I looked down.
A single white rose bloomed from the pot.
"Do you remember..." He asked softly.
"You once told me how much you loved flowers."
I nodded. "I remember."
"I bought this for you."
I looked up at him.
"For me?"
He nodded. "It can't erase the pain I caused."
"And it isn't enough to earn your forgiveness."
"But..."
"I'd like the chance..."
"...to start over."
Silently...
I looked at the little white rose. Then slowly accepted it.
I smiled. Not as his wife.
Not as a woman in love.
But as someone...
Who was willing to try trusting again.
And for the very first time...
We smiled at each other.
It wasn't love.
Not yet.
But...
It was the beginning of one.
Chapter 8
— CHAPTER 8 of 10