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 9
ALINA'S POV :
Three weeks. Three weeks had passed since the incident at the hospital.
So much had changed. Viktoriya no longer came to the mansion. Dmitri was no longer cold toward me. We still slept in separate rooms.
But...
Every morning...
A cup of warm tea waited outside the door of the guest room. Beside it was a small sticky note.
«Good morning. Make sure you eat well. — Dmitri»
I couldn't help but smile. He still wasn't good with words. But I could feel him trying.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
Making amends wasn't easy. Especially when the person you hurt...
Had grown accustomed to being hurt. My eyes drifted toward the calendar. Today was Viktoriya and Roman's hearing.
My phone rang.
"Sir." It was Alexei.
"We've taken them into custody."
"They're refusing to talk."
I nodded. "I'm on my way."
---
COURTROOM
The courtroom was silent. Roman and Viktoriya stood in handcuffs.
She was no longer the woman I once knew. Her hair was disheveled. Her expensive clothes were gone. So was the arrogant smile she always wore.
As I entered...
Our eyes met. "Dmitri..." She called my name softly. I didn't respond.
The judge was about to begin the proceedings. But before the hearing could officially start...
Viktoriya stood. "Your Honor..."
"I have something to say." The room fell completely silent.
Slowly...
She turned toward me. "Dmitri."
"Please forgive me."
My face remained expressionless. "You're too late."
She smiled. A bitter...
Defeated smile. "I know."
"I really am too late."
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
There's no escape for me anymore. No way out.
But...
If I'm going down...
I'm taking someone with me. "Dmitri."
"It was never just about the money."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
I let out a quiet laugh. "There was an investor."
"The real mastermind behind everything."
"You were never the only target."
"The entire Sokolov Group was."
The entire courtroom froze. Dmitri immediately looked at Alexei. "What investor?"
But before I could answer...
Roman suddenly stood. "No!"
Everyone turned toward him. In a burst of panic...
He shouted. "Sergei Antonov!"
"He was the one who ordered us!"
"He wanted to destroy the Sokolov Group so he could buy it for next to nothing!" Silence filled the courtroom.
Everyone exchanged stunned glances. While Dmitri...
Slowly closed his eyes. Only now...
Did he realize that he hadn't just been deceived. He had been used.
---
ALEXEI'S POV :
After the hearing...
I approached Dmitri. "Sir."
"Sergei has been arrested as well." He turned toward me.
"How?"
"The authorities have actually been investigating him for quite some time."
"Roman and Viktoriya's testimonies were enough to bring him down."
Dmitri let out a long breath. "Finally..."
"It's over."
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
I sat quietly in the greenhouse with a book in my hands. It had truly become my favorite place.
A few moments later...
I heard approaching footsteps.
This time...
I wasn't surprised. "Dmitri?"
He smiled. "So you're not afraid whenever I come near anymore?"
I smiled back. "Not anymore."
He quietly sat beside me. For a while...
Neither of us spoke. Until he finally broke the silence. "Do you remember..."
"When I told you I'd never choose you?"
I gave a small nod. "I could never forget."
He lowered his gaze. "I regret the day I said those words."
I looked at him. "You were right."
"I loved Viktoriya."
"And I truly believed she was the only woman I would ever love." He took a deep breath.
"But the more time I spent with you..."
"The more I realized who had always been by my side."
"You."
"You were the one who stayed."
"Even after I pushed you away again and again."
I remained silent. I didn't know what to say. "Dmitri..."
"You don't owe me an explanation."
"I know."
"But I want to say it anyway."
Slowly... He looked straight into my eyes.
"I don't know when it happened."
"But..."
"You're the first person I look for every morning."
"You're the first person I think about whenever something happens."
"You're the one I want to share every meal with."
"And..."
A gentle smile appeared on his face. "You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."
My entire world seemed to stop. I couldn't find a single word.
Slowly...
He stood. Then knelt in front of me. Not to propose. But to apologize. "Alina Volkov Sokolov..."
"I'm not asking you to forgive me today."
"And I won't force you to love me."
"But..."
"Will you let me court my own wife?"
My eyes widened. A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. Tears followed soon after.
"That was unbelievably cheesy."
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Alexei coached me."
I laughed again. For the first time...
Not because I was hiding my pain. But because...
I was genuinely happy.
He stood up. He didn't reach for my hand. Not yet. He was waiting for my permission.
I looked at the hand he had quietly offered me. Every memory came rushing back. The tears. The lonely nights. The words that shattered my heart. And the man standing before me now. He wasn't the same Dmitri anymore.
Slowly...
I took a step toward him. Then...
I was the one who reached for his hand first. Holding it tightly. Warmly. With all my heart. He closed his eyes. Perhaps...
It was the very first time...
He truly felt forgiven.
Three weeks. Three weeks had passed since the incident at the hospital.
So much had changed. Viktoriya no longer came to the mansion. Dmitri was no longer cold toward me. We still slept in separate rooms.
But...
Every morning...
A cup of warm tea waited outside the door of the guest room. Beside it was a small sticky note.
«Good morning. Make sure you eat well. — Dmitri»
I couldn't help but smile. He still wasn't good with words. But I could feel him trying.
---
DMITRI'S POV :
Making amends wasn't easy. Especially when the person you hurt...
Had grown accustomed to being hurt. My eyes drifted toward the calendar. Today was Viktoriya and Roman's hearing.
My phone rang.
"Sir." It was Alexei.
"We've taken them into custody."
"They're refusing to talk."
I nodded. "I'm on my way."
---
COURTROOM
The courtroom was silent. Roman and Viktoriya stood in handcuffs.
She was no longer the woman I once knew. Her hair was disheveled. Her expensive clothes were gone. So was the arrogant smile she always wore.
As I entered...
Our eyes met. "Dmitri..." She called my name softly. I didn't respond.
The judge was about to begin the proceedings. But before the hearing could officially start...
Viktoriya stood. "Your Honor..."
"I have something to say." The room fell completely silent.
Slowly...
She turned toward me. "Dmitri."
"Please forgive me."
My face remained expressionless. "You're too late."
She smiled. A bitter...
Defeated smile. "I know."
"I really am too late."
---
VIKTORIYA'S POV :
There's no escape for me anymore. No way out.
But...
If I'm going down...
I'm taking someone with me. "Dmitri."
"It was never just about the money."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
I let out a quiet laugh. "There was an investor."
"The real mastermind behind everything."
"You were never the only target."
"The entire Sokolov Group was."
The entire courtroom froze. Dmitri immediately looked at Alexei. "What investor?"
But before I could answer...
Roman suddenly stood. "No!"
Everyone turned toward him. In a burst of panic...
He shouted. "Sergei Antonov!"
"He was the one who ordered us!"
"He wanted to destroy the Sokolov Group so he could buy it for next to nothing!" Silence filled the courtroom.
Everyone exchanged stunned glances. While Dmitri...
Slowly closed his eyes. Only now...
Did he realize that he hadn't just been deceived. He had been used.
---
ALEXEI'S POV :
After the hearing...
I approached Dmitri. "Sir."
"Sergei has been arrested as well." He turned toward me.
"How?"
"The authorities have actually been investigating him for quite some time."
"Roman and Viktoriya's testimonies were enough to bring him down."
Dmitri let out a long breath. "Finally..."
"It's over."
---
ALINA'S POV :
That evening...
I sat quietly in the greenhouse with a book in my hands. It had truly become my favorite place.
A few moments later...
I heard approaching footsteps.
This time...
I wasn't surprised. "Dmitri?"
He smiled. "So you're not afraid whenever I come near anymore?"
I smiled back. "Not anymore."
He quietly sat beside me. For a while...
Neither of us spoke. Until he finally broke the silence. "Do you remember..."
"When I told you I'd never choose you?"
I gave a small nod. "I could never forget."
He lowered his gaze. "I regret the day I said those words."
I looked at him. "You were right."
"I loved Viktoriya."
"And I truly believed she was the only woman I would ever love." He took a deep breath.
"But the more time I spent with you..."
"The more I realized who had always been by my side."
"You."
"You were the one who stayed."
"Even after I pushed you away again and again."
I remained silent. I didn't know what to say. "Dmitri..."
"You don't owe me an explanation."
"I know."
"But I want to say it anyway."
Slowly... He looked straight into my eyes.
"I don't know when it happened."
"But..."
"You're the first person I look for every morning."
"You're the first person I think about whenever something happens."
"You're the one I want to share every meal with."
"And..."
A gentle smile appeared on his face. "You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."
My entire world seemed to stop. I couldn't find a single word.
Slowly...
He stood. Then knelt in front of me. Not to propose. But to apologize. "Alina Volkov Sokolov..."
"I'm not asking you to forgive me today."
"And I won't force you to love me."
"But..."
"Will you let me court my own wife?"
My eyes widened. A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. Tears followed soon after.
"That was unbelievably cheesy."
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Alexei coached me."
I laughed again. For the first time...
Not because I was hiding my pain. But because...
I was genuinely happy.
He stood up. He didn't reach for my hand. Not yet. He was waiting for my permission.
I looked at the hand he had quietly offered me. Every memory came rushing back. The tears. The lonely nights. The words that shattered my heart. And the man standing before me now. He wasn't the same Dmitri anymore.
Slowly...
I took a step toward him. Then...
I was the one who reached for his hand first. Holding it tightly. Warmly. With all my heart. He closed his eyes. Perhaps...
It was the very first time...
He truly felt forgiven.
Chapter 9
— CHAPTER 9 of 10