Chapter 5: The Deal

The only noise in the eerily silent room was the gentle beep of the machines all around me.

Gazing at the stranger in the doorway, I froze and my heart skipped a beat. He exuded authority and imposingness while maintaining a certain tenderness.

The nurse gave me a final pitying look before leaving the room, discreetly excusing herself after noticing the tension between us.

I hardly noticed that she had left. I was unable to look away. With a commanding yet somehow gentle presence, he took a step forward. His commanding presence seemed to overshadow the stark white hospital room with its icy walls and glaring fluorescent lights.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and had sharp features including an angular jawline, well-groomed but slightly disheveled dark hair and intense introspective and searching eyes.

As he spoke, his eyes softened and his voice became smooth and serene. "Hey," he repeated, his voice barely audible. "How do you feel?"

I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out. To be honest I had no feelings at all. Lost in a fog from which I was unable to recover I felt numb. I couldn't recall how I got into this hospital bed. I tried to focus on him by blinking but the fog seemed to stick to my brain and obscure everything but his presence.

He gave a small smile as though he understood. "You don't remember me, do you?" He asked with a hint of melancholy in his voice but a neutral expression.

I shook my head almost without thinking. "I—I don't recall much. I recall crossing the road. Yes I do remember...the car. But everything is blank after that."

As I said the words, my voice faltered the burden of my amnesia pressing down on my chest.

"Nothing else?"His forehead furrowed in worry as he let out a slow breath. He moved to stand next to my bed. "It's alright. You've experienced a great deal. You may become confused after a concussion like that but you will recover. You will get there even though it may take some time."

Not knowing what to say, I gave a feeble nod. The inability to recall more felt like a hole in my heart, a huge void that I wasn't sure how to fill. Then as if he was deciding on something he cleared his throat after a moment.

" I believe we ought to talk. Concerning what happened...about you. Why were you running?"

I tried to understand what he was saying as I looked up at him. His face had changed slightly and he was staring at me more intently now as if he were trying to find something inside of me.

I wanted to explain myself and tell him everything but I couldn't find the right words. I was unable to recall. I was unable to even tell him my reason for running.

"I...I don't know" I muttered as I felt tears starting to gather at the side of my eyes "I have no idea why I was out there. I don't know what my life should be about."

His expression softened as if he were taking what I had said into consideration. "You've endured a lot. Now that makes sense. But now you're not by yourself. I can help you."

His eyes briefly darted as though he was discussing something inwardly. Then with a more solemn tone he spoke once more.

"Although it may seem abrupt, I'm offering you a place to stay. Somewhere you can recover and regain your footing."

Unsure of how to react, I blinked. I murmured "You want me to stay with you?"

" Yes," he replied firmly. "It's a lot to process but I don't think you should be by yourself at this time. I can provide you with more than just a place to rest."

I was surprised by what he was saying but I wasn't sure I liked the direction where all this was headed.

Although he smelt of authority, there was something about all he was saying that left me feeling as though I was on the precipice of something I wasn't yet ready to understand.

I watched him intently and said slowly and quietly "I don't know what you mean".

With a sigh, he took a seat in the chair next to my bed. "I'll get right to the business. My name is Alexander Navarro. I own my own business. He added almost as an afterthought " I'm a billionaire actually.But at this moment none of that matters. The fact that I can provide you with an escape route is what counts. A place to stay while you recover and consider your options."

Confused, I scowled.I repeatedly tried to understand "A place to stay?"

"Yes," He said, his intense unwavering gaze fixed on mine. There is a condition though. You will stay by my side. You'll be my stand-in wife…. substitute wife as they put it"

As my brain struggled to comprehend the words, I blinked. " Substitute wife?"

The idea was startling like a foreign tongue. As I gazed at him, unable to process the gravity of his words, my heart skipped a beat.

" Substitute wife?" I repeated my voice a little shaky. "What do you mean by that?"

Alex leaned forward and spoke in a serious tone. "As you may believe I'm not requesting a true marriage. However there are times when I need someone to step in and assist me. I'll see to it that you're taken care of but it's a professional arrangement. I'll take care of you. All of your necessities. It's the most effective course of action for us both. I'll get the help I require in exchange for you having a place to stay and having time to heal."

I looked at him, trying to understand what he had said. It sounded like he was giving me a lifeline but I had no idea what a professional arrangement actually meant.

But it sounded too good to be true. My mind was racing as I tried to make sense of everything so I swallowed hard. Where could I go? There is no one else to turn to. But it sounded crazy to be his stand-in wife.

"Why me?" I said in a voice that was hardly audible. "What would make you want me?"

Alex hesitated, his face unreadable. "I need someone who is aware of my current situation. Someone with the ability to heal me. Additionally, you need help. But we will benefit. Please give this a chance, that's all I ask."

Heavy and dense with unsaid meaning, his words lingered in the air. In a frantic rush my thoughts collided with my racing heart. I couldn't turn down his offer of security, safety and a place to recover.

But at what price?

I gazed at him, my thoughts caught between hesitancy and the desperate desire to cling to something, anything and I had no memory of everything that happened before the accident.

My voice trembled a little as I asked "What happens if I say yes?"

Although there was a glimmer of something else, something unreadable in Alex's eyes, they softened.

"You'll stay with me, I'll take care of you and your unborn child

and grant you any request you ask of me...until my wife wakes up from coma."