Chapter 3 The proposal

For several minutes, Lucy remained still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.

She tried to remember what had happened.

The bridge.

The river.

The darkness.

But everything after that was a blur.

She couldn't remember how she had gotten into the water.

She couldn't remember who had saved her.

She couldn't even remember how she had arrived in this strange room.

Lucy slowly sat up.

Her eyes moved around the beautiful bedroom.

Everything looked so peaceful.

Too peaceful.

She lowered her head.

"Maybe..."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Maybe I'm dead."

For the first time in days, a strange calm settled over her.

Maybe this was heaven.

Maybe all the pain was finally over.

"No more David. No more family. No more betrayal."

She closed her eyes.

"Finally, I can rest."

Just then, the door opened.

Lucy quickly opened her eyes.

A young man walked into the room.

He was tall, composed, and dressed simply but elegantly.

Lucy stared at him.

"Who are you?"

The man stopped.

"You're awake."

"Where am I?"

"You are safe."

Lucy frowned.

"Safe?"

He walked toward the bed.

"My name is Richard."

Lucy studied his face.

Richard sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Last night, I saw you near the bridge. You were in danger, and I had you brought here."

Lucy stared at him in disbelief.

"So... I'm not dead?"

"No."

Her expression suddenly changed.

"Why?"

Richard looked at her.

"Why what?"

"Why did you save me?"

Her voice rose.

"Why would you rescue me?"

Richard remained silent.

Lucy felt tears burning in her eyes.

"You don't understand!"

She shouted.

"You don't know how terrible my life has been! You don't know what they've done to me!"

Her voice broke.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

Richard didn't argue.

He simply stood.

"You should eat something."

Lucy stared at him.

"What?"

"Come downstairs."

"I don't want food."

"You need it."

He walked toward the door.

"Breakfast is ready."

Lucy watched him leave.

She didn't understand the man.

She didn't understand the house.

She didn't understand why a complete stranger had saved her.

But eventually, she followed him.

---

The dining room was enormous.

Lucy stopped at the entrance.

A long table stood in the center of the room, beautifully arranged with breakfast.

Yet the room was strangely quiet.

Richard sat at one end.

Lucy took a seat across from him.

Neither of them spoke.

They ate in silence.

Lucy occasionally glanced at Richard, trying to figure him out.

There was something unusual about him.

Something distant.

When breakfast was over, Richard placed his napkin on the table.

"Lucy."

She looked up.

"Come to my study. There's something important I need to discuss with you."

Lucy followed him upstairs.

Richard entered his study and took a seat behind the large desk.

Lucy remained standing.

Richard looked at her.

"I want you to marry me."

Lucy froze.

For a moment, she wondered if she had heard him correctly.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to marry me."

She stared at him.

"Marry you?"

"Yes."

Lucy let out a confused laugh.

"You don't even know me."

Richard said nothing.

"I don't know you either," she continued. "You haven't even properly introduced yourself. You just told me your first name."

Richard leaned back in his chair.

"My name is Richard Kaplan."

Lucy went completely still.

Kaplan.

The name echoed through her mind.

She had heard that name before.

Then she remembered.

Her eyes widened.

"Kaplan..."

Richard watched her carefully.

"You know the name?"

Lucy swallowed.

"You're the Kaplan family."

She had heard stories about them.

One of the wealthiest families in New York City.

Powerful.

Influential.

Untouchable.

Lucy looked at Richard again.

"Why would a man like you want to marry me?"

Richard didn't answer.

"Why me?" she asked again.

Silence.

Lucy shook her head.

"This doesn't make any sense."

Richard finally spoke.

"You don't need to understand everything today."

He stood and walked toward the window.

"I want you to think about my proposal."

Lucy remained silent.

Richard turned toward her.

"You will have everything you need. Financial security. A new life. And the opportunity to leave your past behind."

Lucy looked at him.

"And what do you want from me?"

Richard's expression remained unreadable.

"I have my reasons."

Lucy didn't like the answer.

But then she thought about David.

Her sister.

Her family.

The humiliation.

The envelope she had refused.

She thought about the life she had lost.

What did she have left?

Nothing.

Richard continued.

"With my name beside yours, no one who hurt you will ever be able to look down on you again."

Lucy lowered her eyes.

For the first time since the night everything fell apart, she saw a possibility.

A way out.

A new beginning.

Perhaps even a chance to make the people who had destroyed her regret what they had done.

She slowly raised her head.

"You really mean it?"

Richard nodded.

Lucy took a deep breath.

She had nothing left to lose.

If marrying Richard Kaplan meant she could rebuild her life...

If it meant she could finally stand on her own...

Then perhaps she had nothing to fear.

"All right."

Richard's eyes remained fixed on her.

Lucy swallowed.

"I'll marry you."