The air inside the bank was cool and controlled, a stark contrast to Lena's rapidly beating heart.
She sat in the manager's office, clinging to the hope that she would get the loan she so desperately needed for her mother's treatment. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and said,
"I need some money urgently. I'll pay it back, I promise!"
The bank manager glanced at her file, then shook his head with a formal, detached expression.
"I'm sorry, but we cannot approve your loan request."
Lena's eyes widened in shock. "But why? My credit score is fine, I have collateral! What's the problem?"
The manager hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. His gaze flickered around the room before he finally leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.
"Miss Lena… your husband strictly instructed us not to grant you a single penny."
"My… husband?" A shiver ran down Lena's spine.
"But I'm single!"
Scene 2: Four Hours Ago
[Time: Four Hours Earlier]
Lena's room was a mess. Scattered notebooks, torn pages, and countless unfinished manuscripts littered the floor. She sat on her bed, staring blankly at her laptop screen, where her publisher's last email was still open:
"Your books are no longer selling. We need fresh talent."
The words cut deep, like a dagger to the heart.
"No… this can't be happening!" she whispered to herself.
Not long ago, she had been one of the most popular romance novelists. Her books would immediately top the bestseller lists. But then… everything changed.
Her last novel was a catastrophic failure. Readers called it boring and unrealistic, and her once-loyal audience disappeared overnight.
"Am I really finished?" she murmured, lowering her head.
Suddenly, a knock on the door.
"Lena! I'm almost out of medicine!"
It was her mother, calling weakly from outside the room.
Lena snapped back to reality. "Yes, Mom! I'll get it."
She rushed to her wardrobe and counted the money she had left. Only a few bills remained.
"I have to find a way to get more money!"
With no other choice, she decided to go to the bank for a loan—unaware that she was about to face the biggest shock of her life.
Scene 3: The Shocking Truth
[Time: Present Moment – At the Bank]
"My husband? But I'm single!"
Lena's voice trembled as she stared at the manager in disbelief. But he simply shrugged, clearly unwilling to say more.
"I don't know the details, Miss Lena. We just received strict orders not to process any loans for you."
"Who gave these orders?" she demanded, her pulse racing.
The manager nervously glanced around, as if afraid of being overheard, then avoided her gaze.
"I'm sorry. I can't say anything more. You should leave."
Lena stood frozen. Her mind was spinning, her breath shallow.
"What is happening? Who is controlling my life? And most importantly… who is claiming to be my husband?"
Lena clutched the plastic card in her trembling fingers as she stepped into the dimly lit government records office. The air smelled of old paper and ink, the sound of clicking keyboards filling the space. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
Ryan, her old college friend, sat behind the counter, looking up from his screen when she approached. His brown eyes widened in surprise.
"Lena? What are you doing here?" he asked, setting his coffee cup down.
She hesitated for a moment, then exhaled sharply.
"Ryan, I need a favor. A big one."
His brow furrowed. "You sound serious. What's wrong?"
Lena licked her dry lips and placed her identity card on the counter between them.
"I need you to check something for me."
Ryan glanced at the card, then at her. "Check what?"
She swallowed hard. The words felt foreign on her tongue, absurd even, but she had no choice.
"I need to know if I'm... married."
Ryan blinked, then let out a half-laugh, shaking his head. "Lena, are you messing with me? How do you not—"
"Ryan, just check," she cut in, voice tight with anxiety.
Something in her tone made him straighten, his expression growing serious. He sighed and grabbed the card.
"Alright, give me a second."
He typed swiftly, his fingers flying over the keyboard. The seconds stretched unbearably long. Lena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
This is crazy. There's no way... right?
Ryan's expression suddenly shifted. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. His fingers paused mid-type.
Lena's stomach dropped.
"Ryan?" she prompted, her voice barely above a whisper.
He remained silent for a beat too long, then slowly turned the monitor towards her.
"Lena… You're legally married."
The air left her lungs. The words echoed in her mind, colliding with every logical thought she had.
"No. That's impossible," she breathed, shaking her head.
Ryan pointed at the screen. "See for yourself."
She leaned forward, her wide eyes scanning the official document displayed on the monitor. Her name was there, clear as day. Spouse: Alexander Cain.
Her blood ran cold.
"Who the hell is Alexander Cain?" she whispered.
Ryan's gaze darkened. "You don't know?"
She shook her head frantically. "No! I've never even met him!"
Ryan exhaled sharply. "This guy isn't just anyone, Lena. This is serious. You need to find out what's going on."
Panic twisted in her gut. How could she be married to someone she'd never even seen?
Her breath caught in her throat.
It felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath her.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "This has to be wrong. A mistake."
Ryan sighed. "I checked three different databases. It's real, Lena. Legally, you are married to this man."
She stared at the screen, her mind a storm of disbelief and confusion.
It wasn't possible. It couldn't be.
She had never met Alexander Cain. Never even heard his name before today.
"I will find out," she murmured, forwarding the image to a friend who had business-world connections.
Her fingers trembled as she grabbed her phone and quickly snapped a picture of the record.
If this was real, she needed to know who this man was.
She forwarded the image to Mia, her friend who had deep business connections.
———————————
Her mind raced. She had never met this man. Never even heard of him. So how the hell was she legally bound to him?
Her stomach twisted as she exited the government records office, barely acknowledging Ryan calling her name behind her. She couldn't process anything right now.
Lena needed answers. Now.
She hurried down the street, her heels clicking against the pavement as she swiped through her contacts. Her fingers hovered over one name—Mia Carter.
Mia had always been resourceful. With her deep connections in the corporate world, if anyone could dig up dirt on this Alexander Cain, it was her.
Without hesitation, Lena forwarded the picture of the marriage record along with a short message:
"Find out everything about this man. I need answers."
She barely had time to breathe before another thought struck her.
What if this is identity theft? Some kind of fraud? Or worse—what if someone forged these documents?
Her pulse quickened at the terrifying possibilities.
Shoving her phone into her purse, she flagged down a cab, climbing in with an urgency she didn't quite understand.
"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.
Lena barely registered his voice as she murmured her address. She leaned back against the seat, pressing her palm against her forehead.
Her mind was a storm of unanswered questions.
Who was this man?
How was she connected to him?
And more importantly—why did he have the power to control whether or not she got a loan?
As the cab weaved through the city's streets, she clenched her fists, bracing herself.
_____________________________
The cab pulled up in front of Lena's small apartment complex, its headlights cutting through the dim evening light. She barely registered the driver calling out the fare as she handed him some cash with a shaking hand and climbed out.
Her mind was still whirling from what she had just discovered.
Married. To a stranger.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she pushed open the apartment door and stepped inside. The small living room was dark except for the dim glow of a streetlight filtering through the window.
She closed the door behind her and immediately fished her phone out of her purse.
No messages from Mia yet.
Her heart pounded as she unlocked the device, staring at the picture of the marriage record she had taken earlier.
Lena sat on the edge of her bed, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her apartment was silent except for the distant hum of traffic outside, but in her mind, everything was deafening.
The truth she had uncovered today refused to settle.
Married. To a man she had never met.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her daze. She glanced down at the screen, her heart skipping a beat. Mia.
Mia: Lena, you need to be careful.
A lump formed in her throat.
She quickly typed back: "What do you mean? Do you know who Alexander Cain is?"
The three dots appeared, then vanished. Appeared again.
Seconds later, another message flashed on her screen.
Mia: I don't think you understand what you've gotten yourself into.
Lena swallowed hard. Gotten myself into?
Her fingers trembled as she typed: "No. Tell me."
There was a long pause. Then—a link.
Hesitating, she tapped on it. A news article loaded onto the screen.
As soon as her eyes landed on the headline, a shiver ran down her spine.
"Alexander Cain – The Ruthless Billionaire Who Controls the Business World."