Chapter 7: A Crazy Offer

Sophia

“Are you listening to yourself?” I blurted, shocked by his proposal.

“You heard me right. I said you should marry me.” Quinn repeated himself slowly, and each word made me feel like I was in some sort of a fever dream.

“So, I marry you and in return, you protect me? That’s all?” I glanced towards Hailey, seeking some assurance. It seemed like I should’ve just walked away when I had the chance. What had I gotten myself into?

“Why is that so hard for you to believe, Sophia?” Hailey interjected, annoyed by how I was speaking probably.

“I’m honestly just trying to understand why you’re both helping me.” I shook my head in confusion, pursing my lips.

“Do you need to know the minor details?” Quinn said, his demeanor calmer than ever. I bit my tongue to hold myself back.

“What else am I in for? I want to know now.” I demanded, standing my ground.

“That’s not something we can tell you right now. All I know is that if you follow through with this, you’ll be safe from Leo and Samantha’s wrath.” Hailey said, “Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that the reason why you’re running!”

“You’re right, Hailey. But, I never thought I’d be agreeing to get married—on a plane—right after my husband gets back together with his mistress.”

“Think of it as a contract, no strings attached, Sophia. Come on, you aren’t a child.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t you want to keep your child safe as well?” Hailey whispered, reaching out to drag her fingers down my belly. Hailey could read me like an open book. I tended to wear my emotions on my sleeve, and in this situation, it might’ve only been making things worse for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut before fluttering them back open. “Fine, I-I’ll do it. Just please…keep your word. I can’t bear to get myself killed.” I pleaded, making sure that everything I said got across to Quinn.

For the last time, I turned back, returning to my mildly comfortable airplane seat. For the rest of the flight, I was enveloped by thoughts of Quinn’s crazy offer and how I thought things would be planned out for me.

Was this really the beginning of a new life? Getting married to a man I barely knew and in a random country. I had fled the country successfully, now all I had to do was blend in and hide in plain sight.

~

“Every single word that comes out of your mouth just keeps on getting crazier and crazier, what the hell?” I yelled, my brows creasing in anxiety as my mouth gaped out.

“This is the best way to go about it. If you know that you want to vanish and be completely untraceable, then think about it.” Quinn said standing with the doctor.

“So…plastic surgery is the key, huh?” I let out a deep sigh, turning to face the surgeon.

“I need to know what exactly I’m going to look like after this procedure,” I informed, turning to the digital display in front of us.

“Of course, so we’re going to have your cheekbones come up a little, your eyes will be a bit dragged out to give you that foxy look and we do some work on the nose and the lips.” He explained as he demonstrated through little drawings on the picture of my face.

My pulse raced as I clenched and unclenched my fist beside me. Was I crazy or was I crazy for actually considering this?

“To complete the look, your hair would be dyed blonde and if possible, your eye color will be changed too.”

“Are you sure this is all safe?” I mumbled, feeling bombarded by all the sudden happenings and details. It felt like everything was going too fast for me to comprehend, but this was the best. I got the easy way out luckily, there was no way I would opt out of this now.

“Yes, he’s licensed. One of the best in the country.” Hailey said, crossing her arms.

My breathing became unsteady, “And… my child? Will they be safe as well?”

“You will have no further complications, except the common side effects. You’re in safe hands, Sophia. I promise you.” He consoled, with a small smile spread on his face.

“Alright…I’ll go for it.” I bit my lip anxiously, and immediately, they began preparing for the surgery.

~

“…ctor! I think she’s regaining consciousness now.” A familiar voice called out as I lay on a comfortable soft bed. Harsh fluorescent lights shone into my eyes as I opened them slowly. My face felt normal, with just a few aching here and there. I tried to sit up, but the pain shot to my lower back immediately.

“Oh no! Just relax and breathe in and out. You’re okay, Sophia.” Hailey comforted me, as she adjusted the hospital bed, so I was lying down, but at an inclined mode.

“How was it?” I mumbled. My words were slurred and it felt like this was the first time in a decade that I had spoken. Was this a normal thing?

“You look good, you’ll see that for yourself soon, alright. For now, you just relax and heal.” She grinned.

I nodded, slowly reaching a hand up to touch my face. The first texture I was met with definitely wasn’t skin. It felt soft, yet rough…Bandage.

My face was still bandaged up, was it really that serious? I groaned in pain as I dropped my hand back to my side. “I need to pee right now…”

“You can go, it’s right up there.” She murmured a tint of pink already spreading on her cheeks.

‘Oh…” I nodded before carefully releasing my bladder into the bag hooked onto the side of my hospital bed.

At the end of the day, I hoped that all of this would pay out in the end.

I refused to give in to what Leo wanted—and I’d keep my child safe by all means, even if it meant risking my life.