The poor student married a 60-year-old man. And after the wedding, he asked her for something in the bedroom that left her PARALYZED…

Iván Serguéievitch, an older man with an aristocratic bearing and cold gray eyes, delicately held Anna’s hand. His expensive suit and confident stride revealed a man used to getting everything he wanted.

Anna’s parents beamed with joy seeing their daughter beside a wealthy man. Their dream of financial stability had finally come true. After the official ceremony, the wedding banquet began.

Anna could barely hold back her tears and smiled mechanically at the guests. Each of her glances was filled with sadness and inner protest. She felt like a doll on display, an object at the center of an agreement between her parents and Iván Serguéievitch.

— You’re beautiful — Iván Serguéievitch said softly as he noticed her state. — I hope we can understand each other.

Anna remained silent, her eyes lost in the distance.

She thought about her dreams… how little they meant to others. Her wishes had simply been ignored in favor of financial gain.

Late at night, after the guests had left, Anna was alone with her new husband in the enormous mansion… and in the bedroom, he asked her for something that chilled her blood.

— Anna — he said, closing the door and slowly approaching —, I need to be honest with you.

She froze, her heart pounding.

— I don’t want this to be a conventional marriage — he continued. — I’m not looking for a typical wife… I just want you to treat me as your guardian. Nothing more.

Anna’s eyes widened, confused.

— What do you mean? — she whispered.

— This marriage was just a formality to ensure my inheritance goes to someone worthy. You’ll be free to study, travel, and live your life as you wish. I will never touch you without your consent. All I ask is that you remain married to me for a while. In return, you’ll have freedom.

Anna couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Throughout the whole process, she had felt sold off, sentenced to a loveless life. And now, she was hearing something she never imagined: he didn’t want to consummate the marriage or demand anything beyond respect and silence.

— Why… why are you doing this? — she asked, her voice trembling.

Iván sighed, looking toward the lit fireplace.

— Because I’ve loved before, and I’ve lost. Now I only want peace. And maybe, deep down, I saw in you the chance to give someone the life I never had.

Anna sat down on the edge of the bed, stunned. The invisible chains that had bound her seemed to shatter. For the first time that night, she took a deep breath… and cried. But this time, not out of sadness.

It was the beginning of something different. Not the expected love, but an unexpected respect — and the chance to build her own story.