MATHILDA'S POV

A loud knock on the door jolted me awake at two in the morning. My heart instantly raced with fear-what if something had happened to my father? News that comes in the middle of the night is never good news.

"Yes, I'm coming," I called softly, clutching the edge of my pajama top to steady my trembling hands. My pulse thudded painfully in my chest as I whispered a silent prayer. Please, God, let this not be about my father.

When the door opened, the last person I expected to see was standing there. Fredric. His cold, unreadable face filled the doorway as he stepped inside without hesitation-just as he had barged into my room at seven last night.

"Mathilda," he said flatly, "I want to marry you. Forget everything I said before-we should get married."

A flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by a low rumble of thunder, as if nature itself wanted to dramatize the moment. Fredric's icy eyes locked on mine. What was he thinking? Why would he want to marry me now, after e