Evan Mercer

For five years, Evan Mercer had been trapped inside his own body.

He heard everything.

Every doctor discussing him like he was already dead.Every board member circling his company like vultures.Every fake prayer whispered beside his bed by people who cared more about Mercer Industries than Evan himself.

And her.

Especially her.

At first, he thought she was ridiculous.

The girl his parents had bought as his wife sat beside his hospital bed like she owned the place. She complained constantly, stole expensive fruit from the guest trays, painted his nails once out of boredom, and absolutely abused his unconscious dignity.

One time she braided his hair into tiny pigtails.

Another time she put glittery makeup on him and took selfies while whispering, “You look like a divorced princess.”

Evan had nearly exploded from rage.

His heartbeat monitor had spiked so badly nurses rushed into the room thinking he was dying.

But then…

She started talking.

Really talking.

Not the fake gentle voice everyone used around coma patients.

No.

She talked to him because she thought he couldn’t judge her.

And Evan learned things no one else ever noticed.

Like how she always laughed after saying something painful.How she apologized to furniture when bumping into it.How she went quiet whenever her family visited.

How broken someone had to be before they stopped defending themselves.

Today she sat beside him again, knees tucked against her chest while flipping through some random book she clearly wasn’t reading.

“…and then she ripped my teddy’s eyes out,” she muttered.

Evan listened carefully.

“She cut him apart and told my parents I did it myself to scare her.” A short laugh. Bitter. “And obviously they believed her.”

His chest tightened.

“She got my other stuffed animals as an apology gift.” Silence. “Guess I deserved it.”

No.

No, she didn’t.

For the first time in years, anger overpowered the numbness trapping him inside himself.

His fingers twitched.

The monitor beeped wildly.

She glanced over.

“Huh. Dramatic today, aren’t you?”

Another twitch.

Another.

Then suddenly the door burst open.

Bodyguards stormed inside.

“What—? Hey!” she snapped as they grabbed her arms.

“Mrs. Mercer requested you downstairs immediately.”

“What?! Let go of me!”

Evan tried to move.

Nothing.

Rage slammed through him as they dragged her out of the room despite her struggling.

The doors shut behind them.

Silence returned.

And for the first time in five years—

Evan opened his eyes.

Air burned in his lungs as his body jerked violently.

Machines screamed.Doctors shouted.Nurses rushed everywhere.

But Evan ignored all of it.

“Where is she?” he rasped immediately.

Everyone froze.

His mother burst into tears.

“Evan— sweetheart—”

“Where,” he repeated coldly, voice rough from years of disuse, “is my wife?”

Nobody answered fast enough.

Evan ripped the oxygen mask off himself and forced his body upright despite the agony screaming through every muscle.

A doctor protested instantly. “Mr. Mercer, you can’t stand yet—”

Evan already was.

Barely.

His legs shook violently, but rage kept him upright.

Then he heard shouting downstairs.

A familiar voice.

Her voice.

Evan moved immediately.

The mansion erupted into chaos as servants and doctors chased after him while he descended the staircase slowly, gripping the railing hard enough to whiten his knuckles.

And then he saw it.

Her sister crying fake tears.His mother comforting her.His father holding divorce papers.

And her—

standing there silently while a red handprint bloomed across her cheek.

Something inside Evan went terrifyingly still.

“Sign this divorce papers and leave,” his father ordered coldly.

She just nodded faintly.

No fight.No argument.

Like she already knew nobody would take her side.

Evan watched her pick up the pen.

Watched her start signing.

And suddenly he understood why her stories always sounded so empty in the end.

Because nobody had ever chosen her before.

The second she finished half the signature, Evan moved.

Gasps filled the room instantly.

His mother cried out.The guards jumped back in shock.

She froze as Evan reached her.

Her eyes widened so much they almost looked frightened.

He slid one arm firmly around her waist and lifted her away from the table before she could finish signing.

The pen slipped from her fingers.

“E-Evan?” she whispered.

Up close, he could still see the mark on her cheek.

His gaze darkened immediately.

Slowly, he turned toward his parents.

“What,” Evan asked quietly, “exactly is going on here?”

The sister recovered first.

“She threatened me!” she cried dramatically. “She forced me to give her the marriage and she said she’d hurt me if I didn’t—”

“Shut up.”

The room went silent.

Her sister stared at him in disbelief.

Evan’s expression remained ice cold.

“I listened to five years of your voice through phone calls alone,” he said flatly. “I knew you were annoying already. Congratulations though.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re worse in person.”

She went pale.

His mother stepped forward shakily. “Evan, darling, she manipulated all of us—”

“She sat beside a corpse for five years,” Evan interrupted. “Do you know how boring that is?”

His father frowned. “Son—”

“And she still came back every day.”

Silence.

Evan finally looked down at the girl in his arms again.

She still looked stunned.

Honestly, she looked seconds away from fainting.

“…You heard me?” she asked weakly.

Evan stared at her for a moment.

Then one corner of his mouth lifted.

“You braided my hair into pigtails.”

Her soul visibly left her body.

“And the makeup,” he continued mercilessly. “Pink glitter eyeshadow. Multiple times.”

She looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

Good.

Evan adjusted his grip on her slightly, voice lowering near her ear.

“For the record,” he murmured, “I looked fantastic.”

Her face went completely red.

Then Evan took the divorce papers from the table with his free hand and ripped them clean in half.

“I’m keeping my wife,” he said simply.

And judging by the murderous look on his face—

nobody in that room was stupid enough to argue with him.Evan Mercer was not a gentle person.

People loved to call him cold, intimidating, ruthless, terrifying in meetings—

all accurate.

He was the type of man who could destroy a company over breakfast while calmly stirring sugar into his coffee. The type who remembered every insult ever said to him and stored it away like ammunition.

Unfortunately for him, his wife was completely immune to intimidation.

Which was deeply offensive.

“You’re staring again,” she said one morning without looking up from her phone.

Evan leaned against the kitchen counter, coffee in hand.

“I’m trying to understand,” he said slowly, “how someone survives this long with absolutely no survival instincts.”

She looked up flatly. “You married me.”

“You painted cat whiskers on my face while I was comatose.”

“You looked cute.”

Evan narrowed his eyes.

She grinned.

That grin was becoming a problem.

Because Evan had originally planned to keep her around out of spite.

His parents hated her.Her family underestimated her.And frankly, after hearing five years of her life story while trapped in a coma, Evan felt disturbingly protective of her.

But then she kept doing things.

Tiny things.

Things he noticed constantly.

Like stealing the marshmallows from his hot chocolate because “you’re rich enough to buy more.”Or sitting on kitchen counters instead of chairs like some sort of sleep-deprived gremlin.Or the way she unconsciously played with the sleeves of oversized hoodies whenever she felt nervous.

Evan noticed everything.

And she noticed him too.

Like how he hated people touching his desk.How he always loosened his tie halfway through work because he couldn’t stand tight collars.How he drank coffee like it personally offended him.How he got quieter—not louder—when angry.

She especially noticed his habits with her.

Like how he always walked slightly behind her in crowds.

Not romantic.

Strategic.

So he could see anyone approaching her first.

Or how he’d silently hand her things before she asked for them:Her charger.Her favorite drink.The hoodie she forgot downstairs.

As if he had memorized her existence against his own will.

Which he absolutely had.

The problem was that Evan Mercer had never learned how to express affection like a normal human being.

So instead, he bullied her.

Relentlessly.

“You breathe very loudly,” he informed her one evening.

She blinked. “That’s called living.”

“Try doing it less aggressively.”

Three minutes later she dramatically inhaled beside him like a vacuum cleaner.

Evan almost smiled.

Almost.

Their arguments became legendary inside the mansion.

Servants once witnessed her throwing a decorative pillow at his head while Evan calmly threatened to buy the company that made her shampoo and discontinue it forever.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I’m already calling my assistant.”

“You’re evil.”

“I’m efficient.”

Yet somehow, neither of them could sleep properly unless the other was nearby.

Neither acknowledged this.

Obviously.

Evan also discovered something horrifying after waking up:

His wife had absolutely no sense of self-preservation.

One night she climbed onto the kitchen counter trying to reach snacks from a high shelf.

Evan walked in exactly as she slipped.

His heart nearly stopped.

He caught her before she hit the floor, one arm around her waist while the other braced against the counter behind her.

For a second neither moved.

Too close.

Way too close.

She stared up at him.

Evan stared back.

Then she blinked and said:

“…Can you grab the chips while you’re up there?”

Evan genuinely considered divorce again.

Another issue:

She was pretty.

Evan hated this.

Because now he noticed things.

Like the tiny scar near her wrist.Or how her nose scrunched when she laughed for real.Or how she looked unfairly adorable wearing his clothes without permission.

And she did steal his clothes.

Constantly.

“That’s my hoodie,” Evan said one morning.

“No proof.”

“It literally has my initials.”

She looked down.

“…Maybe we have the same initials.”

“Your name starts with a different letter.”

“Details.”

Evan stared at her for a long moment.

Then he sighed and walked away before he did something stupid.

Like smile.

Or kiss her.

Both equally dangerous.

The real problem, though, was how fiercely protective he became.

The first time her family visited after his awakening, Evan sat silently beside her the entire dinner.

Watching.

Listening.

Her sister made one passive-aggressive comment too many.

“Oh, you still wear oversized clothes?” the sister asked sweetly. “I guess some habits never improve.”

Evan didn’t even look up from his wine.

“She looks better in them than you would.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

His wife nearly choked.

Her sister looked ready to combust.

Evan took another sip calmly.

“What?” he asked flatly. “Was that rude?”

Later that night his wife stared at him suspiciously.

“…Did you defend me?”

“No.”

“You literally insulted her.”

“I stated an observable fact.”

“You hate me.”

“I tolerate you aggressively.”

She laughed so suddenly she snorted.

Evan froze.

She froze.

Then she buried her face in her hands in horror.

“Oh my God.”

And Evan—

Evan laughed for the first time in years.

He plans on gifting her cuddle toys because she told him that she had to giver as child all of them away... now he want to giver her back part of what she lost and more

Appearance: Evan Mercer is the kind of man people instinctively move aside for without understanding why.

He’s very tall — around 6'4" — with broad shoulders, a lean but powerful build, and the posture of someone used to being obeyed. Even standing still, he has a controlled, intimidating presence. His movements are smooth and deliberate, never rushed or clumsy.

His face is sharp and striking rather than soft:

• defined jawline
• straight nose
• high cheekbones
• dark brows that usually rest in a mildly irritated expression

His eyes are cold grey, almost silver in certain lighting. They’re intense and observant, the type that make people nervous because he holds eye contact too long. He rarely shows emotions openly, but when he does, it’s mostly through subtle changes in his eyes.

His hair is dark brown, thick, and slightly messy in an effortless way, usually falling over his forehead a little. After the coma it grew longer than before, giving him a more tired, dangerous look that strangely suits him.

His hands are large, veiny, and rougher than expected from a billionaire because he stress-trains and works constantly.

His voice is deep and calm, slightly rough after waking from the coma, especially when tired. He almost never raises it, which somehow makes him more intimidating.

His clothing style is expensive but minimal:

• tailored black suits
• rolled-up sleeves
• dark coats
• watches worth more than most cars
• simple dress shirts with the top buttons undone

He smells faintly like expensive cologne, coffee, and clean cedarwood.

Overall, Evan looks less like a celebrity billionaire and more like someone dangerous pretending to be civilized.

The story takes place in the world of extreme wealth, power, and old-family expectations — mostly inside the massive Mercer estate, where everything looks perfect on the outside but feels emotionally cold underneath.

Main Setting — The Mercer Mansion

A huge modern mansion owned by the Mercer family:

• marble floors
• floor-to-ceiling windows
• private hospital wing for Evan during his coma
• expensive but emotionally empty atmosphere
• full of servants, security guards, assistants, and cameras

Despite being luxurious, it feels isolating rather than warm. Almost everyone in the house treats things like business transactions instead of relationships.

Her room slowly becomes the only “alive” part of the mansion:

• books scattered everywhere
• hoodies stolen from Evan
• snacks hidden in drawers
• makeup products left around from pranking him
• chaos compared to the rest of the perfectly organized house

The Core Dynamic

The story starts as:

• forced marriage
• strangers
• emotional survival
• resentment mixed with curiosity

She thinks Evan is just an unconscious billionaire she has to babysit for money.

Evan, meanwhile, is fully conscious mentally during the coma and hears EVERYTHING she says and does.

So while she unknowingly becomes emotionally attached to him by venting about her life, Evan becomes attached to her long before she even knows he’s awake.

That creates the funny imbalance:

• she thinks he barely knows her
• he knows literally years of her secrets, habits, trauma, favorite snacks, insults, sleep schedule, and embarrassing stories

Tone of the Story

Mostly:

• rivals-to-lovers
• forced proximity
• rich x emotionally neglected girl
• sarcastic romance
• emotional hurt/comfort
• comedy mixed with serious moments

The romance is less soft and sweet at first and more:

• bickering
• teasing
• “I hate you” energy
• accidental caring
• mutual emotional dependency

Examples of their dynamic:

• stealing clothes
• insulting each other casually
• him silently solving her problems without admitting it
• her treating him like a normal person instead of a billionaire
• both becoming possessive without realizing

Important Emotional Themes

1. Being Chosen

The biggest emotional point of the story:She has NEVER been chosen first by anyone before.

Her parents always favored her sister.People dismiss her constantly.

Evan becomes the first person who:

• listens to her
• remembers things about her
• believes her immediately
• stays on her side publicly

Meanwhile Evan spent years surrounded by fake people who wanted his money or influence.

She becomes the first person who:

• talks to him honestly
• treats him like a person instead of “Evan Mercer”
• makes him laugh
• annoys him into feeling alive again

Evan’s Personality in the Story

• cold to almost everyone else
• dry humor
• emotionally repressed
• observant
• extremely protective
• possessive without meaning to be
• intelligent and manipulative in business
• secretly enjoys her chaos

He expresses affection through actions instead of words:

• standing close behind her
• remembering tiny details
• buying things she casually mentioned once
• touching her waist absentmindedly
• defending her without hesitation
• glaring at people who upset her

But verbally?He’s a menace.

Instead of:“I missed you.”

He says:“You’re significantly louder than the silence was.”

Her Role in the Story

She brings unpredictability into Evan’s controlled world.

She:

• talks back to him
• ruins his routines
• steals his things
• makes fun of him
• doesn’t fear him properly

Which fascinates him because almost everyone else either fears him or wants something from him.

She’s the only person who casually tells him:“You look emotionally constipated.”