Yeah, it didn't seem real and felt very forced. The romance and their relationship wasn't portrayed well at all.
I really like the girl but hated the guy. He forced himself into her life because of her looks similar to his ex. Eww... If his grandmother wasn't alive, she wouldn't agree to the marriage... *sigh*
I think all three of you have hit the nail right on the head. The ML lied to her over and over, and his word was only good as long as it didn't impinge on anything he wanted. Loving your grandmother is a good thing, but it doesn't make someone a good person. Even a gangster or child molester can love their grandma. Manipulating and lying to someone to achieve your aim is no different than gaslighting them. To say you did it for grandma is no excuse whatsoever. Either the gigantic blow to the head Rose mentioned, or a huge case of Stockholm Syndrome is the only way she could have believed she was in love with him. Who knows when he'll feel the need to lock her up again while lying to her.
she obviously didn't like him. She kinda thought he was attractive, but then he lied to her and literally tried to keep her captive through emotional manipulation and by taking her passport. Not to mention the financial coercion he employed to get her attention in the first place. UGH UGH UGH In the end it felt like the only reason she married him was half because she was jealous of Simone and half because she had taken a gigantic blow to the head. Love? what's that?