Chapter 1: A Bargain at the Altar
The wedding gown, worth the price of a luxury apartment, feels like armor choking my throat. Behind the thin white silk veil, I can hear my own heartbeat—wild and terrified.
“Smile, Elara. Don’t let anyone suspect anything,” my mother whispers, her hand gripping my arm so tightly that her nails dig through the satin fabric. “Remember, if you fail to convince Adrian Vance today, your father will never leave prison alive.”
I inhale shakily.
I am not Bella.
I am not the beloved daughter who knows how to charm everyone and always smells of expensive jasmine perfume. I am only Elara—the twin who has always lived in the shadows of canvases and paintbrushes, now forced to become a sacrifice because Bella ran away with her secret lover, taking the advance investment money from the most feared man in this country.
The grand cathedral doors open.
Sunlight pours inside, illuminating dust particles dancing in the air. At the far end stands a man whose mere presence is enough to freeze the atmosphere.
Adrian Vance.
Nearly one hundred ninety centimeters tall, dressed in a custom-tailored suit that fits his athletic build perfectly. His face is like a marble sculpture—flawless yet cold, devoid of emotion. His dark eyes are sharp, staring straight at me as if stripping away every secret I hide beneath layers of lace.
I walk down the aisle, each step feeling like a march toward the gallows. When my hand is placed in his, I flinch. His hand is large, impossibly warm, and his grip on my fingers is absolute, dominating.
“Don’t tremble like that, sweetheart,” his deep baritone voice slides into my ears, sending a chill down my spine. “Or people might think I’m dragging an unwilling girl to the altar.”
I lower my head, unable to respond. The masculine scent of sandalwood and expensive tobacco surrounds me, making me dizzy.
The priest begins the prayers. The entire ceremony feels like a slow-moving nightmare, until the moment of vows arrives.
“I, Adrian Vance, take you as my wife,” his voice echoes through the cathedral, commanding and authoritative. “To have and to protect, from this day forward until death separates us… or until I grow bored and decide otherwise.”
A murmur ripples through the guests. The last sentence is not part of the script.
I look up, my eyes meeting his through the veil. There is a strange glint of obsession in his gaze—something far darker than a mere business marriage.
Now it is my turn. With a voice that almost disappears, I recite the vows, binding my soul to a man I have met only once in my entire life.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest announces.
Adrian steps forward. Slowly, he lifts my veil.
My heart stops.
This is it. He will realize my face is different. He will be furious. He will destroy my family in front of the thousands of cameras and media present here.
But Adrian is not surprised.
Instead, he smiles faintly—a predator’s smile, as if he has finally found the prey he has been hunting.
He leans closer, bringing his lips near my ear before anyone can clearly see my face.
“Welcome to my cage, Elara Pramudya,” he whispers in a tone so low that only I can hear it.
My breath freezes. My lungs feel empty.
He calls my name. Elara. Not Bella.
“Did you really think I didn’t know who I was marrying?” Adrian pulls back slightly, his gaze locking onto mine with a terrifying possessiveness. “Bella was nothing more than bait so I could bring you here without resistance.”
Before I can process the horror of his words, his lips crash onto mine in a kiss devoid of affection—only cold, hungry possession. He bites my lower lip, as if marking me, declaring that from this moment on, my life and death belong in his hands.
In front of hundreds of distinguished guests, I realize something far more terrifying than my family’s bankruptcy.
I am not saving anyone.
I have just handed myself over to a man who deliberately orchestrated my sister’s escape… just so he could have a legitimate reason to lock me away forever.
