Contract Marriage with my Amnesiac Billionaire

Chapter 5

AURORA

The wedding was quiet, so quiet it almost didn’t feel real. No flowers, no guests, no music. Just a priest and two legal witnesses, Nathaniel, and me. The small ceremonial room inside the private chapel.

I tried not to stare at Nathaniel too much, but it was impossible. He stood beside me with his hands clasped together, wearing a simple dark suit that somehow still made him look like the most expensive thing in the room. His expression was calm, but there was a faint tightness near his eyes, like he was carrying more weight than he let on.

We exchanged vows that didn’t feel like vows. Words spoken only to satisfy legality. Words that didn’t belong to a love story. When the priest announced us husband and wife, I felt nothing but a strange tremor in my chest, a quiet awareness that my life had just changed in a way I could never undo.

As soon as the witnesses left, Nathaniel guided me to a quiet corner of the room.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said softly.

I nodded, bracing myself.

“I lost some of my memories,” he confessed. “After the accident. My doctor says it’s temporary, but I still can’t remember everything about my past.”

I blinked slowly, surprised by the honesty.

“Oh… Nathaniel, I’m so sorry.”

He took a breath, eyes drifting away for a moment.

“I’ll still function, I’ll still run the company. But there might be gaps. Decision-making moments where I need help from the people around me. I didn’t want to hide that from you.”

I felt a soft ache in my chest. For a moment, I saw the man behind all the wealth and reputation, someone young, pressured and unsure.

“Thank you for telling me,” I whispered.

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

“There’s something else. My mother…” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “…can be extravagant. And intense. She might try to intimidate you, but don’t let her. And try not to be alone with her for too long. She likes control. Especially over the people in my life.”

“Why me?” I murmured.

“Because now you’re my wife,” he answered simply. “At least on paper.”

We left the chapel soon after, and the drive to his family mansion stretched in silence. It was tense. The moment we reached the grand estate, I had to stop and stare.

It wasn’t a mansion, it was a palace.

Tall iron gates, manicured gardens, fountains shaped like ancient gods, marble steps… everything screamed old money and old power.

Inside, we stepped into a hallway large enough to be a ballroom. Voices drifted from a luxurious sitting room where women dressed in sparkling jewels gathered around Eleanor Vale, Nathaniel’s mother.

She saw Nathaniel first, offering him a smile. Then her eyes slid to me. The smile vanished.

Nathaniel spoke immediately.

“Mother, this is Aurora. My wife.”

For a moment, she genuinely looked like she’d been slapped.

“Your… what?” Eleanor asked sharply.

Nathaniel repeated it calmly.

“My wife. We married today.”

Her face twisted in disbelief. “Nathaniel, this is not funny.”

“It isn’t a joke.”

Their voices rose quickly and fast.

“You married a stranger?” Eleanor hissed.

“That is my decision.”

“You are out of your mind.”

“She saved my life.”

“And you repay her by marrying her? Have you lost all sense?”

I stood awkwardly between them, hands clasped in front of me, wishing the marble floor could swallow me whole. Eleanor’s fury was tense enough.

Then she suddenly stopped and faced me.

“If this marriage is real, then prove it,” she said. “Kiss her.”

My heart dropped.

“I….what?” I stammered.

Nathaniel stiffened. “Mother…”

“Do it,” she said coldly. “Or I will never acknowledge this nonsense.”

The air crackled. Nathaniel and I stared at each other.

He stepped closer, his hand gently cupping my jaw. My breath caught. His lips brushed mine softly, then deeper and warmer. For a moment, the world fell away. The argument, the mansion, Eleanor’s eyes… everything faded into a blur.

There was only his mouth on mine.

Only the quiet shock that I wasn’t repulsed.

Only the warmth that shouldn’t have felt so real.

When he finally pulled back, I felt unsteady on my feet.

Eleanor’s eyes were blazing. She turned sharply and walked away in cold fury, her friends scrambling after her.

Nathaniel exhaled.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t want to do that.”

I nodded because words felt too heavy in my throat.

He cleared his throat. “You don’t need to go back for your things. Anything you need will be provided here. Clothes, personal items, everything.”

“But Grace and Aunt Lila….”

“I’ll have someone inform them you’re safe,” he said. “And I’ll make sure they’re taken care of.”

I didn’t argue. I was too tired to fight anything.

He escorted me to a spacious bedroom—bigger than the entire apartment I shared with Aunt Lila. I changed into something simple and sat quietly on the edge of the bed, trying to process everything.

A gentle knock sounded.

Eleanor stepped inside.

She was smiling now, too softly and too politely.

“I owe you an apology, Aurora,” she said. “I reacted poorly earlier. I didn’t expect such sudden news.”

“It’s okay,” I said quietly, though it wasn’t.

“I want us to get along,” she continued. “That’s why I wanted to tell you about a very important family tradition. The Luna Event.”

“The… Luna Event?”

“Yes. It’s a celebration for the newest bride in the family. A warm gathering. You’ll get to meet the women who shape our society.”

“Should I… speak to Nathaniel first?” I asked.

“No need,” she said quickly, brushing the idea aside. “Come. It’s already arranged.”

Before I could protest, she took my arm gently and guided me to a luxurious hall on the east side of the mansion.

Except it wasn’t a small family event.

It was a massive social gathering—hundreds of wealthy, powerful people dressed in diamonds and silk. Women stared at me with sharp curiosity. Men whispered. Cameras flashed discreetly from corners.

My chest tightened.

I felt trapped and outnumbered. I needed space and I tried slipping away through a cluster of guests.

That’s when I saw Aunt Lila standing beside a display of paintings.

My heart dropped into my stomach. Why was she here? How did she get in?

I turned too sharply and collided with someone. A glass in her hand tipped, spilling cold liquid across her beaded dress.

“I’m so…” I began.

Before the apology even formed, a loud c***k echoed.

Eleanor’s hand struck my cheek in a sharp, stinging slap.