A WEDDING DISASTER

THE FORCE MARRIAGE

Alice sat rigidly in her chair, feeling the weight of cold, piercing stares from every corner of the room. The Blackwell family’s grand meeting hall was vast and opulent, yet the atmosphere inside felt suffocating—like the very walls were condemning her.

Across from her, her parents sat in silence, their expressions unreadable. Her father stared blankly at the table, while her mother clasped her hands tightly in her lap, as if trying to hold back tears.

And Evelyn—Evelyn looked at her with a hatred so raw, so consuming, that Alice felt like nothing more than ashes in the face of a raging fire.

“Explaining won’t change anything,” Evelyn finally spoke, her voice low, laced with venom. “This scandal is everywhere. The world doesn’t care about the truth. All they see is a cheap woman who stole her sister’s fiancé.”

Alice felt a sharp pang of panic in her chest. “Evelyn, you know I would never do that to you—”

“But you did!” Evelyn snapped, her voice trembling with fury. “Look at the headlines! The photos! Do you think I can walk outside without being bombarded with humiliating questions? Do you think I can go back to my life as if none of this ever happened?”

Alice fell silent. There was nothing she could say to counter that.

Then, Damian’s deep, razor-sharp voice cut through the tense silence.

“That’s why we have to get married.”

Alice’s head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “No. No way.”

Damian leaned back in his chair, his dark gaze stripping her bare with a calmness that felt even more threatening. “You think I want this?” he said coolly. “This marriage isn’t for me. It’s for my family’s business. And to salvage what’s left of our reputations.”

Alice shook her head frantically. “I’m not marrying you, Damian! This is insane!”

Damian simply stared at her for a moment before leaning forward. His voice dropped lower—quieter, yet far more dangerous.

“Marry me…” he murmured, his tone laced with an unspoken threat, “…or face your own destruction.”

Alice held her breath.

Damian continued, his gaze burning with ruthless certainty. “You know what happens if you refuse? The media will tear you apart, Alice. You’ll lose everything. There won’t be a place for you in this world without the title of a traitor and a homewrecker.”

Alice met his eyes, anger and fear twisting inside her. “Are you threatening me?”

Damian smirked, cold and merciless. “I’m giving you a choice.”

She wanted to scream. To fight back. But when she glanced at her parents, all she saw was devastation in their eyes.

And Evelyn… Evelyn still looked at her as if she were the worst kind of enemy.

If she refused, she would be alone. Damian’s promise of destruction wasn’t just a threat—it was a certainty.

Her chest tightened, the room suddenly feeling smaller, like the walls were closing in.

She had no way out.

Damian’s voice sliced through the suffocating silence, sharp as a blade pressed against her throat.

“So, what’s your decision?”

Alice stared at Damian, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps, her heart pounding in her chest like a war drum. In this tension-filled room, she was the only one who seemed to have no control over her own life.

But then… something clicked in her mind.

This wasn’t just a scandal. This was a setup.

If this was just a one-night mistake, why was everything happening so fast? Why were there so many leaked photos, as if someone had been waiting for this exact moment?

And, more importantly… why was marriage suddenly the only solution?

Alice turned, scanning the expressions of everyone in the room. Her father looked exhausted, her mother was on the verge of tears, and Evelyn… Evelyn wasn’t just furious—she was hurt.

But when her gaze shifted to Damian, he looked… calm. Too calm.

Alice narrowed her eyes. He knew this would happen.

She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Who benefits from this incident?"

All eyes snapped to her.

"What do you mean?" her father asked, his voice hoarse.

Alice took a deep breath. "I don’t remember anything from that night. Neither does Damian. But somehow, our photos spread like wildfire, and before anyone could even investigate what actually happened, we’re already sitting here, discussing marriage as if it’s the only option." She locked eyes with Damian. "I don’t believe this is just a coincidence."

Silence filled the room.

Damian raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "You’re finally starting to think."

Alice clenched her fists in her lap. "You knew this was a setup, didn’t you?"

He didn’t answer. But his eyes said more than words ever could.

The air in the room felt thinner.

Evelyn scoffed. "Of course, this wasn’t a coincidence. But that doesn’t change the fact that the world has already decided what they believe."

Alice wanted to argue, but she knew Evelyn was right. Their reputations were already in ruins. The media didn’t care about the truth—they only cared about selling scandals.

"So?" Damian’s voice broke the silence again, his eyes never leaving hers. "Are you accepting my offer or not?"

Alice bit her lip. She couldn’t refuse. But she also couldn’t just accept this without conditions.

She took a deep breath, then met Damian’s gaze with unwavering determination. "If I agree, this marriage will only be on paper. I won’t be your wife in any real sense."

Damian’s smirk deepened. "Of course. And I hope you don’t expect more than that."

Anger flared in Alice’s chest, but she swallowed it down. She knew she was stepping into a game much bigger than she had realized.

But if someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes… she would find out who it was.

Alice refused to be a victim.

Whoever wanted to see her fall would be disappointed.

Because she had made a promise to herself—she would survive.