Chapter Three: The Wedding
1559 Words
Amara woke to the sound of her phone ringing.She reached blindly across the nightstand and answered without opening her eyes.
“Hello?”
“Miss Williams?”The unfamiliar male voice instantly woke her.
“Yes?”
“This is Mr. Reed. Mr. King asked me to remind you that your car will arrive at nine.”
Amara sat upright.She glanced at the clock.
8:37 a.m.
Her eyes widened.“Today?”
“Yes.”She stared at the phone.
The wedding.For one brief moment, she had forgotten.
“How long do I have?”
“Twenty-three minutes.”The call ended.
Amara threw the blanket aside.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”She rushed into the bathroom.
By the time she came downstairs forty minutes later, her mother was already waiting for her.Amara had barely managed to pull her hair into a neat bun, and the simple cream dress she had chosen the night before suddenly seemed completely inappropriate for marrying one of the richest men in the country.
Her mother looked at her quietly.
“You're really going through with this.”
Amara stopped.“I have to.”
“You don't have to.”
“Yes, I do.”
Her mother walked closer and gently touched her cheek.
“Amara, money isn't worth losing yourself.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you doing this?”Amara swallowed.
“Because Dad spent his entire life building that company. I can't stand by and watch it disappear”. Her mother looked away.
There was something in her expression that made Amara uneasy.
“Mom?”
“Just be careful.”
“I will.”
Her mother hesitated.“Alexander King isn't the kind of man you can easily walk away from.”
Amara gave a nervous smile.
“I'm only married to him for one year.”
Her mother didn't smile back.
“I hope that's all it takes.”
A car horn sounded outside.Amara looked toward the window.
A black luxury sedan waited at the gate. She picked up her handbag.
“I'll call you later.”
Her mother caught her hand before she could leave.
“Amara.”
She turned.
“Don't fall in love with him.”
The words stopped her.
For some reason, they sounded painfully familiar.
Alexander had said almost the same thing.
Amara forced a smile.
“That won't happen.”Then she walked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The wedding ceremony was held in a private estate belonging to the King family. Amara had expected something extravagant.
Instead, the ceremony was surprisingly quiet.There were fewer than twenty guests.
Most of them were members of Alexander's family. And every single person seemed to be staring at her.
Amara stepped out of the car and immediately felt like she had walked into another universe.
The estate was enormous, surrounded by perfectly trimmed gardens and tall trees. A fountain stood in the center of the courtyard, its water glittering beneath the morning sun.
She adjusted her dress and took a deep breath.Then she saw him.
Alexander stood at the end of the aisle in a black suit.He looked impossibly composed.
As though he wasn't about to marry a woman he had met less than twenty-four hours ago.His eyes found hers.
For one brief second, something changed in his expression.
His gaze moved slowly over her before returning to her face.Amara suddenly became very aware of herself.
She walked toward him.When she reached the altar, Alexander extended his hand.
She placed hers in it.His fingers closed around hers.
Warm.
Firm.
Possessive.
Amara looked up at him.
“Relax.”
She whispered.“I'm trying.”
His mouth curved slightly.
“You're shaking.”
“So are you.”
“I'm not.”
She glanced down.
His hand was perfectly still.
Amara narrowed her eyes.
“You're annoying.”
“And you're nervous.”
Before she could respond, the ceremony began.
The vows were simple.
No grand declarations.
No promises of eternal love.
Only words about commitment and partnership. When it was time to exchange rings, Alexander slipped the ring onto her finger.
The diamond caught the sunlight.
Amara stared at it.
It was beautiful.Far too beautiful for a marriage that wasn't supposed to mean anything.
Then it was her turn.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she pushed the ring onto his finger.
The officiant smiled.
“You may kiss your bride.”
Amara's heart stopped.
She looked at Alexander.
He looked back.
For a second, neither of them moved.Then Alexander stepped closer. His hand settled gently against her waist.
Amara's breath caught.
He leaned toward her, and his lips touched hers.
The kiss was brief.
Controlled.
Almost painfully restrained.But it was enough to send a strange warmth through her.
When he pulled away, his eyes remained on hers.
“You okay?”
Amara nodded.
“Fine.”She wasn't sure why her voice sounded breathless.
Applause broke around them.They turned toward the guests.
And just like that, Amara Williams became Mrs. Alexander King.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reception lasted less than an hour. Amara barely had time to speak to anyone before Alexander appeared beside her.
“We're leaving.”
She looked at him.
“Already?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“My house.”
Amara frowned.
“Your house?”
“Our house.”
She almost rolled her eyes. Right.
The contract.
Their house.
She followed him outside. As they approached the car, Alexander opened the passenger door for her.
Amara hesitated.
“You're driving?”
“Yes.”
“You have a driver.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you driving?”
He looked at her.
“Because I want to.” She got inside.
The car was silent for the first few minutes.
Amara stared out the window, watching the city disappear behind them.
Eventually, curiosity won.
“Alexander?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you really choose me?” His hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
“I told you.”
“No. You gave me an answer, but it wasn't the truth.”
He glanced at her.
“You think you know when I'm lying?”
“I think you're hiding something.” A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“You've known me for one day.”
“And I'm already suspicious.”
“That makes two of us.”
Amara turned toward him.
“What does that mean?” He didn't answer.
Instead, he looked ahead.
After another twenty minutes, the car entered a private estate. Amara stared through the window.
The house was enormous.
White stone walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, manicured gardens and a driveway that seemed longer than some streets.
She slowly looked at Alexander.
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
She stared at the house again. “You're going to tell me I'm supposed to live here?”
“You are my wife.”
Amara sighed.
“This is going to be a long year.”
Alexander parked the car.
“You have no idea.”
Inside the house, a woman in her fifties greeted them.
“Welcome home, sir.” Alexander nodded.
“This is Amara.”
The woman smiled warmly.
“Welcome, ma'am.” Amara returned the smile.
“Please, call me Amara.”
“I'll show you to your room.”
Amara glanced at Alexander.
“My room?”
He said nothing.
The woman led her upstairs.
The bedroom was enormous, with a balcony overlooking the gardens and a walk-in closet larger than Amara's entire bedroom at home.
She stood in the doorway, speechless.
“You'll have everything you need,” the woman said.
Amara turned.
“Thank you.”
After the woman left, Amara walked toward the bed and sat down. Her eyes landed on the ring around her finger.
She was married.
Actually married.
To Alexander King.She hadn't even known him forty-eight hours ago.
A knock sounded at the door.
She looked up. Alexander stood in the doorway.
“We need to discuss something.”
Amara stood.
“What?”
He walked inside and closed the door behind him.
“For the next few weeks, people will be watching us.”
“Because of the marriage?”
“Yes”. “And?”
“You need to convince them this is real.”
Amara folded her arms.
“I think the wedding already did that.”
“Not everyone will believe it.”
She studied him.
“What exactly are you asking me to do?”
Alexander stepped closer.
“Act like my wife.”
Amara's heartbeat quickened.
“And what does that involve?” His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
“Everything a wife would normally do.”
Amara swallowed.
“And if I don't?”
His expression hardened.
“Then people will start asking questions.”
He turned toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
“Dinner is at eight.” Then he walked away.
Amara remained standing in the middle of the room.She looked down at her wedding ring.
Something told her that the hardest part of this marriage wasn't going to be pretending to be Alexander King's wife.
It was going to be remembering that she wasn't actually supposed to become one.
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