Married to My Enemy's Father

The First Crack

The grand ballroom glittered beneath crystal chandeliers as the city's elite mingled with glasses of champagne in hand. Every smile looked perfect, every laugh carefully rehearsed.

Ava adjusted the silver gown Alexander had chosen for her. It hugged her figure perfectly, making her feel more confident than she had in weeks.

"Relax," Alexander murmured beside her. "Just stay close to me."

"I am relaxed," she lied.

His lips twitched with amusement.

"You've been squeezing my arm for the last five minutes."

She quickly let go, earning a quiet chuckle from him.

For a brief second, she forgot this was only a contract marriage.

Then she saw Ethan.

He stood across the ballroom with Vanessa hanging possessively on his arm. The moment his eyes landed on Ava, he froze.

She looked...different.

Radiant.

Happy.

Confident.

Everything she hadn't looked like on the day he abandoned her.

Vanessa noticed his stare and frowned.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

But his eyes drifted back to Ava again.

Alexander noticed too.

Without saying a word, he slipped his hand around Ava's waist.

She looked up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Reminding everyone you're my wife."

Her heartbeat skipped.

The warmth of his hand against her waist felt surprisingly natural.

Across the room, Ethan's jaw tightened.

He hated how comfortable they looked together.

The host stepped onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! Tonight we celebrate another successful year of King's Corporation."

Thunderous applause filled the hall.

Alexander leaned closer.

"I'll need to speak with some investors."

"I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

She nodded.

"I promise."

As Alexander walked away, several wealthy women immediately surrounded him.

Ava sighed.

"So this is what billionaire life looks like."

She wandered toward the dessert table.

"You clean up nicely."

The familiar voice made her stomach twist.

She turned slowly.

Ethan.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to congratulate you."

"Congratulations accepted."

"You've changed."

"I had to."

His expression softened.

"I made a mistake."

Ava stared at him in disbelief.

"A mistake?"

"I shouldn't have left you."

She laughed bitterly.

"You humiliated me in front of everyone."

"I know."

"You destroyed me."

"I regret it every day."

Before she could answer, Vanessa stormed over.

"Ethan!"

She glared at Ava.

"I knew you'd try stealing him back."

Ava blinked.

"Steal him?"

Vanessa folded her arms.

"You've always been jealous."

Ava almost laughed.

"Jealous of what exactly?"

"Ethan chose me."

"No," Ava replied calmly. "He made his choice, and I accepted it."

Vanessa scoffed.

"Then stay away from him."

Alexander's deep voice interrupted them.

"My wife doesn't need permission to stand anywhere."

The air instantly turned cold.

Alexander stepped beside Ava, his expression unreadable.

Vanessa forced an awkward smile.

"Mr. King..."

Alexander ignored her.

Instead, he looked directly at Ethan.

"If you're finished bothering my wife, we have better things to do."

Ethan clenched his fists.

"I only wanted to apologize."

"Apologies don't erase betrayal."

Silence.

Even nearby guests stopped talking.

Alexander wrapped his arm around Ava again.

"Come."

She followed him without looking back.

Only when they reached the balcony did she finally breathe.

"I could've handled that."

"I know."

"Then why interfere?"

Alexander looked at the city lights below.

"Because watching another man upset my wife isn't something I enjoy."

The words caught her completely off guard.

"My...wife?"

He turned toward her.

"Even if it's just a contract."

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The cool night breeze carried the scent of roses from the garden below.

Suddenly, Ava shivered.

Without hesitation, Alexander removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"You'll catch a cold."

She looked at him.

"Thank you."

Their eyes met.

Neither noticed Ethan watching them from inside the ballroom.

His regret deepened with every passing second.

For the first time...

He realized he hadn't lost his fiancée.

He had lost the only woman who had ever truly loved him.

And now she was slowly falling for the one man he could never compete with.

The ballroom slowly emptied as the gala came to an end, but the atmosphere between Ava and Alexander remained unusually quiet.

They rode home in silence.

The city lights flashed through the tinted windows of the limousine while soft classical music played in the background.

Ava stared out the window, replaying Ethan's apology in her mind.

"I made a mistake."

Those words should have satisfied her.

For months she had imagined Ethan begging for forgiveness.

She had imagined herself celebrating his regret.

So why did it feel... empty?

"You've been quiet."

Alexander's voice broke the silence.

She glanced at him.

"I'm just tired."

He studied her face for a moment.

"I don't think you're tired."

She sighed.

"I honestly don't know how I feel."

"Because of Ethan?"

She nodded.

"I thought hearing him apologize would make me happy."

"And?"

"It didn't."

Alexander looked ahead.

"Sometimes closure doesn't feel the way we expect."

Ava smiled faintly.

"When did you become so wise?"

"I've made enough mistakes to learn a few things."

His answer surprised her.

Alexander rarely talked about himself.

She wanted to ask what mistakes he meant, but something in his expression told her not to.

The limousine stopped in front of the mansion.

As they stepped inside, Mrs. Wilson greeted them with a warm smile.

"Welcome home."

She noticed Alexander draping his jacket over Ava's shoulders and smiled to herself.

"It's getting late. I'll have hot tea prepared."

"Thank you," Ava replied.

A few minutes later they sat in the living room.

Steam curled from two cups of tea placed on the coffee table.

Neither reached for them immediately.

Alexander loosened his tie.

"You handled yourself well tonight."

"You think so?"

"You didn't let them provoke you."

Ava laughed softly.

"I wanted to slap Vanessa."

That earned a genuine laugh from Alexander.

"I suspected as much."

"It's taking all my self-control."

"I'm glad you didn't."

She folded her arms.

"You would have defended me anyway."

"I would have."

His answer came without hesitation.

Ava blinked.

"You didn't even think about it."

"I didn't need to."

Her heart skipped again.

Why did every simple sentence from this man feel heavier than it should?

Before she could respond, Alexander's phone rang.

His expression changed the moment he answered.

"What happened?"

Silence.

Then—

"I'm on my way."

He stood immediately.

"I have to leave."

"What happened?"

"One of my overseas projects has a serious problem."

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know yet."

He grabbed his car keys.

"I may be back late."

Ava nodded.

"Drive safely."

He paused at the doorway.

"You should get some rest."

"You too."

He gave her one last look before leaving.

The front door closed.

The mansion suddenly felt far too quiet.

Mrs. Wilson approached carrying a blanket.

"He's been working too hard lately."

"Does this happen often?"

She nodded sadly.

"More than you know."

Ava frowned.

"I thought he enjoyed his work."

"He does."

Mrs. Wilson smiled gently.

"But sometimes he forgets to take care of himself."

Ava looked toward the front door.

For some reason...

She found herself worrying about him.

Upstairs, she changed into comfortable clothes and tried reading a book.

Five minutes later she realized she hadn't turned a single page.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to Alexander.

It was nearly midnight when she heard a car pull into the driveway.

She hurried downstairs without thinking.

Alexander entered looking exhausted.

His tie was gone.

His shirt sleeves were rolled up.

His usually perfect hair was slightly messy.

"You came back."

He looked surprised to see her awake.

"I told you to sleep."

"I couldn't."

His expression softened.

"The problem is under control."

"That's good."

As he took a step forward, he suddenly winced.

Ava noticed immediately.

"You're hurt."

"It's nothing."

"You just flinched."

"I'm fine."

She walked closer.

"No, you're not."

Alexander hesitated before finally admitting,

"I was in a minor accident on the way to the site."

"What?"

"It wasn't serious."

She gently took his arm.

"You need to sit down."

"I'm okay."

"Alexander."

The firmness in her voice caught him off guard.

For once...

He obeyed.

She carefully rolled up his sleeve.

A dark bruise stretched across his forearm.

There was also a small cut still bleeding.

"You call this nothing?"

"It looks worse than it feels."

Ava disappeared into the bathroom and returned with the first-aid kit.

She knelt beside him.

"This might sting."

"I've survived worse."

She cleaned the cut carefully.

Alexander watched her in silence.

She was concentrating so hard that a loose strand of hair fell across her face.

Without thinking...

He reached out and tucked it behind her ear.

Her hands froze.

Their eyes met.

Neither spoke.

The room seemed to grow impossibly quiet.

For a brief moment...

Everything around them disappeared.

The contract.

The fake marriage.

The betrayal.

The expectations.

There was only the two of them.

Mrs. Wilson entered carrying fresh tea.

She stopped in the doorway.

A slow smile spread across her face.

Without making a sound...

She quietly backed out again.

Some moments deserved not to be interrupted.