Chapter 7
883 Words
The entire chapel waited.
Hundreds of eyes remained fixed on them.
Celeste's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Zayden stood only inches away now.
Close enough for her to notice the faint scent of his cologne.
Close enough to see the tiny scar near his jaw.
Close enough to realize he wasn't as unaffected as he appeared.
For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes.
Then it vanished.
Without warning, he lifted a hand and gently touched her cheek.
The movement was so unexpected that her breath caught.
A collective gasp swept through the guests.
The gesture looked intimate.
Affectionate.
Like something a loving husband would do.
Only Celeste knew it was part of the performance.
Slowly, he leaned down.
His lips brushed against her forehead.
The contact lasted barely a second.
Then he stepped back.
Polite applause immediately erupted throughout the chapel.
The tension eased.
The moment passed.
Yet something about it lingered.
A strange warmth remained where his hand had touched her skin.
Celeste hated herself for noticing.
The reception that followed was extravagant.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand ballroom.
Music filled the air.
Champagne flowed endlessly.
People laughed.
Danced.
Celebrated.
The newlyweds became the center of attention.
Exactly as expected.
What nobody knew was that the marriage being celebrated had an expiration date.
For hours, Celeste smiled politely and greeted strangers.
Business associates congratulated them.
Socialites complimented her dress.
Reporters took photographs.
The entire event felt like an elaborate performance.
By evening, her cheeks ached from smiling.
Across the room, Zayden remained surrounded by powerful people.
Executives.
Investors.
Politicians.
Everyone wanted a moment of his attention.
Yet despite the crowd around him, he somehow appeared distant.
Detached.
Untouchable.
A woman suddenly approached Celeste.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Confident.
The type of woman who belonged naturally in Zayden's world.
Not like her.
The woman smiled.
Though something about it felt forced.
"You must be Celeste."
Celeste nodded politely.
"And you are?"
"Victoria Hale."
The name sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
Then realization struck.
She had seen articles about Victoria.
Her family was wealthy.
Influential.
Powerful.
Many magazines had once predicted she would marry Zayden.
The thought made Celeste uneasy.
Victoria glanced toward Zayden.
Then back at her.
"I was surprised when I heard the news."
The words sounded innocent.
The tone did not.
Celeste offered a small smile.
"So was I."
Something in Victoria's expression hardened.
For a brief moment.
Then disappeared.
"You seem nice."
The compliment felt oddly sharp.
"As do you."
Victoria laughed softly.
A beautiful sound that somehow carried no warmth.
"Let's hope this arrangement works out for everyone."
Arrangement.
Not marriage.
Not relationship.
Arrangement.
The word lingered in the air.
Before Celeste could respond, Victoria excused herself and disappeared into the crowd.
The encounter left a strange feeling behind.
As though a warning had been delivered beneath polite conversation.
Hours later, the reception finally ended.
The guests departed.
The photographers left.
The music faded.
For the first time all day, silence returned.
Celeste sat inside the backseat of a luxury car as it carried them away from the estate.
Beside her, Zayden worked on his tablet.
As if he had not just gotten married.
As if today had been an ordinary business meeting.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
The city lights drifted past outside.
Eventually, Celeste broke the silence.
"Do you ever relax?"
His eyes remained on the screen.
"Not often."
She sighed.
"Of course."
A faint hint of amusement touched his mouth.
Gone almost instantly.
The sight surprised her.
Maybe because it made him seem human.
The car eventually turned through massive iron gates.
Celeste looked out the window.
Her breath caught.
The estate was enormous.
Beautiful.
Intimidating.
The mansion looked less like a home and more like something from another world.
They stepped inside.
The entrance hall alone was larger than her entire childhood home.
Marble floors gleamed beneath elegant lighting.
Everything felt expensive.
Perfect.
Cold.
The staff greeted them respectfully before disappearing.
Soon, only Celeste and Zayden remained.
The silence suddenly felt different.
Heavier.
More personal.
For the first time since the wedding, there were no witnesses.
No guests.
No cameras.
No audience.
Just husband and wife.
The realization made her unexpectedly nervous.
Zayden loosened his tie.
The small action somehow made him appear even more dangerous.
More real.
He turned toward her.
His expression was calm.
Unreadable.
Then he spoke.
"You should understand something immediately."
The seriousness in his voice made her straighten.
"What?"
Several seconds passed.
Then came the answer.
Cold.
Direct.
Absolute.
"This marriage exists only on paper."
Celeste's chest tightened.
Zayden met her gaze steadily.
"You'll have your own room."
His voice remained emotionless.
"I won't touch you."
The words echoed through the enormous mansion.
Sharp.
Final.
For reasons she couldn't explain, disappointment flickered briefly inside her chest.
Before she could understand why, Zayden continued.
"But there is one rule you must never break."
His eyes darkened.
And for the first time that night, Celeste felt genuinely uneasy.
"What rule?"
Zayden stared at her for a long moment.
Then he answered.
"You are not to enter the west wing of this house."
His tone left no room for argument.
No room for questions.
And judging by the look in his eyes, whatever was hidden there was something he would do anything to protect.
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