Married to My Enemy

The first time I saw the man I was supposed to marry, he was standing at the end of the aisle like a king waiting for his throne. Cold, untouchable and dangerous. And he hated me. The church doors opened slowly behind me, and every single person inside turned to look. Hundreds of eyes on me. Judging and watching. Waiting for the moment I would walk toward the man who had destroyed my family. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the bouquet. This was wrong. Everything about today was wrong. The white dress, The flowers, The music This wasn’t a wedding, It was a business deal. A sacrifice to be precise. “Walk,” my father whispered harshly beside me. His voice held none of the warmth a father should have on his daughter’s wedding day. Only pressure. Only desperation. “Our company depends on this marriage,” he muttered. “Don’t ruin it.” I swallowed hard. Of course, It was always about the company. Always about money, Never about me. The music began, echoing through the grand cathedral. Slow and heavy. I forced my feet to move forward. Step, Step, Step, Each movement felt like walking toward a prison. At the end of the aisle stood Alexander Knight. CEO. Billionaire. And the man who had taken everything from my family. His dark suit fit perfectly against his tall frame, and his black hair was slicked back neatly. His sharp jawline and piercing gray eyes made him look less like a groom and more like a predator waiting for prey. He wasn’t smiling. Not even a little. His expression was unreadable. But his eyes….. His eyes were cold enough to freeze the entire room. I felt it the moment our gazes met. Hatred. Pure hatred. Good. Because the feeling was mutual. When I finally reached the altar, the priest began speaking. Something about love. Something about unity. Something about marriage being sacred. I almost laughed. Sacred? There was nothing sacred about this arrangement. This was revenge. Alexander leaned slightly closer to me, his voice so low only I could hear it. “Relax,” he murmured coldly. “You look like you’re attending your own funeral.” I clenched my jaw. “Maybe I am.” For a brief moment, a faint smirk appeared on his lips. Then it vanished. The ceremony continued. Words blurred together. Promises that meant nothing. Finally, the priest looked at Alexander. “Do you take Elena Carter to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Alexander didn’t hesitate. “I do.” His voice was calm. Too calm. The priest then turned to me. “Do you take Alexander Knight to be your lawfully wedded husband?” My heart pounded violently in my chest. This was the moment. The moment where I could say no. Walk away. Destroy the deal. But I knew what would happen if I did. My father’s company would collapse. Hundreds of employees would lose their jobs. My family would lose everything. All because I refused to marry the man who hated me. My fingers tightened around the bouquet. I lifted my chin and looked straight into Alexander’s cold gray eyes. “…I do.” The words tasted like poison. The priest smiled. “Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” A few people clapped politely. It sounded hollow. Fake. Alexander turned to face me fully. For the first time, I noticed how tall he really was. How powerful. How intimidating. He leaned closer. Close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin. “You should know something,” he whispered quietly. My stomach tightened. “What?” His eyes darkened slightly. “This marriage isn’t going to be easy for you.” My heart skipped. “Why?” A slow, dangerous smile appeared on his lips. “Because marrying you…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “…is just the beginning of your punishment.” My blood ran cold. Punishment? “For what?” I demanded quietly. Alexander straightened his jacket calmly. “For what your family did to mine.” Before I could respond, he suddenly pulled me closer and kissed me. The crowd erupted into applause. To them, it looked romantic. Beautiful. Like the perfect wedding. But the moment his lips touched mine, Alexander whispered something that made my entire body freeze. “Welcome to hell, Mrs. Knight.”