The weight of it hit Bella like a tidal wave as she stood there, the officiant’s final words fading into the background. She was married. Legally bound to a man she didn’t know, a man whose presence was as cold and distant as the night sky. Damian stepped away, his expression as stoic as ever, and she felt a painful knot form in her chest.
This wasn’t a wedding. It was a transaction.
“Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood,” the officiant said with a smile, though it felt hollow to Bella’s ears. “Congratulations.”
Damian barely acknowledged the comment, simply nodding to the witnesses who quickly gathered their things and exited the room. There was no celebratory moment, no shared smiles or words of affection. Just the quiet click of the door as they were left alone in the room.
Bella didn’t know what
