Chapter 4: The wedding without love
1254 Words
Ink scratched against paper.
Sharp.
Final.
Daniel immediately gathered the documents.
“Congratulations,” he said gently.
The word sounded wrong.
Like a joke.
Adrian extended his hand toward her.
Professional.
Distant.
“Welcome to the agreement, Mrs. Knight.”
Mrs.
Knight.
The title crashed into her chest.
She stared at his hand for a second.
Then placed hers in his.
His grip was warm.
Firm.
Steady.
Dangerous.
Like stepping into deep water without knowing how to swim.
And as his fingers closed around hers…
Elena realized something terrifying.
She hadn’t just signed a contract.
She had just sold her heart to a man who didn’t even believe hearts mattered.
Elena thought there would be more time.
Time to think.
Time to panic.
Time to regret.
But rich people didn’t wait.
Rich people moved fast.
By the time she finished signing the last page of the contract, Daniel was already on the phone scheduling the courthouse.
“Today?” she asked, startled.
Adrian didn’t look up from his watch.
“The sooner we finalize the marriage, the sooner your mother’s hospital bill is cleared.”
Right.
This wasn’t a wedding.
It was a transaction.
And transactions didn’t need flowers.
---
The car ride to the courthouse felt unreal.
Elena stared out the window, her reflection faint against the glass.
Same black dress.
Same cheap flats.
Same girl.
But somehow… not.
Her name had changed in a single signature.
Mrs. Knight.
The title still felt like it belonged to someone else.
She expected nerves.
Or excitement.
Or something dramatic.
Instead, she felt numb.
Like her emotions had quietly shut down to protect her.
Beside her, Adrian worked on his tablet.
Emails.
Calls.
Numbers.
He hadn’t said a single word since they left the building.
Not even small talk.
Not even “are you okay?”
Of course not.
Why would he?
She wasn’t a bride.
She was paperwork.
Still…
The silence pressed against her chest.
“You really do everything this fast, huh?” she said softly, mostly to fill the air.
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t scare you?”
“No.”
She glanced at him.
His profile was sharp. Calm. Untouchable.
“What if this turns out to be a mistake?” she asked.
He finally looked at her.
Gray eyes steady.
“I don’t make decisions based on feelings, Elena. Only outcomes.”
Outcomes.
She looked back out the window.
She wondered what kind of life taught someone to erase feelings completely.
What kind of heartbreak created a man like him.
---
The courthouse was small.
Old.
Plain.
Nothing like the weddings she used to imagine as a girl.
No music.
No guests.
No white dress.
Just fluorescent lights and a bored clerk chewing gum behind a desk.
Romantic.
She almost laughed.
Other couples stood nearby.
One bride wore lace and held flowers.
Her fiancé kept kissing her forehead.
They looked happy.
Nervous.
In love.
Elena quickly looked away.
Don’t compare.
This isn’t that kind of marriage.
Daniel handed over their documents efficiently.
“Marriage license for Adrian Knight and Elena Hart,” he said.
The clerk’s eyes widened slightly at Adrian’s name.
Recognition.
Whispers.
Even here, his presence changed the air.
“Step forward,” she said.
Elena’s legs felt heavy.
Adrian stood beside her, tall and composed like this was just another meeting.
The clerk began reading the vows in a monotone voice.
“Do you, Adrian Knight, take—”
“Yes,” he said immediately.
No hesitation.
No emotion.
Like agreeing to terms and conditions.
Her chest tightened.
The clerk blinked, surprised, then continued.
“And do you, Elena Hart, take—”
Elena opened her mouth.
Nothing came out at first.
This is it.
This is the moment.
This is where girls usually cry happy tears.
Where families clap.
Where love begins.
But all she felt was the weight of hospital bills and her mother’s fragile heartbeat.
“I do,” she whispered.
The words felt small.
Fragile.
Lost.
The clerk stamped the papers loudly.
“Congratulations. You’re legally married.”
Just like that.
Three minutes.
No kiss.
No smiles.
Just done.
A lifetime decision finished faster than ordering coffee.
She stared down at her hand.
No ring.
Of course.
Contracts didn’t come with diamonds.
Adrian simply nodded at the clerk and turned to leave.
Like the matter was closed.
She hurried after him, heels clicking against tile.
“That’s it?” she asked breathlessly.
“What else were you expecting?”
She didn’t know.
Something.
Anything.
But she shook her head. “Nothing.”
---
The moment they stepped outside—
Cameras flashed.
Voices shouted.
“Elena, look here!”
“Mr. Knight! Is this your secret wife?”
“How long have you been dating?”
“Was this a shotgun wedding?”
She froze.
Reporters.
So many of them.
Microphones.
Phones.
Photos.
Her heart leaped into her throat.
“I—I didn’t know there’d be press—”
“There’s always press,” Adrian said calmly.
Before she could react, his arm wrapped around her waist.
Firm.
Possessive.
Warm.
Her breath caught.
The contact sent a strange spark through her body.
“Smile,” he murmured near her ear.
It wasn’t gentle.
It was instruction.
She forced her lips upward.
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
The world exploded into light.
She felt like prey surrounded by hunters.
His hand tightened slightly on her hip, steadying her.
Or claiming her.
She couldn’t tell.
“Act natural,” he said quietly.
Natural?
Nothing about this was natural.
But she leaned into him anyway.
Played the role.
Pretended.
Because that’s what wives did.
Because that’s what she signed up for.
Because fifty thousand dollars of hospital debt was disappearing right now.
After what felt like forever, security cleared a path.
They slipped back into the car.
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Elena exhaled shakily.
“My face is going to be everywhere, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“My neighbors are going to faint.”
He almost smiled.
Almost.
“You’ll adjust.”
She stared at him.
“How are you this calm about everything?”
He met her eyes.
Then said quietly, “You get used to people watching you. You stop caring.”
She wondered what it must feel like… to stop caring.
---
The car didn’t take her home.
Instead, it drove farther.
Past the city.
Up winding roads lined with trees and iron gates.
Finally, the gates opened automatically.
And she saw it.
Her breath left her lungs.
A mansion.
No.
A palace.
White stone walls.
Tall windows.
Fountains.
Gardens.
It looked like something from a movie.
Or a dream she was too poor to even imagine.
“This…” she whispered.
“This is where you live?”
“Yes.”
The car stopped.
Staff were already waiting at the entrance.
Uniformed.
Polished.
Prepared.
For her.
For the girl who counted bus fare yesterday.
Her chest tightened.
Fear mixed with awe.
This place was too big.
Too perfect.
She didn’t belong here.
Adrian stepped out first, then offered his hand.
Professional.
Distant.
“Welcome home,” he said.
Home.
The word echoed strangely.
This wasn’t home.
This was a contract.
A stage.
A golden cage.
Still…
She placed her hand in his.
And stepped out.
As the massive doors opened and the staff bowed slightly—
Elena realized something chilling.
She hadn’t just married a billionaire.
She had just entered a world where she could very easily lose herself.
- Writer
