Courtroom Promises
1022 Words
Sean’s POV
The courthouse smelled like wood cleaner and paper. People going on about their day. Everything looked normal. But today? Nothing about this was normal.
And there she was. Aria Romano.
Her dark hair falling over her shoulder in waves, her shoulders square, her eyes sharp. She wasn’t looking at me, not exactly, but I could feel her gaze calculating and testing me.
I fiddled with the pen in my hand. One year. One year of boundaries, rules, terms and conditions. All on paper. But the real test? It’s not the contract. It’s her. Aria herself. She is fierce, bold, beautiful and the way she raises one brow when thinking
“Sean Hunter and Aria Romano?” The clerk’s voice rang out, stopping my thoughts.
“Yes,” I answered immediately and authoritatively. I made the first move and stood up.
“Don’t f**k this up, Sean,” I mumbled to myself.
Aria’s fingers gripped the edge of her coat.
“Ready?” I asked as I held out my hand to her.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, her voice breathy.
The clerk went on about the legal formalities. After she was done, she slid the document before us.
“Here you go,” she said in a chirpy voice.
I signed first. I didn’t look at Aria. But I felt her eyes on me.
After I was done, I passed it to her.
She hesitated for a brief moment but she signed it, her hand trembling.
“Congratulations. You’re officially married,” the clerk said, in an obliviously chirpy voice.
I nodded. She told us to sit for a few minutes while she finalized our marriage certificate.
She came back after some minutes and handed the paper to us.
I turned to leave and Aria matched my pace as we left.
I broke the silence first.
“Tomorrow, we start public appearances.”
Cold steel in her gaze.
“I’m not doing it for appearances. This isn’t a show.”
I smirked. I like the way she questioned me more than I should.
“But we still need to put on a show, darling Aria.” I leaned down and said into her ear. “We need people to believe this farce of a marriage.”
She looked past me.
Just as she was about to say something, a camera flashed.
I grinned.
“We may have to start earlier than planned.”
I took her hand and led her to the black car waiting. I opened her door for her. She stepped in slowly.
I closed it and walked to the driver’s seat.
The camera flashed again.
I slid into the car, looked at her, and muttered,
“Shall we, Mrs. Hunter?”
She looked taken aback and her fingers tightened on her bag.
“The camera?” she finally said. “What if th—”
“They’ll see what I want them to see.”
“You knew they were there?” she asked wide-eyed.
I smiled and pulled away from the curb.
As we drove toward my penthouse, I caught myself stealing glances at her. She didn’t notice or maybe she pretended not to. She was looking out the window, the sunlight hitting her face softly.
I pulled into the underground parking lot and killed the engine.
Aria stepped out first, her heels clicking against the concrete softly.
“I’ll have Alex bring your things over today,” I said as I caught up with her.
She nodded absentmindedly.
That was new.
“You’ve got something on your mind?” I asked.
She paused.
“No. Everything is just happening so fast, I’m trying to adjust.”
“You’re right,” I replied. “And you’re allowed a moment.”
Her lips twitched, not quite a smile.
“You’re surprisingly considerate for a man who just married a stranger.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
“Don’t let that get around, I have a reputation to keep.”
She shot me a curious look.
“So the cold CEO is not cold after all?”
“Who said I wasn’t?” I replied as I walked towards the elevator.
The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped in first. I followed. The space suddenly felt too small.
Her perfume… cinnamon and something I can’t place my hand on. Was it vanilla? No—
The elevator dinged, snapping me out of my thoughts.
The doors opened to polished marble floors, floor to ceiling windows and a view of Manhattan.
“This is where we’ll live,” I said.
“Your room is down the hall to the left.”
She turned to face me.
“Separate room?”
“Yes,” I said sharply.
Something unreadable passed through her eyes at that. Relief? Disappointment? Maybe both.
“Good,” she said. “I don’t like sharing my space.”
I stepped closer, making her take a step backwards.
“Neither do I.”
Her gaze flicked to my chest, then back up to meet my eyes.
The air shifted.
I cleared my throat.
“Alex will be here shortly. He’ll help you with whatever you need. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning. We can meet up with your lawyer then. Until then—”
“Until then,” she cut in, “we pretend we’re not strangers?”
I tilted my head.
“But we are strangers.”
She smiled slowly.
“Not anymore.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, my jaw tightened.
“Work?” she asked.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket.
“Something like that.”
“Make sure you rest,” I said instead. “Tomorrow will be very hectic.”
She nodded, walking away, then paused at the hallway entrance and looked back at me over her shoulder.
“Sean?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Then she walked away.
I stood there longer than I should have, staring down the hall she disappeared into.
One year, I reminded myself.
That was the agreement.
- Writer
