Episode 4:Married in a Flash
946 Words
Lena’s POV)
Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, casting soft golden rays across the room. My head pounded, my mouth dry as sandpaper. I blinked against the harsh light, trying to shake off the lingering haze of last night.
Groaning, I sat up slowly, the hotel bed sheets slipping down my shoulders. My mind swirled with fragmented memories laughter, clinking glasses, Alexander’s intense gaze.
And then, my eyes landed on it.
A piece of paper on the nightstand.
I reached for it, my fingers trembling as I smoothed out the crinkled edges.
Marriage Certificate
Lena Moore & Alexander Blackwood
My breath caught in my throat.
No.
No way.
This couldn’t be real.
“Good morning, Mrs. Blackwood.”
The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down my spine. I looked up to see Alexander standing in the doorway, impeccably dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark trousers, his tie loosened just enough to make him look effortlessly suave.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, clutching the certificate like it was a lifeline. “Tell me this is a joke.”
Alexander crossed the room, his expression calm too calm, considering the situation. “It’s not a joke.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “We… we got married?”
He nodded. “Apparently.”
“Apparently?” My voice rose, panic bubbling to the surface. “You don’t remember either?”
“I remember enough.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze steady. “We were both frustrated. We’d had a few drinks. And then…”
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “This is insane.”
“I agree.”
I peeked through my fingers, glaring at him. “You’re way too calm about this.”
He shrugged. “What’s done is done.”
“What’s done is” I cut myself off, taking a deep breath. Freaking out wouldn’t help. I needed to think.
“We need to fix this,” I said firmly. “An annulment. Or a divorce. Whatever it takes to undo… this.” I waved the certificate in the air.
Alexander leaned back, crossing his arms. “We could.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Could?”
“Or…” He paused, his gaze locking onto mine. “We could keep it.”
I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “What?”
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Think about it, Lena. This could solve both of our problems.”
“I don’t have a problem that requires me to be married to a stranger.”
“Don’t you?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.
“You told me last night how tired you are of people judging you — of feeling like you have to prove yourself after what happened with your ex. Imagine walking into your next client meeting as Mrs. Blackwood. Imagine the doors that would open.”
I hated that he had a point.
“And for me,” he continued, “this marriage takes my mother off my back. No more arranged meetings with eligible socialites. No more pressure to marry for the sake of the company.”
I shook my head. “It’s crazy.”
“It’s practical.”
“It’s insane.”
“It’s genius.”
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “You’re serious?”
“Completely.”
I stood, pacing the length of the room. My mind raced with possibilities consequences, risks, the sheer absurdity of it all.
“This would be a business arrangement,” he said, his voice calm and measured. “No emotions. No romance. Just two people helping each other out.”
“And what happens when it’s over?”
“We part ways. Simple as that.”
I stopped pacing, turning to face him. “And what if one of us changes their mind?”
He stood, closing the distance between us.
“We won’t.”
There was a finality in his tone that sent a shiver down my spine.
I crossed my arms. “Boundaries.”
“Of course.”
“No emotional entanglements. No… complications.”
“Agreed.”
I searched his face, looking for any sign that he might be messing with me. But Alexander Blackwood didn’t seem like the type to joke about something like this.
“This is insane,” I whispered.
“Maybe.”
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of the decision hung heavy between us.
Finally, I took a deep breath.
“Okay.”
His eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place.
“Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay. We’ll do this. But on my terms.”
His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Later that morning, we sat across from each other in a quiet café, sipping coffee and going over the details of our arrangement.
“We need to make it look real,” Alexander said.
I nodded. “Public appearances?”
“Yes. And I’ll have my lawyer draft a contract to protect both of us.”
I rolled my eyes. “How romantic.”
He smirked. “It’s not supposed to be romantic.”
“Good.”
Our eyes met across the table, a silent understanding passing between us.
This was a game a carefully constructed façade to fool the world.
But as I watched him, a tiny vo
ice in the back of my mind whispered a warning.
Be careful.
Because the line between business and personal?
It’s thinner than you think.
- Writer
