The Stranger's Claim
1072 Words
Olivia stared at her phone long after the call ended.
Her wife.
The words echoed through her mind.
Her wife.
The stranger had said it so calmly, so confidently, as if stating a simple fact.
As if he actually believed it.
As if she belonged to him.
"No."
She shook her head violently.
This had to be a prank.
A cruel joke.
A nightmare she hadn't woken up from.
Her pulse raced as she grabbed the photograph again.
Ethan stood inside a parking garage.
The timestamp was impossible to ignore.
11:47 a.m.
One hour before the ceremony.
Before she walked down the aisle.
Before she exchanged vows.
Before she became a wife.
Her stomach twisted.
If Ethan had been there...
Then who had been waiting for her at the altar?
---
Thirty minutes later, Olivia stormed into Sinclair Manor.
The massive estate buzzed with activity.
Servants rushed through hallways.
Phones rang endlessly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
As soon as she entered, Ethan's mother appeared.
Victoria Sinclair looked nothing like the elegant woman from yesterday.
Her makeup was smeared.
Her eyes red.
She looked terrified.
"Olivia."
Relief flashed across her face.
"Oh, thank God."
Olivia froze.
"What's happening?"
Victoria grabbed her hand.
"We can't find Ethan."
The world tilted.
"What?"
"He never came home."
Olivia stared.
Her chest tightened.
Victoria continued pacing.
"His phone is off. His bodyguards haven't seen him since yesterday morning."
Yesterday morning.
The exact time shown in the photograph.
Fear slithered through Olivia's veins.
"He disappeared before the wedding," Victoria whispered.
Olivia's breath caught.
The words matched the message.
Exactly.
No.
No, this couldn't be real.
"That's impossible," Olivia said.
"I married him."
Victoria suddenly looked away.
A strange expression crossed her face.
Guilt.
Fear.
Confusion.
Before Olivia could question it, another voice interrupted.
"Did you?"
Everyone turned.
A tall man entered the room.
Dark suit.
Silver tie.
Sharp features.
Cold eyes.
Ethan's older cousin, Lucas Sinclair.
He held a tablet in his hand.
"The cathedral security footage arrived."
The room fell silent.
Olivia's heart pounded.
Lucas pressed play.
The video showed the wedding ceremony.
The altar.
The guests.
The groom.
At first glance, everything seemed normal.
Then Lucas zoomed in.
Olivia's breath hitched.
The groom lifted his head.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Enough to reveal something she had somehow missed.
A small scar near his jawline.
Ethan didn't have a scar.
The room spun.
"Oh my God."
Victoria gasped.
Lucas looked grim.
"That's not Ethan."
Silence crashed over the room.
Olivia couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
Every memory from yesterday suddenly felt distorted.
Wrong.
The voice.
The smile.
The strange behavior.
The uneasiness she couldn't explain.
She hadn't imagined any of it.
The man she'd married had been a stranger.
---
An hour later, Olivia sat inside a private conference room.
Lawyers surrounded the table.
Documents covered every surface.
The marriage certificate lay directly in front of her.
A simple piece of paper.
One signature.
One name.
One devastating truth.
Olivia Bennett.
And—
Adrian Knight.
Her vision blurred.
"No."
The lawyer adjusted his glasses.
"I'm afraid there's no mistake."
"There has to be."
"The marriage is legally valid."
The room suddenly felt suffocating.
"How is that possible?" she demanded.
"How does a complete stranger marry me without anyone noticing?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Or perhaps because somebody did.
A dark suspicion settled inside her.
Someone had planned this.
Someone had wanted this.
The question was why.
---
The elevator doors opened.
Olivia stepped into the underground parking garage.
The lawyer had arranged a meeting.
A meeting she didn't want.
A meeting she couldn't avoid.
Her heels echoed against the concrete floor.
The space was nearly empty.
Then she saw him.
A black luxury sedan.
A man leaning against it.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Perfectly tailored black suit.
His hands rested casually in his pockets.
As if he had all the time in the world.
As if he weren't responsible for destroying her life.
Olivia stopped walking.
For a moment neither spoke.
The stranger watched her.
Calm.
Observant.
Dangerously composed.
This was Adrian Knight.
The man whose name appeared on her marriage certificate.
The man who claimed to be her husband.
The man who had stolen her wedding.
And somehow...
He looked familiar.
Not his face.
Not exactly.
But something about him.
Something she couldn't place.
His dark eyes met hers.
A strange tension filled the air.
Then he spoke.
"You came."
His voice.
The same voice from the phone.
Low.
Controlled.
Impossible to ignore.
Olivia folded her arms.
"Tell me where Ethan is."
Adrian's expression didn't change.
"I don't know."
"Liar."
"I expected that response."
Anger flared inside her.
"You married me under someone else's name."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Firmly.
Almost sharply.
Olivia frowned.
"What?"
"I never used Ethan's name."
The statement caught her off guard.
"What are you talking about?"
Adrian's gaze remained steady.
"When the officiant asked for my identity, I gave my real name."
"What?"
"The marriage certificate says Adrian Knight."
Olivia's stomach dropped.
He was right.
It did.
Then why hadn't anyone noticed?
Why hadn't she noticed?
Nothing made sense.
Adrian studied her face.
For the first time, something softened in his eyes.
Concern.
Brief.
Gone almost immediately.
"You look exhausted."
The comment infuriated her.
"Don't."
His jaw tightened.
"Don't what?"
"Act like you care."
Something flickered across his face.
Pain.
Real pain.
So fast she almost missed it.
"You have every reason to hate me."
The unexpected honesty startled her.
"But if I wanted to hurt you, Olivia..."
His voice lowered.
"I would have let you marry Ethan."
The words slammed into her.
A chill swept through her body.
"What does that mean?"
Silence.
Adrian looked away.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in his eyes.
As if he were debating something.
As if he wanted to tell her the truth.
But couldn't.
Finally he spoke.
"You're in danger."
Olivia laughed bitterly.
"Because of you?"
"No."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"Because of the people looking for Ethan."
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, a loud crash echoed through the garage.
Both of them turned.
A black SUV had just sped through the entrance.
Another followed.
Then another.
Three vehicles.
Moving fast.
Too fast.
Adrian's expression changed instantly.
The calm disappeared.
Something darker emerged.
Something dangerous.
His eyes narrowed.
"Get down."
Olivia frowned.
"What?"
The first gunshot shattered the air.
And the rear window of Adrian's car exploded.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD