No flowers.No music.No guests.
Just the cold click of pen against paper and two signatures that sealed a marriage no one would believe—or dare question.
Ava Harper stood inside the private lounge of a luxury hotel, dressed in a fitted white pantsuit instead of a gown. Her hair was tied in a low, elegant twist. No veil. No diamonds. Just red lipstick and revenge in her eyes.
Across from her, Damian Blackwood looked like sin carved from stone. Black suit. Platinum cufflinks. That same unreadable expression etched into every line of his face.
The officiant glanced between them, clearly uncomfortable.
"Do you, Damian Alexander Blackwood, take Ava Marie Harper to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold—"
"I do," he said, before the man could finish.
Not a blink. Not a breath.
The room went still.
"And do you, Ava Harper—"
"I do," she replied, her voice sharp enough to draw blood.
The silence afterward felt unnatural.
The officiant cleared his throat, then quickly pronounced them husband and wife.
Ava didn't look at Damian.
She looked at the pen.
The contract beneath it.
And the line she had just crossed.
Damian turned toward her, offering his hand.
"Shall we take a photo for the press?"
She slid her fingers into his.
His palm was cold. Steady. Powerful.
Just like the man himself.
As the photographer clicked, Damian leaned in, his lips brushing her ear—not a kiss, just a whisper.
"Smile, Mrs. Blackwood. You've just changed the game."
Ava tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a smile that wasn't really a smile.
"I don't play games," she whispered back.
He chuckled under his breath. "You just started."
The flash went off.
In the photo, they looked perfect.
In reality, they were strangers in a business deal wrapped in diamonds and deception.
But outside the hotel, headlines were already exploding.
Blackwood Billionaire Marries Scorned Heiress in Private Ceremony!
From Runaway Bride to CEO's Wife—Ava Harper's Stunning Comeback!
Inside, Ava slipped the ring off her finger the second the cameras stopped clicking.
"This stays off unless we're in public," she said coolly.
Damian gave a slight nod. "Understood."
As she walked away, heels echoing against marble, Damian watched her with something that almost resembled amusement.
Almost.
He wasn't used to women saying no. Or walking ahead of him.
But Ava Harper wasn't like other women.
And he'd just made her his wife.