Chapter 1
The Wedding She Can't Remember
The first thing Celeste Kingsley noticed was the blinding sunlight bleeding through unfamiliar curtains. The second was the pounding in her skull.
The third was the gold ring on her finger.
She sat up abruptly in the plush hotel bed, her head swimming. What the hell?
A marriage certificate lay on the nightstand beside an empty champagne bottle. Her name was on it. Alongside someone else's.
Dr. Jaxon Reid.
Her stomach dropped.
"No,no,no... this can't be happening ", she whispered, pressing her fingers to her temples. She barely remembered the medical conference after - party, let alone getting married.
The door creaked open.
Jaxon stood there in grey slacks and an unbuttoned white shirt, coffee in hand like this was completely normal. His dark eyes met hers. Calm... familiar... dangerous.
"You're awake ."
She pointed at the paper . "What is that?"
He stepped closer, setting the coffee down. "That's a marriage certificate. Signed.. witnessed.. filed."
"You're joking."
"I wish I were."
She swallowed. Her mind raced. "We got... married? In Vegas?
He gave a tired half - smile. "You dared me. I dared you back."
"I don't remember---!"
"I do." His voice dropped. "Every moment."
She stared at him, breath caught in her throat.
"We were drunk, Jaxon! This was a mistake"
His jaw tightened. "Then we'll fix it . I'll start the annulment paperwork."
She didn't say anything. Just stared at the ring that somehow fit perfectly.
"Let's go back to being strangers," she murmured.
"Sure,"he replied. "If that's what you want."
But neither of them moved.
Chapter 2
Complications
Back in New York, the world spun faster than Celeste could breathe.
Rounds.. Charts.. Meetings.. Board reviews.
And one giant secret that weighed on her finger everytime she looked down. So, she didn't. She wore gloves. She made excuses. She kept it buried.
No one could know . Especially not her parents. Her father had spent a lifetime building her career track for her - Havard,Johns Hopkins, Manhattan General.
A scandal like this? It would destroy everything.
She sat in her apartment that night, staring at the unsigned annulment forms on her table. Her hand hovered over them with a pen.
Still, she hesitated.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Jaxon.
>You okay? I haven't filled anything yet. Just in case.
She didn't reply.
Because she didn't know how to explain that she hated him for doing this.... and hated herself even more for not regretting it.
Chapter 3
The New Surgeon
Celeste arrived early to the surgical conference meeting. She liked being first. It gave her control.
What she didn't expect was Dr, Jaxon Reid standing at the front of the room, talking to the chief.
Her stomach flipped.
"Dr.Kingsley," the chief beamed. "Meet your new colleague, Dr. Reid transferred from Boston to co- head the trauma unit with you."
Her mouth went dry.
"Pleasure," Jaxon said smoothly, extending his hand. His voice had the same depth, the same heat.
She didn't take it.
"In private. Now"
She dragged him into an empty break room and slammed the door.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Working," he said calmly. Same as you."
"You said you'd stay away. That you'd end it."
"I tried," he said. "But I couldn't.i didn't want to."
"This could ruin me."
"And me staying away would ruin me."
She stared at him,heart pounding. She hated how her body reacted when he was this close. How her pulse betrayed her.
"This marriage is over,"she said. We will annull."
He nodded, but something in his eyes flickered.
"Then why haven't you signed?"
Silence.
She walked away without answering.
But deep down, she already knew the truth- she wasn't ready to let him go.
Chapter 4
Our Little Secret
Celeste stared at the trauma wing's newly mounted nameplate,her stomach tightening
Dr. J. Reid - right beneath hers.
It felt like a joke. He had promised to leave. To keep things clean, quiet and simple. He promised he'd annull the marriage.
Yet here he was. Assigned to her hospital. Her trauma unit. Her domain.
She stormed into the nurse's station and found him casually reviewing a chart,coat pristine, stethoscope slung like he belonged. Like he hadn't married her in Vegas two months ago after too many shots and too many unsaid feelings.
Jaxon looked up, his smirk relaxed but unreadable.
"Morning. Dr. Kingsley"
Her teeth clenched."What are you doing here?"
He straightened, not missing a beat. "I transferred. The hospital board loved my résumé. I told you I was looking for a change."
"You also said you'd annull the marriage."
"I did. I filed the initial papers the week after Vegas. But.... I didn't submit the final ones."
She blinked. "What?"
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You never signed. You said you wanted time."
Celeste swallowed. That part was true. She had asked him to wait - to let her figure things out. But now? Him being here made everything harder.
"I didn't think you'd bring your complications to my workplace," she hissed.He raised a brow.
He raised a brow. "Your workplace? Pretty sure my name's on the door now too."
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Flashback - Two months ago ,Las Vegas
It has started with a shared glance across the gala ballroom. Then wine. Then laughter. Then something magnetic pulling out onto the rooftop balcony.
"You know,"he murmured, handing her a drink ,"we're always orbiting each other, never colliding."
"Maybe we shouldn't", she replied breathlessly.
"Or maybe we should. Just once."
The night spiralled into starlit confessions. At 2.a.m., they stood in front of a neon chapel,hearts racing,hands clasped, breathless from the thrill.
"I dare you", he whispered. "I double dare you", she whispered back.
They laughed. Then they kissed. And then they said 'I do'.
________________________________________________
Back to present.
Celeste staightened,voice low. "I'll sign the papers tonight."
Jaxon's smirk faded. "Sure. If that's still what you want."
But the way he said it - like he wasn't convinced she did - haunted her as she walked away.