As soon as his eyes locked on hers, he immediately knew that he was completely beguiled by this woman. Just like his son, she must have cast a spell on him.
"Fuck!" If he was not careful, she might eventually have him wrapped around her fingers.
In truth, after Amelia broke his heart, he had never allowed any other woman to get close to him. The only reason he dated was that his mother insisted on it, demanding that he provide his son with a mother.
But no one had ever come close enough to replace Amelia in his heart. No one even piqued his interest.
Until he saw her.
Sophia Maddison.
Even though he already knew that she was bad news, he could not stop himself from obsessing over her.
Since he first saw her at the restaurant, demanding that Mr. Kingsley give her a second chance, he knew she was not like the other women he had met.
Her determination and her grit definitely caught his attention.
"Are you sure about this?" Jacob, his bestman, whispered behind his ear, while he waited for his bride to stand by his side. "This woman just threatened to kill you. How can you be sure that she'll not try it again while you're sleeping?"
That thought had really crossed his mind. But for some reason, rather than getting angry, he found her action intriguing. There was something about her that fascinated him.
Although he could tell she was up to no good, instead of wanting her head on a platter, he would rather strip off her layer of lies and crack her secrets open.
"You can still stop this wedding. After all, you're the Don. Just say the word." Jacob, his second-in-command, said, clearly showing his skepticism in this union.
"No!" He simply said. "I'm sure I want to marry her." He knew his friend was only looking after him, but he could take care of himself. "Don't worry. I always sleep with my gun loaded and ready to fire." Patting his left chest, where he usually kept his sidearm.
In the first place, he believed that if that woman wanted him dead, she would have done it right there and then. No! Killing him might be part of her plan, but she also wanted something else.
What? That was the question.
In the meantime, he was willing to see through this wedding for his mother's peace of mind and his son's happiness. But it didn't mean that he had fallen completely into her charms.
"Whatever she's planning, I'll figure it out. But I still need you to keep track of all her movements." He whispered to his friend.
A few minutes later, he stood face-to-face with the woman who had forced him into this marriage.
Yeah! It sounded insane.
Of course, no one could force him to do anything that he didn't want.
Nonetheless, her boldness had truly intensified his interest in her.
In that crazy moment, he swore he saw Amelia in her. But he knew that was impossible. Sophia couldn't be her.
His Amelia.
The only woman he had ever loved. But, disappointingly, the woman who had broken and torn his heart apart.
"Do you, Oliver Morton, take Sophia Maddison as...?"
His eyes briefly wandered off to his mother, who had hastily organized this wedding, afraid that one of them would suddenly change their mind.
Then, he turned to his father, who had openly expressed his misgivings about this union, remembering their last interaction.
"What's this nonsense?" His father's voice boomed loudly in the dining hall early the next morning after the party.
"Come on, Max, don't you see that this is fate?" His mother reasoned with his father. "How else could you explain it?"
Unlike his father, Dianne had always been a hopeless romantic. That was why his mother kept setting him up with all those ridiculous blind dates. She hoped that one day, he would eventually find the one for him.
Actually, he grew up believing that he was more like his mother than his father. So, when he found Amelia, he truly believed that she was it for him. His forever.
"A carefully choreographed scheme to get into your good graces." He heard his father respond with derision, mocking his mother's naivety and kindness. "You're too soft. Now, even your grandson is taking after you."
One pushed for the marriage, while the other tried to shoot down the idea before it could even take off.
At that point, he thought his father might be right this time. He had been blinded by his emotion that he didn't see Amelia's true colors. He guessed not everyone was like his mother.
At least, not Amelia.
Then, his eyes land on his son, who looked like Santa Claus had just given him an early Christmas gift in the middle of the year.
"I do." He knew he could not disappoint them. Well, at least that was what he kept telling himself.
But deep inside, if he was being honest, for some selfish reason, he also wanted her to himself.
He had never felt this way about any woman.
One kiss was all it took for him to keep him awake all night, thinking about her.
There was some sort of familiarity about her that he could not explain. He felt like he knew her. But, of course, that was not the case.
"Do you, Sophia Maddison, take Oliver Morton as...?"
For the first time, he locked his gaze on her, studying closely every contour of her body, every part of her face. Until his eyes landed on hers.
Damn! Those eyes.
No! It was just a coincidence.
Wasn't it?
"I do." She answered without hesitation. It was as if she could not wait to be his wife.
Strange? Not really.
For years, many had lined up to be his wife. So, it was no surprise that she would be no different.
Most of them wanted his money, his connection, and his power.
What about her? What did she want from him? Because clearly, she didn't marry him for love.
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The officiating priest announced as he stood before her in front of the altar. In front of God. In front of their family and friends.
"You may kiss the bride." Suddenly, the image of the only woman he had ever loved flashed before his eyes.
For the last six years, he had dreamt of this moment. Since he had decided that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Amelia. He even bought a ring.
However, his proposal turned into a nightmare that he had constantly relived in his dream.
But today, he had married someone else. A different woman. But it seemed he could not escape his past as he kept seeing her in the woman before him.
As expected, he leaned closer until their faces were just centimeters away. Then, he whispered, "You got what you came for." Watching her reaction for any telltale signs. "I hope you know what you had signed up for."
Most people thought that marrying him would be all glitz and glory, but that was where they were wrong. Being the wife of the Mafia Don was not just about having money and power.
In truth, it was a curse.
"Don't worry. I'm a big girl. I married you knowing exactly what I was getting myself into." Sophia assured her with a confidence that somehow made him proud.
Damn! He was not expecting that.
Admittedly, she looked hot in hell.
These last few years, he had dated many women who might be just as attractive as her. But except for Amelia, she was the first one who truly bothered him.
So, what was it about her that was driving him into this madness?
Then, he remembered their arrangement.
"I need a wife for a year." He told her. "We'll sign an agreement. Then, we will divorce in a year."
"Then, I am the perfect choice for the job." She had readily agreed without any argument.
"Okay, so what do you want in return?" Of course, there must be a catch.
"Will you believe me if I say that I just want you?" She asked, making him cross his arms across his chest and stare at her with suspicion.
"No." He frankly said.
Everybody wanted something from him, his family, and his business. Nothing in this life comes for free.
Even Amelia chose money over him and their child.
"Fine!" She casually responded with a smile that said, "Ok. You caught me."
"So, what do you want?"
"In exchange for my services, I want you to honor the business partnership with the Sinclair Group." She made a short pitch about the project. "As you can see, it is not such a terrible business proposal."
Actually, he thought it was quite good. Maybe if Mr. Kingsley had just given her a chance to present it to him, his manager might have approved it on the spot.
"Is that all?"
"If you insist on being generous, then maybe you can also throw a few million bucks after the contract ends." She added as if they were just discussing a business deal.
Precisely, what he thought.
"Ok. I'll agree to all your terms, but I have a few terms myself." He enumerated the basic duties she had to fulfill as his wife. "It includes acting like my devoted wife in front of my family and in public, and a loving mother to my son." Emphasizing its importance.
"I can do that." She readily accepted.
"Lastly, and this is also non-negotiable." He paused, watching every contour of her face for a reaction. "Since you forced me into this marriage, I will assume that you'll be fulfilling your wifely duties." This time, he pressed his body against her.
"You can't expect me to become celibate in a year. I am a man, not a Saint." He reminded her when he saw a slight hesitation in her expression.
Again, this might be her game, but they were playing by his rules.