The Wall Between Us
Episode 2: The Wedding
The wedding was perfect.
Too perfect.
White roses lined the aisle, delicate and expensive. Crystal lights shimmered above like stars carefully placed for show. Every detail was flawless—designed to impress, to convince, to sell an illusion.
Lucy Williams stood at the entrance, dressed in a gown that felt heavier than it should.
Not because of the fabric.
Because of what it meant.
Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror nearby—elegant, composed, unbreakable.
A bride.
She almost laughed.
"Lucy."
Jake stepped beside her, his voice softer than usual.
"You don't have to go through with this."
Lucy didn't look at him.
"Yes, I do."
Her tone was calm. Certain.
"If I walk away now, everything I built collapses with it."
Jake frowned. "And what about you?"
Lucy finally turned, her expression unreadable.
"I'll survive."
---
At the end of the aisle, Victor Davis stood waiting.
Black suit. Perfect posture. Cold eyes.
He looked like a man attending a meeting, not his own wedding.
Roslyn stood beside him, watching with quiet amusement.
"You look thrilled," she whispered.
Victor didn't respond.
His gaze shifted toward the entrance—
—and stopped.
Lucy.
For a brief second, something changed in his expression.
Not warmth.
Not admiration.
But awareness.
She walked forward, each step steady, controlled. The room seemed to fade, all eyes locked on her—but she only saw one person.
Victor.
So this is the man I'm marrying.
---
The ceremony began.
Words were spoken. Promises made.
Empty promises.
Lucy barely listened.
Victor's voice was calm as he repeated the vows, his tone unwavering, detached.
When it was her turn, Lucy spoke just as clearly.
No hesitation.
No emotion.
"To have and to hold…"
The words felt foreign.
This is just a contract.
---
"Do you take—"
"I do."
They answered at the same time.
A pause.
A ripple of quiet surprise passed through the guests.
Lucy and Victor glanced at each other briefly.
The first crack.
---
"Then you may kiss the bride."
Silence.
The moment stretched.
Lucy's breath hitched slightly—barely noticeable.
Victor stepped closer.
Too close.
She could feel the warmth of him now, the contrast to his cold presence.
It's just for show.
That's all it was supposed to be.
Victor's hand lightly touched her chin, tilting her face up.
Controlled. Careful.
But not distant.
Their eyes met.
For the first time… it didn't feel like a deal.
It felt—
Dangerous.
The kiss was brief.
But not meaningless.
Lucy felt it.
And judging by the slight pause before Victor pulled away—
So did he.
---
Applause filled the room.
Cameras flashed.
The perfect couple.
The perfect lie.
---
The reception was louder, brighter, more suffocating.
Lucy stood beside Victor, smiling politely as guests approached one after another.
"Congratulations."
"You look stunning."
"A perfect match."
If only they knew.
Victor's hand rested lightly on her waist.
Possessive enough to look real.
Distant enough to mean nothing.
Lucy leaned slightly closer, her smile never fading.
"Your grip is a little tight," she murmured under her breath.
"People are watching," Victor replied calmly.
"So? You think I'll run away?"
Victor's eyes flickered down to her.
"…Would you?"
Lucy smirked faintly.
"Not yet."
---
Across the room, a woman watched them.
Elegant. Sharp.
Her gaze lingered on Victor a second too long.
Then on Lucy.
Cold.
---
"Victor."
The woman approached, her heels clicking softly.
Lucy felt the shift immediately.
Victor's expression didn't change—but something in the air did.
"Took you long enough," the woman said smoothly.
Lucy's smile remained, but her eyes sharpened.
"And you are?"
The woman looked at her, measuring.
"Veronica Hale."
A pause.
Then—
"Victor and I go way back."
Lucy felt it.
That subtle, quiet tension.
She turned slightly toward Victor.
"You didn't mention her."
Victor's voice was neutral.
"It wasn't necessary."
Veronica smiled faintly.
"Some things are better left unsaid."
---
Lucy's fingers curled slightly at her side.
But her expression?
Still flawless.
"Of course," she said smoothly. "After all… this marriage is just business, right?"
Victor looked at her.
Really looked this time.
Lucy met his gaze without hesitation.
A silent challenge.
A silent warning.
---
Later that night—
The celebration ended.
The guests were gone.
The noise faded.
---
The mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
Lucy stepped inside, her heels echoing against the marble floor. The space was massive, elegant… and unfamiliar.
Cold.
She paused, taking it in.
"This is where I live now."
"It's temporary."
Victor's voice came from behind her.
Lucy turned.
He had already removed his jacket, his sleeves slightly rolled up. Less formal.
Still distant.
Lucy crossed her arms.
"Everything about this is temporary."
Victor walked past her, unbothered.
"You'll have your own room."
Lucy raised a brow.
"How considerate."
"I don't share space."
Lucy smirked slightly.
"Good. Neither do I."
---
A pause.
Silence settled between them again.
But this time—
It felt different.
Closer.
Sharper.
---
Lucy took a step toward him.
Then another.
Victor didn't move.
"Let's make one thing clear," she said, her voice low.
"This may be a contract to you…"
She stopped right in front of him.
"But I don't lose."
Victor's gaze darkened slightly.
"Neither do I."
---
For a moment—
Neither of them stepped back.
Neither of them looked away.
The space between them felt charged. Dangerous.
Like something was about to break.
---
Lucy was the first to turn.
"Goodnight… husband."
She walked away without looking back.
---
Victor stood there, watching her disappear down the hallway.
His expression unreadable.
But his mind—
Not as calm as before.
---
This wasn't just a contract anymore.
It was a war.
And neither of them planned to lose.