"Stand still."
The voice was cold. Commanding.
I froze.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the mirror as the maids adjusted the white gown on my body like I was some lifeless doll.
This wasn't how weddings were supposed to feel.
No joy.
No love.
Just fear.
Pure, suffocating fear.
"Perfect," one of them whispered.
Perfect?
I looked at my reflection.
A bride.
Dressed in white.
But my eyes… they didn't belong to a bride.
They belonged to a prisoner.
The car ride to the venue felt like a funeral.
No one spoke.
Not even my father.
I turned slightly to look at him.
His face was pale, filled with guilt.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking.
Tears burned my eyes.
But I said nothing.
What was there to say?
He chose this.
He chose *him* over me.
The moment the car stopped, my heart started racing.
This was it.
No turning back.
The doors opened.
And flashes of cameras exploded everywhere.
Reporters.
Security.
Luxury cars lined up like a parade of wealth.
This wasn't just a wedding.
It was a business deal.
A public show.
"Walk," my stepmother whispered harshly.
My legs moved on their own.
Step by step.
Closer and closer to the altar.
Then…
I saw him.
And everything inside me stopped.
Alexander Kane.
Standing there in a black suit, looking like sin wrapped in perfection.
Cold eyes.
Sharp features.
Power radiating from him like a storm waiting to explode.
He wasn't smiling.
Not even a little.
He looked… bored.
Like this meant nothing to him.
Like *I* meant nothing.
My breath hitched as I finally reached him.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
Then suddenly—
His hand grabbed mine.
Firm.
Possessive.
I gasped softly.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear.
And then he spoke.
Low.
Cold.
Deadly.
"Let's get one thing straight…"
My heart pounded violently.
"You may be my wife on paper…"
His grip tightened slightly.
"…but you will never be anything more than that."
My chest tightened painfully.
But before I could react—
He pulled back.
And just like that, his expression turned emotionless again.
Like he never said a word.
"Do you take this man as your husband?"
The priest's voice echoed.
Everything felt blurry.
Distant.
Unreal.
But I knew one thing.
This moment…
Would change my life forever.
I swallowed hard.
My hand slowly moved to my stomach.
Hidden beneath the dress.
Hidden from everyone.
From him.
From the world.
"I do…"
The words left my lips like a death sentence.
But Alexander suddenly leaned in again.
This time, his voice was even lower.
Dangerous.
"If you lie to me…"
My breath caught.
"I will destroy you."
My heart stopped.
Because for the first time…
It felt like he already knew.