Chapter 5

Natalia:

The dance was almost over.

And I couldn't help but want to live this whole wedding, this whole facade, everything that seemed fake about it. The perfect smiles, the dances, the movements. I just wanted to leave.

I’d counted every step, every turn, every forced smile like seconds on a ticking bomb. My cheeks hurt from pretending. My feet ached in silence. My father glared, waiting for me to make a mistake. I knew better than to do so.

Yet and surprisingly, Nolan never missed a beat. The man who wants to be my husband, the man whom my father forbade me from even speaking to. I did not even know how he looked like stood in front of me.

His hand stayed firm at my waist, his eyes scanning the room even as he held me like we were lovers, like we weren’t strangers who just signed our lives away under the same roof. Like we were not strangers who barely missed. Just met today. He saw my picture, of course he did. I had to be to his liking, but I never saw his.

I was quiet as I walked around, putting on the best smile that I could muster, staying quiet as the obedient girl that I was supposed to be. Now a woman, a wife to the most powerful alpha.

But then I sensed it.

A shift in the air. The presence I’d learned to sense since I was a child.

Her presence that I also learned to fear unless I wanted to bear the consequences.

“Smile,” my father whispered, gliding into place as he cut in between us for a brief turn. His hand gripped mine tightly. “And listen. Obey and submit.”

I said nothing. Just kept my eyes on the painted floor as we turned.

“I don’t care what foolish games you tried to play earlier, I heard what happened and I heard what you did. You're lucky enough that he did not see you,” he murmured, smiling tightly for the guests around us. What he did not know was that he did. I chose to stay quiet. “You’re married now. You belong to him. You’ll stay in line. You will not embarrass this family again. You made a mistake and you thought that I would not find out about it. You stepped back the right moment. A wise choice. You might not have a choice that next time. Therefore, I suggest not to allow yourself to have a next time.”

My spine stiffened.

He twirled me once, fingers digging into my palm. “I made a deal. You are the price. Don’t break it. Unless you want to bear the consequences.”

And just like that, he handed me back to Nolan like I was a glass of expensive wine passed around for show.

I barely had time to catch my breath before Mira appeared. The only girl that I could ever call a friend.

She looked stunning in dark emerald silk, her arms open wide. “Natalia!”

I blinked. “Mira? I did not expect you to come to the wedding.”

She pulled me into a tight hug before I could react. Her perfume was the same as always, sweet, sugary, and just a little overwhelming. She smiled at me, though I could tell that her smile did not reach her eyes.

“I’m so happy for you,” she cooed, her voice all sparkle. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but… maybe it’s what you need. Things are going to be different now, maybe for the better.”

My throat clenched. I tried to smile. “Thank you.”

Behind her shoulder, I saw Nolan.

His jaw ticked. He muttered something under his breath I couldn’t hear.

Mira turned just enough to look at him, her expression shifting, subtle, just a flicker of something darker.

Then she looked back at me. “You're going to take care of her. She's my best friend. And if you're upset, huh, You're going to find me in front of you.” Her smile was too wide. “The two of you… deserve a happy life. And I don't want her to be sad. Am I making myself clear?”

“Mira…”

She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. I shook my head at her.

There was something in her eyes I couldn’t place.

Something that made the back of my neck itch. But I chose to ignore it. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with everything.

She stepped away, waving delicately as if she hadn’t just sliced through me with invisible claws.

The crowd began to disperse.

And Nolan didn’t say a word until the car door slammed shut behind us.

That’s when it happened.

The silence dropped like a guillotine.

The warmth, the show, the forced intimacy, it was gone in an instant.

He leaned back against the seat, jaw tight, eyes on the tinted glass.

I turned to look at him. He was looking directly at me.

“What?” I asked softly.

He didn't even miss a beat.

“Welcome to your hell…”