The Wedding Without Vows

The wedding took less than ten minutes.

No flowers. No music. No white dress. Just a lawyer in a grey suit, a fountain pen, and the sharp smell of Dorian Vale’s cologne filling his penthouse office.

The view behind him stretched over the whole city, all glass and steel, but my eyes stayed on the table between us—the contract, the marriage license, and a single black pen.

“Read it if you like,” Dorian said, his voice low, almost bored. “The terms are simple.”

I didn’t need to read it. I already knew the terms:

Elias walks free.

His debt is erased.

I became Mrs. Dorian Vale. Forever.

My hand trembled as I picked up the pen. “Why me?”

His gaze lifted from the paper to my face. “Because I want you.”

The way he said it—calm, certain, like it was a fact carved into stone—sent a shiver down my spine.

I signed. My name looked too small beside his bold signature.

The lawyer gathered the papers and left without a word. Now it was just the two of us.

Dorian leaned back in his chair, studying me like a puzzle he’d already solved. “There are rules, Alina. You don’t lie to me. You don’t betray me. You don’t try to leave. In return, you will be safe—safer than you’ve ever been in your life.”

I crossed my arms, needing to feel like I had some kind of shield. “And if I break one of those rules?”

His lips curved—not into a smile, but something colder. “Then you’ll wish the debt collectors had gotten to you first.” I gulped 

“So —”

The ink on the marriage certificate was still drying when he leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on me like a hunter who’d finally cornered his prey.

“Now that we’re finally, officially, and legally husband and wife…” His voice was silk stretched over steel. “…come on, give your husband a kiss.”

I froze.

He rose from his seat with unhurried grace, closing the distance between us in measured steps. The air felt thinner with each one. His hand lifted, brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face, his fingers lingering just long enough to make my breath catch.

“You’re trembling,” he murmured, his gaze dipping to my lips. “Is it fear… or anticipation?”

I couldn’t answer. My heart was hammering loud enough that I was sure he could hear it.

His hand cupped my jaw, tilting my face up. The world shrank to the warm press of his palm and the steady heat of his body so close to mine. For one suspended second, I almost forgot to breathe.

His mouth was an inch from mine—

 And I stepped back.

His eyes narrowed. “Alina.”

“I can’t,” I said, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. “Not like this.”

“I'm desperate for you can't even imagine, yet some time more,” I turned, my heels clicking against the floor as I walked away, refusing to look back even though I could feel his gaze burning into me.

He stood, moving toward the door. “our room is down the hall. The last one on the right.”

“My room?”

His eyes flickered, unreadable. “It's our bedroom.you can run away from the kiss but I won't let you run away from there — until I decide otherwise.”

“Go sleep, you must exhausted,” 

“I-i know you Mr vale but I don't know what you do,” 

“We got all life to spend together,” I nodded. 

“For now, to go to bed, we will be attending a party together tonight. I want you to at least have some rest,” I nodded.

The Party Of Wolves —

The car ride was silent.

 Dorian sat beside me in the backseat, looking out the window as if the world outside belonged to him—and maybe it did.

I didn’t know why he’d insisted I come tonight. All I knew was we were heading to some kind of gathering at one of the most expensive hotels in the city. His only instruction had been, “Wear black.”

The elevator doors opened onto a ballroom dripping with gold light and expensive perfume. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead. Men in tailored suits and women in silk gowns turned to look as we walked in, their conversations pausing mid-sentence.

And just like that, I understood.

 They weren’t looking at him.

 They were looking at me.

I heard the whispers.

 That’s her.

 The Vale bride.

 Poor girl.

Dorian’s hand rested lightly at the small of my back—not gentle, but firm enough to keep me close. “Smile,” he murmured, his breath brushing my ear. “Even if you hate every second of it.”

A man with a gold watch stepped in front of us, smiling too much. “Vale. And the new wife. She’s… lovely.” His gaze slid over me in a way that made my stomach turn. “You’ll have to let me borrow her for a dance.”

Before I could step back, Dorian’s hand gripped my waist.

 “Touch her,” he said, his voice low and perfectly calm, “and I’ll break every bone in your hand.”

The man’s smile faltered. He muttered something under his breath and moved away.

Dorian didn’t look at me as he guided me deeper into the room, but his fingers stayed at my waist like a warning to the world—and maybe to me, too.

“Mr. Vale. What a surprise.”

Dorian’s smirk was lazy, like he’d been waiting for this moment all day. Then, without warning, he pinched me.

“Ow!” I hissed, jerking slightly.

“Careful, sweetheart. You still can’t stand… was that too rough?” His voice was deliberately loud — loud enough for the woman beside us to hear every word.

Her brows knit together, confusion and something like anger flashing across her face.

“Miss…” he drawled, glancing at her, “please excuse us.”

She looked at me, utterly dumbfounded, as if she was piecing together a scandal she hadn’t been invited to witness.

The moment she turned away, I spun on him.

 “Why the hell did you do that?”

“Do what?” His smirk deepened, feigning innocence.

“You know exactly what. We haven’t done anything like that!”

“Do you want to?”

“No!”

“Why not?” His tone was almost mocking now.

“Because I’d rather ride a damn pillow than let you use me for your personal gain, you arrogant, manipulative—”

I didn’t wait to finish. I shoved past him, heels clicking like gunshots as I stormed out, leaving him with his infuriating grin.

excusing myself to find the restroom, slipping into a quieter hallway. I was halfway there when I felt it—someone watching me.

A man leaned against the wall, his face half in shadow. He smiled, showing too many teeth. “Mrs. Vale,” he said softly. “Does he know how easily I could take you from him?”

My pulse jumped. “I think he does,” I said, forcing my voice steady.

Because when I glanced over my shoulder, Dorian was already there. His grey eyes were ice, and when they met mine, I realized he was pissed. I would gulped 

If you ever thought about crossing my wife's path again. I would burn you,” his face went pale like he knew he wasn't kidding. 

We left together but he hadn’t taken his hand off me all night for my comfort—

“Remove your hand,”

“I don't want to, baby,” my cheeks faltered. 

“Stop,” he chuckled. 

“You can rea

lly burn someone,” 

“Yes,” my eyes widened.

 “but I never did.” he confirmed.