Episode 2

Kimmy choked. Her lips trembled, but she chose silence. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Grayson leaned his face closer. From that distance, Kimmy could feel his cold aura. “You’re confused, aren’t you? Your groom turns out to be me, not Arthur.”

Kimmy swallowed hard. She didn’t know how to respond.

Grayson gave a faint smile. “Don’t worry. This is just a little surprise. Arthur is merely a trusted man of our family. He is no match for you.”

Kimmy remained silent. Her head bowed, hiding her anxiety. Even Roy and Kania were confused, since the groom turned out to be Young Master Blackwood. If Kimberly had known her groom was actually Grayson, she would never have run away.

The ceremony went smoothly, though inside Kimmy felt chaotic. The pastor’s words passed her by until finally, the sacred vows were spoken.

“With this, you are officially husband and wife.”

Applause filled the room. Gentle music played. Smiles of admiration were directed at the newly wedded couple.

But Kimmy only felt like a puppet forced to follow the script.

The wedding feast ended near nightfall. After the guests had left, Kimmy was brought into the family room with Roy and Kania. The atmosphere there was even more tense than the celebration earlier.

Grayson sat in the main chair, legs crossed, holding a thick document. Arthur stood beside him with a blank expression.

Roy cleared his throat. “Young Master, everything has gone according to plan.”

Grayson didn’t respond immediately. His eyes instead rested on Kimmy, who stood nervously beside Kania.

After a few seconds, Grayson placed the document on the table. “Sit down. There’s something we need to settle.”

Kimmy looked at the chair in front of her, but her body stiffened.

Kania gently pushed her daughter’s back. “Kimberly, sit down.”

With hesitant steps, Kimmy obeyed.

Grayson opened the document, then slid the papers toward Kimmy. “This is our marriage contract. Read it carefully.”

Kimmy glanced at it. Her eyes caught a bold sentence: “Kimberly Chandra is the lawful wife of Grayson Vanderbilt Blackwood and entirely belongs to him.”

Kimmy’s hands clenched on her lap. “What does this mean?”

Grayson raised an eyebrow. “It means you will forever be mine.”

Kimmy swallowed, her chest tightening.

The room fell silent. Roy glared at Kimmy, while Kania clutched her daughter’s hand tightly as if signaling her to stay quiet.

Grayson leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on Kimmy. “Remember, if you run away, your family will have to pay ten times the compensation I already gave. Three trillion will turn into thirty trillion. Can the Chandra family handle that?”

Kimmy’s eyes widened. “Thirty trillion?”

Roy quickly cut in. “Kimberly! Don’t say foolish things. You must sign. For the sake of this family!”

Kimmy looked at her father, her eyes brimming with tears.

Roy slammed the table. “You are now Young Master Grayson’s wife. That’s the greatest honor you could ever receive!”

Grayson twirled a pen in his fingers, then handed it to Kimmy. “Sign it. Don’t make me wait.”

Kimmy took the pen with trembling hands. Her chest pounded wildly. She wanted to refuse, but her father’s sharp glare and Grayson’s oppressive aura left her powerless.

With shaking hands, she finally scribbled her signature under the name—Kimberly Chandra.

Once the ink dried, Grayson pulled back the contract. His smile was faint, almost mocking. “Good. Now you officially belong to me.”

Kimmy bit her lip, tears threatening to fall. In her heart, she felt nothing more than an object traded for money.

A luxury car stopped right in front of a towering gate plated with black iron. The Blackwood family crest loomed grandly, pressing Kimmy down even more.

As soon as the car door opened, dozens of servants stood neatly lined along the entrance stairs. They bowed in unison.

“Welcome, Young Madam,” their voices chorused, full of respect.

Kimmy glanced around nervously. Never in her life had she been treated like this.

With stiff steps, Kimmy followed. The servants’ gazes stayed lowered, but their submissive aura only made her feel more alien.

Inside, a massive crystal chandelier greeted her. High walls were adorned with classic paintings. Everything was extravagant.

Grayson walked casually, as if such a house was nothing unusual. “From now on, this is your home. And they all work for you.”

Kimmy swallowed. She truly felt like she had stepped into a novel.

They stopped in front of a large ivory-painted door. Grayson opened it, revealing a spacious bedroom with a canopy bed, silk curtains, and a faint scent of roses. Clearly, the room was prepared for their wedding night.

Kimmy stood at the doorway, fists clenched. “Why did you bring me here?”

Grayson turned, staring at her for a long moment. Without a word, he stepped closer and suddenly wrapped his arms from behind, pulling Kimmy against his chest.

“Are you afraid?” his voice was low, almost a whisper. His lips brushed against her neck in a light kiss.

Kimmy jolted. She quickly pushed at Grayson’s chest in panic. “Let go! Don’t touch me!”

Grayson stepped back, then chuckled softly. Not a warm laugh, but one filled with satisfaction. “I expected this reaction. The Kimberly I knew always rejected me outright.”

Kimmy froze, her eyes widening. “What do you mean?”

Grayson narrowed his eyes, as if savoring her confusion. “Isn’t it funny? You never imagined you’d end up marrying the man you once rejected so harshly.”

Kimmy’s throat tightened. Those words felt like a dark fog. She wanted to reply, but her lips seemed sealed.

Grayson approached again, but this time he only bent down to kiss her hair lightly. The fresh scent of shampoo filled his senses. “Sleep. I won’t force you if you don’t want to.”

Kimmy turned her head sharply, disbelief in her eyes. “You… you’re not angry?”

Grayson instead gave a cold smile. “I can wait. My time is long. Sooner or later, you’ll come to me on your own.”

Without another word, he turned, walked out, and closed the door calmly.

Kimmy sank onto the edge of the bed, her face pale. Her eyes stared blankly at the door that had just closed.

“What is actually happening?” she whispered softly.

Her head was full of questions. About the man named Grayson, who was now her husband, and about Kimberly’s past that she didn’t know.

She gripped her wedding gown tightly. “I really don’t know what to do.”

Outside the room, Grayson strolled leisurely down the corridor. Arthur awaited him at the end of the hall.

“Everything is according to plan, Young Master,” Arthur said flatly.

Grayson slipped his hand into his pocket. “Yes. Kimberly can’t go anywhere now. She’s mine, forever.”

Then Grayson walked away with a faint, meaningful smile.

Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Kimmy finally removed the bridal crown from her head. Her long hair fell loose, her beautiful makeup felt like a mask.

She stared at her reflection in the large mirror. It wasn’t Kimmy she saw, but Kimberly—the name she now had to live under.

Tears slid down slowly. “I don’t know how long I can endure this.”

Kimmy pulled the thick blanket over herself, curling her body. Her heart restless, her mind in chaos. Her parents’ words echoed in her memory: “Don’t let Young Master Grayson find out your identity! If he knows, then we will die at his hands!”

Today she had officially become the wife of Grayson Vanderbilt Blackwood—a man said to be cruel, cold, and merciless.

And more frightening than that, she didn’t know how long her secret would remain safe.

“Yes, I must play the role of Kimberly well,” Kimmy murmured.