Married: Hello, Mrs Ashford.

“Lauren Sterling. Heiress of the Sterling family. Former renowned jeweler and fiancée of Julian Drake.”

Alexander’s calm voice sliced through the silence.

Lauren froze. Her eyes widened slightly, the edges trembling with disbelief and slowly, she turned to him. His expression was calm and almost unreadable. She had known from the beginning that he wasn’t an ordinary man, but for him to uncover her past this quickly screamed of power that reached farther than she had imagined.

Her fingers twitched against her skirt, and a faint, bitter smile touched her lips. “You really don’t waste time, do you?”

But Alexander didn’t smile back. His eyes were cold and sharp, fixed on her as though he could see through the layers she tried so hard to hide.

“Do you understand what you’re doing?” he asked quietly.

She knew what she was doing but whether she understood it or not didn't matter to her. She needed it, period. She had made her choice, and turning back was no longer an option.

Lifting her gaze and gathering as much confidence as she needed, she cleared her throat. “I know what I’m doing,” she said softly. “And I won’t regret it.”

Approval flashed in his eyes but it vanished as quickly as it came. He gave a single nod, signaling the registrar to proceed.

When her name was called, Lauren stepped forward, her heels echoing faintly against the tiled floor. The pen felt heavy in her hand as she signed her name. The moment she finished, the clerk handed the papers to Alexander, who signed his name with effortless precision, as if this were nothing more than another business deal.

Lauren glanced sideways at him and wondered how he managed to be so calm and detached even under such circumstances. She wondered if marriage meant anything to him at all. For her, this wasn’t love. This was survival, revenge, and a chance at carving a new name for herself.

“By the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The judge's voice rang out, drawing her back from her land of thoughts.

In spite of herself, the term “Husband and wife” gave her such a thrilling effect. She could finally get the most important piece of belonging she had and she had bagged a wealthy man as an icing on the cake.

Julian would be so devastated when he finds out what he lost. Good radiance to bad rubbish!

Minutes later, they stepped out of the registry office. Lauren blinked as the bright sunlight almost blinded her vision and she reminded herself for the tenth time in twenty four hours to not forget her glasses next time she is leaving the house. The city buzzed around them, cars honking as they drove in and out of the premises and yet, for a fleeting second she felt detached from it all. It was as if she was watching a scene from someone else’s life. Her fingers tightened around the document in her hand taking her train of thoughts back to the reckless moment that has resulted in this.

Lauren looked down, finally staring at the certificate in her hands and the words written across. It felt surreal.

The certificate read; Marriage Certificate for Lauren Sterling & Alexander Ashford.

She froze, her heart almost stopping as her eyes lingered on the name beside hers. She looked up at him, disbelief flashing across her face. How didn't she know?

“Alexander… Ashford?” she whispered. Her voice trembled slightly.

She had heard the name countless times before. Everyone in the city had. He was the CEO of the Ashford Empire and his wealth and influence were used to tell stories and instill fearful respect. A man like him didn’t just exist but he controlled others' existence too. And now, somehow, she was tied to him by a signature on a page.

Her lips parted in quiet amazement. “So it’s you... Alexander Ashford.”

“Flesh and blood.” He nodded.

A soft, humorless laugh escaped her mouth. “You hide it well.”

Alexander turned to meet her gaze, his eyes cool and calculated. “Is that a problem?”

Lauren shook her head slowly. “No. It changes nothing.” She said, forcing her tone to stay even, but deep down, the realization had set her thoughts spiraling. She had married not just a stranger but a man powerful enough to destroy her if he wished.

Taking the certificate from her hand, Alexander placed it neatly into a folder and his eyes met hers again. This time, there was fire in them.

“I need you to understand something, Lauren,” he said quietly. “Now that we’re married, there’s no turning back. I don’t believe in fake marriages and as far as I’m concerned, this is real.”

His words sank deep causing Lauren to panic for a bit. She only wanted her safe but the finality of his words made her question the possibilities. Whatever this was and whatever it would become, as long as Celine and Julian felt the heat, she was all for it. Her pulse steadied and a slow resolve formed beneath her fear.

“I understand.” She said calmly.

“I’ll give you a day to pack your things,” he continued. “My assistant will pick you up tomorrow.”

She nodded slowly. “Alright. But I have one condition.”

One of his brows lifted slightly. Alex wasn't used to people demanding, he always set the conditions.

“Which is?” He said, deciding to humor her.

“I don’t want our marriage public for now.” Lauren said and her tone sharpened instantly. Alex noticed the coldness in heeyes.s and for a moment, he wondered the cause of it. “I have things to settle first. Some debts need to be repaid so until then… this stays between us.”

Beneath her calm exterior, there was more. Hatred and determination burned and it intrigued him. He didn’t ask what she meant by all the jargon she had said and simply just watched her.

“Three months,” he said finally. “I’ll give you that long to handle your affairs. After that, if you haven’t finished whatever you need to do, I’ll make our marriage public myself. I don’t hide what belongs to me.”

Lauren’s lips pressed into a thin line as she weighed his words. “Three months is enough.” She finally replied.

Satisfied, he gave a brief nod. “Good. I’ll be away for a few days. Take care of what you must before I return and if you need to reach me, go through my assistant.”

Lauren didn't mind and thought that was do-able so she finally settled, willing herself to enjoy the ride.

The silence that followed was comfortable and for some reason it felt almost wrong to her. She had just married a total stranger, how was she so calm and relaxed?

Her phone buzzed in her hand and the vibration startled her, pulling her back to reality. She looked down at the screen with a broad smile, sure that that was her lawyer but her blood instantly ran cold as her eyes landed on the name on her screen. Julian.

For a moment, she considered ignoring it but didn't see the point. She would eventually have to talk to him, anyway. She also wanted her new husband to know she didn't have skeletons in her cupboard.

“I have nothing to hide,” she murmured, and hit the green button.

“Lauren! Where the hell are you? I’ve been calling you!” Julian barked, his voice so loud she had to move the phone from her ears or it would have bled.

She stared into the distance, her tone flat. “Do you remember what day it is, Julian?”

He paused for a moment and then stiffened a chuckle. “I’m… I'm sorry babe, I got caught up in work. The national jewelry competition is coming up and Celine needs me to help her prepare. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

“Can you hear yourself speak? You missed your fucking wedding, Julian.” Lauren fired back, losing her calm.

“And I said I will make it up, woman. You can always reschedule a wedding but a competition has a time frame. If you think of it, it is not that deep.”

Lauren’s hand tightened around the phone. She couldn't believe her ears. She couldn't believe that a man who had showered her with so much love could turn into a cold and nonchalant human under her watch.

“Right,” she simply said, too tired for his bullshit. “Take your time.”

She ended the call before he could respond and for a long moment, she could say nothing. Thankfully, Alex did not push.

He straightened his sleeves and cleared his throat “You’re leaving now?”

Lauren nodded. “Yes.”

She turned to go but before she could walk away, his voice called her back.

“Lauren.”

She stopped and turned, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Alexander’s gaze held hers, steady as ever and then, for the first time, something softened in his tone. His lips curved slightly, not into a full smile, but something close.

“Hello, Mrs. Ashford,” he said quietly. “Please take care of me.”