A Strangers Bride

I spent the rest of the evening in Aria’s shoes, laughing at rich people's jokes and saying thanks to every new gift box that came my way.

When the music quieted and the guests started leaving, I sighed in relief because the nightmare was finally over and it was time to go home.

Edrick’s home, not mine.

The ride back was painfully quiet.

The city lights bled against the tinted windows, flashing across his sharp jaw and unreadable face. He drove like he lived, precise, distant, completely in control.

I sat beside him, hands clenched in my lap, pretending to be fascinated by the night sky, when all I could feel was him. His cologne, faint and clean, filled the car, the scent brushing against my senses like an uninvited whisper.

Every time his hand shifted gears, my breath caught, not because he touched me, but because I wondered what it would feel like if he did.

The tension was thick, suffocating. He didn’t look at me once, but I could feel his gaze even when it wasn’t there.

And in that silence, something shifted. Faint, unwanted, but real.

I hated that my pulse reacted to his every move, hated that the space between us felt charged. He wasn’t mine. He was never supposed to be mine.

This wasn’t romance. It was an accident, a cruel twist I’d been thrown into.

So I sat still, forcing my breathing to even out, forcing my thoughts away from him.

He was Aria’s husband.

And I was just the fool who said yes.

The elevator ride up was worse than the drive.

There was a heavy, awkward silence in the air. His reflection stood beside mine in the mirrored walls, tall, composed, with that same emotionless stare that made me want to look away.

When the doors slid open, I was met with cold marble and the faint scent of cedar. His penthouse wasn’t just big — it was immaculate. Everything gleamed like it had never been touched, from the black leather couches to the glass shelves lined with books I doubted he ever read.

It screamed wealth, but not warmth.

No family portraits. No clutter. No hint of the man behind the suit.

He dropped his keys on the console, his movements sharp and practiced. “The guest room is that way,” he said flatly, nodding toward a long hallway before walking off without another word.

I stood there for a moment, trying not to stare at his back — at the way his shoulders moved beneath the crisp fabric of his shirt. My pulse picked up for reasons I refused to admit.

The silence in the penthouse was too loud, echoing around me. It was beautiful, yes, but in that kind of way that made you feel like you didn’t belong.

I finally turned and walked toward the hallway he’d pointed at, my heels clicking against the floor like the only heartbeat in the house.

And for one stupid, fleeting second, I wondered what it would take to make a man like him feel anything.

Inside the guest room, I made sure he was nowhere close before pulling my phone and dialing Aria’s number one last time.

To my surprise, it went through.

My hands shook as I waited for her to pick up.

Several rings later, she did.

“Aria!” I yelled.

“You made a lovely bride, Alina. I must say, that dress suits you.” For someone who left me to marry her husband, she sounded too chill.

“What is this, Aria? Are you crazy?” I snapped. “What useless stunt did you pull this evening?” I paced back and forth, my feet hitting the plush rugs.

“Aria, this isn’t eighth-grade detention. This is a real-life situation, and you left me to fill in for you? How dare you just disappear without warning!”

I was mad, and I only silently hoped that the walls were thick enough. If not, her grumpy-ass husband would hear me.

“Look, I got cold feet,” she shrugged.

“You got cold feet? You left me to marry the monster you were engaged to, Aria! How could you be so selfish?” Tears filled my eyes.

“Look, I just left. I didn’t expect Dad to force you into this. And I did not expect you to be stupid enough to take my place.”

I could feel her eye roll through the phone.

Bitch.

“Well, I had no choice,” I mumbled at my own stupidity.

“Girl, don’t worry. I’ve had enough time to think about my mistake. I’m coming home to take my place, and then you can be free,” Aria said.

Those words were supposed to be comforting, but instead, they raised suspicions in me.

“Where are you right now, Aria?” I asked. She kept quiet.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be back. I promise.”

The little shake in her voice told me everything I needed to know. My eyes scanned the calendar on the nightstand.

12th September. Of course.

This girl wasn’t having cold feet. She ran off for the annual Vijan party in Los Angeles. She knew I would take her place. This was all part of her plan.

“Aria, you’re the most selfish person I know. And trust me, I’ve known Jason and Becca.”

“What are you talking about?” she stammered in confusion. But it was all clear to me now.

This vile girl didn’t even think about me before running off and leaving me to clean her mess. Just as she always does.

“I’m giving you two hours, Aria. Two hours to get your ass down here and switch back. Or else I’m telling your coldhearted husband everything!” I yelled.

Aria was silent on the other line, as if deciding whether to take my threat seriously or not. But I was damn serious. I was sick of people stepping on me like a rug.

“Alina, please, make it four hours. It’ll be impossible to get a flight in two hours.”

Her voice was shaky. She sounded timid and scared, something I had never heard from her.

“Fine. Don’t add a minute to it.”

A knock on the door made me flinch. I instantly ended the call.

The door pushed open, and Edrick walked in, his face unreadable.

“Go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow,” he said.

I didn’t bother asking what that was about.

By the way, it wouldn’t be me dealing with it. It’d be Aria.

Hopefully.

But as he turned to leave, I caught it, the faintest pause at the doorway, a shift in his stance, like he’d heard more than he was supposed to.

My chest tightened.

He didn’t look back, didn’t say a word. Just walked out.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew something.

And that terrified me more than anything else.