Three

Sahara sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window as the city blurred past. Her mind felt exhausted. Beside her sat the man who was now legally her husband.

Her husband.

The word still felt strange. Neither of them had spoken since leaving the courthouse. The silence inside the car was suffocating. Sahara tightened her fingers around the folds of her dress and swallowed hard. She didn't know what would happen once they reached his house. Would they share a bedroom? Would they pretend to be a real married couple? Or would he avoid her completely?

Leaf hadn't said a single thing.

Not after the wedding.

Not after signing the papers.

Not after slipping a ring onto her finger.

Nothing.

The only thing he had done was nod when her father instructed him to take his wife home.

His wife.

The title should have made her happy.

Instead, it made her chest ache.

Earlier, while they stood before Judge Charlson exchanging vows, she had almost allowed herself to hope.

The judge had spoken warmly about marriage. About commitment. About building a life together. About how a wife should support her husband and how a husband should cherish and protect his wife.

Cherish.

Protect.

Love.

The words echoed bitterly in her head now. Did those vows include sharing a bed? Did they include intimacy? She didn't know. But one thing she was certain of—she wasn't giving up.

No matter how cold Leaf became, she would find a way to make him see her. Not as Sancho's little sister.

Not as a burden. Not as a mistake. But as a woman. As his wife. As someone worth loving.

"What are you thinking about?" The sound of Leaf's voice startled her. She blinked and turned toward him.

His eyes remained fixed on the road. His sharp profile looked carved from stone.

God. He was still devastatingly handsome.

Even now. Even when she was angry at him.

"H-Huh?" she stammered. Leaf finally glanced at her.

"I asked what you're thinking about."

"N-Nothing." His jaw tightened.

"I don't believe that." Sahara quickly looked away.

"There really isn't anything."

"Come on, Sahara. Spill it." His voice hardened.

The sudden edge in his tone caught her off guard. This wasn't the Leaf she knew. The Leaf she had loved for years was patient.

Calm.

Gentle.

This version felt like a stranger.

"I said it's nothing." The atmosphere inside the car instantly shifted.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Leaf's grip tightened around the steering wheel.

"Don't lie to me." Sahara's pulse quickened.

"Leaf—"

"Tell me." His voice was low now. Threatening. "Or you'll regret it later." Fear shot through her. Without realizing it, she pressed herself against the passenger door. Trying to create distance between them. Trying to escape the tension filling the car.

"I told you, I wasn't thinking about anything!" The words burst out louder than she intended. Leaf let out a harsh laugh. Then suddenly— he pressed harder on the gas pedal. The car surged forward. Sahara's heart nearly stopped.

"What are you doing?!" Leaf's eyes darkened.

"Were you thinking about Judge Charlson's son?"

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"Klent." His voice dripped with jealousy. "Admit it."

Sahara stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious right now?"

"You were flirting with him during our wedding." The accusation hit her like a slap.

"What?!"

"You think I didn't notice?" His hand slammed against the steering wheel. The car swerved. A vehicle appeared in the opposite lane. Too close. Much too close.

"Leaf!" Panic exploded inside her. "Slow down!"

For one horrifying second she thought they were going to crash.

Then Leaf jerked the wheel. The tires screeched. The car narrowly missed the oncoming vehicle. A second later he slammed on the brakes.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Sahara couldn't breathe. Her entire body shook violently. Tears blurred her vision. She wrapped trembling arms around herself and stared ahead. Not saying a word. Not looking at him.

She was terrified. More terrified than she had ever been. Because for the first time in ten years, she didn't recognize the man she loved. The man she used to admire. The man she trusted. Had she made a mistake marrying him? The thought shattered her.

A tear rolled down her cheek. Then another.

Leaf let out a long breath. Without apologizing. Without saying anything. He started the car again.

And the silence returned. Only now it felt colder. Crueler.

By the time they arrived at his property in West Village, Manhattan, neither of them had spoken another word. Sahara stepped out of the car and froze.

The estate was breathtaking. Elegant. Timeless. Like something hidden away from the rest of New York. The bungalow-style home blended stone and rich hardwood, surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens bursting with roses of every color imaginable.

For a moment she forgot her fear. Forgot her tears. Forgot the ache in her chest. She wandered toward the flowers. Their beauty offered a brief escape from reality.

"You didn't come here to stare at flowers." Leaf's voice exploded behind her. Sahara nearly jumped out of her skin. Her heart hammered.

"P-Please don't yell." Instead of softening, his expression darkened.

"Get inside." His voice was cold. "And cook. I'm starving." The order stung. Not because of the words. But because of how easily he said them. As if she were staff. Not his wife.

She walked back toward the car and retrieved her bags herself. Leaf hadn't even bothered helping her. A lump formed in her throat. Was this what married life with him would be like?

When she finally stepped inside, she couldn't stop herself from admiring the interior. The house was beautiful. Warm. Inviting. Everything her husband was not.

"You're slow." The sharp remark startled her again. She spun around. Leaf stood in the hallway watching her. His face was unreadable.

"Please don't shout," she said softly. "I'm already overwhelmed."

"I told you to hurry."

"I didn't hear you." That answer only seemed to irritate him further.

In seconds he crossed the distance between them. His hands clamped down on her shoulders. Hard. Pain shot through her. She gasped. Her bags slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.

"Don't give me excuses." His voice was dangerously low. "You're only my wife on paper, Sahara." Every word felt like a knife. "And your family isn't here to protect you anymore."

Her vision blurred.

"Please..." Her voice broke. "Can we just talk calmly?" For the first time, Leaf noticed the tears gathering in her eyes. Noticed how badly she was shaking. Something flickered across his face. Regret. Guilt. Maybe both. But it disappeared almost instantly.

"Cook." The word came out quieter. But it was still an order. "I'm hungry." Sahara nodded. Unable to trust herself to speak.

When he finally released her, she saw angry red marks blooming across her bare shoulders. By morning, they would become bruises. Evidence of a marriage that had begun all wrong.

As soon as he turned away, she wiped her tears. Then she whispered a silent prayer. Lord, please help me. Because I don't know how to survive loving someone who doesn't love me back. Taking a shaky breath, she walked toward the kitchen and began preparing dinner for the husband who had already broken her heart on their very first day of marriage.

Leaf couldn’t believe what he had just done to his wife.

To Sahara.

His chest tightened the moment the thought fully sank in.

What would Sancho say if he ever found out how he was treating the person he loved most—his little sister?

Guilt crept in slowly, heavy and suffocating, when his eyes landed on her again.

She was quietly wiping her tears.

Trying so hard not to break in front of him.

And that…that did something to him.

Something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Because something had already changed between them.

They were no longer what they used to be.

Not the easy comfort.

Not the shared familiarity.

Not the quiet understanding that once existed without effort.

Before, things were simple.

He had been warm to her back then—patient, gentle, always teasing her like she was someone he was meant to protect.

A kid sister.

That was all she was supposed to be.

But somewhere along the way, something shifted.

And now, everything felt wrong.

It was because of this marriage.

This arrangement never should have happened in the first place.

He had agreed to it—not out of love, but for their parents.

For history.

For obligations that stretched long before they were even born.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as frustration built inside him.

He knew how much his mother, Sharlene, adored Sahara.

She had always been fond of her—too fond, maybe.

Ever since Sahara was young, she had been in their home often, laughing, talking, staying close like she belonged there.

Like she was already part of the family.

And he had noticed it too.

The way she looked at him.

The way she lingered just a little too long when he was around.

The way she always seemed…drawn to him.

But he never thought much of it.

Not seriously.

Not until that night.

That night changed everything.

When he found her drunk in the playhouse.

Rambling.

Vulnerable.

Confessing things she probably never meant to say out loud.

Or maybe things she had been hiding for a long time.

That was when he realized—

Sahara Cooper hadn’t just seen him as family.

She had wanted him.

All along.

And now, standing in the middle of a marriage he never truly chose, Leaf felt something unfamiliar twist in his chest.

Not just irritation.

Not just responsibility.

But something far more dangerous—

awareness.

Because no matter how much he tried to remind himself of the rules…

of the boundaries…

of who she was supposed to be to him—

Sahara was no longer just Sancho’s little sister in his mind.

And that was exactly what terrified him most.