MARRIED TO MY EX-FIANCE'S RUTHLESS UNCLE

The security guards dropped me at Damien's apartment with a warning."You have ten minutes. We'll be waiting outside."The door clicked shut behind them, and I stood in the entryway of the place I'd called home for the past year. My toothbrush was in the bathroom. My clothes are in the closet. My favorite mug in the kitchen cabinet.These rooms are filled with all the little fragments of my existence.I reached into the hall closet for a duffel bag and began stuffing it.Clothes. Toiletries. My laptop.I didn't fold anything. didn't plan. I simply pushed it in as quickly as I could, blinking back tears as my hands trembled and my eyesight became blurry.There are eight minutes remaining.The only evidence I had before the Blackwells came into my life was my Social Security card and birth certificate, which I pulled out of the nightstand drawer. But there was nothing in the drawer.I checked the other drawers. Also empty. Everything I'd kept here, all my important documents, was gone.

The ceremony took seven minutes.Judge Morrison read from a paper, then asked if I would take Kael Blackwell as my husband. I said yes. My voice, thin and distant, didn't even sound like my own.Kael, on the other hand, said yes without a trace of hesitation—like it was nothing more than a business transaction."By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife."No kiss. No celebration. I searched Kael’s face, hoping for some warmth and finding only indifference. The silence in the room felt huge.After shaking Kael's hand and giving him a marriage certificate, the judge left. It was suddenly quiet in the room. I had just signed my life away with a pen as I stood there. Kael broke the silence: "Your things have been collected from the motel." He returned to his desk as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just married a lady he accused of being a criminal. "You'll be driven to the penthouse by my driver."Mrs. Chen will show you to your room

The ballroom was full of sharks in evening wear.They smiled. They sipped champagne. They watched me as if I were the evening's entertainment.Kael's hand stayed on my back. Firm. Guiding. Claiming."Kael!" A man in his sixties approached. Silver hair. Expensive watch. He looked at me with open curiosity. "I heard the news. Congratulations.""Thank you, Richard." Kael's voice was smooth. Professional. "This is my wife, Aria.""Mrs. Blackwell." Richard shook my hand. His grip was testing. "What a surprise.I was unaware that you were dating someone.Kael said, "We kept it private," before I could say anything."Very private." Richard's eyes moved between us. "Wasn't your nephew engaged recently? To someone named—""Aria and I have been seeing each other for several months," Kael interrupted. His tone didn't change. But something in it made Richard stop talking."The timing worked out well for everyone involved."Richard gave a slow nod. "Obviously. Alright. "Mrs. Blackwell, welcome to

The house in the woods was too quiet.I woke up to silence. No city noise. No, Mrs. Chen is moving through the penthouse. Just birds and wind.I found Kael in the kitchen. He was on his laptop. Coffee in hand. Still wearing yesterday's clothes like he'd been up all night."Morning," I said.He looked up. Nodded. Went back to his screen.I poured myself coffee. Sat at the counter. Watched him work."We're going into town today," he said without looking up. "I need to pick up some documents. You'll come with me.""I can stay here.""No. You'll come with me."Not a request. Never a request.We were in the car an hour later. Twenty minutes away, the small town can be reached by car. Everyone knew each other there. stores with signage painted by hand.A diner. A post office.Kael parked in front of a law office. "Wait here. I'll be five minutes."He went inside.I sat in the car. Watched people walk past. Normal people. With normal lives. Normal problems.There was a knock on the window.I

Monday morning arrived too fast.I woke up at five. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't stop thinking about the board meeting in four hours.I'd memorized the script. Practiced the answers. Rehearsed my smile in the mirror until it looked natural.But I still felt like I was walking into an execution.At six, Mrs. Chen knocked. "Time to get ready, Mrs. Blackwell. The stylist is here."Two hours later, I looked like someone else. Hair perfect. Makeup flawless. A dress that cost more than I used to make in a month. Navy blue. Conservative. Appropriate.Kael was waiting in the living room. He looked at me. Nodded once."Good. You look the part."Not beautiful. Not lovely. The part."Ready?" he asked."No.""Too bad. We're leaving in five minutes." He handed me a folder. "Review this in the car. Final notes from Marcus."The drive to Blackwell Tower took twenty minutes. Kael spent the entire time on his phone. I read through Marcus's notes. Again.Smile. Be warm but not too familiar. Answer question