Married To Him By Midnight

The Hale Grand Hall had never looked more extravagant.Crystal chandeliers glimmered like frozen stars, rose-gold tableware lined the reception tables, and the air smelled of fresh white peonies the ones Elara Wynn had spent the last six hours arranging. Her hands were still cold from the cooler room, her apron dusted with tiny petals as she adjusted the final centerpiece.She wasn’t supposed to be seen. Florists were background, invisible, ghosts that moved quietly through celebrations that weren’t theirs.Tonight was no different.Or… it shouldn’t have been.Elara stepped back from the tall floral arch at the end of the aisle, admiring it with a small, tired smile. It wasn’t perfect. But it was beautiful, a curve of ivory roses and eucalyptus that softened the sharp luxury of the venue.She reached for her phone to check the time.7:42 PM.Plenty of hours left before midnight.She exhaled slowly. One more delivery, then she could slip out before the wealthy guests flooded in with th

The wedding hall looked like a dream. Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over the perfectly arranged tables. The soft scent of roses, lilies, and jasmine mingled in the air, masking the tension that Elara felt coiling in her chest.She tugged lightly at her gown, trying not to stumble as she followed Adrian Hale down the grand aisle. Every step felt surreal, as though she were walking into a painting she didn’t belong in.The guests were already seated. Cameras lined the balconies. Reporters whispered in small clusters. Every eye in the room seemed to latch onto her immediately.And she could feel it.Every single person was silently judging her. Waiting for her to fail.Adrian’s hand was firm around hers. Not crushing, but commanding. Every step he took radiated the same controlled, dangerous energy that had frozen her in place earlier. She knew, without a doubt, that a single misstep in his eyes would have consequences she couldn’t imagine.I have to do this. I can’t show fear.

The wedding hall had quieted, though the hum of conversations never truly stopped.Elara’s heels clicked lightly on the marble floor as she followed Adrian Hale to a corner table, trying to remain inconspicuous. Every guest’s eyes seemed to linger just a little too long, and every whispered word felt like it carried judgment.Elara had survived the aisle. She had survived the whispers.Now she had to survive the scrutiny that came after the ceremony the one she hadn’t yet anticipated.Adrian walked beside her, silent, controlled, as if the very act of breathing required permission.The storm in his gray eyes had not faded; it simmered just beneath the surface, dangerous, deliberate.She understood that he was angry. Not at her at least, not directly but at the world, at the betrayal of the previous bride, at the mess he was forced to navigate tonight.And she, by circumstance, had become the center of it.The first challenge arrived like a subtle gust before a hurricane.A guest, one

The city had gone quiet outside, but inside the Hale Grand Hall, the echoes of cameras, conversations, and champagne glasses still lingered in Elara’s ears.She walked beside Adrian, her hands clasped tightly around her bouquet. Every movement was calculated, every step deliberate. One misstep, one glance, one word… and the night could spiral.Adrian’s presence beside her was like a shadow of authority controlled, precise, and subtly threatening. She had survived the aisle, the dinner, the whispers, and the small crises. But nothing had prepared her for what came next.It started as a subtle vibration in her phone.A notification. A single post. From one of the journalists covering the wedding.She froze. Her stomach twisted. She knew instantly what it was: a photo of her walking down the aisle, captioned with an insinuation about “the last-minute bride and the empire she’s been forced into.”Her hands shook.Adrian noticed immediately. He leaned closer, gray eyes scanning the screen

Morning arrived too quickly.The city was gray and tense, as if the world itself sensed the storm about to break. Reporters crowded outside the Hale headquarters, barricades already struggling to hold them back. Camera lights flickered like restless sparks.Inside the building, Elara stood in the small waiting room just outside the press hall, clutching the armrests of a chair to steady her hands. Her breath came slow and controlled, just as Adrian had instructed.“You will not show fear,” he had said.“You will look them in the eye.”“You will control the narrative before they decide it for you.”But now that the moment was here…Her heart wouldn’t stop racing.Adrian entered the room with Damon behind him, both looking sharp and intimidating in tailored suits. Adrian’s presence shifted the air instantly controlled anger, authority, and something else she couldn’t name.He scanned her from head to toe.Not judging.Assessing.“You’re ready,” he said.“I’m scared,” Elara admitted quie