Chapter 3 _ Marriage Registry

**Fiona’s POV**

When we entered the marriage affairs building, the woman in charge of the registration glanced at Rowan and me before gesturing for us to take a seat.

"Yes, can I have your identity card?" she asked.

I nervously brought out mine and handed it over. Her brows furrowed as she returned it. The middle-aged woman smiled, looking up at Rowan—who looked as handsome as a movie star.

"Mr. Carson, are you sure you want to marry this woman?" she asked, taking me by surprise. She knew Rowan. Only then did it dawn on me that I came from a modest family, while the Carsons were billionaires.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with it, Mrs. Judge?" Rowan asked, his voice cold.

"No. It's just that I thought you were with Sage Andrews. Are the Andrews aware you are having a secret marriage instead of marrying their daughter?" she pressed, embarrassing me further as I lowered my head. The Andrews family were among the most influential people in the city.

"Mrs. Judge, I do not owe you an explanation. If you cannot do your job, I will call your manager directly to handle my marriage registration. And I do not want this leaking to the press," Rowan replied coldly, his eyes laced with a silent threat, completely unbothered that Mrs. Judge was old enough to be his mother.

"Fine. I will have your marriage registered now," she muttered, quickly pulling out the registration form. "Fill this out. And know that neither of you can file for divorce until after six months."

"We are aware," Rowan told her coldly, taking out his pen to write his name. He hurriedly inscribed his signature and pushed the form toward me. "Fill it and sign," he ordered, not sparing me a single glance in Mrs. Judge's office.

Nervously, I asked for a pen since I hadn't brought one. Rowan handed me his—he always carried one clipped to his shirt, as if ready to sign documents at a moment's notice. I quickly read through the marriage document, filled in my name, and signed it before Rowan could change his mind, feeling the heavy hostility radiating from him.

Once I finished signing, Rowan took the papers and glanced over them. Seeing my signature, he nodded and handed the file to Mrs. Judge to finalize our agreement.

"Done," Mrs. Judge said, handing a copy of the marriage document to Rowan. "Congratulations."

Rowan nodded, looked at me, and said, "Let's go." He walked away without waiting for me.

Quietly, I stood up and followed him out of the building.

"Where is Mr. Albert?" I asked, looking for his friend.

"Waiting for us." Rowan pointed toward a black Jeep parked ahead in the lot.

We walked over to meet Albert. Rowan strode ahead in his black suit, exuding an air of arrogance. I hurried to keep pace, keeping my head down until we reached Albert's car.

"Are you two officially married now?" Albert asked, his voice laced with mockery.

"Yes. Now we just need the contract stating the marriage expires in two years. Where is it?" Rowan asked. I stood silently beside the car, listening to them.

Albert drew a deep breath and produced a file, handing it to Rowan, who quickly read through it.

"Fine. Here is the contract, Fiona. You agree to divorce me after two years, and I will compensate you with twenty percent of the Carson Group's net worth at that time," Rowan said, handing a copy to me.

My hands trembled as I took the papers. Deep in my heart, I didn't want our marriage to end, but I had no say in the matter.

"Sign it," Rowan commanded. I knew that if I backed out, he would file for divorce the moment the mandatory six-month waiting period allowed.

"Okay," I muttered softly, signing the contract right there on Albert's car.

Albert peered at me coldly, but I refused to raise my head.

"Done," I said, handing the file back to Rowan.

Rowan smiled with relief, even as I noticed Albert's jaw tighten.

"See, Albert? I told you Fiona is a good woman and she would help me out. Now all that's left is for me to inherit my grandfather's wealth. Get this processed as soon as possible; I don't want any delays. I'm taking Fiona home now to introduce her to my family. Even though it's a short-term marriage, she still needs to meet them," Rowan said.

Albert's jaw clenched even harder. "Good luck inheriting your grandpa's fortune. I'll get the paperwork ready." He looked over at me as he prepped his car. "Don't regret doing this, Fiona," he warned with a mocking tone.

I lowered my head and watched him start his engine and drive away.

"Don't let Albert get to you. We're married now, so whether Albert has feelings for you or not doesn't matter. Maybe after two years, you can go on a date with him. For now, you are my wife and my woman alone. Got it?" Rowan asked, stepping close and forcing me to meet his gaze.

I wanted to say no, but I just nodded. "Okay."

Suddenly, Rowan's phone rang. He pulled it out, and I saw the name flashing on the screen: **My Baby**.

"Hello, baby," Rowan answered shamelessly right in front of me, completely unconcerned that his actions were breaking my heart.

*What was I thinking?* I had already agreed to marry him, knowing full well he loved another woman—his one true love.

"Babe, I heard you just got married to another woman. Who is she?" Sage demanded angrily over the phone.

"Babe, I already explained that I couldn't let my grandfather's hundred-million-dollar fortune go to charity. He was handing it out while he was still alive, and I had no choice but to marry Fiona. Please try to understand, I didn't marry her because I love her."

Rowan walked a short distance away to speak with his lover, but I could still hear her shouting.

"Rowan, you promised you loved me and would only marry me! Why didn't you just tell your grandfather I agreed to marry you after I win Miss World and finish the modeling contest in New York?" Sage sobbed over the line.

"Babe, when are you coming back? Fiona and I will get a divorce the second you return. You don't need to worry about her," Rowan replied firmly.

His words shattered me. Even twenty percent of the Carson Group wasn't enough to heal the emotional damage Rowan's cruel words were inflicting.

"Babe, are you sure you won't develop feelings for Fiona? She is pretty. Why couldn't you marry some ugly, chubby woman? Why Fiona?"

I kept my head down, refusing to look at Rowan. I knew I wasn't ugly, but I had been so consumed by working for him, winning contracts, and sealing business deals that I had never realized I was attractive enough to win a man of my own.

Rowan fumbled for an explanation. "Sage, I couldn't marry an ugly woman. I wouldn't be able to live with her. Fiona is just moving in to convince my grandfather we are married. You know I can't fool him—even at seventy-five, he's smarter than you think."

Sage spat out, "I am not happy about this, Rowan. Are you going to have sex with Fiona? You promised you wouldn't touch another woman."

"Don't worry, Sage. Even if I touch Fiona, she's just an outlet to relieve my stress. She will never carry my baby. Trust me on that."

My fists clenched as I heard him refer to me as a mere stress reliever.

"Are you sure, babe? What if Fiona's tighter than me? Won't you want to get her pregnant to keep her?" Sage asked inquisitively.

Unable to stand there and listen to them speak of me so lowly any longer, I marched away and went to Rowan's car to wait. My eyes stung with hot tears, and I fought desperately not to let them fall.

A moment later, Rowan ended his call and walked back to the car. He didn't offer a single apology for what I had just overheard.

"Get in," he said, opening the door for me, before walking around and sliding into the driver's seat.