Chapter 5

Hellena froze, her eyes widening in shock.

“That stunt last night?”

“Pretending to trip over the carpet just to make me catch you,” Kael accused, his expression as cold as ice.

“What?!” Hellena’s voice rose instantly in protest. “That was a genuine accident! I really lost my balance because the tip of my shoe got caught!”

Kael fixed her with a piercing stare.

“I already told you—I don’t like being contradicted, Hellena.”

“But I wasn’t trying to seduce you!”

“Enough.”

The single word left his lips in a flat baritone tone, yet it was enough to make Hellena immediately fall silent.

She clenched her fingers behind her work bag, suppressing the frustration boiling inside her chest.

What an unbelievably arrogant man.

“Come inside.”

Kael turned around and walked away.

They entered the Civil Registry Office side by side.

The administrative process proceeded quickly and efficiently.

Kael had clearly used his influence and connections to arrange all the paperwork beforehand.

Standing before the civil registrar, the two of them remained side by side.

“Do you, Kael Willian, willingly accept Hellena Crawley as your wife in both good times and bad?”

“I do,” Kael answered firmly, without the slightest hint of hesitation.

“And do you, Hellena Crawley, willingly accept Kael Willian as your husband?”

Hellena took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the last remnants of courage she possessed.

“I do.”

Their signatures were placed upon the official documents.

The sound of the registrar’s stamp echoed through the quiet room, signifying that everything was now legally binding.

The registrar smiled warmly as he handed each of them a marriage certificate.

“Congratulations. As of today, the two of you are legally husband and wife.”

Hellena stared blankly at the small red booklet in her hands.

Her name and Kael Willian’s name were printed side by side.

She was now officially her boss’s wife.

The entire situation felt surreal.

Strange.

Kael closed his certificate with a swift motion and slipped it into his suit pocket.

“Let’s go.”

They exited the building together.

Although the sky outside was bright and clear, Hellena’s heart felt heavier than stone.

Kael walked ahead and climbed into the driver’s seat of his luxury sedan.

However, just as Hellena reached for the passenger door handle, a powerful tug suddenly pulled her backward.

Strong arms wrapped tightly around her curvy body.

“Hellena!”

She jolted in shock.

A familiar cologne instantly filled her senses.

Herry.

The man was hugging her from behind, breathing heavily as though he had been running after something precious.

“I don’t want us to break up!” Herry shouted in frustration beside her ear. “I don’t accept your decision from last night!”

Hellena struggled with all her strength, trying to break free from his grasp.

“Let go of me, Herry! What are you doing?!”

“No! You can’t just walk away and throw me aside after three years, Hellena!”

Inside the car, Kael sat behind the wheel, silently watching the farce unfold through the windshield.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

His jaw hardened instantly.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel until the tendons stood out prominently on the back of his hands.

“Herry, control yourself! We’re in a public place!” Hellena hissed, mortified.

“You’re mine, Hellena! You can’t leave!”

The moment those words left Herry’s mouth, Kael’s gaze darkened completely.

Like a moonless night.

The man opened the car door and stepped out.

His movements were calm, yet his presence radiated overwhelming dominance.

“Take your hands off my wife.”

Kael’s voice was low.

Almost a whisper.

Yet it carried a deadly threat capable of sending chills down anyone’s spine.

Herry instantly froze.

“Wife?”

Hellena was equally stunned.

Her heart began pounding in panic.

Why was Kael revealing their status?

Hadn’t the contract clearly stated that their marriage must remain completely secret?

Kael now stood directly beside them.

His tall frame made Herry appear insignificant.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

The icy intensity of Kael’s gaze pierced straight through Herry’s confidence.

Instinctively, Herry loosened his hold and stepped back.

“What is the meaning of this, Hellena?” Herry asked, his voice trembling with panic. “Wife? This arrogant jerk has to be lying, right?”

Hellena looked at Herry with eyes that had become completely cold.

There was no room left for sympathy.

“We were just married inside,” Kael answered without hesitation, his voice absolute.

The revelation struck Herry like a bolt of lightning.

His face drained of color instantly.

“What?! No way! You’re lying!”

Kael did not bother entertaining the man’s hysteria.

With a firm protective gesture, he took hold of Hellena’s wrist and gently but securely drew her into his side.

“You’ve caused enough of a disturbance on public property, sir.”

Herry stared at the scene before him in utter disbelief and growing fury.

“Hellena! How could you get married so quickly? And to a man like him?!”

Hellena remained silent.

She hid behind Kael’s broad shoulder.

Kael opened the front passenger door for her.

“Get in.”

Hellena obeyed without protest and quickly settled into the comfortable leather seat.

Before closing the door and returning to the driver’s seat, Kael turned around and gave Herry one final look.

A look filled with contempt.

“If I ever see you bothering or touching my wife again, I’ll make sure you lose the thing you value most in this world.”

His gaze turned even colder.

“This is not a threat. It’s a promise.”

His tone was so cold and absolute that Herry unconsciously took another step backward, his body trembling.

The car door shut with a solid thud.

The luxury sedan immediately pulled away, leaving Herry standing motionless outside the building.

Inside the vehicle, awkward silence settled between them once again.

Only the soft hum of the engine could be heard as the car moved through the city streets.

Hellena stared straight ahead through the windshield, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Meanwhile, Kael focused on driving, his expression once again as cold as an ice wall.

Several minutes passed before he finally spoke without looking at her.

“Settle everything with that bastard from your past as soon as possible. I don’t like flies buzzing around my peace.”

His tone was as authoritarian as ever.

Hellena bit her lower lip, suppressing the strange flutter inside her chest.

“I already ended things with him last night, Mr. Kael.”

Kael offered no response.

He simply continued driving toward the hospital, where his mother was waiting for them.

Meanwhile, far behind them, Herry remained standing exactly where they had left him.

His gaze gradually darkened with resentment.

He refused to believe what had just happened.

“No way... Hellena and Kael Willian can’t really be married. They must be hiding something from me!”

Herry muttered through clenched teeth.