Chapter 6

As Nerissa tensed up nervously, Lincoln withdrew his gaze and leaned back against the leather seat, his throat bobbing as he said, "Get in."

Nerves settling, she leaned down and got into the car. The door closed, cutting off the humid afternoon air of Shorehaven.

The black Maybach eased down the road smoothly, merging into the highway traffic. Road signs flashed past outside the window.

Even though it'd been two years since she was last in Shorehaven, Nerissa knew the roads well enough to know that this wasn't the right direction to head to either the Reese residence or Hamilton Manor.

She turned toward Lincoln. His eyes were closed, as though he was resting. The sharp lines of his side profile were accentuated by shifting light that cast shadows along his face. The collar of his silk shirt rose and fell faintly with each breath, and in the shadow beneath his collarbone, a faint scar could be vaguely seen.

"Mr. Hamilton…" Nerissa chose her words carefully. "Where are we going?"

Lincoln slowly opened his eyes.

"City Hall."

Nerissa froze, thinking she'd misheard him. "What was that?"

"We're registering our marriage."

Lincoln's arm rested casually on the central armrest between them. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his defined wrist bones, pale skin, and faint blue veins.

"Didn't your parents tell you?" he asked calmly. "The marriage alliance between the Hamiltons and the Reeses has been set for the end of this month. All the arrangements have been made for the marriage registration. We just need to sign the paperwork today."

Nerissa opened her mouth, but no words came out. She'd only agreed to take Jennifer's place two days ago. Why would a last-minute replacement be clued in on these finer details?

Nevertheless, she never expected that upon her arrival in Shorehaven, she would be taken straight to City Hall to sign the marriage paperwork. She didn't even get a moment to wrap her head around the situation first.

"But… I just got off the plane…" Nerissa tried to find an excuse.

"I know you don't want this," Lincoln said, his dark gaze fixed on her. "Our marriage will simply be a contractual one."

Nerissa stiffened.

Lincoln looked away, his face appearing even colder in the light that came in through the window.

"My grandma is in poor health, and she wishes to see me get married," he said. "This marriage will only be for a year, and it'll be a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Nerissa pressed her lips together, processing the information. "So… what do you need from me, Mr. Hamilton?"

Lincoln turned back toward her. His gaze seemed unusually unreadable in the dimness of the car, and her tense silhouette reflected in his eyes.

For a brief moment, she felt a heaviness in his gaze that made her breath falter.

"I need you to play your part as Mrs. Hamilton properly," he replied.

There was a slight pause as his fingers drummed on the leather armrest.

"You'll get 500 thousand dollars in monthly allowance and a villa in Silver Bay." His gaze flitted across her pursed lips. "The Hamiltons will also be resolving the Reeses' crisis."

The conditions were generous enough that it was impossible to refuse.

Nerissa lowered her gaze and remained silent for a few seconds.

"During the contract period…" She looked up, her nails digging into her palm. "Do I need to fulfill the more intimate marital obligations?"

Her face was tight as she asked this, and her eyelashes trembled.

Lincoln's gaze landed squarely on her face, moving from her faintly red ears to her slightly bitten lower lip before heading further down to the V-neck collar of her thin blouse, where a small stretch of her pale collarbones could be seen.

His gaze lingered for a second before he looked away, swallowing a little.

"I'm not a monk."

It took Nerissa a moment to figure out what he meant by that, but once she did, the redness in her ears spread down to her neck.

"Do you agree to the terms?" he asked.

She bit her lip. As it was, from the moment she agreed to marry him in Jennifer's place, she lost all chance of backing out.

"Yes."

Seeing her nod, Lincoln closed his eyes again. A barely perceptible smile appeared in the corners of his lips before disappearing almost instantly.

…

As the black Maybach crossed Azure Bridge, the concrete jungle that was downtown Shorehaven was soon left behind.

The car eventually stopped in front of a gray marble building.

Nerissa looked up at Shorehaven's City Hall. Sitting on a hillside that overlooked the busy city center, it housed one of the oldest marriage registration offices in Shorehaven.

The entrance was empty, with only a few uniformed staff standing in wait. Evidently, the place had been cleared in advance.

Lincoln got out of the car first. Nerissa was about to open the door herself when it was pulled open from the outside.

He stood right outside the car, one hand resting on the door frame as he looked down at her. The afternoon sunlight spilled behind him, outlining his figure with a thin golden line. His face was partially shrouded, making his eyes appear even deeper.

Nerissa paused before stepping out of the car. The moment her foot touched the ground, a hand hovered next to her waist. It didn't touch her, but it formed an invisible protective boundary beside her.

They stood so close that she could even smell the cedar scent mixed with faint tobacco on him. It was a sharp, almost domineering scent.

"Thank you…"

Lincoln didn't respond. He simply withdrew his hand and allowed her to walk ahead.

"Mr. Hamilton."

At the entrance, a middle-aged man in a dark suit hurried forward. His badge indicated he was in charge of the marriage registration department.

"Everything's ready," he said.

Lincoln gave a slight nod, his expression calm.

The hall was spacious and air-conditioned. All of the necessary documents were already laid out on the desk, with two fountain pens placed side by side on a velvet tray.

Nerissa's eyes fell on the form. The name "Jennifer Reese" was impossible to miss.

A staff member pushed two copies of the form forward, pointing at the signature line. "Please verify the information and sign your name."

Lincoln picked up the pen. The tip hovered above the form for half a second before falling. His signature was swift and firm, the final stroke nearly tearing through the paper. The ink had a cold blue sheen under the light.

It was Nerissa's turn. She picked up the pen with her chilly fingers and felt the warmth that lingered from Lincoln's touch.

She lowered her head and signed Jennifer's name to the form, doing it so slowly that her final stroke looked a little wobbly.

The staff took the documents and went to the computer to process the information.

Soon, Jennifer's ID photo appeared on the screen.

Nerissa's heartbeat spiked. She saw the way the staff's forehead creased. His gaze shifted between the screen and her face.

The air in the office seemed to solidify. She clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palms.

She was screwed. Had she been naive enough to think she could get away with this? Had she forgotten who the Hamiltons were—and the kind of man Lincoln was?

The Reeses' crude attempt to replace the bride would probably be exposed in less than a day!

What was she supposed to do now?

If she ended up being responsible for cutting off the Reese family's final lifeline and got caught in the crossfire of Lincoln's rage…

Two light raps rang out.

Nerissa instinctively turned her head.

Lincoln was still leaning back in his chair, his posture relaxed. He glanced at the staff, looking impatient. His eyes were dark and expressionless. Despite looking fairly calm, there was something heavy and intense about them.

The staff's expression changed slightly. Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat.

Everyone in Shorehaven knew who the Hamiltons were, and no one dared to offend Lincoln. Since he had brought "Jennifer" over himself, there couldn't be a mistake as to who she was. Besides, plenty of people went for plastic surgery these days. She'd probably gone under the knife, too.

Sensing that Lincoln was getting impatient, the staff didn't dare waste any more time. He swiftly clicked away and completed the paperwork.

Once the official seal had been printed onto the certificate, he held it out with both hands and said with a respectful smile, "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. The paperwork is all done. I wish you two a happy marriage."

Nerissa's mind was a little blank as she accepted the certificate, still warm from being freshly printed.

The disastrous blowup she'd expected never came. It'd been smoothed over so easily. Could she really just chalk it up to good luck?