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Chapter One
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2025-12-29 18:57:44Nathaniel Blackwood signed the marriage contract without looking at the woman sitting beside him.
The pen moved smoothly across the paper. His name was firm, practiced, and emotionless. It was the same signature he had used on billion-dollar deals, hostile takeovers, and legal settlements. To him, this marriage belonged in the same category. A solution. Nothing more. The conference room on the top floor of Blackwood International was quiet and cold. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls revealed the city skyline outside, sharp and distant. Lawyers sat on both sides of the long table, their expressions neutral, their movements precise. Everything had been arranged carefully. There was no room for mistakes. Outside the room, reporters waited. By tomorrow morning, every major business headline would announce that Nathaniel Blackwood, the most powerful CEO in the city, had suddenly married a woman no one had heard of. What the headlines would not mention was the truth. That his company was drowning in debt. That investors were pulling out. That this marriage was the final condition set by the board and its largest shareholder. Nathaniel placed the pen down and leaned back slightly. “The agreement is complete,” he said calmly. “You’ll receive the financial settlement outlined in the contract. In return, you’ll fulfill your role as my wife during public appearances. Private lives remain separate.” His voice was steady. Controlled. Grace Morgan listened quietly. She sat with her back straight and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her white dress was simple, elegant, and carefully chosen. Nothing flashy. Nothing expensive enough to attract suspicion. She looked like a woman who knew her place and accepted it. If anyone looked closely, they would notice how still she was. Too still. Grace nodded once. “I understand the terms.” Her voice was soft but clear. There was no hesitation in it. Nathaniel glanced at her briefly. He had reviewed her profile before today. An orphan. A private individual. No complicated background. No scandal. No ambition that could interfere with his life. Perfect. She did not look like someone who would cause trouble. That was the second mistake he made that day. The lawyers exchanged documents and offered polite smiles. Formal congratulations followed. Someone mentioned the wedding ceremony would be small and private, just enough for photographs and legal validation. Grace listened but said nothing. Her thoughts drifted far away from the room. Five years ago, she had sat in another room. It had been smaller. Darker. Filled with strangers who looked at her with suspicion instead of respect. She had worn prison-issued clothing then. Her hands had trembled as she tried to explain herself. No one had listened. Not even him. Nathaniel stood up, signaling the end of the meeting. The others followed immediately. He extended his arm out of courtesy, not affection. Grace looked at his arm for a moment before placing her hand lightly on his sleeve. Her touch was calm. Steady. There was no rush of emotion. No anger. No fear. She had already cried all the tears she had inside her. They walked side by side toward the elevator. The hallway was quiet, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Nathaniel focused on the cameras waiting downstairs and the questions he would have to answer. He planned his responses carefully. Strategic marriage. Mutual benefit. Private matter. Grace walked beside him, her steps measured. She remembered another hallway. The one that led away from the courtroom. The one that led to a holding cell. The one where she had turned around, hoping he would look at her. He never did. The elevator doors closed. Silence filled the small space. Nathaniel broke it. “You should be aware that the media will speculate. Do not speak without approval. If you’re asked personal questions, redirect politely.” Grace nodded. “I will.” He studied her reflection in the mirrored wall. She was composed, almost distant. Not nervous. Not excited. Unusual. Most women in her position would be trying to impress him by now. He looked away. The elevator doors opened to the lobby, and the noise rushed in immediately. Cameras flashed. Reporters called his name. Security formed a tight path forward. Nathaniel placed his hand over Grace’s lightly, a gesture meant for the cameras. She did not flinch. As they stepped into the crowd, Grace lifted her head and offered a faint, practiced smile. It was gentle and controlled. Exactly what a new bride was expected to show. Inside, her heart remained silent. He still didn’t recognize her. Five years ago, she had stood in front of him with swollen eyes and shaking hands. She had begged him to listen, to check the evidence, to give her one chance to prove her innocence. He had believed the documents instead. The forged reports. The false testimony. The lies signed and stamped with his authority. The reporters shouted questions. “Mr. Blackwood, when did you meet your wife?” “Is this marriage for love or business?” “Why the sudden wedding?” Nathaniel answered smoothly. “This is a personal decision. We ask for privacy.” Grace said nothing. Her silence was noticed. Cameras zoomed in on her face. Commentators would later describe her as elegant, reserved, and mysterious. No one would guess that she was remembering the night she lost her child alone in a hospital room, her hands clutching empty air. No one would guess that the man holding her hand had once signed the papers that sent her there. The car door closed behind them, shutting out the noise. Nathaniel relaxed slightly. “You handled that well.” “Thank you,” Grace replied. The car pulled into traffic. Buildings passed by outside the window. Grace stared ahead. She thought of the name she no longer used. The life she no longer had. The grave she never got to visit. She did not come back for revenge driven by anger. She came back because the truth had been buried for too long. Nathaniel checked his phone, already moving on to the next crisis. He did not notice the way Grace’s fingers tightened briefly in her lap. He did not see the quiet resolve in her eyes. To him, this marriage was temporary. Controlled. To her, it was the beginning of a reckoning. Grace looked at the city she had once fled from and whispered silently to herself. This time, she would not disappear. And one day, Nathaniel Blackwood would remember her.
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