Preparation

“Wasn’t that what you asked for? I cannot hand over my brother, a married man, to you nor can I promise his death in your name. And I certainly never anticipated being held at knifepoint in my own office by a stranger demanding accountability. But I must’ve misinterpreted your words, because I thought you said I was enough.”

Raellyn could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Had something gone awry? Had she missed a crucial step in this chaos?

“I’m just a little surprised by how quickly you agreed, sir… uh, Arnav. I thought I’d have to scar myself first, just to convince you of how serious I was.”

She cast a brief glance toward the closed door. “Did you call a cleric?”

“Yes. He’ll officiate our marriage once we arrive at the house.”

Raellyn laughed, the sound airy and sharp like cracked porcelain.

“You’re joking.”

“Are you reluctant now? Did I misread the meaning behind your demands for responsibility?”

She jolted upright, suddenly unable to sit still.

“No, you didn’t misunderstand,” she replied quickly, trying in vain to disguise the anxiety simmering beneath her skin. Her thoughts spun wildly, unable to anchor.

“It’s just… this marriage. It feels too sudden. No family, no courtship, not even a proper announcement surely this will stir scandal and—”

“I refuse.”

“What did you just say?”

“I refuse to be a man who bows to media pressure, Raellyn. And I don’t think you are that type either. Especially after the stunt you pulled pretending to discuss a script, only to whip out a blade like a desperate actress chasing revenge.”

If the floor were made of earth, it would be marred by countless frantic footsteps.

His words sharp, definitive pierced the haze in her head like lightning. Raellyn's temples throbbed.

She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.

And he he watched her unravel with folded arms and a calm, cruel composure.

“I can’t believe how easily you’ve decided to marry me,” she muttered.

“There’s so much to prepare. Shouldn’t we ”

“I’ll arrange a special license. The wedding is set tomorrow, nine a.m., at my residence.”

Raellyn gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

“You make everything sound so simple. It’s impossible, Arnav!”

“I’m a wealthy director. Money makes the impossible quite mundane.”

She blinked. How could she even argue against the audacity of a man whose arrogance was so perfectly supported by fact?

Then came his smile  That devastating curve of lips that likely dismantled countless women’s composure.

Even Raellyn wasn’t immune; a strange thrum flickered through her chest.

“Are you twenty-five, Raellyn?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll have my lawyer send a physician over. A quick health check before the ceremony.”

Panic crept in like fog at his words. Arnav was serious. He would marry her.

A surreal wave of disbelief, mingled with a flicker of unexpected hope, surged through her.

She stopped trying to hide how nervous she was. Instead, she met his eyes head-on raw, vulnerable, and unguarded.

And when he stepped closer, her emotions surged uncontrollably. All her doubts, fears, reluctant relief, and strange, unnamed feelings dissolved into chaos.

Could she really do this?

Would she survive this?

“This is madness…”

“Yes, Raellyn?”

“My uncle will surely object to something this sudden. My cousin might even—”

“You can spend the night at my place. It’s more practical than heading home just to face family opposition.”

She stared at him. The memory of his earlier words about bedding her so casually flashed through her mind like a slap. Even if he was to become her husband, she would never agree to spend the night in a man’s house without the sanctity of vows. Let them call her conservative this was her boundary.

“Forget your absurd suggestion. I refuse to sleep in your house even if we are marrying tomorrow. I’ll return to my home and inform my uncle and aunt of the decision I’ve made.”

Her voice was final, firm, unyielding.

“So that means… you’ve agreed to marry me tomorrow morning?”

She had no choice. She had to. For her own liberation. This was always the plan.

Raellyn drew a long, deep breath. Then she spoke the most life-altering words she’d ever uttered.

“Do you think I have a choice?”

“Clever woman.”

She didn’t dare analyze the primal satisfaction glimmering in his eyes, because the next moment he bent forward and brushed her lips with his again sealing their pact with a kiss.

And in that moment, she melted into the promise of something terrifyingly seductive.

In every contact, in every breath they shared, she prayed this wasn’t the beginning of a new catastrophe.

Later…

Raellyn’s submission awakened something carnal within Arnav  A fire that lingered on his tongue long after they’d left the office.

Their alibi? Lunch and a deeper discussion. Arnav had rented a private room, lavish and secluded, determined to spend time with this strange woman who had completely upended his orderly world.

He hated complications yet here he was, diving headfirst into one.

Fifteen minutes passed before the third party arrived. His lawyer. The man mediated as they drafted a prenuptial contract.

Yet again, she surprised him. Every clause she proposed left him speechless. She was brilliant. Tragically hindered by poverty and lack of connection. But Arnav considered himself lucky. He had discovered a rare diamond.  One hidden deep in an ocean he never intended to search.

“Fascinating conversation,” Arnav mused, lifting a glass of sherry.

“I didn’t expect such clarity over rights and duties. You’ve even given me ideas I hadn’t considered.”

“I need things to be clear between us,” she replied, flicking open a lighter. “After all, you’ve already taken liberties with me in your office.”

“Ah, you mean the kiss?” He glanced sideways, amused.

“I assumed you'd forget it.” She exhaled smoke slowly, closing her eyes, savoring the moment.

“Of course not. In fact, if you’d like me to describe everything I took from that moment, I’d be happy to. There’s a reason I kissed you more than once.”

“Let me guess you’re just a lust-driven pervert?” Raellyn burst out laughing.

“Crude, but not entirely false. Though I’d say the real reason lies in your dangerously magical lips.”

“Like Medusa?”

“Perhaps.”

Silence settled. The lawyer had left fifteen minutes ago, but Raellyn remained. Arnav couldn’t read her thoughts.

“You seem to enjoy that. Can I have your cigarette?”

“You’re really committed to this perverted image, aren’t you? There’s a fresh pack on the table but you want mine?”

“I regret not realizing how exquisite your taste was. At our first meeting, you spat on the cigarette and crushed it. Remember?”

“A greeting from me especially for a pompous man who, tragically, turns out to be my future husband. How unfortunate.”

“I’m curious now. How was your first meeting with my brother?”

“Sweet. Like a scene from a drama. He made a lovely first impression. Unlike you, you bastard.”

“Your tongue is razor-sharp. Aren’t you afraid I might cut it out?”

“Go ahead. But you might regret it. Without my tongue, I can’t moan your name in bed. Though… that might work out better for me.”

“Remarkable woman.”

“I’m leaving. There’s nothing left to discuss.”

“You’d leave a lonely man all by himself when you could offer him comfort?” Arnav leaned close, his voice a velvet purr.

“Hire three or five bitches, Arnav. Enjoy the last night of before you be my husband. But I won’t fill myself with you not until we’re married.”

She pushed him away, caught his smug grin, and rose with pride. She walked to the door, turned the knob, and disappeared without so much as a backward glance.

She walked with the dignity of a queen. Unafraid of status, unbothered by power. Her defiance was as loud as thunder.

And Arnav couldn’t help but chuckle. “The game is already on, huh?”