Chapter 4: The Wedding of Convenience

“This is the happiest day of your life. Smile, for heaven’s sake.”

Kaila's voice ground on my nerves as her nails dove into my arm, directing me toward the plated swinging doors of the setting.

Her fragrance, sharp and overwhelming, gripped the air between us. The texture of my white glossy silk dress felt choking, every last trace of it an untruth.

"I'm marrying a man I scarcely know," I murmured brutally, yanking my arm free. "What precisely is there to grin about?"

Kaila's painted-on grin floundered briefly before she recovered. "Insight is everything, dear.

No one needs to see a lady of the hour moping. Presently, get in there and make it look acceptable."

I breathed in profoundly, steadying myself as the weighty entryways squeaked open. The room fell quiet. Many new faces moved in the direction of me, their appearances going from interest to apathy.

Mike remained toward the finish of the path, his stance firm, his demeanor garbled.

He was as immaculately dressed as anyone might imagine, his charcoal-dim suit customized flawlessly, yet his eyes didn't sell out anything — no glow, no nerves, nothing.

My legs felt like lead as I ventured out. The train of my dress murmured against the floor, the main sound in the room beside a periodic hack or stir of texture.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I was unable to choose if it was from outrage, dread, or a debilitated mix of both.

Mike's look locked onto mine as I drew closer, a test concealed in the profundities of his virus-dark eyes. If he was anticipating that I should wince or vacillate, he'd be frustrated.

At the point when I arrived at the special stepped area, he broadened his hand. Briefly, I wavered. His fingers drifted, consistent and immovable, as though he were trying me to decline.

"You should accept it," he mumbled, low enough so that I might be able to hear. "Would have zero desire to disturb your crowd."

I cycle within my cheek, constraining an unbiased articulation as I slide my hand into his. His hold was firm, awkwardly in this way, and I contemplated whether he was attempting to communicate something specific.

The officiant started talking, however his words were a haze. My brain hustled with all that had prompted this second — Alex's treachery, Kaila's final offer, and the unpleasant arrangement struck between Mike and me. This wasn't a wedding. It was an exchange.

"Do you, Catherine Holloway, take Michael Rowling to be your legitimately married spouse?"

The inquiry snapped me back to the real world. I could feel everybody's eyes on me, their judgment weighty in the air. Kaila's penetrating look was the most keen of all, quietly telling me to agree.

"I do," I said, my voice consistent notwithstanding the confusion twirling inside me.

Mike didn't to such an extent as squint when it was his move. His "I do" was conveyed with a similar disconnected accuracy he applied to all the other things.

At the point when the officiant pronounced us a couple, there was no praise, no blissful cheers.

Simply the amiable, limited murmur of a crowd of people excessively amenable to recognize the idiocy existing apart from everything else.

"You might kiss the lady," the officiant said.

My stomach grasped as Mike moved in the direction of me. His eyes flicked to my lips for the briefest of minutes before he inclined in, his developments determined.

His lips brushed mine — a transient, mechanical motion that was over nearly before it started.

The room ejected into dispersed adulation, the sound as empty as the actual service.

Kaila was quick to move toward us, her grin as close as the undergarment of my dress.

"Awesome. Awesome," she spouted, applauding together. "Presently, how about we move along to the gathering? We have such countless individuals to welcome!"

I had the opportunity and willpower to deal with her words before she guided us out of the room, her hand solidly squeezed against my back.

Mike inclined in as we strolled, his voice scarcely over a murmur. "You're great at filling the role. Practically persuading."

I frowned at him, however he didn't appear to see — or care.

The gathering was held in a stupendous assembly hall, its vaulted roofs and gem ceiling fixtures intended to dazzle.

Visitors blended with glasses of champagne, their chuckling and jabbering a dull thunder behind the scenes.

I remained close by as many individuals moved toward us, their congrats as crafty as the grins on their countenances.

"You make a lovely couple," one lady said, her sharp eyes flicking between us as though looking for breaks in the façade.

"Much thanks to you," I answered, compelling a grin.

Mike's arm slid around my abdomen, his touch firm and possessive. I fought the temptation to pull away, realizing Kaila was watching from across the room.

"A remarkable show we're putting on," he murmured faintly.

"Having fun?" I shot back, saving my demeanor unbiased to serve our spectators.

"Tremendously."

The night was delayed, each second more horrendous than the last. When the last visitor had at last left, my cheeks hurt from counterfeit grins, and my head pulsated from the interminable casual conversation.

Kaila cornered me as I was getting ready to leave, her appearance ambiguous.

"Recall what's in question," she said, her voice low. "You play a part to play, Cath. Remember it."

Before I could answer, she was gone, her heels clicking strongly against the marble floor.

I found Mike outside, resting up against a smooth dark vehicle, his hands stuffed into his pockets. The cool night air was a welcome help from the smothering air inside.

"Along these lines, this is hitched life," he said, his tone bound with mockery.

"Beguiling, isn't it?" I answered, folding my arms over my chest.

He fixed, his demeanor serious. "How about we get one thing straight, Cath? I have zero faith in you, and you have no faith in me. Yet, for everything to fall into place, we want to keep up appearances. Get it?"

I met his look, my jaw lifting disobediently. "Perfectly clear."

"Great." He opened the vehicle entryway and motioned for me to get in. "We should go."

I delayed the slightest bit before moving inside. The entryway forcibly closed behind me, the sound reverberating in the calm road.

As the vehicle pulled away, I gazed through the window, my psyche dashing. There was something about Mike — something he wasn't telling me.

Furthermore, I expected to figure out what it was.

As the car turned onto a secluded road, Mike’s phone buzzed on the console. I glanced at the screen, my breath catching when I saw the name.

Kaila.

What could she possibly need from him now?