CHAPTER FIVE : Forced Proximity

KATE

The cathedral bells bellowed ceremoniously.

The wedding was finally over. 

Then came the marriage. The actual marriage.

Mrs Romano's smile was ice as she held up my bulk wedding dress, just for the cameras of course, so I could slide into the white limousine. 

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding immediately the door slammed shut and I was safely in the car. The noise outside was muffled.

The past week hadn't been particularly fun for me, from being chosen by an heir for marriage to being forced by my father to accept. 

And then there was the attention.

Now the world knew my name.

Suddenly everyone wanted to know who Kate Adams was. 

Both my name's and Leon's were boldly written across every major headline. 

My house had been invaded multiple times by paparazzi, wanting to take a sneak peak into the life of Kate Adams before the fame.

The only positive outcome was that the so called PR move was working. It was like everyone suddenly forgot the drug scandal incident. 

The possibility of a multi billion dollar heir getting married to his childhood nanny's daughter seemed like an even juicier story.

My mind went to the kiss we had been forced to share during the wedding ceremony. 

Leon had held my waist and kissed me without hesitation. 

He was such a good actor, even I had felt the passion from the electrifying kiss.

I stared at the diamond ring Leon Romano had slid into my left fourth finger a few minutes ago. That was when the seriousness of it all hit me.

I was married to Leon Romano. 

Not a game or a prank, really married. 

Although it was arranged for damage control of the empire, it was still a real marriage.

I sighed heavily, rested my head back and closed my eyes.

“Don’t you think it's too early to start harbouring regrets, Katie Romano?”

I jerked. I had completely forgotten he was sitting next to me. 

Leon was lighting a cigarette which made me frown. He dropped the lighter in his pocket after lighting up.

“You smoke?” He offered me the cigarette.

“No.” To say I was surprised was an understatement. 

Leon smiled wryly, and put out the cigarette. He then faced the window.

“You don’t sound like someone who just got married.” I blurted out.

His gaze shifted to me briefly.

“Do you?”

An uncomfortable silence followed.

“So what now?” I asked. Normally I wouldn't welcome a conversation with him but I was too nervous to stay quiet.

“Meaning?” His eyes stayed on the window.

“We've gotten married. Everyone has magically forgotten about the scandal. So what else do we have to do now?”

“The media never forgets, it just feeds on new stories to pass time.”

“So all this was a waste of time then?” I kept my voice steady, even though nothing about this felt steady.

“Could be.”

My ears rang. He said what? I practically had to put my whole life on hold just for this. 

I had resigned from my place of work because I was told to, it was either I resigned or the company would be ordered to fire me. 

I had resigned quietly because I didn't want to have a bad record.

“The only thing we can do now…” Leon went on. “...is to sell this marriage. Be the perfect power couple. That'll give them something to feed on for the meantime.”

I turned away from him, staring out the window.

I felt cheated. Defeated.

Everything I gave up… for something that didn't make much sense to me.

                    ***********

The wedding reception took place in one of the Romanos' five-star hotels. It was classy and full of elite personalities.

It was everything I expected.

Too loud.

Too bright.

Too fake.

People smiled at me like they knew me. Most made efforts to engage me in conversations. Like I belonged.

I didn’t.

I spotted my father across the room, laughing, shaking hands, blending in. 

He met up with different people, networking, like this fancy charade was his cup of tea.

Mum was nowhere to be seen. I had seen her at the ceremony and she had barely hugged me, avoiding eye contact with almost everyone.

That didn’t surprise me.

Leon stayed beside me the entire time.

Not close enough to touch but never far enough to forget he was there.

As usual he was silent, controlled, watching everything.

At some point, he leaned slightly closer.

“Smile.”

And I did even though I felt like shoving him.

Because the cameras were watching. Because they always were.

I slipped away as soon as I could. Maybe because the party was boring or because it was probably the worst day of my life.

I needed space.

Air.

Anything that wasn’t this.

                    ************

The special suite, reserved for the “newlyweds”, was quiet when I stepped in.

Finally.

I headed straight for the bathroom.

A hot shower. That was what I needed. Something to wash off the day's disappointment, or life's disappointment in general.

The noise. The pressure. The weight of everything.

By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I felt… lighter.

Not better. Just less suffocated.

I walked over to the wardrobe.

And froze.

My clothes were gone. And so was my suitcase.

“You missed the toast.” A gruff voice came from behind.

I turned sharply.

Leon stood by the window, watching me intently.

I tightened the towel instinctively.

His gaze didn’t shift, didn’t soften.

It stayed on me, steady, unreadable, like he was taking his time.

Like there was no rush.

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, pressing in from all sides.

For the first time that day, the cameras were gone.

No audience.

No performance.

Just him. Just me.

And whatever this was supposed to be now.

My fingers curled tighter against the fabric as the weight of it settled in.

This wasn’t the wedding, this was after.

And somehow, that felt worse.