Chapter 2: The Wrong Woman

Nadine’s POV

​The guards escorted me out of the house and directly into the back of a black car, ensuring that I did not have a single moment alone to try and run away again. My mother sat right beside me, fixing her makeup in a small mirror while occasionally looking over to make sure I was not ruining the white dress.

​"Keep your face straight when we get inside, Nadine, because the photographers might be lurking around the courthouse," she warned, not even looking at me directly as she snapped her compact shut, "Adrian is already annoyed about the rushed ceremony, so do not give him a reason to walk away before the papers are signed."

​"He is going to notice the moment he looks at my face, Mom," I said, my voice sounding completely hollow while I stared down at my hands, which were shaking in my lap, "Nadira and I look similar from a distance, but we do not have the same face."

​"He has only met your sister twice in noisy clubs, and he was drunk both times, so he will not notice a thing if you just keep your mouth shut and keep the veil low," she replied coldly, pushing me out of the car as soon as we pulled up to the side entrance of the building.

​We walked inside the quiet courthouse, where my father was already waiting alongside a tall man who smelled strongly of alcohol and looked completely detached from the situation. Adrian Kingsley did not even bother to look up when I approached, instead keeping his eyes fixed on his phone while he loosened his tie with an irritated tug.

​"You are late," Adrian muttered, his voice thick and rough as he finally glanced at his watch, "Let us just get this over with because I have a meeting in two hours, and I do not want to spend another minute in this place."

​"We apologize for the delay, Adrian, but the bride just needed some extra time to prepare," my father said with a fake smile, pushing me gently toward the desk where the official was waiting with the marriage certificate.

​The ceremony was incredibly brief, with the official reading through the legal terms while Adrian stood beside me, swaying slightly on his feet and completely ignoring my presence. When it was time to sign, he grabbed the pen and scribbled his name without even looking at the bride's section, clearly assuming that the woman standing next to him was the one he had agreed to marry.

​"Sign it, Nadira," Adrian muttered, shoving the pen into my hand before turning his back to speak to his assistant, who was waiting near the door.

​I looked down at the paper, my hand trembling so much that I could barely hold the pen, but my father’s heavy hand gripped my shoulder from behind, reminding me exactly what would happen if I refused.

I quickly signed my name, Nadine Ivory, hoping that the small font would keep him from noticing the truth immediately, and within five minutes, we were officially husband and wife.

​That night, Adrian’s driver dropped us off at a massive mansion on the outskirts of the city, the house felt completely empty as the servants silently showed me to the master bedroom. I sat on the edge of the large bed for hours, still wearing the heavy wedding gown because I was too terrified to move, until the bedroom door swung open around midnight.

​Adrian walked in, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and his eyes bloodshot. He did not say a word as he closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms. He dragged me onto the bed, his grip tight and frantic as he pressed his lips against my neck and mumbled a name that made my entire body go cold.

​"Nadira, you are finally mine," he whispered against my skin, his voice laced with alcohol and desperation, "I told you that you couldn't escape me, and now you belong to the Kingsley family."

​"Adrian, wait, stop," I tried to speak, pushing against his broad chest to get some space, but he completely ignored my words, burying his face in my hair and tightening his hold around my waist.

​"You smell different today, Nadira, but it doesn't matter," he murmured sleepily, his movements slowing down as the alcohol finally took over his system, "We are going to make this work, and your family will get exactly what they wanted."

​He fell asleep right beside me with his arm locked around my waist, leaving me trapped awake for the rest of the night while I stared at the ceiling and listened to his steady breathing.

​When the morning light filled the room, Adrian shifted beside me, slowly opening his eyes and blinking against the brightness before his gaze finally landed on my face. He froze instantly, his expression turning from confusion to pure rage within a matter of seconds as he pushed himself up away from me.

​"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my bed?" Adrian shouted, throwing the blanket aside as he stood up and glared down at me like I was a criminal.

​"I am Nadine, Nadira's sister," I said quickly, pulling the sheets up to cover myself as I scrambled to the other side of the bed, "My parents forced me to take her place because she ran away, and they didn't want the deal to fall through."

​"You are lying, you scheming little gold-digger," he hissed, his face turning red with anger as he grabbed his shirt from the floor, "You and your family planned this from the very beginning to trick me into marrying the wrong sister, didn't you?"

​"No, I tried to run away last night, but my father caught me and locked me up," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face as I tried to make him understand, "I never wanted this marriage, Adrian, and I wanted to tell you the truth yesterday at the courthouse, but I couldn't."

​"Do you really expect me to believe that a pathetic substitute like you didn't want a piece of the Kingsley fortune?" he sneered, stepping closer to the bed and pointing a finger at me, "You stole your sister's place, and I will make sure you and your family pay for this humiliation."

​Before I could say another word, Adrian’s phone began to ring loudly on the bedside table. He snatched it up angrily, but his expression softened slightly when he saw the caller ID.

​"Nadira?" Adrian spoke into the phone, his voice completely changing as he listened to the person on the other end.

​"Adrian, please help me," Nadira’s voice came through the speaker, filled with loud, dramatic sobs that filled the quiet bedroom, "Nadine locked me in the basement yesterday morning and stole my wedding dress. I just managed to escape, so please don't believe anything she tells you because she wanted your money all along!”