Chapter Six

“Do you, Lila Blakes, take Asher Lancaster as your lawfully wedded husband?”

I glance at the hundreds of faces, the flashing lights, the camerasball watching. My hands tremble slightly in his.

The question still hangs in the air.

 Do I?

“I do,” I whisper.

“And do you, Asher Lancaster, take Lila Blakes as your lawfully wedded wife?”

He looks at me with that usual amused smirk. “Obviously. I do.”

Whispers and flashes fill the church.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest says.

Asher leans in slightly, murmuring, “Relax. It’s just your chin.”

Before I can react, he presses a light kiss to my chin. Soft. Just enough to make everyone believe but not enough to make it real.

“Smile,” he whispers again as cameras go wild.

I try.

Then through the clapping, I hear him add under his breath, “Now you’re officially a Lancaster, Mrs. Contract.” 

I shoot him a sideways glare.

“Don’t look at me like that, wife,” he teases, taking my hand.

The priest clears his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Asher Lancaster.”

The applause is deafening. My heart isn’t sure how to feel.

Because I just married a man I barely know in front of the entire world.

We leave the church hand-in-hand, cameras flashing wildly as reporters and paparazzi shout our names. I try to keep my head down, but Asher holds my hand, giving me a reassuring glance.

A black Rolls-Royce waits outside, its door held open by a uniformed driver. Asher helps me in, and soon we’re driving through the city, our car escorted by a fleet of security vehicles.

"Are you okay?" he asks quietly, breaking the silence.

I nod. “Just overwhelmed.”

He chuckles. “Get used to it, Mrs. Lancaster.”

We arrive at the reception venue, a luxury hotel garden glittering with fairy lights. Everything looks like a dream. Long tables, golden cutlery, and a floral arch in the middle of the dance floor.

As we step out of the car, guests erupt into applause. Someone yells, “Kiss the bride!” 

Asher smirks and presses a light kiss to my chin instead of my lips, earning a playful groan from the crowd.

"You’re lucky I let you get away with that," I mutter.

He grins. “At least, I'm not unlucky.”

We walk toward the crowd together, fake smiles in place, our fingers still intertwined.

Soft classical music floats through the air in the reception as well as hush voices of people talking.

Asher is immediately carried away by a circle of powerful looking men and women, investors, celebrities, and business moguls he clearly knows well. He offers me a quick smile before he disappears into the crowd.

I barely take a step before a woman in a glittering red gown approaches me. “Lila, right? I’m Mrs. Harrington. I own the Harrington hotel chain.”

“Oh—uh, yes. Nice to meet you,” I manage, offering a small smile.

She scans me head to toe. “You look lovely. Asher did say you were... different.”

Before I can even respond, another guest steps in. “So, you’re the new Mrs. Lancaster? I’ve heard quite the news .” He smiles politely, extending his hand. “Jonathan Wills. Tech.”

More and more guests approach. Some genuinely kind, others just curious. 

One woman whispers, “You must be very special if Asher picked you over Elise.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just smile.

Across the room, I catch Asher’s eye. He’s still talking to someone and focused.

The music shifts to softer tone, showing that the couple’s dance is about to begin. Everyone starts to gather near the dance floor. I glance around, expecting Asher to come get me.

But he doesn’t.

He’s still across the room, deep in conversation with a man in a grey suit. Laughing like this isn’t our wedding day.

I sit back down at the edge of the hall, trying not to look out of place in my own reception. My fingers nervously trace the rim of the glass in front of me.

That’s when I hear the chair beside me pull out.

“Interesting choice,” a familiar voice says.

I look up. Ryan.

He leans back casually, watching me with that same sharp smile I remember all too well.

“Of all people, you married Asher?” he says, his voice low and just loud enough for me to hear over the music. “Why him?”

I look away. “Why does it matter?”

“Because you once cried for me like your whole world ended,” he says with a chuckle. “And now you’re sitting in Lancaster gold, wearing a ring that’s probably worth your whole life savings.”

I frown but stay silent.

He leans a little closer. “So tell me, was it the money? The fame? Or just a way to fix your life?”

I turn to him slowly. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

He scoffs, “Of course not. But I hope you know what you’re doing, Lila. Asher doesn’t do forever.”

I look him dead in the eyes. “Neither did you.”

I lean forward, not bothering to hide the sharpness in my voice.

“But tell me, Ryan,” I say quietly, “does it burn? Watching the girl you left for dead sit here, wearing the ring your cousin gave her?”

His smirk fades slightly, but I don’t stop.

“You think I married him for money?” I tilt my head. “Coming from someone who couldn’t even afford loyalty.”

He blinks, caught off guard, but I lean in just a little closer.

“You insult me for scrubbing floors but at least I worked for something. Unlike you, who was born rich and still managed to become nothing but a coward.”

He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

I straighten up, giving him a cold smile. “So if you’re done talking down to me, you can take your empty pride somewhere else.”

Before Ryan can gather a response, a shadow falls over us.

“Asher,” I hear my name on his lips before I even look up.

I turn and there he is, tall and sharp in his black tux, eyes lock on Ryan like a warning.

“I was wondering where my wife was,” he says with a slight grin, sliding his hand onto my shoulder possessively. His gaze don’t leave Ryan. “Problem here?”

Ryan stands, looking into his eyes in disdain. “Just catching up.”

Asher’s smile is polite, but the tension between them can split the floor. I know right from time that the two men dislike each other but I don't know why.

“Yeah? Well, she’s not interested in the past,” Asher says smoothly. “Especially not the kind that walks away when things get hard.”

Ryan stiffens, but don’t say a word. He gives me one last glance, then walks off.

Asher leans down to me,then he smirks. “You still owe me a dance, Mrs. Lancaster.”

Mrs. Lancaster. I find the name annoying but cool too.

Asher and I barely make it halfway through the dance before he pulls back, his eyes cold.

“I’m tired,” he says, voice distant. “Let’s go.”

I nod, but as soon as we’re outside, he lets go of my hand like I’m nothing.

In the car, he stares out the window, ignoring me completely.

“ What's wrong?”, I ask.

“My problem is not your business,Mrs Contract. I'll like you to keep your eyes off me”, he snaps.

The words sting, but I say nothing.

He finally says,“I want to see someone,” he mutters without looking at me. “Someone I actually miss.”