Chapter 5: The Wedding

By the time the wedding morning arrived, I had convinced myself that I was prepared for everything except the way my life had changed in only a few weeks. Thirty days earlier, I had walked into Nathan Cross's office determined to fight him over my father's company. Now I was standing in front of a mirror wearing a wedding dress chosen by a designer I had never met, preparing to become Nathan Cross's wife in front of hundreds of people. The thought still felt unreal, especially because I knew that beneath the beautiful dress and carefully arranged flowers was a contract that would expire in exactly one year.

Maya stood behind me, adjusting the veil while studying my reflection. “You look beautiful, Celine,” she said.

I gave her a nervous smile as I turned slightly toward her. “I feel like I am preparing for someone else's wedding,” I admitted.

“That is probably because you never imagined marrying a billionaire you were arguing with a few weeks ago,” Maya replied.

I laughed softly before looking at myself in the mirror again. “I never imagined marrying anyone under these circumstances.”

Maya's expression became more serious as she asked, “Are you sure you are okay with this?”

“I agreed to the contract because it was the only way to save Bennett Industries,” I answered. “I know exactly why I am doing this.”

Maya nodded, although the concern in her eyes remained. “Just remember that you do not have to pretend with me.”

“I know,” I assured her. “But I do have to pretend with everyone else.”

A knock sounded at the door, and one of the wedding coordinators entered to inform us that the ceremony would begin shortly. My stomach tightened when I heard her words, and the reality of what I was about to do suddenly felt heavier than it had all morning.

When I entered the ceremony hall, my attention immediately settled on Nathan, who was standing beside the officiant in a perfectly fitted black suit and watching me approach with an expression I could not quite read. I had seen him in expensive suits before, but seeing him waiting for me at the end of the aisle felt different. For a moment, I forgot that our marriage was supposed to be nothing more than an arrangement because there was something in the way he looked at me that made the entire room seem quieter.

When I reached him, Nathan extended his hand toward me and said, “You look beautiful.”

I placed my hand in his and replied, “You look surprisingly nervous for a man who arranged all of this without asking me.”

A faint smile appeared on his face as he answered, “I am not nervous.”

I raised an eyebrow before saying, “Then you are very good at pretending.”

Nathan held my gaze for a moment before replying, “Perhaps I learned from you.”

The ceremony began, and I tried to focus on the officiant's words rather than the warmth of Nathan's hand around mine. Everything sounded formal and permanent despite the fact that both of us knew exactly how temporary the marriage was supposed to be. When it was time for our vows, Nathan turned toward me, and his expression became more serious as he spoke.

“I promise to respect you, protect your interests, and honor the agreement we made,” Nathan said.

His words were carefully chosen, and I appreciated that he did not pretend to offer something he had never promised. I looked into his eyes before answering, “I promise to respect you, honor our agreement, and give this marriage the commitment it requires for the year we agreed upon.”

The officiant smiled before announcing that we were officially husband and wife, and then came the moment I had been trying not to think about. When the officiant invited Nathan to kiss his bride, my heart began beating faster as he turned fully toward me and stepped closer.

I expected him to give me a brief, formal kiss for the cameras, but when his hand settled gently against my waist, I became intensely aware of how close we were. Nathan searched my eyes for a moment before leaning toward me and pressing his lips softly against mine. Although I had expected the kiss to last only a second, neither of us immediately pulled away, and the unexpected hesitation left me far more conscious of his closeness than I wanted to be. When Nathan finally stepped back, I found myself staring at him before remembering that hundreds of people were watching us.

Nathan's voice was quiet when he asked, “Are you all right?”

I forced myself to smile before answering, “I am fine.”

His gaze remained on mine for another moment before he replied, “Good.”

Applause filled the hall, breaking the strange tension between us as cameras flashed from every direction. Nathan placed his hand against my back and guided me toward the reception area, where guests immediately surrounded us with congratulations.

“Stay close to me,” Nathan said quietly as we moved through the crowd.

I glanced at him before asking, “Is that another condition in the contract?”

A small smile touched his lips as he answered, “No. It is simply easier if you stay beside me while everyone is watching.”

I nodded and allowed him to guide me through the crowd, although I could not ignore the strange comfort I felt from having his hand at my back.

Later, one of the reporters approached us and asked, “How did the two of you meet?”

I looked at Nathan, realizing too late that we had never discussed the fictional love story we were supposed to present to the public. Nathan, however, answered without hesitation.

“Celine and I met through business,” he said.

The reporter smiled before asking, “And when did you realize you were in love?”

I almost choked on my champagne before recovering quickly enough to maintain my composure. Nathan glanced at me and answered, “That is a story for another time.”

I turned toward him with a disapproving smile and whispered, “You are terrible at this.”

Nathan's expression remained calm as he replied quietly, “Then you should have prepared a better answer.”

His dry response was so unexpected that I found myself smiling despite my determination to maintain the serious expression expected of a newlywed standing beside her billionaire husband.

Later that evening, while we stood together near the edge of the reception hall, a young man I recognized from one of my father's former business partners approached me. He congratulated me warmly before explaining that he had been hoping to speak with me privately about Bennett Industries. Before I could respond, Nathan stepped closer and placed his hand gently against my waist.

“I am sorry to interrupt,” Nathan said, “but my wife has been surrounded by people all evening, and I promised her she would have a few quiet minutes.”

The man immediately apologized and stepped away, leaving me to look up at Nathan with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

“Did you just rescue me from a business conversation?” I asked.

Nathan looked down at me before answering, “You looked tired.”

I studied his expression, trying to determine whether that was really the reason. “Thank you,” I said.

Nathan's hand remained at my waist as he replied, “You are welcome.”

For the first time that day, I began wondering whether the man I had married was quite as indifferent as he claimed to be. The thought made me uncomfortable because Nathan and I had agreed on one simple rule above everything else: our marriage was supposed to remain nothing more than an arrangement. Yet as I stood beside him with his hand resting against my waist and remembered the kiss we had shared at the altar, I could not stop wondering how long either of us would be able to follow that rule.