Chapter 2:The Man At The Alter

The Man at the Altar

For several seconds, nobody moved.

The wedding bells continued to ring.

Lena could hear them clearly, each note striking against the silence that had fallen between her and Adrian.

His eyes remained fixed on her.

“You’re not Sophia,” he repeated.

It wasn’t a question this time.

Lena swallowed.

“I know.”

A muscle tightened in Adrian’s jaw.

Behind them, whispers began spreading through the hall.

“What happened?”

“Is that really Sophia?”

“Why does Adrian look so angry?”

Lena’s fingers tightened around the bouquet until the stems pressed painfully into her palm.

She had imagined this moment countless times in the last hour.

She had imagined Adrian shouting.

She had imagined him walking away.

She had even imagined the entire wedding collapsing.

What she hadn’t imagined was the calmness in his expression.

It was worse than anger.

He looked like a man trying to decide exactly how much damage he could cause without losing control.

“Where is she?” he asked.

Lena lowered her voice.

“I don’t know.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Your family sends another woman to my wedding and you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?”

“I didn’t send myself.”

For the first time, something flickered in his eyes.

Lena looked away.

She could feel everyone watching.

Her father.

Her mother.

The Blackwood family.

The guests.

Every person in the room was waiting to see what Adrian would do.

Then he leaned closer.

“Did they force you?”

Lena looked at him sharply.

The question caught her off guard.

“What?”

“Did your family force you to come here?”

She hesitated.

That was all the answer he needed.

Adrian’s gaze hardened.

“Interesting.”

He straightened.

Then he turned toward Lena’s father.

“Mr. Carter.”

Her father stepped forward nervously.

“Adrian, I can explain—”

“You have thirty seconds.”

The room went silent.

“Where is Sophia?”

Her father swallowed.

“We don’t know.”

“Then why is Lena standing here?”

Her father didn’t answer.

Adrian gave a humorless smile.

“I see.”

He turned back to Lena.

“And you agreed to this?”

Lena almost laughed.

“Do I look like I had a choice?”

Something in her voice made him pause.

For a brief moment, the anger in his eyes softened.

Only slightly.

Then it disappeared.

Adrian looked toward the officiant.

“Cancel the ceremony.”

A gasp traveled through the room.

Lena’s heart sank.

Her father immediately stepped forward.

“You can’t do that.”

Adrian’s gaze turned cold.

“I can do whatever I want.”

“The agreement—”

“Your daughter disappeared on the morning of our wedding.”

Her father went quiet.

Adrian continued.

“And instead of informing me, you dressed another woman in her wedding gown and brought her down the aisle.”

His voice remained controlled.

“That isn’t a mistake, Mr. Carter.”

He looked around the room.

“It’s deception.”

Lena’s chest tightened.

She knew he was right.

But hearing him say it made everything worse.

Her father moved closer.

“Adrian, please. Give us some time.”

“You had years.”

The words landed heavily.

Adrian looked at Lena again.

“Take the dress off.”

Lena froze.

“What?”

“I’m not marrying you.”

She nodded slowly.

Of course.

She should have expected that.

She turned toward the aisle.

But before she could take a step, her father’s voice stopped her.

“If this marriage doesn’t happen today, the Carter Group is finished.”

Lena closed her eyes.

There it was again.

The weight of an entire family placed on her shoulders.

She turned around.

Adrian was watching her.

He had heard every word.

“Is that why you came?” he asked.

Lena nodded.

“My family needs this marriage.”

“And you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for them?”

Lena looked at him.

“Would you let your family lose everything if you could prevent it?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Something unreadable crossed his face.

Then he looked toward his legal adviser, who had been standing quietly near the front row.

“Bring me the contract.”

The man immediately opened his briefcase.

Adrian took the document.

He scanned the pages.

Then he looked at Lena.

“The agreement names Sophia Carter as the bride.”

“I know.”

“It doesn’t name you.”

“I know.”

“Which means this marriage is invalid unless I agree to the substitution.”

Lena stared at him.

“So?”

Adrian closed the contract.

“So I’ll agree.”

Her breath caught.

The entire room seemed to hold its breath with her.

Her father looked relieved.

Lena wasn’t.

“Why?”

Adrian’s expression became unreadable.

“Because I want answers.”

“About Sophia?”

“About everything.”

He stepped closer.

“And because I don’t appreciate being made a fool of.”

Lena’s stomach twisted.

“What are your conditions?”

His eyes stayed on hers.

“For the next six months, you will remain my wife.”

“Six months?”

“Yes.”

“And after that?”

“We divorce.”

The word hurt more than it should have.

Lena didn’t understand why.

Perhaps because, despite everything, hearing it made her feel like she was being dismissed before she had even entered the marriage.

“What else?”

“You will live in my house.”

She hesitated.

“My house?”

“My rules.”

Lena almost smiled.

“You really enjoy giving orders, don’t you?”

His eyebrow lifted.

“And you seem to enjoy challenging them.”

“I’ve known you for five minutes.”

“And you’ve already started.”

Despite herself, Lena almost laughed.

Almost.

Then Adrian’s expression turned serious again.

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“If Sophia contacts you, you tell me immediately.”

Lena’s smile disappeared.

She remembered the message.

Don’t let them find me.

She couldn’t explain why, but she suddenly felt that those words were more important than ever.

“What if she doesn’t want to be found?”

Adrian’s eyes sharpened.

“Then I’ll find out why.”

Lena looked at him for a long moment.

Something told her that Adrian Blackwood wasn’t a man who accepted unanswered questions.

And Sophia had left behind far too many.

Adrian extended his hand.

“Do we have a deal?”

Lena stared at his hand.

Six months.

A stranger.

A marriage built on deception.

And a sister who had disappeared without explanation.

Everything inside her screamed to walk away.

But then she looked toward her parents.

Her father’s face was pale.

Her mother’s eyes were filled with tears.

Lena slowly placed her hand in Adrian’s.

His fingers closed around hers.

Cold.

Firm.

Final.

“We have a deal.”

The officiant looked uncertainly between them.

“Should we proceed?”

Adrian didn’t look away from Lena.

“Yes.”

The ceremony began again.

But this time, Lena wasn’t walking toward a wedding.

She was walking into a secret.

And she had no idea that before the six months were over, she would discover that the man standing beside her had been keeping secrets of his own.