The front door creaks open. The sanctuary is small, but the vaulted ceiling and stained-glass saints do their best to impress. A red carpet cuts between rows of wooden pews, leading straight to the altar. Where a… priest… is waiting. He has white hair and robes and has a kind smile that says he has no clue what he’s about to be a part of.
We stop in front of him.
“Surprise!” Marcus announces, like this is the part where I start crying happy tears.
I lick my lips. “What’s the surprise, exactly?”
“We’re getting married!”
What. The. Fuck.
Marcus looks giddy, like a kid on Christmas morning. I freeze for half a second, then force a smile. Not joy. Not love. Just the kind of performance you give when you’re in too deep to scream.
“I love you, Aro,” he says, like it means something. Like he didn’t cheat on me last week. And last month. And the monthbefore that. “I know I’m not perfect. I can be selfish—”
Understatement of the year.
“—but I want to make you mine. Officially. Say yes.”
It’s not a question. It’s a command, wrapped in red roses and empty promises.
My eyes flick toward the walls. His men are already in position, blocking exits, watching me like a prisoner. This isn’t a proposal, it’s a fucking trap.
“Yes?” he prompts, grinning like he just offered me the world.
I stretch my smile. “Uh huh. Yep.”
The moment the word leaves my lips, he crushes me into a hug.
“Perfect,” he says, already spinning into motion. “There’s a room in the back. Everything’s set up, and there’s a woman to help you get ready.”
I nod, but not because I agree. My voice is gone. My thoughts aren’t.
He snaps his fingers and, like clockwork, one of his men appears beside us. I turn to follow, mind racing. I need an exit. A weapon. A window. Something. If I marry him, I’ll never get out. Hell, I’m barely free now. I’m a possession, a kept thing, and a certificate will just make it legal.
“Not you,” Marcus snaps behind me.
I stop and turn. He’s talking to Sean, who’d started to follow.
“The perimeter’s secure,” Marcus says smoothly. “No one sees the bride before the ceremony.”
Sean halts mid-step. His jaw ticks. Eyes lock on mine. One look, and everything inside me starts to fracture. Mine sayplease get me out of this. His sayI’m working on it.
“Of course,” he says evenly, stepping back.
Without him, I feel raw and cornered, but I don’t let it show. I’ve been playing this game for years. Smile, obey, survive.
As I pass through the side door, Marcus calls out after me, bright and smug:
“See you soon, wifey!”
Over my dead fucking body.
∞∞∞
My hands won’t stop shaking as some stranger pins my veil into place.
“There!” she chirps behind me. “You’re all ready.”
