His Accidental Captive

Pov: Elena

"We are husband and wife?"

I stared at the marriage certificate, reading our names again. I wished the words would change if I looked at them long enough.

The man sitting across from me let out a cold, sharp breath. He looked very angry, like a storm ready to break the walls.

"Fix this," Damon Vance said. His voice was deep and strong. "I do not care what you have to do. Fix it right now."

The man behind the desk shook his head. He looked tired and scared.

"I am sorry, Mr. Vance," the clerk said. His hands moved fast over his computer keys.

"The state computer has the digital file right now. It is locked. You signed the papers yourself."

"We were drunk!" I cried out. My voice sounded small in the quiet room.

My mind flashed back to one week ago. I remembered the bright lights and the loud music of a rich wedding party. I had been worried about my sick twin sister and her unpaid hospital bills. The doctors kept calling me every single day. They said her treatment would stop if I did not pay the money. I had no money. I was completely lost and broken.

Someone had handed me a glass of strong liquor at the party. I drank it fast to stop the pain in my head. Damon had been there too. He stood far away from everyone because people were scared of him. He wore a dark black suit. He looked cold and dangerous, like a king who owned the whole world.

We met near the bar. We were both stressed and drinking too much. For fun, and to show we did not care about the rules, we walked over to a small wedding table set up in the hotel corner. We laughed, took a stupid dare, and signed our names on a computer screen. We thought it was just a game that it meant nothing at all.

Now, sitting in the bright legal office, that stupid drunken mistake felt like a heavy iron chain around my neck.

"It was a small registry booth at the hotel," the clerk said, bringing me back to the present moment. "People do it for fun. But the digital signatures are real. You are legally married."

Damon stood up. He was very tall. His dark suit looked like armor, and his dark eyes stared at me like I was a bug.

"I am the CEO of Golden Enterprises," Damon said. His teeth were tight. "My face is on the news every single day. If people find out I got drunk and married a nobody, my business will crash and my partners will leave me."

"Do you think I wanted this?" I yelled back. My chest moved fast as fear mixed with my anger. "I woke up with a bad headache and a nightmare! Just give us the divorce papers. Let us sign them and go."

The clerk pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked very sorry for us.

"I cannot do that," the clerk said softly. "The law here is very strict. Once you are married, the state says you must wait six months before you can ask for a divorce."

Silence hit the room for a few seconds.

"Six months?" I whispered. The words felt cold in my mouth.

"Are you crazy?" Damon leaned over the desk. The clerk leaned back, scared of the cold anger coming from the billionaire. "You want me to stay married to her for half a year? Find a way out right now."

"There is no way out, Mr. Vance," the clerk said, his voice shaking. "You have to wait six months. After which you can come back."

Damon turned away from the desk. His jaw was tight. He looked down at me, and his dark eyes showed pure hatred.

"This is bad," Damon muttered.

"You think I am ok with it?" I stood up, lifting my chin even though my legs felt weak. "I want nothing to do with you. Good luck waiting six months!"

I turned around and pushed the heavy glass door open. I did not look back. I walked out into the cold street, my heart beating fast.

I just wanted to go home. I needed to see my boyfriend, Tyler. I walked fast down the busy sidewalk, trying to push away the cold fear in my chest. The wind blew hard against my face, but I did not stop.

When I finally reached our small apartment, I pushed the door open and saw Tyler sitting on the couch with his laptop.

The blue light from the screen hit his face. He looked up and smiled at me. He had no idea that my entire life had just fallen apart. I walked over to him, my hands still shaking, and I sat down right beside him on the old sofa.

I looked into his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to tell him everything about the legal office, the billionaire, and the terrible six-month trap.

I trusted him completely, not knowing that sharing this secret with him was the worst mistake I could possibly make.