s of Manhattan, the streetlights flashing ac
ierced the quiet cabin. Eleanore looked down. The screen lit up with Johan's
lexander snatched the phone from her purse. Without breaking eye contact wit
dead phone bac
commanded, his voice leaving no room f
massive stone building looked imposing and cold in the dark. A sharp
raped it over Eleanore's shoulders as she stepped onto the pavement. The coat s
's vast legal team had already paved the way with an emergenc
her heels and the heavy thud of his dress shoes echoed in the cavernous hal
der the pretense of a high-security private arrangement, sat behind a desk. He didn't ask questions about the m
mbled, adjusting his glasses. "F
he wrote her name. Then, she moved to the spouse section. Alexander Briggs. Seeing the tgestured for them to st
s woman in matrimony," the judge began, his voice a d
the judge's tie, refusing to loo
take this man to be your
The silence stretched for one
e of her face. The sheer weight of his stare forced her to look at hi
owed hard
you, Alexander Briggs, take this wo
ction of a second. "I do." His voic
," the jud
ontract didn't mention rings
et. He pulled out a small, black velvet
g, surrounded by a halo of crushed white diamonds. It caught the hars
was the most beautiful, terr
rapped securely around her trembling ones. He pic
with zero resistance. It
ring size? She pushed the thought away. He was a billionaire.
nce you husband and wife," the judge said, stamping the Marriagecting him to press a polite, fake kiss
He yanked her flush against his hard chest. His other hand cuppe
up and brought his
possessive. He tasted her deeply, branding her with his heat, letting her feel the absolute physical
ack, her lips were swoll
ly stamped Marriage Certificate. He stared at the re
ng. A cold, misty rain had st
s side, ensuring she was completely shielded from the rain. In doing so
ack into t
ng at Eleanore as the car
" Alexander said, his voice a
/1/115256/coverbig.jpg?v=9db5948169d20591cbb75503696ee0be&imageMogr2/format/webp)