Chapter 2

　　Zayn's POV

　　I released a breath as my impatience was already brewing on the surface. I was in the private suite of a hotel and was currently waiting for a business consultant who was already ten minutes late.

　　I stared out of the window with my mind deep in thought, but then, my phone lit up with a call from my dad, making me stiffen.

　　"I am in the middle of something, Solomon," I said when I answered.

　　"Then drop it," my father's voice boomed as he sounded more agitated than usual. "The news just broke, and Caleb Wilson finally went public with his relationship, and he is at a ski resort with Ivy Taylor. The press is already talking about a wedding, and they are framing it as the union of two great families."

　　I felt the air leave my lungs as my fingers tightened around my phone in a crushing grip. No, he cannot get married first!

　　"You had all the time in the world to act ahead of him, but you never take things seriously! If Caleb marries first, he secures that land, and he will have the upper hand in every negotiation for the next decade. You need to act, Zayn, find a woman, settle down, and do it before the week is out."

　　"I am not going to marry a stranger just to win a contract," I snapped, frustration gnawing at me.

　　"Don't you dare use that tone on me!" Solomon spat. "You're going to get a wife in a couple of days and wed her before that maggot goes first, do you understand me?"

　　"But I simply cannot-"

　　"You will! I don't care how you do it, just get it done."

　　Before I could retort, the door to the suite burst open. I turned, ready to dismiss whoever had the audacity to interrupt me, but the words died in my throat.

　　A woman stood in the doorway, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

　　Her chest heaving like she had been running, Her hair was a tangled mess of dark curls, and she looked as if she had been dressed in a hurry, yet, there was a raw, undeniable defiance in her posture that caught me off guard.

　　She was breathtaking, her small form framed by a simple dress that did nothing to hide her elegance but it was her eyes that held me. They were a deep blue that seemed to look into my very soul.

　　"I am here," she said. "I changed my mind, I will agree to the marriage."

　　I lowered my phone and ended the call without thinking as I turned to face her fully as the woman stepped further into the room and closed the door after her. She did not ask who I was, nor did she wait for me to speak as she already had terms of her own.

　　"One year," she said. "A contractual marriage where we act like a loving couple in public, but we do not interfere in each other's private lives. I need this to happen immediately, so are those terms acceptable to you?"

　　Stunned, I stared at her, but my mind was already several steps ahead. She clearly mistook me for the man her family was forcing her to wed. A normal man would have corrected her, but I wasn't a normal man; I was a man who didn't let opportunity slip.

　　A dark, calculated satisfaction curled in my chest as a plan began to take form in my mind.

　　This was Vivian Miller, whom I had seen in the background of Caleb's life for years. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by. A slow predatory satisfaction settled in my chest as I was already analyzing how things were already getting better.

　　If this were real, then Caleb wasn't prepared in the least for what was coming his way.

　　"One year," I agreed, stepping closer to her. ""In fact, why wait? If we are going to do this, we should do it now. My lawyers can have the paperwork ready at the registrar's office in twenty minutes."

　　She blinked, taken aback. "Today?"

　　"I'm afraid, yes," I said as I pulled out my phone to alert my assistant to get the car ready. "Don't you think we are running out of time?"

　　She grudgingly nodded, and I alerted my men instantly.

　　While we drove towards the courthouse, I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she sat stiffly, her hands gripped together in her lap like she was trying not to freak out. As I glanced at her, I couldn't help but wonder why she was so desperate.

　　The process was fast because I had all the resources we could probably need as we walked into the small chapel near the registrar's office. From the corner of my eye, I watched her fingers tremble slightly as she signed the marriage contract.

　　When we were done, I saw her eyes linger on my name for a bit too long, and for a moment I thought my cover was blown, but then she shook her head slightly and returned the papers.

　　"Having doubts?" I asked.

　　"What? No." She quickly said as she handed back the papers.

　　She was acting a bit stiff with her hand randomly clutching her side, but I waved it off.

　　When we were done, we walked out of the chapel, and I found myself walking closely by her side as she seemed to be in her own world.

　　"How about a drive home?" I offered. "We have a lot to discuss regarding our living arrangements and how to handle things together moving on."

　　She shook her head immediately. "No, thank you, but I would like to be alone for a while as I need to process this. I will send you my contact information."

　　As I watched her retreat, a small smile crept to my lips as I got into the car and headed back to the estate to meet my dad, who was pacing the living room.

　　With a collected look, I handed him the marriage certificate.

　　"What is this?" he asked in confusion as he reached for it.

　　"It is done," I said as a small smile played on my lips. "I am married."

　　"Already?" Solomon sounded skeptical, his voice laced with suspicion. "Who is she? Which family did you negotiate with? If this is some fake stunt to appease the committee—"

　　"It is not fake, Father," I interrupted as I collected the certificate and made my way upstairs.

　　"I just wonder," I mused, more to myself than to him, "how long it will take for Vivian to realize she married the wrong man."