"You will be damned if you think I am going to let you get married to that bastard!"
Oh boy.
Edward was showing a side of him I rarely saw. A side that had terrified me before and led to our first breakup. A side that made me question if I really knew him at all.
"What is this childish tantrum you came to display at my wedding, Edward?" Sebastian's voice was cold and unbothered. Calm, calculated, and lethal. He always played his cards as if he had the upper hand.
"Tantrum? Son of a bitch!" Edward's fury turned on Sebastian. "You think you can claim Ariana as if she is a toy or a business deal? You've got to be kidding me!"
"Claim her?" Sebastian said, feigning confusion, his brows furrowing just slightly.
"Ariana is my wife, isn't she?" Edward looked at me, then at my hand in his. I realized I was still holding his hand. Slowly, I slipped away, noticing the warmth vanish. His eyes found mine again, and for a brief, blinding moment, I got lost in those hazel eyes.
Edward was here. Finally. A sense of peace settled in my chest. I mustered courage and stepped away from Sebastian, ignoring my father's disapproving stare. Edward didn't wait for me to reach him. He stepped forward, placing me safely behind him. For the first time today, I felt protected, even as a warning in my gut whispered that Sebastian would not let this go easily.
The room fell silent. No one dared intervene. The tension was suffocating. Sebastian's shoes clicked across the floor. I tensed. He stopped just inches from us. His eyes were colder than ice, stripped of all emotion. His jaw tightened, his gaze locked on Edward and me, calculating every movement.
"It doesn't matter if you refuse to say yes to being my wife now, Ariana," Sebastian said finally. "As far as the law is concerned, you've already signed the court papers. The marriage is official."
My eyes widened.
"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed, stepping away from Edward's back.
A smug smile played on Sebastian's lips.
"What papers did I sign?!" I demanded, my voice cracking.
"You already signed the court papers, my dear princess," my father said from behind us.
I couldn't process it. When had I signed those? Edward's gaze met mine, filled with rising fury.
"I did not sign those papers, I swear!" I said, gripping his hand.
"Don't be silly, princess," Father said, walking toward me with a white sheet. "You can see for yourself." He handed me the document.
It was a court marriage certificate. Beneath Sebastian's signature… and mine. My mouth fell open. Either I had signed this in my sleep, or it was a forgery. But it looked real. Edward snatched it from my hand, rage spilling from every pore.
"What the fuck is this, Ari?!" His voice cut through me. I flinched.
"Please, let me explain, Edward," I said, trembling.
"Explain what exactly?" he snapped, letting go of my hand. "Explain how you kept this marriage secret? Or how your signature magically appeared?" His eyes flared. "Do you know what's worse?"
I shook my head.
"I came here hoping to save you from this psycho, only to realize you didn't need saving. I thought he forced you into this at gunpoint, but you were in on it too," he said, his gaze flicking between Sebastian and me. "If you needed saving, you would have told me from the start—or at least the night before."
"That's not true. You know that, Edward," I said, voice breaking as tears spilled freely.
"I'm sorry. I don't know anything, Ari," he said coldly.
"You know I love you, Edward!" I shouted. The room went silent. I continued, desperate. "I love you so much, and you know it. I never planned to hide this from you. When I first learned about the marriage, I wanted to run to you. I wanted you to rub my back and tell me it would be okay. I wanted to hide under your shadow until it was over. But then I realized there was no saving me. My cross to bear alone, the only thing you can do is trust my love for you." I cupped his face gently. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched.
"That is enough drama," Sebastian said, startling me. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward him.
"Stop! You are hurting me!" I cried.
"Let her go!" Edward shouted, gripping my other hand.
Sebastian didn't release me. Instead, he stared at Edward. They locked eyes. Edward's fury was raw, Sebastian's calm and calculating. I felt trapped, a helpless damsel caught in a storm.
"Well, I asked nicely," Sebastian said, dragging me closer. My body pressed against his. His hands wrapped firmly around my waist.
Edward's face was etched with pain, his Adam's apple moving as he swallowed hard.
"I'm so sorry, Edward," I whispered.
"This wedding is over. There is no need to continue, we already have the papers," Sebastian declared to everyone. "I will now take my wife home."
My heart sank. I was officially Ariana Carlos Alejandro Morales, wife of the business psychopath.
"If you may excuse me," he said smugly to Edward and began walking, still holding me close.
"You will see why it had to be you, Ariana," he whispered into my ear.
I followed without resistance. My fate had been sealed, and there was no escaping it.