Zeraida woke the following morning with an unfamiliar, profound sense of peace settling over her mind. She no longer questioned whether the formidable man beside her had chosen her freely.
That rare tranquility lasted only until her phone began vibrating continuously across the wooden nightstand. One sudden notification quickly multiplied into ten. Ten rapidly became dozens of frantic messages, breaking the quiet morning.
Zeraida frowned, pulling her silk robe around her shoulders as she unlocked the glowing screen.
The primary headline plastered across the top entertainment news portal immediately made her blood run cold.
[XAVIERE ARVENTINE'S MARRIAGE EXPOSED: CONTRACTUAL UNION OR CAREER STRATEGY?]
Below the bold title were clear photographs of their formal wedding ceremony, detailed excerpts from their original private marriage agreement, and confidential notes regarding the hidden arrangement between the Arventine and Winterland families.
