Chapter 1: The Wedding
One year, six months earlier…
Elena's POV
My body felt numb as I stood before the mirror, the satin gown clinging to my gown and my beautiful reflection stared back at me.
But my thoughts weren't here, I didn't feel anything much less feel like a woman who was about to get wedded.
This wasn't the wedding I'd imagined for myself. My dream wedding, and my expectations, are all down the drain. No tears of joy, no love. Just cold, calculated business.
"Elena," Cassandra's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Everyone is waiting for you, stop wasting time in front of that mirror," my step-sister's voice was cold.
She couldn't wait to be rid of me I thought, my heart already numb.
I didn't respond, my eyes meeting mine in the mirror, the sadness in my eyes couldn't be masked however much makeup I applied.
"Elena," Cassandra groaned, appearing behind me. "It's your wedding day and as your DEAR sister I'm happy for you," she held my hand. "You should be happy," her faked concern made my stomach crawl.
My lips trembled as I stared at her. "I know you and your mother had a hand in this, sending me off to marry the illegitimate son of the Landon family."
Cassandra's smile slowly disappeared and she let go of my hand. "And so what, Elena? It's too late now. Dad already agreed to the arrangement."
She smiled again suddenly, her eyes filled with fake concern.
"Oh and I heard your soon-to-be husband is quite ugly, but you shouldn't concern yourself with that after all you're doing this to save our family," she added before stepping out of the room.
I was about to retort when someone walked in. Father. His eyes were cold when they met mine.
Albert Kingston, the man who had raised me with more expectations than affection, had orchestrated this day. He believed he was saving our family, but in doing so, he had sold me off—bartered my future for the survival of the Kingston name.
"It's time," he said, his voice low and firm.
I nodded, my throat tightening. It was too soon. I wasn't ready for this, but what choice did I have?
My family was drowning in debt, and this was my life raft. A marriage to Damien Landon. He was a stranger, but soon, he would be my husband. How ironic.
I adjusted the veil over my face, willing my legs to move as I took Father's arm. The door to the chapel opened, revealing a small gathering of people—mostly business associates of my father, some from the Landon family, none of them here for me.
My heart sank further when I spotted Damien as he stood at the altar. He was tall, with a dark, brooding presence. His eyes were cold, indifferent. I wondered if he even cared who I was. Was this just another business transaction for him?
I scanned him as we approached, and my brows shot up in quiet surprise when I saw him up close. He was handsome, his suit was impeccable and his hair didn't have a strand out of place.
Everything about him screamed power, but it was a lonely kind of power. The kind that keeps you isolated, and distant I thought.
With his looks, Cassandra must have been boiling.
His eyes didn't have any change as I walked up to him, his expression unreadable. For all I knew I was no different from a random engagement, a tick off his calendar.
Maybe he was just as much a prisoner of this arrangement as I was.
I looked down, not able to meet his gaze. Everything about this just felt wrong.
I didn't raise my head even when the priest began to speak, his words like a faint background noise I couldn't listen to.
I silently blinked back tears as I glanced at the small crowd of strangers who'd come to witness the wedding.
I wished my mom was still alive, maybe she would have stood on my side and stopped this wedding.
"…for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…"
The vows continued. Damien said his part without hesitation, his voice deep and steady. "I do," his voice reverberated within me, reminding me how final this was.
I was next. The words stuck in my throat as I tried to speak them, my gaze glued to the floor.
"I… I do," I whispered, barely loud enough to be heard. But it didn't matter. The deed was done.
The priest turned to Damien. "You may now kiss the bride."
I stiffened. He didn't move right away, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then, with mechanical precision, he lifted my veil and leaned in. His lips brushed against mine in the briefest, most impersonal kiss I'd ever felt.
There was no tenderness, no passion. Just obligation. But even in that brief moment I felt something but I couldn't place my finger on it.
The ceremony ended, and the guests began to leave. Damien turned to speak with one of his associates, already disengaging from me.
I watched him for a long while, wondering if this was what my life would be like from now on. Silent. Distant. But maybe it was for the best I thought, that way it would just be me and my daughter Lily, as it had always been.
Father approached me, a satisfied smile on his face. "You've done the right thing, Elena. The family assets are now guaranteed..." he drawled, launching into gibberish about how the marriage benefited the family.
As if he hadn't just traded my life's happiness for his own benefit.
I forced a tight-lipped smile, the bitterness burning in my throat. "Of course, Father. I'm glad you're happy."
He didn't even hear the sarcasm in my voice, too busy shaking hands and congratulating himself on securing the family's future. I felt invisible. Just another pawn in a game that wasn't even mine to play.
Damien finally turned toward me as the crowd thinned. He gave me a curt nod, his jaw tight. "We'll leave soon."
I nodded back, unsure of what else to say. His words weren't cruel, but they weren't kind either. It was just another task on his to-do list. Marry the Kingston girl. Secure the merger. Keep everything in order.
The car ride to our new home was suffocating. We sat in silence, the tension thick between us. The weight of the day crushed down on me, and I wondered if he felt it too. If he ever felt anything at all.
"Mom you told me that wedding days are happy days but you look sad," my daughter said breaking the silence. She'd sat wide-eyed throughout the ceremony, only now regaining her voice when we were alone.
"Sweetie mommy is just tired from the celebration," I forced a smile, and I ran a hand through her blonde curls.
She was just five years old and the last thing I wanted was to tell her I was forced into this marriage.
The car soon slowed to a halt and my eyes met the towering building of the mansion outside. This was my new home.
"Elena," Damien snapped me out of my thoughts. My name felt weird coming from his mouth and for a moment I thought I could see something in his eyes, a flash of feeling. But it was gone before I could be sure.
"This is your home," he began, his voice cold. "Just make sure you stay in the compound grounds, clear it with me first before doing anything."
His eyes strayed to Lily who was still in the car. "Make sure she doesn't spoil anything," he nodded. Without waiting for me to say anything, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Ouch! My heart ached as his words, full of orders and restrictions flowed over me like water.
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, staring at the space where he'd just been. My husband. The man I barely knew, and yet was bound to forever.
This was it. This was my life now.
And God, how I hated it.