Fiona's POV
Darkness surrounded me when I opened my eyes, and every inch of my naked skin was still humming from what we'd done hours ago.
The stranger beside me was a dark silhouette in the shadows, breathing deeply in sleep while my heart raced with the memory of his hands on my body.
We'd kept our masks on the entire time. I refused to show my face and he seemed just as determined to stay anonymous. But even behind the disguise, even in pitch black darkness, something about him had felt achingly familiar, like my soul recognized his even though we were complete strangers.
I needed to leave before he woke up.
Moving as quietly as possible, I gathered my clothes scattered across the hotel room floor and got dressed with shaking hands. Every small sound made me freeze, terrified he'd wake and see me sneaking out like some guilty criminal.
Once I was dressed, I pulled some cash from my purse and left it on the counter. Payment for services rendered, I guess, though calling it that made my stomach twist uncomfortably.
My hand was on the doorknob when doubt crashed through me. What the hell was I thinking last night? Sleeping with a masked stranger hours before my forced wedding?
But there was no time to regret it now.
I slipped out and ran down the hallway, finally ripping the suffocating mask off my face.
That's when my phone exploded with sound.
"Where the hell are you, you ungrateful idiot?" My mother's voice was pure venom through the speaker. "Today is your wedding and you dare sleep out? Are you out of your mind? Did you forget what happens to that precious nanny of yours if you run away from marrying that useless cripple?"
Ice flooded my veins.
"Oh my God!" I slapped my forehead so hard it stung. "The wedding!"
I hung up and bolted down the hallway like the devil himself was chasing me.
Hours later, I stood in front of a mirror wearing the most hideous wedding dress I'd ever seen in my life.
It was at least two sizes too big, hanging off me like a deflated balloon. The cheap fabric looked like it came from a discount bin and the whole thing screamed "we don't actually care about you at all."
They'd done this on purpose. Sent me an oversized monstrosity to make sure I looked as pathetic as possible on what was supposed to be the most important day of my life.
"Why are you in that hideous wedding dress?"
Hannah's voice made me spin around. My best friend stood in the doorway with her jaw hanging open in shock and fury blazing in her eyes.
"Don't tell me you're actually going through with this insane bullshit your parents cooked up!"
"Hannah!" Relief crashed through me and I threw myself at her, hugging her so tight I could barely breathe.
When I finally let go, the words poured out in a desperate rush. "I don't have a choice! They threatened Lolo. You know she's the only person who actually loves me in this world. She raised me when my parents couldn't be bothered. And now she's dying in that hospital and they're holding her treatment over my head like a weapon."
My voice cracked. "If I don't marry this man, they'll stop paying for her care and she'll die. So yes, I'm going through with it, even if I have to marry some bastard I've never met."
Hannah's face crumpled and she pulled me back into her arms. "You deserve so much better than this, bestie. You really do." Her voice was thick with sympathy. "But since a life is on the line and your parents are cruel enough to use it against you, I guess you don't have a choice. Good luck, Fiona. I can't exactly say happy married life when this whole thing is a nightmare."
Before I could respond, my mother's shrill voice pierced through the room like nails on a chalkboard.
"Will you get your fat behind out of that room already, Fiona? Do you think we have all the time in the world? Spending so much time in there acting like some Cinderella!"
I exchanged a look with Hannah and sighed. "Coming, Mom!"
"That's not a mom, Fiona," Hannah whispered as we headed for the door. "That's literally a witch!"
Despite everything, I laughed. "If only she had a magic wand and pumpkin carriage to match that attitude."
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, my mother's scowl greeted us like a slap. "Finally! What took you so long?"
I forced a smile. "Sorry, Mom. Just getting ready."
Her eyes raked over me from head to toe, taking in my disheveled appearance and the disaster of a wedding dress. "Well hurry up. We can't keep your groom waiting."
The words sent ice down my spine.
Outside in the compound, I immediately spotted Nathan with a split lip and bruised nose. Serena was fussing over him, asking about his injuries while he puffed up like a peacock.
"I put some weak wolf in his place," Nathan bragged, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Taught him a lesson he won't forget."
I couldn't help myself. "So if you're fighting a weak wolf and end up with a busted nose and split lip, does that mean you're weaker than a weak wolf?" The sarcasm rolled off my tongue effortlessly. "Would your whole body be bloated if you fought a normal wolf? What would happen against a strong one?"
"You're just jealous that Nathan picked me over you!" Serena snapped, glaring daggers at me. "I understand you're bitter because you didn't get the better man!"
I laughed coldly. "Jealousy? Trust me, I couldn't care less about Nathan's choice anymore. His actions already proved he's far from being any kind of 'better man.'"
Serena looked away and went back to fussing over Nathan's injuries. I turned away too, my stomach churning with disgust.
Hours dragged by at the church while we all waited for the groom to arrive.
Part of me hoped he'd been in some horrible accident that would spare me from this nightmare. But then a car appeared in the distance and my brief fantasy died.
Serena wasted no time twisting the knife. "Are you excited to see the ugly crippled bastard you'll be spending the rest of your life with, sis?" Her voice dripped pure malice. "Nathan says his brother is nothing to write home about. People think he's the older one even though he's younger because of how old and haggard he looks." She laughed cruelly. "And you have so much in common! You're an orphan who's merely adopted, while he's an illegitimate bastard child. What a beautiful match made in heaven!"
"Give me one chance to shut this whiny bitch up!" Hannah snarled, her fists clenched.
But before anyone could respond, the car door opened.
An old man in a suit emerged first and my heart plummeted straight to my feet. He looked old enough to be my grandfather and I thought I was going to faint right there.
Then the man walked to the other side of the car, pulled out a wheelchair from the boot, and started helping someone else out.
Relief crashed through me so hard my knees went weak. He wasn't the groom.
The soft sound of wheelchair wheels rolling across pavement filled the air.
And then I saw his face.
My breath stopped completely.
It was nothing like what they'd told me. Nothing like I'd imagined.
