His for a year. - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

The wedding dress shimmered like a secret whispered under moonlight. It clung to my body with quiet elegance. Each crystal caught the light, scattering it in soft flashes that made me seem outerworldly—like a star wrapped in silk.
The sleeves were sheer and fitted, dusted with tiny pearls and sequins that glimmered against my skin. They ended just at my wrists, regal and refined. The neckline dipped gently, neither daring nor demure, framed by intricate embroidery that looked like it had been stitched by hand under candlelight.
And the skirt flowed in layers of soft ivory. It didn’t just move; it glided, like the rustle of a secret garden hidden beneath snowfall.
I stood alone in the bridal suite, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The diamond necklace around my neck felt heavy, as if reminding me of the cost of wearing it. My lips, painted a soft rose, trembled slightly. I took a shallow breath.
This wasn’t a wedding, it was a transaction.
And somewhere outside that door, Zade Avner Lloyd— husband to be—was shaking hands with Manhattan’s elite, flashing that calculated smile, looking like the ideal groom in his perfectly tailored black suit.
I had a quick thought about my mother, still in the hospital, sedated after the surgery Zade had paid for in full two nights ago. I hadn’t even had time to hold her hand since.
“You ready?” Amanda’s voice filtered through the door.
I hesitated before opening it. Amanda stepped in, looking radiant in her champagne bridesmaid gown, her smile too bright, it seemed rehearsed.
Aliyah came in behind, so pretty in her pink dress, wearing a “you're so beautiful gaze”. I smiled immediately.
“You look... perfect.”
“Yeah?” I asked, searching my friend’s face. Something had shifted lately—Amanda had been more distant, distracted, and overly “truthful” when we were alone. But I couldn’t focus on that now.
“I guess it’s time.” Aliyah whispered.
Amanda nodded, and together, they made their way out.
My actor dad came in as soon as they left. We made our way down the marble hallway of the private estate where the ceremony was taking place. Everything had been booked by Zade’s team—florists, planners, designers. I hadn't made a single choice, not even the cake flavor. The guest list was all his. None of my real family was here, except Aliyah.
Anna was here too, hovering by the altar like a vulture in heels.
Everywhere was bursting with elegance. Roses in soft ivory framed every aisle, a string quartet played an orchestral version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and gold chairs lined the lawn where the ceremony was set. It looked like love. It just didn’t feel like it.
The moment I stepped into view, a hush fell over the crowd.
Aliyah wore that confused expression as she saw the man walking me down the aisle. I could only imagine what was going on in her head.
Zade turned.
His gaze locked with mine.
And for a second, just a fleeting moment, the coldness in his black eyes cracked. He looked at me like I wasn’t just his pawn but something more.
But it vanished quickly, replaced with his usual guarded smirk.
I walked toward him, every step echoing like the tick of a countdown clock.
The officiant—a high-profile judge from downtown Manhattan—welcomed the guests, all while my heart thundered in my chest. The vows weren’t real, but the implications were. I was stepping into a world I didn’t belong to. I was marrying a man who owned everything but love.
The judge turned to me. “Do you, Olive Trevor, take Zade Avner Lloyd to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
There was no room to pause.
“Yes,” I said, wearing my best fake smile.
My voice didn’t shake, but my soul did.
When it was Zade’s turn, he didn’t hesitate. “I do.”
We exchanged rings—mine was a vintage diamond ring he had picked without my input.
I noticed the faint twitch of his jaw as he slid the ring onto my finger. Possession. Claim. Territory marked.
“You may now kiss—”
He didn’t wait. His slipped his hand on waist, he placed the other hand behind my ear, drawing me forward, pressing his lips on mine—firm, commanding, too long for comfort but too brief for emotion. It was meant to be proof.
Proof to the cameras. To the Avner family watching from their front row seats. To the world.
And maybe to me.
When the kiss broke, the applause came like a wave, I barely heard it. My mind was spinning. This was it. I was no longer just Olive Trevor. I was now Mrs. Olive Avner Lloyd. To the whole world.
By law. By name. By chain.
The car ride to the Avner family fortress was silent.
Zade sat beside me, phone in hand, ignoring me completely. He didn’t ask how I felt or if I was okay. I stared out the tinted window, watching the city fade into upper-class suburbs and finally into a gated estate that looked more like a fortress than a home.
The Avner mansion loomed ahead—an intimidating blend of modern architecture and old-money taste. Slate-gray walls, towering columns, perfectly trimmed hedges, and enough surveillance cameras to monitor a prison.
“Don’t touch anything unless you’re told,” Zade said as we entered the grand foyer. “And if my mother says anything—keep quiet.”
“Got it,” I muttered.
A butler bowed as we entered, and moments later, a woman stepped down the sweeping staircase. Her heels tapped like threats against the marble.
Tall, graceful, elegant, and cold.
“Mother,” Zade said with a stiff nod, slipping his hand into mine.
Mrs. Avner’s gaze stayed on our entangled hands, then flicked to me. She scanned me like I was an unwanted guest, not a daughter-in-law. “You finally made your way into this family.”
“I hope she won’t be a disappointment.” She directed at Zade.
His jaw tensed. “We’ll be in the east wing.”
“Of course you will,” she said sharply. “Far away from this house’s legacy.”
He pulled me along before I could say anything. We walked through endless hallways until we reached the east wing—a modern, private section clearly meant to keep us isolated from the main buildings. The bedroom was massive, with glass walls, silk sheets, and a balcony view that stretched to the horizon.
I walked inside slowly. “This place is bigger than our entire apartment used to be.”
That was meant to be an inner thought, I bit my lower lip.
Zade tossed his jacket on the couch. “You live here now. Better get used to it.”
He poured himself a glass of scotch and sat down, unbothered.
I stood by the window. “Why are you here? Your mom forced you out because of me? Or just to save me from embarrassment?”
Zade’s eyes met mine. Dark. Calculating. “Because I chose to. Because you’re the only thing in my world that I don’t already own. A wife.”
That silenced me immediately. The air between them thickened. He's getting blunt because the major issue has been settled.
We were married. But strangers.
Partners. But enemies.
The contract was tucked away in a vault, signed, sealed, and enforceable.
One year.
One year of living with Zade.
One year of hiding the truth from his family.
One year of pretending to be something we aren’t.
One year of being officially his.
And yet, something tugged in my chest when I looked at him now. Not love. Not even hate.
Just fear.
Fear that one year might not be enough to survive him. Fear that my mother's life depended on my performance.
It was night already, but I couldn’t sleep.
Zade was in a different room but sleeping under the same roof was alarming and scary. Sleeping in the Avners fortress. That was so much of a shift in reality for me.
I stepped out onto the balcony in my purple silk robe, staring into the night sky. The city lights in the far distance looked like another universe. I hugged myself, feeling the chill—not from the breeze, but from everything I'd stepped into.
A rustle behind me made me turn.
Ray.
He stood by the sliding door, his expression unreadable.
“I was told to keep an eye on you,” he said quietly. “I knocked but didn't get a reply so I let myself in.”
“I needed air.”
He stepped forward. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Getting married and having no one there who actually knows you.”
I bit my lower lip. “Yeah. Strange is one word.”
He looked at me with soft concern. “If you ever need anything, I'll always be around.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say. His presence was comforting. Warm. Unlike everything else around her. At least I had a normal conversation today.
He was about to leave when a loud crash echoed from downstairs.
We both froze.
Footsteps. Shouting. Clamouring.
My heart jumped.
Raymond pulled his earpiece and gun out simultaneously, whispering something into the mic.
Zade burst into the room a moment later, eyes sharp, breath hard.
“Stay here. Don’t move. Don't leave her alone” He directed at Ray.
“What’s happening?” I asked, panic rising.
But he was already gone.
I looked at Ray. “Tell me what’s going on.”
He pushed me gently behind him, pointing his gun out, looking around.
He hesitated. “Someone just broke into the west wing. And they weren’t after valuables.”
“Then what?”
Raymond’s silence was answer enough.
“They were looking for me?” I whispered.
And in that moment, I realized someone wanted me gone.