The hall was shinny and filled with gold and glitters , just like my life, luxury and perfect on the surface.
I stood there, counting the calm moments before the upcoming storm that was on it's way.
Then she appeared.
Evelyn Martinez. The woman I did not know up until recently. The woman I am going to marry now.
As much I was hating this moment but I will have to admit. She is indeed a pretty woman
Small, Frail, Skin so pale it could disappear under the lights. Her apple cheeks were visible due to the faint smile she was faking , almond eyes that darted nervously across the room. Brown hair . Pretty, yes. But that only made it worse. Her prettiness felt like a trap. like beauty was one more way this force marriage was being weaponized against me.
I clenched my jaw.
She had no idea what she was walking into.
No clue that her stepfather had blackmailed me into this. That in my mind I was planning to slit that damn bustard's throat. Mikhail Martinez , my subordinate. Who was planning all this from the very beginning.
My grandfather, Aslan Asimov, the man who founded Asimov Global Holdings, who raised me like a soldier for this empire. He was a murderer indeed . killed uncountable peoples who were a threat to the company, who tried to steal money, who tried to sell company's personal data to our rivals and what not. But he never thought his subordinates would betray him. One tap, one fucking tap that has records of every murder my grandfather had done. It was enough to ruin the company, the legacy my grandfather built. It was enough to destroy me.
And Martinez had it. That smug bastard had waited years for the right moment to bleed me dry and now he wanted his little stepdaughter wrapped in Asimov silk. It was a clean strategy.
Marry his daughter and he will erase the evidence.
And Evelyn? She was the innocent in this blood-soaked contract. Poor girl
As she reached me, her eyes flickered up and met mine. There was uncertainty there. Maybe fear. She was trying to be brave.
And I?
I was trying not to let my loathing show.
The priest began his hollow sermon, and I nodded at all the right times. My hand found hers. small, trembling, too soft for the world she was entering.
She didn't know it yet, but she had become a pawn.
And I was the king forced into a corner. But she will be my pawn from now. If by using this naïve girl I can avoid the upcoming destruction than so be it.
For now.
The moment the priest uttered, "you may kiss the bride now" the entire hall seemed to lean waiting to witness the most awaited moment. But I didn't move.
I didn't look at her. Didn't touch her. I could feel her stiffen beside me. Hear the humiliation in her breath. It was a public rejection. I knew that. But I couldn't bring myself to care. Not right now. Not when I still tasted bitterness on my tongue from everything this day represented.
When the ceremony ended, I turned to leave, wanting nothing more than to vanish into the silence of my penthouse. But of course, he came.
Mikhail Martinez.
The man who held a loaded gun to my legacy and called it leverage.
"Congratulations, Alexander," he said smoothly, as if we were old friends. "Evelyn will make a fine wife. I've been preparing her for this since she was a child."
My jaw tightened.
Evelyn was standing close now, trying to appear calmed , but when Mikhail's hand brushed her shoulder, she flinched. A barely perceptible reaction but I saw it. I never missed details like that.
She was afraid of him.
Interesting.
"She's obedient," Mikhail continued, too pleased with himself. "Doesn't talk back. You'll find her very manageable."
I turned toward him slowly,
"You may be her father now," I said, "but don't mistake this marriage for a promotion, Mikhail. You're still my subordinate. And you will always be. Or who knows you may loose that title as well.
His smile faltered.
I leaned in just a fraction. "And I believe the 'gift' I gave you for letting your stepdaughter marry me was substantial enough."
He paled slightly. We both knew what I meant. The obscene sum I had wired into his offshore account. The price to protect my company, our legacy.
He chuckled weakly, trying to save face, but the humiliation had already rooted itself in his eyes.
I didn't wait for a response. I turned and reached for Evelyn's hand. It was delicate, unsure, but she didn't resist.
"Let's go," I said simply.
And just like that, I walked away with my new bride, My new pawn and my shield.
He sold his daughter to the devil, and the devil wasn't feeling merciful today.
I drove in silence, Evelyn beside me, quiet . The city lights blurred past us.
I couldn't go back to the Asimov estate tonight. The staff would be watching, whispering. My board members would be checking in. And any sign of agitation could stir suspicion.
They couldn't know that the mighty Alexander Asimov had been forced into this marriage.
So I brought her here. To the penthouse. Clean, minimal, private. A temporary cage for this unwanted arrangement.
I held the door open as we entered. She stepped in cautiously, her heels clicking softly on the marble. Wide-eyed. Silent. I wondered for a moment what her stepfather had told her. How much she really knew.
The place was massive—floor-to-ceiling windows, glass walls, cool-toned interiors. It looked nothing like a home, and more like what it was: a fortress. A place for someone like me who trusted no one and kept everyone at arm's length.
I led her upstairs without a word.
When we reached the master bedroom, she hesitated at the threshold. I could see the nervous flutter in her chest. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but didn't dare.
I didn't care.
"This is your room now, You should rest."
Her eyes flicked up to mine. There was fear there. Raw and unhidden.
I stared at her for a moment. She looked like a child in a world too large, too cruel. And maybe that's exactly what she was. Whatever training Mikhail claimed to have given her, she still didn't belong in this twisted game of power.
I turned to leave. "Don't worry," I added coolly, without looking back. "I have no interest in sleeping with a child."
I didn't wait for her reaction. I shut the door behind me and walked away.
Let her rest. Let her fear me. Let her think whatever she wanted.
This wasn't a marriage. It was a contract. A shield. And I wasn't going to play the doting husband just because the world expected it.