The wedding march was playing.
But it wasn't meant for her.
Ananya Mehra stood frozen at the entrance of the grand ballroom, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear the whispers spreading like wildfire.
"She's not the bride."
"Isn't that the younger sister?"
"What's going on?"
The chandelier lights above glittered cruelly, reflecting off the white marble floor. The hall was decorated in ivory roses and golden ribbons. Everything screamed perfection.
Everything except her.
She looked down at the white gown hugging her trembling body. It wasn't hers. Nothing about tonight was hers.
Three hours ago, she had been in her small apartment preparing for a job interview.
Three hours ago, she still had a normal life.
And then her father had called.
"Ananya… your sister ran away."
Her world had tilted.
Now she stood at the altar in place of her elder sister, about to marry the most powerful and feared businessman in the country.
Arjun Malhotra.
The Ruthless CEO.
He stood across from her in a perfectly tailored black suit, sharp jawline tense, dark eyes colder than winter steel.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't surprised either.
It was as if he had expected chaos.
The priest cleared his throat nervously. "Shall we proceed?"
Ananya swallowed.
This was insane.
This was temporary, her father had said.
"Just sign the papers. We'll fix everything later. If this alliance breaks, we're finished. Our company will collapse."
She had always been the responsible daughter.
The invisible one.
The one who fixed everything.
Her eyes met Arjun's.
For a brief second, something flickered in his gaze.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
Calculation.
He stepped closer.
Too close.
In a low voice that only she could hear, he said, "You're not the bride I agreed to."
Her fingers clenched around the bouquet.
"No."
Silence stretched between them.
"And yet," he continued smoothly, "you're the one standing here."
There was something dangerous about the way he said it.
Like he was already rewriting the rules.
The priest urged them again.
The guests were restless. Media cameras waited outside.
This wedding was business. A merger between two empires.
Backing out now would cause a scandal.
Arjun studied her face carefully.
"You have two choices," he said softly. "Walk away and watch your family burn… or marry me."
Her breath caught.
"You knew?" she whispered.
"I know everything."
Of course he did.
Arjun Malhotra didn't build a billion-dollar empire by being blind.
He knew her sister had feelings for someone else.
He knew the marriage was political.
Maybe he even knew Ananya would be the one forced to clean up the mess.
A slow, unsettling smile touched his lips.
"Relax," he murmured. "I don't believe in love either."
The words should have comforted her.
They didn't.
The ceremony passed in a blur.
Vows spoken without meaning.
Rings exchanged without emotion.
Applause that felt hollow.
When Arjun slid the diamond ring onto her finger, his touch lingered just a second too long.
Possessive.
Claiming.
As if this wasn't an accident anymore.
As if she had just signed something far more dangerous than a marriage certificate.
Two hours later.
The reception was chaos of champagne glasses and flashing cameras.
Ananya stood alone near the balcony, gripping the railing.
She needed air.
She needed space.
She needed this nightmare to end.
"You look like you're planning an escape."
His voice came from behind her.
Deep. Controlled.
She stiffened.
"I was just thinking."
"Dangerous habit."
She turned slowly.
Up close, Arjun was even more intimidating.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Perfectly composed.
Power radiated from him effortlessly.
"You don't seem upset," she said quietly. "About the bride change."
His eyes darkened.
"Upset? No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't lose."
Something about that statement made her pulse race.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," he said, stepping closer again, "I was marrying into your family's company."
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
"And now… I married you."
There was weight in that sentence.
Unspoken meaning.
Dangerous potential.
She tried to step back, but the balcony railing blocked her.
"I didn't want this."
"Neither did I."
His hand suddenly came up, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
The touch was gentle.
Too gentle.
"But we adapt," he continued. "That's how the powerful survive."
She should pull away.
She should tell him this is temporary.
That once her sister returns, everything will go back.
But something in his expression stopped her.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't coldness.
It was interest.
As if she had just become the most unexpected move in his carefully planned chess game.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
A message.
From her sister.
Her heart dropped.
She opened it.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't do it. I've left the country. Don't try to find me."
The world went silent.
Left the country?
This wasn't temporary.
This wasn't a mistake to fix.
This was permanent.
Her fingers trembled.
Arjun noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
She looked up at him slowly.
"She's gone."
A pause.
Then, instead of shock—
He smiled.
Not cruelly.
But knowingly.
"Good," he said.
Her breath caught.
"Good?"
"Yes."
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Because I never wanted your sister."
Her heart skipped.
"What?"
His eyes locked onto hers, intense and unreadable.
"I wanted you."
The music from inside swelled loudly.
Fireworks exploded outside in celebration.
But all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat.
What did he mean?
How long had he known?
And what kind of game was she trapped in?
Arjun extended his hand toward her.
"Welcome to my world, Mrs. Malhotra."
This marriage was supposed to be an accident.
But something told her…
It wasn't.