Chapter 1 - The Impromptu VowThe silence in the chapel was suffocating. Daniel was gone, chasing after Jessica’s fabricated crisis. Guests whispered, cameras flashed, and Claire Bennett stood abandoned beneath an archway of white roses.
As Claire turned to leave, a deep, composed voice resonated from the back pew.
"If you still wish to be married today, Miss Bennett, I am available."
The crowd gasped. Sitting in a custom leather wheelchair was a man in a tailored charcoal suit. He possessed striking grey eyes, a sharp jawline, and an air of quiet authority. His name was Nicholas Vance.
"I need a wife to fulfill a family trust condition by midnight," Nicholas explained calmly as he wheeled himself down the aisle. "You need your dignity restored and a partner who will never abandon you. It is a business transaction, but one built on mutual respect."
Claire looked into his steady eyes. She saw no pity—only strength. Refusing to let Daniel and Jessica turn her into a tragic laughingstock, Claire took a deep breath.
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"I accept," she said.
The pastor, stunned but legally obligated to proceed, conducted the ceremony. Ten minutes later, Claire Bennett signed the marriage license, legally binding her life to a captivating stranger.
