Eleanor shoved the heavy door forward with all her body weight.

The door slammed against the wall with a loud thud, the sound instantly cut through the cheering inside the room. The music was still playing, but the people froze.

The air in the booth was thick with cigar smoke and the sweet smell of alcohol. Eleanor's eyes scanned the room and locked onto the center leather sofa.

Caleb was sitting there. He held a crystal flute of champagne in his right hand. He had his head turned, listening to Isla say something. When he saw Eleanor standing in the doorway, the smile wiped off his face completely.

Isla followed his gaze. For a split second, a look of pure, triumphant malice flashed in Isla's eyes. Then, she gasped, widened her eyes in fake terror, and shrank back against Caleb's chest.

Jax Porter, one of Caleb's wealthy friends, leaned back and whistled loudly. "Well, well. Looks like the bride walked onto the wrong movie set."

A few people in the room snickered.

Eleanor ignored them. She stepped over the confetti scattered on the floor. She walked straight toward Caleb, stopping only when her knees were inches from the coffee table. She looked down at him.

Caleb set his champagne glass down. He stood up and reached out to grab her hand. His eyebrows pulled together in annoyance. He lowered his voice. "What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me."

Eleanor felt a wave of nausea. She twisted her torso, dodging his hand completely. She looked at the massive five-tier cake sitting on the table. Her eyes were sharp and cold.

"Wait for you?" Eleanor let out a harsh laugh. "Wait for you to handle the 'company emergency'? Or wait for you to finish cutting your sister's cake?"

Caleb's jaw tightened. The public exposure of his lie made a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. But the embarrassment quickly turned into defensive anger. He raised his voice. "It's Isla's birthday. Her health is fragile, she can't be upset today. We can go to City Hall any other day!"

Isla immediately let her eyes fill with tears. She grabbed the sleeve of Caleb's jacket. Her voice trembled. "Brother, it's all my fault. I shouldn't even be here. Please, just go back with Eleanor."

The pathetic tone worked instantly. Caleb's protective instincts flared. He stepped sideways, shielding Isla behind his body. He glared at Eleanor. "Are you done throwing a tantrum? Did you really have to come here and humiliate her on her birthday?"

Eleanor stared at the man in front of her. He genuinely believed his blatant favoritism was completely justified. The very last drop of affection she held for him evaporated from her blood.

She lifted her left hand. Her face was completely blank. She grabbed the diamond engagement ring on her ring finger and pulled. The sharp edge of the diamond scraped against her knuckle, leaving a red mark, but she didn't feel it.

Eleanor raised her arm and threw the ring as hard as she could.

The heavy diamond hit the very top of the expensive cake. White frosting exploded outward, splattering across the table. The perfect sugar decorations collapsed into a messy crater.

"Are you insane? !" Caleb yelled. He stared at the ruined cake, his eyes wide with shock. He took a step forward, raising his hands as if to stop her from doing anything else.

Eleanor took one step back. She didn't yell, but her voice was steady and loud enough to echo off the walls. "Caleb Blackwood, we are done. The engagement is off."

Dead silence fell over the VIP booth. No one moved. No one breathed. Eleanor had always been quiet and compliant. None of them could believe she just dumped the heir to the Blackwood family in front of an audience.

Caleb blinked. Then, a cold, arrogant smirk formed on his lips. He was completely convinced this was just a dramatic ploy for attention. "Eleanor, don't do something you'll regret. If you walk out that door today, don't even think about coming back to beg me."

Eleanor didn't even give him the dignity of a second glance. She turned on her heel and walked away. Her spine was perfectly straight.

Behind her, Isla called out in a fake, crying voice, "Sister, don't go!" Caleb immediately shushed Isla, comforting her. The sound of his gentle tone made Eleanor's stomach churn with disgust.

Eleanor walked out of the booth and pulled the door shut behind her.

The moment the latch clicked, the adrenaline left her muscles. Her knees went weak. She leaned her shoulder against the smooth, polished wall of the hallway and sucked in a deep breath of air. She could feel the heavy bass of the music vibrating through the plaster.

A single tear slipped down her cheek. She wasn't crying because she missed him. She was crying because she had wasted three years of her youth on a dog.

She wiped the tear away aggressively with the back of her hand. She forced herself to stand up straight and started walking down the long hallway toward the exit.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated violently inside her purse.

She pulled it out. The screen lit up with an unknown number.

Eleanor hit the ignore button. But a second later, the phone started ringing again. The immediate callback felt aggressive.

She swiped the green button and brought the phone to her ear. She was still congested from crying. "Who is this?" she snapped.

The voice on the other end was deep, magnetic, and heavy with authority. The background noise on the call was completely silent. "I had a feeling Caleb would disappoint you again today. My security team at Apex just informed me there was a disturbance involving you and a ruined cake."

Eleanor stopped walking. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She recognized that voice instantly. It was Julian Blackwood. Caleb's older brother. The actual CEO and ruthless dictator of the Blackwood empire.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the dark corners of the hallway, suddenly feeling like a predator was watching her from the shadows.

Eleanor pressed her back against the wall of the hallway. She forced her breathing to slow down. "Julian? What do you want? Are you calling to laugh at me?"

She heard the sharp, metallic clink of a Zippo lighter opening and closing on the other end of the line. Julian's voice was terrifyingly calm. "No. I am calling to offer you the perfect way to retaliate."

Eleanor frowned. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Retaliate? You are his flesh and blood."

A low, dark chuckle vibrated through the phone speaker. It sounded entirely dismissive. "That is a biological fact, it doesn't mean I tolerate his stupidity. Bring your ID. Meet me at the south entrance of City Hall."

The words "City Hall" made Eleanor's heart skip a beat. A wild, insane thought flashed through her brain. Her throat went dry, and she swallowed hard.

"What... what do you mean?" Her voice shook. She was terrified to say her guess out loud.

Julian's tone shifted. It became low, smooth, and incredibly persuasive. "Since you planned on getting married today anyway, you might as well just change the groom. Become his sister-in-law. From now on, every time he sees you, he will have to bow his head and greet you with respect. Doesn't that sound appealing?"

The proposition was like a contract handed over by the devil himself. It struck a match directly into the pool of anger sitting in Eleanor's chest. The mental image of Caleb being forced to call her 'sister-in-law' sent a rush of heat to her brain.

She closed her eyes. The image of Caleb shielding Isla flashed behind her eyelids. She opened her eyes, and the hesitation was gone. "Fine. I'll be right there."

Eleanor hung up the phone. She walked out of the club, her heels hitting the concrete fast and hard. The cold wind hit her face again, but she didn't look back at the neon sign.

She flagged down another taxi. She told the driver to get back to City Hall as fast as legally possible.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the south entrance. Eleanor pushed the door open. The first thing she saw was a massive, pitch-black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked illegally at the curb.

The rear door opened. Julian Blackwood stepped out onto the pavement. He was wearing a pure black bespoke suit. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and his presence was so heavy it felt like the air pressure around him dropped.

Julian walked up to her. His dark, intense eyes scanned her face. He noticed her messy hair and the slight redness around her eyes. A tiny muscle in his jaw twitched.

He didn't say a word. He simply raised his hand. His rough thumb brushed against the corner of her eye, wiping away a smudge of ruined makeup. His touch was shockingly gentle.

The heat of his skin burned her cheek. Eleanor flinched and instinctively tried to step back.

Julian's other hand shot out and wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

"If you want to back out, now is the time," Julian said. He looked down at her. His voice was low, but his grip on her waist left no room for escape.

Eleanor looked up into his dark eyes. She clenched her jaw. She reached into her purse and pulled out her ID card. "I never regret my decisions."

The corner of Julian's mouth lifted into a satisfied smirk. He kept his hand on her waist and turned her toward the building. They bypassed the main doors and walked toward a side entrance.

Because of Julian's name, they didn't wait in any lines. They were escorted directly into a private, quiet registration room.

The city clerk looked terrified of the Wall Street billionaire standing in her office. Her hands shook as she quickly printed out the marriage documents and laid them on the desk.

Eleanor stared at the paper. The name Julian Blackwood was printed in bold black ink. Her fingers trembled. The entire situation felt like a hallucination.

Julian picked up the heavy fountain pen. He didn't hesitate for a single second. He signed his name with sharp, aggressive strokes. Then, he turned and held the pen out to her.

Eleanor took the pen. The metal was still warm from his hand. She pressed the nib to the paper. The memory of her three years of suffering flashed through her mind one last time. She pressed down hard and signed Eleanor Vance.

The clerk stamped the paper. The heavy thud of the seal echoed in the small room. Legally, they were now husband and wife.

The moment she was handed the certificate, Eleanor felt like she was floating. Her feet didn't feel connected to the floor.

Julian handed both certificates to his assistant, Leo, who was standing quietly in the corner. Then, Julian turned to look at Eleanor.

His eyes had changed. The cold, calculating look was gone. It was replaced by something dark, possessive, and deeply predatory.

"Mrs. Blackwood," he said, intentionally emphasizing the title. His voice was raspy. "Welcome to my world."

He suddenly stepped into her space and lowered his head. He pressed his lips firmly against her forehead. It was a restrained kiss, but it claimed absolute ownership. Eleanor froze completely, her brain short-circuiting as the scent of cedarwood and mint washed over her.