Aria's POV

“Damien..." My voice cracked. He looked at me for a second before letting out an impatient sigh.

"You weren't supposed to be here." My heart dropped.

"What... is this?" He glanced at Eva, then back at me.

"Exactly what it looks like." Tears blurred my vision.

"You cheated on me... with my sister?”

"So?" he scoffed. "What were you expecting? That I'd wait forever?"My hand moved before I could stop it.

Slap!

His face snapped to the side. He rubbed his cheek slowly, then laughed. "You really thought I was going to marry you?" Damien looked me straight in the eyes, his lips curling into a mocking smile.

"You seriously believed you'd become Mrs. Blackwood?"For a second, the entire room fell silent. Then, laughter erupted around me. It came from every corner of the room, sharp and merciless, each laugh cutting deeper than the last. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes, I couldn't breathe.

Before anyone could see me break completely, I turned and ran.

—---------

"Miss, you've had enough."The bartender reached for my glass.

"Don't." I snatched it away from him and emptied the burning liquid in one gulp.

"Pour me another."

"I think you should go home."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Home?" I whispered. "I don't have one anymore.”

The music blared through the bar. People laughed, drank, and danced, but my mind wasn't there. The pain in my heart refused to let me breathe. Just a few hours ago, I was happy. Happy that I was finally going to give myself to my fiancé. I had planned to tell him how much I loved and cared about him. He had asked me to meet him at a venue, and I thought... Perhaps he was finally going to propose.

The thought of spending the rest of my life with the man I loved had filled me with excitement. But when I arrived, The surprise waiting for me was one I had never imagined.

My boyfriend was in bed with my own stepsister. The memory kept replaying in my head as I emptied another glass of liquor into my mouth. I signaled the bartender to come over.

“More.” He hesitated for a second before pouring more into my glass.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as every memory I had shared with Damien came rushing back. Everything about my life felt so unfair. Life had never been fair to me. The very moment I thought I finally had something I had longed for, it was snatched away from me.

My thoughts drifted to my mother, who was battling cancer, fighting for her life. I desperately needed money for her treatment, yet at the same time, I had just suffered the greatest betrayal from the man I loved, with my own stepsister.

“Life is so unfair,” I muttered.

My head spun from the amount of alcohol I had consumed. I forced myself to my feet, swaying back and forth as I struggled to keep my balance.

One step, then another.

Suddenly, I stumbled backward. Before I could hit the floor, a strong hand caught me. I paused for a moment before slowly turning toward the person who had caught me. I blinked several times, my vision blurred by alcohol, trying to make out his face.

Little by little, it became clearer.

For a brief moment, I held my breath.

He was devastatingly handsome. The kind of man who could silence a room with nothing but a single glance. his hand gripping my shoulder firmly to keep me from falling.

“Are you okay, Miss?” he asked, his cold voice echoing through my ears. I nodded absentmindedly.

He turned to leave, but I quickly grabbed his wrist. There was absolutely no way I was letting a face that handsome walk away.

“Hey... where do you think you're going, handsome?” I slurred, moving closer until only a small distance separated us.

He frowned, instinctively taking a few steps backward.

“You're drunk. You need to go home.”

I burst into laughter.

“I’m home already!” I shrieked, drawing the attention of everyone around us. Slowly, I lowered my hand from my mouth before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him toward me.

“I have a proposition for you,” I said, my gaze lingering on his face. A faint smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

“What could that be?” he asked.

“I just caught my boyfriend with my stepsister," I said, my voice trembling.

The stranger slowly pulled his arm away from my grip.

"Go home," he muttered, turning to leave.

Panic surged through me. Without thinking, I grabbed his wrist again.

"Wait..."He stopped but didn't turn around.

" Let's get married.” He slowly turned to face me, studying my tear-stained face."You're drunk."

"Maybe," I laughed bitterly. "But I'm serious."

"Do you even know my name?"he asked.

"No."I responded, shaking my head slightly.

"Then why would you marry a complete stranger?"I looked into his eyes.

"Because strangers don't betray you."

His expression hardened for a split second before returning to its usual calm. But I had already seen it—the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

-----------------

The next morning, I slowly opened my eyes and turned on the bed. My head was pounding so hard that I could barely keep my eyes open. For some reason, I felt sore between my legs. As I raised my left hand to rub my forehead, I felt something heavy on my left ring finger. I frowned and looked at it.

A ring.

I tried to recall what had happened the previous night, but my memories were blurry.

"Why am I wearing a ring? What happened last night? Did Damien finally propose to me?"

Thoughts flooded my mind as I slowly lifted the duvet. Then I froze. I was completely naked. Panic washed over me as my trembling eyes moved to the bedsheet and landed on a bloodstain.

“Ahhh!”I screamed. I quickly grabbed my dress and hurriedly put it on, ignoring the soreness between my legs. Just as I bent down to pick up my shoes, a deep, cold voice came from the corner of the room.

“Did you sleep well?” The deep, cold voice cut through the silence. My heart lurched violently against my chest as I slowly turned toward the source of the voice, There he was.

A man who looked to be in his early forties sat casually in the corner of the room, one leg crossed over the other. His black hair was slightly tousled, as though he had just run his fingers through it. A fitted black T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, while dark trousers rested perfectly on his long legs. His sharp jawline, straight nose, and piercing dark eyes gave him an intimidating yet undeniably handsome appearance.

What caught my attention wasn't just his looks. It was how calm he was. As though waking up beside a stranger was the most normal thing in the world. My throat went dry. I swallowed hard, my fingers unconsciously tightening around my dress.

"Oh my God... no," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He watched me quietly, his expression unreadable, not the slightest hint of panic crossing his face. Meanwhile, I was falling apart, Summoning what little courage I had left, I looked him straight in the eyes.

"What happened last night?" I asked, my voice trembling. One corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly.

"You don't remember?"

Without waiting for my answer, he stood up gracefully, picked up a brown envelope from the table, and walked toward me.

Every step he took made my heart beat faster.

Stopping in front of me, he silently placed the envelope into my hands, I frowned before slowly opening it. I pulled out a certificate. The first thing my eyes landed on wasn't the title, It was the name.

Vincent Blackwood.

The name sounded familiar. My brows furrowed, Then my gaze slowly dropped to the bold words above it. My blood ran cold, The color drained from my face.

"A... marriage certificate?"

Aria's POV

“What is this?” I asked, slowly lifting my gaze to him as I held the certificate tightly in my trembling hands. My eyes never left his face.

“A marriage certificate,” he replied calmly, slipping one hand into his pocket. The silver ring on his left ring finger caught my attention, making my heart skip a beat.

I frowned and looked back at the document. My eyes scanned every line until they landed on my name, printed boldly beside his. My breath hitched, This couldn't be real.

It had to be fake. A second later, laughter escaped my lips. The sound echoed through the room as I waved the certificate in front of him.

“If this is some kind of joke, I'm not interested. My life is already falling apart, and I don't need another problem added to the list.” I tossed the paper onto the bed and turned to leave.

“Aria.”His deep voice stopped me in my tracks.

“It seems you've forgotten everything that happened last night.” His tone remained calm, and emotionless. “And one more thing, Forging a marriage certificate isn't my style. I don't have time for childish games.”

I slowly turned around, whatever little patience I had left slipping away.

I wanted nothing more than to leave this place.

It was already bad enough that I had slept with a stranger. I couldn't undo what had happened, but the audacity of this man to keep insisting this marriage was real made my blood boil.

“Are you seriously trying to justify sleeping with me while I was drunk?” I shouted, glaring at him. For the first time, his expression hardened. His jaw tightened as he took a slow step toward me.

“Watch your words, Mrs. Blackwood.”

His voice remained low, but there was steel beneath it.

“I never forced you.”I froze.

“You were the one who proposed to me,” he continued, holding my gaze without blinking. “You asked me to marry you. You offered yourself to me.” My heart pounded violently against my chest. “And before anything happened.” he added, “I asked you more than once if you were sure.” He paused.“You said yes.”

My mouth fell open, but no words came out. “That… that's impossible.”His expression didn't change.

“You don't have to believe me.” He bent down, picked up the marriage certificate from the floor, and handed it back to me.“But it doesn't change the fact that, as of last night, you're legally my wife.”

“No!” I snapped. “I want a divorce. I want to pretend this never happened. I'm leaving right now to end this marriage!”

I paced back and forth across the room, my heart racing as I tried to make sense of everything. How had I been foolish enough to fall into this trap?

Then, like pieces of a broken puzzle finally fitting together, flashes from the previous night flooded my mind.

Damien and Eva’s betrayal, the endless drinks, the handsome stranger, My eyes slowly lifted to the man standing in front of me, It was him.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, as though he had been waiting for me to remember.

“Seems you've remembered,” he said calmly. “Unfortunately for you... we're married now.” My breath caught.“And there is no divorce.”His dark eyes locked onto mine.“Only death can separate us.”

I staggered backward, nearly collapsing as my legs suddenly lost their strength. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, each beat louder than the last. My trembling fingers covered my mouth.

“What...”My voice cracked.“What have I done?”I whispered, the weight of my mistake crashing down on me.

“Mr. Vincent, I understand that we're married, but... this isn't right.” My voice trembled. “Just look at us. You're almost twice my age, and I'm just a young woman whose life happened to fall apart overnight.”

I took a cautious step toward him, clasping my hands together as though pleading would somehow soften his heart.

“Please... we can dissolve this marriage, and everything can go back to normal. I can only blame what happened on the alcohol I drank last night. Please... reconsider.” I forced myself to cry, hoping the tears would come, nothing came, not a single tear fell.

Vincent's dark eyes remained fixed on me, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, it looked as though he was about to say something.

A sharp knock echoed through the room.

Knock! Knock!

His gaze shifted toward the door.

Without thinking, I snatched the marriage certificate from the bed and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door as quietly as I could.

It was already bad enough that I had accidentally married a man I barely knew.

The last thing I wanted was for someone else to find out.

If Vincent eventually agreed to the divorce, it would be much easier if no one knew this marriage had ever happened.

Holding my breath, I pressed my ear against the bathroom door, praying whoever was outside would leave before my life became even more complicated.

Inside the bathroom, I desperately searched for a way to convince Vincent to dissolve this ridiculous marriage. There had to be something I could say to make him change his mind.

I had already been through enough.

I couldn't handle another disaster.

Silently, I prayed he would agree.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted into the room, I froze. That voice, It sounded so much like Damien's.

Curiosity got the better of me. Slowly, I crept toward the bathroom door and pulled it open just enough to peek outside.

The moment my eyes landed on the man standing in the room, my heart nearly stopped.

Damien.

What the hell was he doing here?

More importantly, How did he know Vincent?

Questions flooded my mind, but the last thing I wanted was for him to see me hiding inside the bathroom. I remained perfectly still, barely daring to breathe.

Then Damien spoke.

“Dad.” My legs almost gave out beneath me.

I clamped a trembling hand over my mouth to stop myself from gasping, no that couldn't be right.

My eyes darted from Damien to Vincent and back again, desperately hoping I had heard wrong. Mr. Vincent was Damien's father? My mind went completely blank.

Only one terrifying thought echoed through my head. Did I accidentally marry my ex-fiancé's father?

It felt as though fate was playing a cruel joke on me. How had I gone from being cheated on to accidentally marrying my ex-fiancé's father? My chest tightened until it hurt, making it difficult to breathe.

I leaned against the bathroom wall, trying to steady myself.Perhaps, This was fate giving me the perfect opportunity to make Damien pay for everything he had done to me.

The voices outside gradually faded, followed by the sound of the door closing.

After waiting a few more seconds, I slowly stepped out of the bathroom. Vincent turned his gaze toward me, his expression as unreadable as ever.

“So,” he said calmly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “You were saying you wanted a divorce?”

He reached for his phone again, but before he could unlock it, I rushed over and grabbed his wrist, stopping him. His brows knitted together as he looked down at my hand wrapped around his wrist before meeting my eyes.I took a deep breath.

“I don't want a divorce anymore.” For the first time,The unreadable Vincent Blackwood looked genuinely surprised.

Aria's POV

The look on his face after I told him I wasn't getting a divorce almost made me smile. For a brief moment, I caught the surprise flickering across his usually unreadable expression. It was obvious he had a thousand questions running through his mind, yet he didn't ask a single one.

Instead, he walked over to the table and picked up a brown envelope.

"I know this isn't the marriage you wanted," he said calmly. "And I'm not interested in forcing anyone to stay by my side." I frowned slightly, unsure where he was going with this.

"We'll stay married for one year," he continued. "After that, if you still want a divorce, I'll sign the papers." I remained silent.

"There's one condition." I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his.

"You're moving in with me."I hesitated.

"What about my mother?" I asked quietly. "She still needs treatment." He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slipped the envelope back onto the table before looking at me.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore." I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"From today onward, her treatment will be taken care of." I stared at him, searching his face for any sign that he was joking, but there was none.

"Why would you do that?"

"I don't make promises I can't keep." For a long moment, I simply stared at him, unable to find the right words.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You don't have to thank me yet, Mrs. Blackwood." The title rolled effortlessly off his tongue, making my heart skip a beat, Mrs. Blackwood. It still sounded unreal.

I lowered my gaze, thinking about Damien and Eva. Every humiliation, and betrayal How was I supposed to make Damien regret everything if I walked away now?

Slowly, I nodded.

"Fine.”

A faint smile crossed Vincent's lips before disappearing just as quickly.

Without another word, he walked toward the door. Moments later, two bodyguards appeared outside the room.

"Let's go."

Escorted by the bodyguards, I followed Vincent downstairs before getting into the back seat of his waiting Rolls-Royce.

As the car pulled away from the hotel, I stared out the window, my fingers unconsciously tightening around the cheque in my hand. One year as Vincent Blackwood's wife. And one year to make Damien regret ever breaking my heart.

An hour later, we finally arrived at the mansion. The moment I stepped out of the car, my mouth fell open. The magnificent estate stood proudly before me, its towering gates, elegant fountains, and breathtaking architecture leaving me completely speechless. It looked less like a home and more like a palace.

For a brief moment, I forgot every problem weighing on my heart. Just then, I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist. I jolted instinctively, trying to pull away, but his low voice brushed against my ear.

"Don't move."His warm breath sent an unexpected shiver down my spine."We should walk in together," he murmured. "The servants need to believe we're genuinely in love."I slowly turned to look at him. For a second, our eyes locked.

Then I silently nodded. Without another word, we walked toward the entrance. As soon as we stepped inside, every servant immediately lowered their heads in greeting.

"Welcome home, Mr. Blackwood."

The luxurious interior was even more breathtaking than the outside. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, while expensive paintings decorated the walls. Everything about the mansion screamed wealth and power.

I couldn't help but stare. Vincent gently took my hand and led me upstairs. We eventually stopped in front of a large wooden door, and he opened it.

"This will be your room from now on," he said calmly. I stood there for a moment, taking in the spacious bedroom before smiling faintly.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Just as I was about to step inside, his hand suddenly wrapped around my wrist.

Before I could react, he spun me around.

My back hit the wall with a soft thud.

A small gasp escaped my lips.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "You don't like the room?"Before I could answer, he leaned in slightly, trapping me between his arms."Or perhaps..." His lips curved into the faintest smile. "you'd rather move into mine?" Heat instantly rushed to my cheeks. For a moment, I completely forgot how to breathe. Just then, the butler cleared his throat.

"Ahem..."

Vincent slowly pulled away, though the amusement lingering in his eyes hadn't disappeared. I quickly looked away, silently cursing the blush that refused to leave my face.

"Master, Mr. Damien and a lady are here to see you," the butler announced.

The moment I heard those words, I knew this was my chance.

Just as Vincent was about to walk away, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. His eyes slowly dropped to my hand before lifting to meet mine. Realizing what I'd done, I quickly let go.

"Perhaps... I should welcome them instead," I said.He narrowed his eyes, slipping both hands into his pockets.

"I don't think that's necessary. We just got back, and you need to rest. Besides, they barely know you."

"I know," I replied with a small smile. "But please... let me do it."He studied me for a few seconds before giving a slight nod.

"Very well."

I followed the butler downstairs.

The moment I stepped into the living room, my eyes landed on Damien and Eva. They looked as intimate as ever. Eva had her arms wrapped around his, her head resting proudly against his shoulder.

The instant they saw me, both of them froze.Damien's brows furrowed.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, taking a step forward.

"Just looking around," I replied calmly.

Eva suddenly burst into laughter.

"Aria, you're really pathetic." She shook her head mockingly. "It's obvious Damien doesn't want you anymore. Why are you still chasing after him? Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

She lifted her left hand and deliberately flaunted the engagement ring in front of my face.

"You should know by now..." she smirked. "Damien is mine."A faint smile curved across my lips.

"Good for you," I said. "I'll need someone around to help with the chores."Eva's smile disappeared instantly.

"What did you just say?" Before she could react, Damien stormed toward me and grabbed my wrist.

"Get out of this house!" he snapped. "You're not wanted here. Stop forcing yourself on me. I told you it's over!"

I looked down at the hand gripping my wrist.

Three years I had loved this man.

Three years I had been blinded by love.

Now, looking at him, all I could think was...

I had truly dodged a bullet. Calmly, I pulled my hand free and took a step backward, meeting his furious gaze without fear.

"I always knew you were after my money," Damien spat. "And thank God I chose Eva over you. At least now I know I made the right decision." Before I could respond, Eva stepped forward with a cruel smile.

"She's nothing but a desperate woman trying to climb her way into wealth." I remained silent, my fingers curling at my sides. I had heard enough. Then suddenly, a deep voice echoed through the room.

"What's going on here?" The moment Damien and Eva turned around, their expressions changed.

"Father." Damien immediately walked toward Vincent, his confidence returning.

"I don't know why she's here, but you should ask someone to throw her out. She isn't welcome."

A faint smile touched my lips as I looked from Damien to Vincent. Instead, his gaze softened slightly as it landed on me.

Then he extended his hand.

I hesitated for a moment before walking toward him. The moment my fingers slipped into his, his grip tightened gently, as if reassuring me that I wasn't alone.

"Damien," Vincent called. He paused, lifting my hand and placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Meet my wife... your stepmother.”