Chapter 28

Her heart seemed to be beating a hundred pulses per minute. She could not help but wonder why she still did not have a heart attack with how her blood seemed to race around her body.

Who could blame her? It was not like she was looking forward to today. On the contrary, she wished someone would stop or object to this insanity.

"Do you take..." She could hear a voice, but the sound seemed muffled by the drumming in her ears.

She only knew that the man in front of her was talking to her because he was directly staring at her. She saw the man's lips move. Then, his eyes seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"Jules, Judge Patterson is..." Damon slightly patted her arm as if waking her up from her trance.

Although she might appear in a daze, she was more in a floating limbo, where she knew what was happening, but her body could only watch.

But she guessed she had to snap out of it since everybody was already waiting for her response to the lingering question.

"I am sorry." She lifted her face to look at the man beside her. Then, she turned back to the man officiating the small ceremony.

"I am sorry that I zoned out." She told everyone present in the room. And when she looked at her friend, Thalia, she already had worried lines etched on her face.

"Do you wish me to repeat the question?" The Judge asked her, looking confused. He was probably puzzled by her reaction or hesitation.

Who would not want to marry a man like Damon? He was rich, powerful, and incredibly handsome. But, of course, she knew that beneath all those was the different side of him that only she would know.

He was arrogant. He was a man who did not know the value of love. Because if he did, he would not have slept with her, knowing she was about to marry his brother.

However, again, she was as much to blame for the incident. Damon did not force her to sleep with him, but she did. Therefore, she was as despicable as him.

Maybe fate was right about this union.

Maybe they did deserve each other.

"I..." She suddenly swallowed the lump that seemed to block her airway and prevented her from saying the word. "I do." She finally uttered, not needing the official to repeat the question.

Immediately after, she felt his hands pulling hers before him. Then, her eyes fixed on the gold-plated band he inserted in her ring finger.

Now, it was official.

She just put an invisible chain that bound her to him. But she reminded herself that this was just an agreement. Eventually, they would get a divorce that would free her from him.

"Do you..." She heard the elderly gentleman question her soon-to-be husband.

Of course, he answered the question without flinching or even blinking his eyes. "I do." His voice seemed to reverberate in her ears, constantly reminding her that he had just sealed the deal.

With slightly shaking hands, it was her turn to put the ring on his finger. She bit her lips as she tried to control her nerves.

She guessed despite her resolve, she still felt the overwhelming nervousness of marrying this man.

She remembered long ago when her mother would tell her never to talk to a stranger. Now, she had just married one. Although he was the father of her son, he was still logically an alien to her.

"By the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife." Judge Patterson announced inside his office where they had the marriage ceremony.

Again, it was far from what she envisioned her wedding would be. But nothing about this was real. The marriage was just an illusion to fool the people around him.

For what purpose, she had no idea. Nevertheless, she did not care to know. After all, this man was just a means to an end for her. And she was also the same to him.

"You may kiss the bride." The Judge smiled at them, appearing like he was clueless about this entire ordeal.

But, of course, what decent official would agree to this bogus ceremony? She could only guess that her new husband must have concocted a story about their love affair.

"Congratulations, Mister and Misses Hawkins." He pronounced while waiting for them to kiss.

Though seriously, did the Judge buy the story? But apparently, he did when he genuinely started congratulating them.

"Well, Ms. Hawkins, shall I do the honor?" The man could also act, appearing like the endearing husband.

Eventually, he gently glided his fingers on her hips while moving his body impossibly closer so there was hardly space between them.

She had never known dread like she felt at that moment. But it was not the kind of fear that would give her nightmares.

Nevertheless, it made her heart pulsate beyond her control, sending goosebumps in her entire body. It was still a threat to her sanity.

"No." She wanted to tell him, but the words were only in her head. She knew she could not say it because she had signed on the dotted line, obliging her to act as his wife in front of the public eyes.

And there was no more public place than the office who just conducted their union. Fortunately, she did not have to make a personal vow because she felt she had lied more than enough for one day.

"This is just a kiss." She repeated in her head, hoping that would help her nerves from going over the edge. However, a weird thing happened when their lips touched.

The neurons inside her head seemed to have cross-circuited. Did she fry her brain because that was the only explanation for why she suddenly felt different?

"Yes, yes, yes..." Those words seemed to echo in her mind as his lips began to explore her lips.

Damn!

It should have been a short kiss, but he had abused his privilege as he prolonged her agony. Or was it pleasure? She could not tell since the lines seemed to have suddenly become blurry.

And why were her hands moving involuntarily on his shoulders and wrapping around his neck? And most frighteningly, why was her body pushing against his?

She had to stop. She knew she had to. But her husband was such a Goddamn good kisser. She could only assume she was no match for his expertise in seduction and charms.

Damn!

It would appear she had agreed to something more than she had bargained for.

Again, she could not help but question if she had just made a pact with the devil.