Bryan's POV
I woke up at six in the morning and went for a run, trying to clear my head. When I got back to the penthouse an hour later, Alice's door was still closed. I showered and got dressed in a simple suit, nothing too formal; this wasn't a real wedding after all.
At nine, I knocked on Alice's door.
"Alice? We need to leave in an hour." There was no answer.
I knocked again, louder this time. "Alice?" But still nothing.
I tried the door handle, and it was unlocked. I pushed it open slowly. "Alice, I'm coming in."
She was sitting on her bed, already dressed in a simple white dress that went to her knees. Her hair was down, and she had minimal makeup on. She looked beautiful and sad at the same time.
"Are you okay?" I asked, walking in and sitting on the edge of her bed, keeping some distance between us.
"I'm fine," she said, but her voice was flat.
"You don't look fine." She didn't answer, and I didn't push further.
We took the car and went to where we were supposed to get married. Inside, we were led to a small room where a judge was waiting. The whole thing took less than ten minutes. We signed papers and said our vows, which were the standard legal ones, and then it was done.
"You may kiss the bride," the judge said.
I looked at Alice, and she looked back at me; her expression was unreadable. I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
When I pulled back, Alice's eyes were closed, and when she opened them, they looked wet, but no tears fell.
"Congratulations," Antonio said, as he clapped a couple of times.
We signed a few more papers, and then we were officially married. Alice was now legally Alice Hale, my wife.
"I need a drink," Antonio muttered as we walked out of the building.
"It's ten in the morning," I said.
Antonio shook his head and walked away while Alice got in the car without a word, and I drove us back to the penthouse in silence.
Alice went straight to her room and closed the door. I stood in the living room, staring at the closed door, wondering what I'd just done.
My phone rang. It was my father.
"Did you do it?" he asked without greeting.
"Yes," I said. "We just got married."
"Good," he said. "I'm having a reception dinner next weekend. You'll both attend, and you'll act like a proper married couple. Understood?"
"Yes," I said through gritted teeth.
"And Bryan?" he added.
"Don't fuck this up. I don't care if this marriage is real or not, but it better look real to everyone else." He said it and hung up before I could respond.
I poured myself a whiskey even though it was only eleven in the morning.
Around one, I knocked on Alice's door again. "Alice? You need to eat something." I said, but there was no answer.
"I'm ordering lunch. What do you want?" I tried again, but still nothing.
I sighed and ordered food for both of us anyway. I set everything up on the dining table and knocked on her door one more time.
"Food's here. You should eat."
The door finally opened, and Alice came out. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying, but her face was calm.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she sat down at the table.
We ate in awkward silence. I kept wanting to say something, anything to break the tension, but I didn't know what to say.
"So," Alice finally said, putting down her fork. "What happens now?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, we're married. Legally. Do we just go back to work on Monday and pretend nothing changed?" she asked.
"Pretty much. Except you'll need to start wearing this."
I pulled out a small box from my pocket and slid it across the table. Alice opened it, and her eyes widened slightly. Inside was a diamond ring.
"I can't accept this," she said, closing the box and pushing it back.
"You have to. People will notice if you're not wearing a wedding ring. It's part of the act."
She stared at the box before opening it again and took out the ring. She slipped it on her finger, and it fit perfectly.
"How did you know my size?" she asked.
"I guessed," I lied. The truth was I'd measured her finger while she was sleeping the other night, but that sounded creepy.
"It's beautiful," she said softly, looking at the ring on her hand.
"It's just part of the contract," I said, standing up and clearing my plate. "Don't read too much into it."
Her face fell slightly, but she nodded.
"Right. Of course."
I went to my office to work for a few hours, trying to distract myself from the weird feeling in my chest. And around six, I heard the front door open and close. I came out and saw Alice putting on her shoes.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
She jumped, not expecting me. "Out for a walk. Is that allowed?"
"Of course it's allowed," I said, frowning. "But take the driver. It's not safe for you to be alone."
"I'm just going around the block," she said. "I'll be fine."
"Alice," I said, my voice was firm now.
"Take the driver or don't go."
She glared at me. "You're not my actual husband, Bryan. You can't tell me what to do."
"Maybe not," I said, walking closer to her. "But I am responsible for your safety. And if something happens to you because you were too stubborn to take the damn driver, that's on me." I added, and we stared at each other for a long moment, neither of us backing down. Finally, Alice sighed.
"Fine," she said. "I'll take the driver."
"Thank you."
She left, and I went back to my office, but I couldn't focus. I kept checking my phone, waiting for the driver to text me that they were back. And about an hour passed, then two. Finally, my phone rang.
"Mr. Hale," the driver said, his voice tense. "We have a problem."
My blood ran cold. "What kind of problem?"
"Mrs. Hale wanted to stop at a cafe. I waited outside while she went in. But when I looked through the window to check on her, I saw a man approach her table. They seemed to be arguing. Then Mrs. Hale ran out the back exit. I lost sight of her."
"What?" I shouted, already grabbing my keys. "Where are you?"
He gave me the address, and I ran out of the penthouse. The cafe was only ten minutes away, but it felt like an hour. When I got there, the driver was standing outside looking panicked.
"Which way did she go?" I demanded.
"I don't know, sir. I've been searching, but..."
I didn't wait for him to finish. I started walking down the street, looking in every shop, every alley. My phone rang, and I grabbed it, hoping it was Alice, but it wasn't. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?" I answered only to hear Alice's panicking voice.
"Bryan?" she whispered. "I need help. Someone's following me, and I don't know where I am."