Next day.

The hall looked like something out of a dream.. or a movie I’d never afford a ticket to.

Crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceiling like falling stars, casting golden light across polished marble floors.

The scent of expensive perfume, polished silver, and old money hung in the air. Every woman glided like royalty, every man had that slick, powerful air of someone who knew exactly what they were worth.. and how many people were beneath them.

And then there was me.

In a dress that probably cost more than my dad’s entire mortgage. Midnight blue, silky, backless, slit running up my thigh like it had somewhere important to be. The diamond earrings alone made my earlobes nervous.

I barely recognized the girl in the mirror earlier tonight. She looked… perfect. Beautiful, even. Like she belonged here.

Except she didn't. Not really.

I was still adjusting to the blinding lights when Jace appeared beside me. Sharp in a black tux, jaw tight, posture calm like always.. except his eyes flicked down to me once, and something unreadable passed through them.

He extended a hand toward me. “Shall we?”

I swallowed and slipped my hand into his. His palm was warm. Steady. We walked together toward the center of the room, toward the crowd, the whispers, the eyes.

“They say she just appeared out of nowhere.”

“Beautiful, though.”

“Is that Jace's wife?”

“I thought he was marrying Aria Harris. What happened there?”

Aria Harris? I blinked. That name stuck. Was she an ex? Fiancée? The woman he was supposed to be with?

Was I… a replacement?

I didn't dare ask. Not here. Not with his fingers wrapped lightly around mine and cameras snapping.

Jace paused as we reached the podium, stepping forward like it was second nature. I stayed beside him, careful not to look too lost, too out of place.

“Ladies and gentlemen,"he said into the mic, voice calm, collected, impossibly smooth. “Thank you for joining us tonight. As you know, the Callahan Foundation continues its mission to rebuild communities and support small businesses across the country… ”

His voice faded in my head as I scanned the room again. Everyone listened like he was royalty. Reverent. Respectful.

But there was fear there, too. You could feel it.

Jace Callahan wasn't just rich.

He was powerful.

And not the clean kind.

As he wrapped up his speech with practiced elegance, the applause rolled through the room like a tidal wave. I clapped too, robotic, still wondering about Aria. About this strange role I’d stepped into.

That’s when the air changed.

I didn't see him at first. I felt him.

A presence. Cold, heavy, electric.

Then I saw him.. a tall man in a slate-gray suit, eyes hard as stone, lips pressed in a permanent sneer. People stepped aside without a word as he approached.

Jace's shoulders stiffened, just slightly.

The man stopped in front of us, gaze falling directly on me.

“So,"he said, voice like frostbite, “this is the wife.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Something about him told me this wasn't a person you made small talk with.

“Dad,"Jace said with a nod, his voice flat now. "Didn't expect to see you here.”

Donald Callahan.

His father.

He looked me over once, slowly. Not like a man admiring beauty. More like a buyer assessing merchandise. “Pretty,"he said. “But fragile. You’ re sure she’s strong enough to play her part?”

My stomach dropped.

“She’s fine,"Jace replied, jaw tight.

Donald's eyes didn't move from mine. “Better hope she is. This world? It eats delicate girls alive.”

I barely breathed.

And just like that, he walked off.. leaving the same chill behind as a ghost does in a room.

I turned to Jace. “He’ s… ”

“My father,"he said, already scanning the crowd. “Ignore him.”

But I couldn't. Not really.

Something told me he wasn't a man you ignored.

The night went on. Laughter, music, clinking glasses. Everyone pretending to be happy and flawless. Me? I just wanted to survive the night without making a scene.

But then.. suddenly..

Pop.

A single gunshot shattered the air.

Screams.

More pops. Louder. Closer.

Chaos erupted. People pushed. Glass shattered. Someone shouted, “Get down!”

My heart slammed against my ribs as I looked around, disoriented, frozen.

And then I saw it.. a man in a black hoodie near the entrance. His arm raised. A gun aimed.

At me.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't think.

Everything slowed.. like the world had been dunked underwater.

Then..

"Sophie !”

A blur.

A force slamming into me from the side.

And suddenly I was on the floor. On my back. Lights spinning overhead.

Blood.

So much blood.

Jace.

Lying on top of me.

Motionless.

"Jace?"I choked, voice barely there. My hands fumbled across his back, came away soaked. “No no no no.. Jace?!”

He groaned, barely. His face twisted in pain.

People were still screaming. Someone shouted to call security. The shooter was gone. But I couldn't look away from the man who just took a bullet for me.

Tears blurred everything.

He saved me.

He saved me.

“Stay with me,"I whispered, pressing my hand to his chest, desperate. “Please, Jace, stay with me.. ”

His eyes fluttered open.

Just enough to meet mine.

Then they closed again.

And that was the night my fake marriage turned real in all the wrong ways.