Chapter 3

"Sir, ma'am, are you both entering this marriage voluntarily?" It was a typical Monday morning at the county clerk's office, packed with couples waiting their turn. Amid the sea of lovey-dovey pairs, one couple stood out—for all the wrong reasons. The man was tall, unfairly handsome, with the kind of sharp features that belonged on a billboard. The woman beside him had that effortless beauty look—toned limbs, full lips parted in shock, with sleek, sun-kissed hair falling in a straight cascade down her back and a radiant glow, though her death grip on the counter suggested she'd rather be anywhere but here. "No! We are not here to get married!" Anna blurted, words tumbling out in a panicked rush. "Officer, this is a mistake! I barely know this guy!" What the hell was happening?! After being kidnapped (okay, dragged) into his car and driven here, this lunatic had marched her straight into the marriage license office. Was this some kind of sick joke? "Barely know me?" Julian, who had been silent until now, let out a low chuckle. In one smooth motion, he pulled her against his chest, tilting his head with that infuriating, smug smirk of his. His voice was pure honey—if honey could also sound like a threat. "Anna, sweetheart, since when do strangers walk into a courthouse together to get a marriage license?" The crowd erupted. "Girl, you're saying no to that? Damn, what's your standard—Prince Charming?" "Yo, bro, if she's not signing, I volunteer—" "Babe, why can't you look at me like he's looking at her?" "Nah, I'm calling off my wedding. This is depressing." The clerk, a middle-aged woman who had seen every kind of cold feet imaginable, sighed and pried Anna's white-knuckled grip off the counter. "Honey, let's be real—men like him don't just fall out of the sky. Stop overthinking and just sign the damn papers." Anna's face burned. She opened her mouth to argue—but before she could, Julian's arm tightened around her waist, his fingers tracing a slow, teasing line along her hip. The message was clear: Try running. I dare you. Trapped against him, surrounded by his stupidly expensive cologne, Anna was outmatched. This was a disaster. Tears pricked her eyes. All she'd wanted was to catch her cheating ex—how did she end up cornered by a human-shaped red flag in a courthouse?! "Anna," Julian murmured, lips brushing her ear in a way that made the onlookers swoon. To them, it looked tender. To her? Psychological warfare. "You agreed to this, remember? Smile for the nice people, sign the license, and we can go home." AGREED?! She jerked back, eyes blazing. "We need to talk. Right. Now." Her voice dropped to a hiss. "You can't just force me into marriage because you've got a room full of people fooled!" Julian studied her, silent. Sweating, Anna played her last card: the law. Thank God for legal consent. She squared her shoulders. "Even if you drag me to the altar, I'm not signing anything."