Chapter 3 Extraordinary Wedding Night

Nothing about Cole's wedding whispered subtlety-it shouted luxury from every corner, drenched in diamonds and power.

A hundred million-dollar gown, laced with over 400, 000 diamonds and pearls, was the crown jewel of the ceremony. Paige had fantasized about walking down the aisle in it for as long as she could remember.

Aware of the enormous difference between the Jones family and the Evans family, Kiara and Darin had gone to great lengths to maintain appearances. They'd put together five hundred million dollars as a wedding gift, aiming to marry Paige off in a grand spectacle that would leave the entire city in awe. But in the end, every bit of it went to Elliana.

The wedding dress, air-shipped straight from a well-known gown brand overseas, now rested on Elliana's body. Kiara, Darin, and Paige could only watch as everything they'd sacrificed for sparkled on the wrong girl-rage nearly knocked them off their feet.

Elliana could barely hold back her laughter, but with Cole standing right next to her, she bit it back and kept her expression neutral. There was no mistaking Cole's reputation-dangerous, decisive, and impossible to predict. She knew better than to get careless. She still had no clue how she became his wife, but she needed answers, and fast.

A swarm of reporters buzzed outside the Jones family's mansion, hungry for any crack in the story. Instead of feeding the frenzy, Cole avoided the car altogether and flew off with Elliana in a private helicopter.

Tears streamed down Paige's face as the helicopter disappeared into the clouds. "Mom, is my dream of becoming the wife of the wealthiest man truly gone?"

"Absolutely not!" Kiara's voice dripped with venom as she said, "Cole won't tolerate being trapped like this. Elliana was shoved into his life. Who knows? She might not even make it through tonight."

A spark flickered behind Paige's tears. "You think he'd actually get rid of her?"

Kiara gave a cold smile. "Once Elliana's no longer in the picture, Cole will definitely come back to you. Just hold on to your place as Ublento's top socialite. You'll be his wife eventually."

Since even those two morons, Kiara and Paige, had imagined Cole might arrange a widower scenario, Elliana, with her sharp mind, had certainly considered that possibility.

Even though Elliana had never seen Cole in person until today, she'd heard every tale. People described him as cold-blooded, even cruel. He was the kind of man who crushed anyone who dared stand in his way. Those who did either vanished or ended up wishing they had never tried. She had no plans to test a man like that.

Elliana kept her head down the entire ceremony. Once they stepped into the bedroom, Elliana sank onto the edge of the bed and stayed silent.

Across the room, Cole slipped off his jacket and dropped onto the couch. His eyes locked on her-intense, clinical, like he could read her thoughts with one glance.

Hours ago, she looked like a wreck-smudged eyeliner, tangled hair, makeup that aged her ten years. But now, beneath the soft veil concealing her face, she looked ethereal in the glittering gown. Her skin glowed, her figure delicate and composed. She was stunning.

Elliana had her own legend, dark and twisted. At five, they said, she had lit the fire that killed her mother and melted her own face. Some called her cursed. Others called her a murderer. Either way, no one saw innocence when they looked at her.

They had labeled her dumb and called her ugly, but Cole saw none of that. Her eyes-sharp, sly, and full of light-gave her away. She wasn't clueless. She was shrewd. Whatever her game was, she played it well. When Paige lunged at her earlier, Elliana had slipped behind him with uncanny ease. Others might've dismissed it as instinct, but he caught the control in her footwork. That kind of precision didn't come from fear-it came from training.

But all that finesse meant nothing to him compared to the one thing that did matter-how his name got locked in with hers in a marriage. Someone had pulled strings behind the curtain. Why? What did they stand to gain? And was Elliana really as innocent as she played?

"You had no trouble talking earlier. Why so quiet now?" Cole's tone sliced through the quiet like glass.

Elliana stiffened, a chill rushing up her spine before she could stop it. "It's not like I planned to marry up... I just can't shake this bit of unease."

Living under the Evans family household came with rules, and Elliana understood that fast. A gentle smile here, the right words there-it could be the difference between survival and disaster.

A dry chuckle slipped past Cole's lips. She was putting on a show, and he wasn't buying a second of it. Earlier, she'd called him "darling" in front of Paige like it was the most natural thing in the world. There hadn't been a hint of unease in her voice. He would just wait to see how long she could keep up the charade.

Elliana knew he didn't believe her. She didn't expect him to. She just needed to avoid giving him a reason to strike.

She was still running through her next move in her head when Cole rose without warning and crossed the room with unhurried, deliberate steps.

Without a word, he leaned down and swept her into his arms before she had the chance to flinch.

Being swept into his arms like a bride out of a fairytale made her heart lurch. "Mr. Evans, what... What are you doing?"

Cole glanced down at her, a sly smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Tell me-what do you suppose newlyweds ought to be doing on their wedding night?"

Everything tilted as he tossed her onto the bed, his body closing the space between them like a storm cloud rolling in.

The mattress bounced beneath her, his scent surrounding her completely, and she went still. With her horrible wig and makeup, was Cole seriously able to go through with it?