The whole ceremony was a blur. Alexander took me to City Hall, and we walked out a few minutes later with our marriage certificate in hand. He’s nothing if not efficient. The entire process was mechanical and impersonal. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this isn’t really it.
I look down at my outfit. I didn’t have time or money to buy anything special, and I don’t even own a white dress. Instead, I’m wearing black formal pants and a white blouse—my job interview outfit. It’s the nicest thing I own. Besides, I guess it’s only fitting that I wore black to start this soulless marriage with. Alexander doesn’t say a word to me as he walks back to his limousine, he’s lost in thought as much as I am.
“I’m going to be busy for at least the next couple of days. Keep to our agreement: don’t interfere with my private life unnecessarily, and I won’t interfere with yours.”
I nod and swallow down the lump in my throat. This feels so wrong. What have I done? What was I thinking?
I shake away my thoughts as Alexander opens the door for me. I sit down and nod at the driver, surprised to find that there’s a woman I don’t recognize sitting next to him. Alexander joins me, ignoring both of them. He reaches for the bag in the seat opposite me. It wasn’t there when we left the car earlier.
The woman turns to look at us and nods at me. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Kennedy. Congratulations. My name is Alice Porter. I’m Alexander’s secretary.”
I’m startled, and it takes me a good ten seconds to realize that it’s me she’s talking to. I’m Mrs. Kennedy now, and the sound of it sends a thrill down my spine. I nod at her and paste my most polite smile onto my face.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Porter.”
She shakes her head and smiles at me. “Please, call me Alice.” Alice is a beautiful, sophisticated lady. Short, perfectly straight blonde hair falls just above her shoulder, and her makeup is flawless. I think she’s probably around Alexander’s age, maybe a little older. I listen as she walks Alexander through his schedule for the upcoming week. When he said he’ll be busy, that was clearly an understatement.
He opens the bag in his lap while she talks and takes out a new mobile phone. He unboxes it and starts playing around with it. I watch as he uses the phone to ring himself with, and then hangs up. He hands it to me and grabs his own.
He starts typing on his phone, and a few seconds later the phone in my hand vibrates. I see an incoming message from Husband. Why didn’t he just program himself in as Alexander?
Husband: This is your new phone. It’s fully encrypted using our company’s latest technology. You’ll find a new laptop and tablet in the bag too. They’re similarly encrypted. It’s important that you use only technology provided by me. Corporate espionage is a serious issue that we’ve been battling, and you’ll become a target soon.
I type a reply and hit send.
Elena Kennedy: I got it. Don’t worry.
I blink twice as I notice the name that he’s set up in my message settings. Yep, still there. Not just Elena. Elena Kennedy. I wonder what my name is in his phone for this new number. Probably just Elena. Maybe ‘Old Ball N Chains.’ I scroll through my contacts and find that he’s programmed in everyone I might need to reach, including his security officer, Aiden, and Alice.
Husband: Remember your identity from now on. You’re my wife now. Act appropriately in front of others.
I frown at his text, feeling oddly offended. What does he think I’d do?
Elena Kennedy: I’ll try to refrain from falling to my knees to suck off the highest bidder.
I regret the text the moment I send it and keep staring at my phone instead of looking up to face him. My words were uncalled for, but I still feel bitter about the way he humiliated me when he offered me 20k to suck him off. I’m not sure what bothers me the most. That he offered it at all, or that I would’ve done it if he hadn’t stopped me. I know I should be grateful to him for offering me a solution instead of feeling bitter, but I can’t help myself.
Husband: I just gave you half my net worth by marrying you. Matter of fact, there’s a duplicate of my credit card in the bag too. Remember, Elena: I’ll always be the highest bidder. Shall I put up the privacy shield or do you think you can be a good girl and ‘refrain’?
I see him reach for the button that puts a privacy screen up between the front seats and us, and I jump up to stop him, pretty much tumbling in his arms. “No need,” I say, panicked, but I’m too late. The screen rises, and Alexander chuckles.
He pulls me onto his lap and puts his lips against my ear. “Things between us might have started unconventional, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are my wife, Elena. You are Mrs. Kennedy now. You’re mine.”
His words against my ear tickle, and my eyes shutter closed. I squirm in his arms, clenching my legs tightly. Just the memory of how he touched me has me wet again, and I’m embarrassed. I hate how he makes me feel, yet I can’t fight it.
“I thought we agreed on this, Alexander. It’s just my body you purchased, nothing more.”
Alexander wraps his hands around my waist. His fingers almost touch each other around my waist, and it makes me feel small. He pulls me closer and smiles as he threads his hand through my hair.
“Just your body, huh? Very well. That’s all I want from you, Elena. You’d better remember that your body is mine now.” His index finger brushes over my lips and he smirks, his gaze heated. “These lips are mine now, you hear me?”
I nod, and satisfaction flashes through his eyes.
“Good girl,” he whispers, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against mine. “There’s a crucial part of the wedding ceremony we missed out on,” he murmurs.
“What’s that?” I whisper back, my heart racing, my lips brushing against his with every word.
“The part where I kiss the bride,” he answers, before lowering his lips to mine fully.
A soft moan escapes my lips when he kisses me, and Alexander groans, deepening our kiss. I lose myself in him, in us. Not in a million years did I think I’d find myself kissing Alexander Kennedy.
He pulls away and drops his forehead to mine. “You’re my wife now, Elena. I’ll take care of you. I’ll provide you with anything you could possibly need,” he says, pulling away further. “But you won’t ever get love from me. You know that, right?”
I nod, the situation suddenly seeming so much more real. I’ve felt like everything was a blur in the last few hours, a dream. Only to wake up to find that all my biggest problems have been solved. I wonder what my mother would think of me if she knew I had to rely on a man to get out of a sticky situation. Would she be disappointed with my lack of independence, or would she be proud of me for doing the only thing I could?
Alexander smiles at me and seems to hesitate before he continues. “I like you, Elena. You’re a nice girl, and you’re a good fit for my family. I’m glad you know not to expect much from me. If you want sex, I can give you that. But flirting, love, and romance? You won’t get it from me. I won’t woo you.”
I nod at him in understanding. “I don’t need love from you, Alexander,” I say, my voice soft. “I just need you to help me save my mother’s life.”
I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry him. Despite that, part of me was hoping I’d see more of the Alexander I met at Inferno, but he’s back to being the Alexander I knew growing up. I wonder if this is all I’ll ever have of him. I dreamt of marrying Alexander when I was younger, and now that it has actually happened, it’s a bit… disappointing. I guess my marriage is an accurate reflection of my life so far, but I’m not dumb enough to take what I have for granted.
“All of your mother’s current medical bills are already paid. Before we left, I authorized her move to a secure private facility that my family uses exclusively. Aiden, my security officer, should be making that happen as we speak. He’s also looking into the experts that might be able to help her, and they’ll create a new treatment plan for her. You’ll be able to visit her again tomorrow.”
I can barely breathe as I listen to his words. These are all the things I wished I’d been able to do for my mother, but the maximum amount I was allowed to take out of my trust fund per month wasn’t enough to cover it. In hindsight, that’s a good thing. I’d have run out of money far sooner, and I don’t even want to think about what that might have meant for my mother.
“You’ll also get your own security team and driver. They’ll answer to you, not to me. For the time being, you can use Alice as your personal assistant for any matters you require, and my mother’s personal stylist has been assigned to you as well. You can hire your own staff if that arrangement doesn’t suit you. All I ask in return is that you accept the boundaries I’ve set.”
“I understand, Alexander. I won’t bother you needlessly. I’m grateful for what you’re offering me. I’ll play the role of doting wife and daughter-in-law in public, and I’ll respect your boundaries. I promise you.”
He nods and looks at me, his gaze searching, as though he’s trying to make sure I mean what I say, that I won’t bother him with useless expectations. What he sees in my eyes seems to please him, because he nods in satisfaction.
He pauses and stares at me for a few seconds. “It’s quite likely that my mother is already aware that we decided to proceed with our marriage, and she’ll have taken your image in her own hands. You’re a Kennedy now, and you’ll need to look like one. We won’t announce our marriage for the time being. Instead, we’re going to stage an entire relationship. We’ll go on high profile dates, I’ll publicly propose to you, and we’ll have a grand wedding ceremony on the 20th of June.”
I frown, and Alexander sighs. “The media are tough on us,” he says. “They’ve followed me everywhere, and they’ve seen me on plenty of dates, some of them fairly recent. They know we can’t be married. I don’t want our marriage to start with rumors about me two-timing you while we were dating, so we’ll need that to die down first. We’ll stage a perfect relationship for the press and my grandfather.”
I look into his eyes, feeling oddly hurt. “Just tell me the truth, Alexander. June 20th? It’s my brother’s wedding day. You want to use me to overshadow the news of their engagement and wedding.”
He places his index finger underneath my chin and lifts my face. All I find when I look into his eyes is ruthlessness. “Clever girl,” he says. “Yes. We’re going to do just that.”
My heart breaks even as I force a smile onto my face. I was terrified that all he’d be able to think about when he sees me is Matthew.
But it’s worse.
When he looks at me, it’s Jennifer he sees.
All I am is a tool to get to her, to rattle her, to hurt her. Even now, when it’s me that bears his last name, it’s her he thinks of. It will always be her.
