Soren's Pov

"Do you have the guts to marry me, or are you just another coward?"

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I didn't recognize myself anymore. My head was pounding, my chest hollow, but my voice cut sharp. I wanted him to back down. I wanted him to walk away like everyone else did.

But Adrian Vega didn't move.

His eyes burned into mine, not with fear, not with greed, but with something worse, hesitation. As if he was weighing the cost, as if my life wasn't already wreckage.

The chapel lights flickered above us. The officiant, an old man with thinning hair and a cheap suit, leaned against the doorframe. He grinned like he'd seen this scene a thousand times before. "Well, gentlemen? We're open all night."

I turned back to Adrian. His friend Marco was practically falling over himself, laughing and cheering. "Do it, Adrian! Come on! You'll thank me later!"

Adrian hissed at him to shut up. Then his gaze locked on me again.

"You're serious," he whispered.

I took a step closer, ignoring the sway in my head from too much whiskey. "Deadly."

For a moment, I thought he'd walk away. But then something shifted in his face. stubbornness. A fire, The kind I knew too well because it lived in me.

"Fine," he muttered. "Let's do it."

The officiant clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Right this way."

I didn't think. I just followed, dragging Adrian with me.

The chapel smelled like roses dipped in cheap perfume. The carpet was worn, the walls lined with fake flowers. A plastic arch stood at the front, draped in fairy lights. It was pathetic, a joke compared to the empire I'd been raised in.

And maybe that was why I stayed. Because everything I knew, everything I was supposed to be, was already in flames. What was one more match?

Adrian shifted beside me, muttering under his breath. "This is insane."

"Back out, then," I said coldly, fixing my cufflinks even though I'd already ripped my jacket half open.

He shot me a glare. "Don't tempt me."

The officiant cleared his throat. "Stand here, please." He pointed at the altar.

I stood tall, as I'd been taught since childhood. Adrian fidgeted, his sneakers squeaking against the floor. We were polar opposites, side by side, under fake roses.

"Do you have rings?" the officiant asked cheerfully.

I almost laughed. "No."

Adrian shrugged. "Got a coin?"

We both dug through our pockets until Adrian pulled out a bent silver band keychain. He slipped the ring off and handed it over.

"Perfect," the officiant said, like this was normal.

My throat tightened. This wasn't normal. This was chaos. But I let it happen.

The officiant began his lines, voice monotone, eyes half-asleep. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight..."

My mind blurred. I saw flashes of Celeste's cold smile as she walked out of the ballroom earlier. My father's fury burned into my skull. The reporters snapped photos. The whispers: The Knight heir abandoned, weak. A failure.

And now here I am. Standing beside a broke stranger who smelled faintly of soap and smoke.

"Do you, Soren Knight, take Adrian Vega.."

"Yes." My voice cut through before he even finished.

Adrian's head whipped toward me, eyes wide. "You could at least wait," he hissed.

The officiant chuckled nervously and turned. "Do you, Adrian Vega, take Soren Knight..."

There was silence. Adrian's jaw clenched. His eyes darted to Marco, who was swaying in the back pew, waving his arms like an idiot. Then his gaze met mine.

"Yes," he said finally.

The officiant smiled. "By the power vested in me by the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce you..."

I didn't wait. I grabbed Adrian by the back of the neck and kissed him.

It wasn't soft, wasn't romantic. It was a punishment.

His lips parted in shock, but instead of pulling away, he shoved back, kissing me with sharp anger. For a moment, heat flared, drowning the fury. His grip on my shirt tightened, and mine dug into his jaw.

The officiant clapped. Marco cheered. The world blurred and then it was done.

We broke apart, both breathless, both glaring.

"There you have it," the officiant said brightly. "Husband and husband."

The words hung heavy.

I turned away first, fixing my jacket with stiff fingers. Adrian's chest was rising fast, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Happy now?" he muttered.

I didn't answer. Because I wasn't. I wasn't happy. I wasn't anything but raw, hollow rage.

"Come on," I said, marching toward the door.

Adrian blinked. "Where are we going?"

"To deal with the fallout."

Because I already knew. The paparazzi, investors. My father.

This wasn't going to stay in Vegas.

When we stepped outside, the night air slapped me. Bright flashes exploded instantly, blinding. Reporters swarmed, shouting my name, cameras flashing.

"Mr. Knight! Who's your husband?"

"Why did Celeste leave?"

"Is this your revenge?"

Adrian froze beside me, eyes wide. "What the hell..."

I grabbed his hand without thinking, locking us together as the crowd pressed closer. "Smile."

He turned to me, panicked. "What?"

"Smile," I repeated, through clenched teeth. "If we don't, they'll eat us alive."

Flashes went off again, brighter, faster. Our joined hands, his face, my suit.

Adrian swallowed, then forced the weakest smile I'd ever seen.

It was enough. The reporters roared louder, the questions came out sharper.

I squeezed his hand tighter. My lips barely moved as I leaned toward him, whispering into his ear so only he could hear.

"You're in my world now, Vega and trust me, there's no way out."

Adrian's Pov

I wasn't supposed to be here. Just a guy with overdue rent and a sick mom. Yet here I was, shoved into the blinding circle of a billionaire's life.

Soren didn't flinch. His face was marble, his smile controlled, his posture perfect. He tugged me close, like I belonged at his side, even though we both knew I didn't.

A camera nearly smacked my cheek. I shoved it away. "Back off!" I yelled, but my voice was drowned out by more questions.

"This way," Soren muttered, pushing through.

"How the hell do they even know?" I hissed, stumbling to keep up.

He didn't answer. His grip tightened on me. The black car waiting at the curb opened as if on cue.

Soren shoved me inside first. I slid across the leather seat, my heart pounding. He climbed in after me, slammed the door, and silence fell.

My ears rang. My chest heaved.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded.

He didn't look at me. He poured a drink from the car's mini bar. "Welcome to my life."

I slammed my fists against my knees. "I didn't sign up for this!"

His eyes flicked to me, sharp and cold. "You said yes."

"That was a joke! A dare! Not....." My throat caught. "Not this."

Soren didn't argue. He just sipped his drink, staring out the tinted window.

My phone buzzed. I fumbled it out.

Twenty missed calls. All from one name.

Mom.

My stomach dropped.

I answered quickly. "Mom?"

Her voice came in shaky, breathless. "Adrian, what did you do?"

"It's not what it looks like."

"The news is everywhere," she whispered. "You're married to him. To Soren Knight. Tell me it's not true."

I glanced at Soren. He was watching me now, his face unreadable.

"It's complicated," I whispered.

"Complicated?" Her voice broke. "You brought the most powerful, heartless man in the city into our lives. Do you know what that means? What he can do?"

Tears burned, but I blinked them back. "I'll explain. Just, don't worry. I'll fix it."

Her silence hurt worse than her words. Then the line clicked dead.

I lowered the phone, my hands shaking.

Soren didn't speak.

"Don't look at me like that," I snapped.

He tilted his head slightly. "Like what?"

"Like I'm just another problem you have to manage."

His jaw flexed, but he didn't answer.

The car slowed. "We're here, sir," the driver announced.

I glanced out the window and froze.

Towering glass walls. It was the Knight Enterprises building.

"No," I muttered. "No way."

"You are," Soren said, adjusting his cufflinks.

"I'm not your trophy. I'm not part of your PR stunt."

"You're my husband," he said flatly. "Which means you are."

The word twisted in my chest. Husband. It didn't sound real.

The door opened. I didn't move.

Soren leaned close, voice low. "Stay in this car, the press tears you apart. Come inside, I can protect you. Choose."

I hated him, but I hated the cameras more.

So I followed.

The lobby gleamed with marble and gold. People in suits froze as we walked through, whispers trailing us.

"That's him..."

"Is that the husband?"

"Celeste is going to explode."

We reached the elevator. The doors closed, sealing us in silence. My reflection stared back at me, messy hair, wrinkled shirt, sneakers scuffed. A stray dragged into the wrong world.

And beside me stood Soren Knight, untouchable.

The elevator climbed. My stomach dropped with every floor.

When the doors opened, a man was waiting. Tall, sharp suit with a mocking smile.

"Father's waiting," he said to Soren, ignoring me.

I swallowed. "Who's he?"

Soren didn't answer. The man smirked. "Nathan Cross. A friend for now."

We walked past him into a wide office that felt like a throne room. At the far end, behind a massive desk, stood Victor Knight.

His eyes were dark and his presence filled the room.

"So," Victor said, voice heavy. "This is the mess you've made."

I froze. His gaze flicked to me like I was dirt on his shoe.

"This... person," Victor sneered, "is your solution? A stranger? A liability? Do you know what you've done to this family? To this company?"

Soren stood tall. "I know exactly what I've done."

Victor's lips thinned. "Then you'll fix it. You'll annul this farce tonight."

The word annul shot through me like ice. Hearing him call me a farce, like I didn't even matter, burned worse than any insult.

I opened my mouth, but Soren spoke first.

"No."

The room stilled.

"No?" Victor repeated, his voice low.

"There won't be an annulment," Soren said.

My breath caught. Was he serious? This wasn't a stunt anymore, it was a trap.

Victor's fingers tapped once against the desk. "You think you can defy me again."

"I think you don't control me anymore," Soren said.

Nathan chuckled, soft and cruel. "Careful. You know how he gets when someone pushes back."

Victor ignored him. His eyes drilled into me. "And you."

I lifted my chin. "What about me?"

"You have no idea what world you've stepped into," he said. "You think this is a game? A free ride? I could destroy you before the sun comes up."

I believed him.

"I didn't ask for this," I shot back, voice cracking. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your family's circus."

Victor's mouth curled. "Then leave."

Leave.

It should've been simple. Walk away. Pretend it never happened. Go back to being invisible.

But then I felt Soren's eyes on me and somehow, leaving didn't feel possible.

"She's already seen it," Soren said.

Victor narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

"His mother. She called him. If Adrian walks out now, he's finished. Which means you've handed me leverage."

Leverage. My stomach dropped.

Victor's glare snapped back to him. "You dare play this game with me."

"I'm not playing," Soren said. "I'm winning."

Nathan laughed. "Bold words, but even bold men bleed. Especially when their weakness is obvious."

I stiffened. I knew what he meant. I was the weakness.

Victor stepped closer, towering over me. "Listen carefully, boy. If you don't learn to survive in my house, you'll be gone before you realize it and when you're gone, no one will even remember your name."

My heart slammed.

Soren brushed my arm, steady. "That's enough."

Victor straightened. "Then prove it. Prove this isn't a mistake or both of you will regret it."

Silence filled the room with unspoken words.

Nathan finally broke it, smooth and cruel. "Perhaps we give them time. Let the press have their spectacle. If the boy crumbles, the problem solves itself."

Victor turned away, dismissing us with a flick of his hand. "Get out of my sight."

Soren didn't wait. He took my arm and steered me out. My legs felt heavy, my head buzzing.

We passed Nathan. He leaned close, whispering, "Welcome to the family, Vega. Try not to choke."

I shivered, but Soren didn't let go until we were back in the elevator.

The doors slid shut.

I exhaled, pressing against the mirrored wall. My reflection looked pale, wrecked.

"I can't do this," I whispered.

Soren turned to me, unreadable. "You don't have a choice."

Something inside me snapped. I shoved at his chest, anger spilling out. "Don't you dare say that. You're the one who trapped me in this. You kissed me, you dragged me into that chapel, you stood there like I was a pawn in your fight with your father and now I'm supposed to just, survive?"

His eyes burned, but his voice stayed calm. "Yes."

I laughed, bitter. "You're insane."

The elevator dinged. The doors opened to a hallway lined with cold portraits. Knight blood. Knight legacy.

I didn't move. My voice dropped, raw. "This will destroy me."

Soren stepped close, his shadow falling over me. His gaze locked mine.

"No," he said softly. "It will destroy you only if you let it and if you think you're walking away, Adrian..." His jaw tightened. "...then you really don't understand how dangerous my father is."

I swallowed hard. "And what about you?"

He leaned in, his breath brushing my ear, his words slow and deadly.

"Me?" His lips curved in the faintest smile. "I'm worse."

Soren's Pov

The elevator doors closed on Adrian's pale face.

I should have felt nothing. That was always my strength, cold detachment, clean decisions. But as the steel doors slid shut, the echo of his words clung to me.

"You're insane."

He wasn't wrong.

For thirty years, I'd lived like a chessboard piece, moved, calculated, trained to win. Tonight, I flipped the board. My father's plan was turned down. Celeste was gone. The press was feasting on the scandal and instead of cleaning it up, I'd doubled down. Married a stranger. A man who couldn't even stand in my world without shaking.

A man who made me feel something. That was the real madness.

"Careful," Nathan's voice cut through my thoughts.

I turned. He was leaning against the far wall, hands in his pockets, watching me with a predator's smile. Of course he hadn't left.

"You're slipping, Knight," he said lazily. "The Soren I knew would've crushed that boy before he could blink. Now look at you. Playing house with a stray. All because Celeste bruised your ego."

I kept my voice flat. "Leave."

Nathan chuckled. "Or what? You'll glare at me until I evaporate? Face it, your father's done with you, the board's laughing, and your empire's balancing on a stranger's shoulders. Do you know how easy it will be for me to take it?"

I stepped forward, letting my silence answer for me.

His grin widened, but his eyes hardened. "Don't confuse luck with strength. You got drunk, made a spectacle, and now you're chained to him. That doesn't make you bold. It makes you reckless. And reckless men... die fast."

The air between us crackled. I didn't blink. "If you touch him, Nathan, you'll learn what fast really means."

His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. Just enough. Then he shrugged, casual again. "Protective already. How touching."

The elevator dinged. He slid out with a mocking bow. "See you soon, husband."

The doors shut, leaving me in silence.

I dragged a hand down my face. My reflection in the mirrored wall stared back, dark circles under my eyes, jaw clenched, tie crooked. For the first time in years, I looked less like a Knight and more like a man on the edge and I hated it.

************************

When I finally reached my penthouse, the city stretched out in glittering silence beneath the windows. Usually, the view calmed me. Tonight, it felt hollow.

I poured a drink and let the whiskey burn down my throat. I replayed Victor's words, his sneer, his dismissal. I'd spent my life earning nothing but his approval, and in one night, it was gone.

And yet... I wasn't broken.

Because for once, I wasn't fighting his war. I was fighting mine.

The problem was Adrian.

Every instinct told me he was weakness. He didn't know our rules, didn't understand the knives hidden behind smiles in this world. He couldn't protect himself. Which meant he could be used against yet... When Victor threatened him, something in me snapped.

I hadn't planned that. I hadn't planned any of this.

The front door slammed. I turned sharply. Adrian stormed into the room, his sneakers squeaking on the marble floor. His hair was messy, his chest still heaving like he'd run the whole way up.

"I'm not your pawn," he spat.

I set the glass down carefully. "We've already established you're my husband."

His eyes flashed. "Don't say it like that. Like I'm just another move on your board."

"Then stop acting like you don't matter," I shot back.

He froze. For once, I'd caught him off guard.

I stepped closer. "You think I dragged you in just to provoke my father? You think I'd risk everything, my company, my name, for a pawn?"

"You did," he whispered.

My jaw tightened. "I don't make mistakes that large."

He laughed bitterly. "Then what the hell am I to you?"

The words hung heavy between us.

I could have said nothing. I could have turned away, poured another drink, let silence smother him. That was what I always did. But something in his voice cracked through the armor.

I stepped closer, close enough to see the anger trembling in his shoulders, close enough to feel the heat of him.

"You're the fire," I said low. "And fire either burns me alive... or burns everything else down first."

His lips parted, but no words came out.

Before he could answer, my phone buzzed sharply against the counter. A message flashed across the screen. From Clara.

Turn on the news. Now.

I grabbed the remote. The TV screen lit up with breaking headlines.

KNIGHT HEIR'S SECRET MARRIAGE: BUSINESS MERGER IN RUINS?

And then Celeste's face filled the screen. Perfect makeup, crocodile tears, voice trembling with betrayal.

"I loved him," she said into the microphone, her hand pressed against her chest. "But while planning our wedding, I discovered Soren's secret affair... with Adrian Vega and now he's thrown away our future, our families, everything we built, for a lie."

Adrian staggered back. "What?"

My blood iced over. "She's lying."

The reporters swarmed her on the screen. She kept weeping, whispering about manipulation, about money, about how Adrian had seduced me for power.

Adrian's face went white. "They'll believe her. Everyone will believe her."

I grabbed the remote, silencing the room. "Then we make them believe something else."

He shook his head, backing away from me. "I can't do this. I can't, my mom saw this, my friends are calling, I'm going to be branded a thief, a liar....."

"You think I care what Celeste says?" I snapped.

"You should!" His voice broke. "Because she just painted me as your whore, and you as a man who'll ruin anyone for revenge and you know what? Maybe she's not wrong."

The silence after those words was deafening.

I moved toward him slowly, every step deliberate. His chest rose and fell too fast, his fists clenched at his sides.

I stopped inches away, my voice low.

"Say that again."