Outside the courthouse, Astrid clutched the paperwork, biding her time. Her father's dying wish had been to see her married. She'd brought it up with River Knight—her boyfriend of three years—more times than she could count, but he'd always found a way to dodge the topic. So last night, she'd done it: she'd messaged the one man who'd once asked for her hand, telling him she was ready. No reply came, but here she was anyway, rolling the dice.

Five minutes past nine, and he still hadn't shown. Just as she was about to call it quits, she heard measured footsteps behind her. She looked up—straight into Magnus Marshall.

"Mr. Marshall?" she blinked, briefly thrown, then gathered herself in a hurry. "Sorry—Mr. Marshall. I've taken a few personal days. I'll be back at work soon."

Magnus Marshall was the head of the Marshall family and her boss. In less than three years, he'd taken the family name and lifted it somewhere serious. With his stern demeanor and commanding presence, a single look from him could make anyone squirm. And Marshall Group's policy was brutal: if you weren't pulling your weight, you were gone.

She couldn't afford to lose this job—not this paycheck.

"I'm not here about work," he said, gaze fixed on her. "You said you wanted to marry me. I've brought the paperwork. Shall we go in?"

With that, he started toward the entrance.

Astrid's jaw dropped, and she scrambled to stop him. "Mr. Marshall, this is a mistake! I never said I wanted to marry you!"

Magnus pulled out his phone and held up last night's message.

Astrid's eyes went wide. It was the message she'd drafted, all right. She fumbled for her own phone, and the truth hit her like a brick: she'd sent it to the wrong contact. The message meant for the person listed just below Mr. Marshall had gone to him instead.

Mortified, she couldn't even form a sentence.

Magnus pocketed his phone and held out a prenuptial agreement.

Hesitating, she took it and flipped through the pages. The terms were simple: a one-year marriage. After that, she was free to walk away. In exchange, he'd give her a house, a car, and an extra million dollars.

Confused, she looked up. "Why me?"

Magnus kept his expression flat. "My family has been on my back about settling down. After a year, we get a quiet divorce, and I'll say we just didn't work out."

Astrid waited a beat, then started handing it back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Marshall—"

Her phone rang before she could finish. It was her stepmother, Abby Carter, and her voice shook. "Astrid, where are you? It's your father. He isn't doing well."

Panic slammed into Astrid. She clutched her phone and looked at Magnus. A thousand questions spun in her head, but this wasn't the moment for any of them.

She had no choice but to make a split-second decision. "Alright, Mr. Marshall. I'll sign the agreement now. But after we get the marriage license, would you come with me to the hospital?"

Magnus nodded.

It was early, not a holiday, so the courthouse was basically empty. They filled out forms, took the pictures, and walked out with their marriage certificate before either could blink.

Astrid didn't spare the certificate a single glance. She just rushed Magnus to the hospital.

Abby stood waiting outside the room. She started to say something, then caught sight of the man beside Astrid. "Who is this…?"

"Aunt Abby, I'll explain later. I need to bring him in to see Dad first."

Abby nodded.

Her father's condition had been diagnosed too late. She and Abby had poured every penny of their savings into treatment, and none of it had been enough. Before pushing the door open, Astrid wiped her face clean, took a deep breath, and forced a smile.

Her father had once been big and full of life. Now he lay thin and skeletal, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw her. "Astrid. You're here."

"Dad, how are you feeling?"

"Much better."

His voice was barely above a whisper. He tried to lift his hand, and Astrid caught it in hers quickly.

"Don't worry about me, and don't run yourself ragged. Your aunt mentioned you're juggling five jobs and getting maybe four hours of sleep. I know how sick I am. Let's stop the treatment. Tell the doctors we're going home."

He tried to sit up, and Astrid gently held him down, fighting the tears clawing at her throat.

"It's fine, Dad. I'm young. I don't get tired. You just focus on getting better—you're going to be fine."

She looked away, not letting him see her cry.

Morrison seemed to notice there was someone else in the room. He reached out weakly. "Is that River? River, you came to see your uncle too?"

Astrid stiffened, throwing a quick glance at Magnus. She started to explain, but Magnus stepped forward and took her father's hand.

"Dad, I'm Astrid's husband. Sorry I didn't come sooner. But rest assured—we're already married. I'll take care of her, and I'll protect her. Always."

Astrid was stunned.

He'd stepped into the role without missing a beat and made those promises like he meant them.

Morrison beamed as much as a dying man could, patting Magnus's hand. "Good. Seeing you married, that makes me happy. I won't be around much longer. Astrid's a little headstrong—please be patient with her. Dad…"

Pain hit him before he could finish, and he couldn't go on.

Astrid quickly handed him water, hoping to wet his dry lips. But instead, he reached out—grasping for something. She instantly took his hand, barely holding herself together.

"Dad, I'm listening. I promise I'll be happy. You don't have to worry about me."

"Astrid…"

Just saying her name seemed to take all his strength.

"I'm here, Dad. I'm right here."

He gripped her hand hard, and Astrid wished she knew how to help. She didn't.

Abby, hovering at the door, turned and slipped into the hallway, her grief too heavy to watch.

Magnus took Morrison's other hand, his voice low. "Dad, if there's anything you need to say, tell me. I'll make sure it gets done."

Morrison looked at him slowly, as if he wanted to say something. But then, with one last glance, his hand went limp. He was gone.

Astrid stared at the hand growing cold. She didn't move.

She couldn't react. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. She wanted to scream for her father, but the words died in her throat.

Throughout Morrison's funeral, Magnus ran point on everything.

On the day of the burial, Abby came up to Astrid and Magnus. "I've been so busy these past days, Astrid, I haven't had the chance to ask—how did you end up with…"

She glanced at Magnus. Honestly, she was pleased. The circumstances were awful—a crisis wedding and all—but funerals were foreign to both her and Astrid. Without him, the two of them would've been completely lost.

Instead, he'd handled everything without a hitch and left them with nothing to do but grieve.

Astrid was still trying to figure out how to explain when Magnus put a steadying hand on her shoulder. "I'm her boss, so I know her situation well. I know about her family's struggles and her history with River Knight. She married me to fulfill her father's last wish, but..."

He paused.

"I've had feelings for her for a long time. This marriage means more to me than she knows. Please rest assured, Aunt Abby."

Astrid looked at him, incredulous. He gave her a knowing look, and it clicked—he was saying what needed to be said to put Abby at ease.

So Astrid smiled at Abby and added, "Don't worry, Aunt Abby. I wouldn't marry just anyone, even for Dad. River cheated on me with his own cousin, so I ended it. I've known Magnus for a while... We didn't rush into this."

Abby studied them, her brow furrowed, but eventually she nodded. "Alright. Since you've both thought it through, that's enough for me. Oh!"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out two bank cards, holding them out to Astrid. "Astrid, this is what your father managed to leave you, and what I'd saved up. It's not much, but now that you're married, think of it as your dowry."

Astrid knew there wasn't much left after her father's treatment. These cards held every spare penny Abby and her brother had saved. She pushed them back at once. "Aunt Abby, I can't take this. How will you and Baylor manage?"

"We'll manage. Baylor's in school during the day, and I can take any work I can find. But you—now that you're married, you're not starting from nothing."

Astrid started to argue, but Magnus slid his own card across to Abby. "I almost forgot, Aunt Abby. This is a gift from both of us. No password on it. Please, use it for you and Baylor."

Abby looked at it, then handed it back to Astrid with a smile. "Astrid, your father and I agreed: we're not taking your money. You two are building a life now, and expenses will be steep. Keep it."

Astrid tried to protest, but Abby was already turning away. Then she paused, looking over her shoulder at Magnus. "Magnus, having money doesn't give you the right to mistreat my Astrid. If I ever find out you have, I'll be at your door."

And with that, Abby was gone.

Astrid held the cards, her chest tight.

Magnus noticed the look on her face. "They want you to have it, so keep it. You can always find another way to help her later."

That made sense, but before she could respond, a thought struck her. She turned to him. "Mr. Marshall, if I'm not mistaken... River Knight is your nephew, isn't he?"

Magnus Marshall was exceptionally handsome — sharp, aloof features that radiated an almost untouchable aura. When Astrid asked her question, she did so carefully.

"And so?" He raised an eyebrow, urging her on.

Astrid didn't sugarcoat it. "If you don't mind, then I certainly don't. I'm grateful to you. Your presence gave my dad peace — let him pass with a sense of comfort. Liver cancer in its final stages is pure agony. Even though I didn't want to lose him, ending his suffering was a blessing. I'm happy for him."

After days of mourning, a smile finally tugged at her lips.

She had made her peace with it.

She realized she couldn't selfishly keep her father tethered here — he needed to move on to where he belonged.

Turning to Magnus, she added, "Magnus, I promise I won't have any private dealings with River Knight anymore. Now that I'm your wife, I'll stick to our agreement. But... could you do me a favor? Keep my identity under wraps at the company. Since we're only doing this for a year, I just want to work there without any fuss."

"Of course."

Astrid hesitated before speaking again. "You probably need to manage the family situation, right? You've helped me so much these past few days, so I'll support you as much as I can. Though, while we're pretending, there might be some physical contact. I hope you don't mind."

Magnus looked at her, his tone calm and sincere. "Since you're my wife now, do you still need to call me Mr. Marshall?"

A blush crept across Astrid's cheeks. It was hard to adjust — her boss had become her husband. She used to secretly complain about him. Calling him by his first name felt weird, but she softly ventured, "Magnus."

His lips twitched, almost forming a smile. He then pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to her. "You should move your things over. I'm a bit busy these next few days and can't help you. You can hire movers, and I'll cover the cost."

Astrid raised the bank card in her hand. "No need. I've got money here. I'll use this."

She hesitated again before asking, "Could you send me the address? I'll move my stuff today. I—"

She stopped, feeling awkward.

Magnus caught on to her discomfort. "During our agreement, we'll have separate rooms."

After her father's recent passing, Astrid definitely wasn't in the mindset for anything else and nodded gratefully. "I'll be going then."

"Alright."

Magnus stood, watching her leave.

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was his eighty-year-old grandmother, Norah Howard, calling him.

"My dear grandson, how did it go? Did you manage to win over that young lady?"

Magnus rubbed his temples, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Grandmother, it wasn't deception."

"Oh, wasn't it? You said she didn't like you, and the message probably ended up in your inbox by accident. Yet you went along, got the marriage certificate, spun some reasons. If that's not deception, what is?"

Magnus shook his head wryly. "Please, grandmother, don't let anything slip in front of her."

"Rest assured, my dear. My lips are sealed! But remember, you need to hurry and give me a great-granddaughter while I'm still around."

A chuckle escaped Magnus. "Understood."

"And another thing," Norah sighed. "It's unfortunate timing. I would have loved to visit her family. Losing her father must be so hard on her. You'd better treat that young lady well, understand? If you mistreat her, I'll be the first to object."

"Yes, I understand."

"And when will you bring her over? Don't worry about River. It's his loss; a fine girl like her deserves someone better."

"In a little while, grandmother."

Norah wanted to push, but she knew not to overwhelm Astrid and reluctantly agreed.

"As for your father, don't worry about him. As long as I approve, no one can say a word against you."

Thinking about that distant relative, Magnus fell silent.

Norah sensed his thoughts and quickly changed the topic.

Before long, Norah ended the call.

Magnus pocketed his phone and then took out the marriage certificate, glancing at it, his finger gently tracing Astrid's face on the photo.

*Astrid, have you really forgotten me?*

...

Astrid moved her belongings to Magnus's place and stood awestruck in the sprawling five-thousand-square-foot luxury apartment. Such opulence she had only ever seen on TV or social media. The thought of living there — even as a housekeeper — was staggering.

But there was already staff. Norah Ferguson, the housekeeper, took Astrid's luggage to her room. Astrid thanked her with a smile and unpacked.

She didn't spend much time settling in and headed straight to work.

She worked in environmental design, a division of the Marshall Group, though it functioned as an independent company, never relocating from the Marshall Group's building.

Upon her arrival, her colleague Katalina Larson approached her with concern. "Why didn't you stay home and rest a few more days?"

Astrid smiled. "No need. I've got a lot of work to do. Best to get back to it."

"You always push yourself so hard!"

Katalina sighed, patting her shoulder.

Living well was Astrid's way of ensuring her father could rest peacefully.

Once back at work, she was swamped with tasks, especially a project for an out-of-state government that she couldn't delay any longer.

But before she could make significant progress, she was summoned by Fallon Silva.

Fallon was River's sister-in-law, the one who'd had an affair with him. A year ago, River's cousin had passed away suddenly. Fallon had been with the Marshall Group for years, and feeling guilty, they kept her on, making her Astrid's direct supervisor.

As soon as Astrid entered, Fallon tossed a file at her. "Look at what you've done. Don't let your personal life interfere with work; that's a basic rule. Keep this up, and I'll have you fired."

Astrid didn't pick up the file. Instead, she met Fallon's gaze. "That's not my work. If you want to bully me, at least do it more convincingly."

Fallon glared. She wouldn't have reached her position without Astrid's past help. At the time, River had pleaded, "Astrid, Fallon's had it rough; help her out. You'll have other opportunities."

Feeling sorry for Fallon and grateful to River's cousin for past support, Astrid had obliged.

But she listened to River not because she was naive about love, but because three years ago, after a car accident, River seemed like her savior when she regained consciousness.

Little did she know that River and Fallon had been deceitfully involved all along. Now, she wasn't going to let Fallon push her around.

"You dare talk back? One word from me, and you're out of here."

Astrid leaned over Fallon's desk, meeting her eyes. "Let's see who falls first — your reputation or my job."

With that, she walked out of Fallon's office.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the emotional strain and lack of sleep, she headed to the break room for a drink.

The room seemed to spin slightly as she moved, her steps faltering.

Just as she thought she might fall, a steady arm caught her waist, supporting her.

She looked up to find Magnus.

River's voice echoed behind her, "What are you doing?"

River Knight's booming voice drew stares from coworkers nearby, but the second they caught sight of Magnus Marshall, they quickly averted their eyes, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.

Astrid didn't budge from Magnus's steady grip. She stood her ground, meeting River's gaze coolly. "Do we owe you an explanation?"

River glanced between them, then addressed Magnus as "Uncle" before trying to steer Astrid away.

Astrid brushed his hand off firmly. "Please respect personal boundaries."

River let out a frustrated sigh, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Astrid, I know you're upset with me, but can we just sit down and talk?"

Wanting to clear the air, Astrid turned to Magnus. "Mr. Marshall, mind if I step out for a bit? I'll be right back."

"Go ahead," he said, his tone softer than usual.

Both Astrid and River caught the shift in Magnus's voice, but neither said a word. They headed to the café downstairs.

River ordered two Americanos.

Astrid looked him dead in the eye. "River, you know I don't like American coffee—or any coffee, for that matter—right?"

River blinked, caught off guard, then let out a heavy sigh. "Sweetheart, I get that you're mad because I didn't marry you just to please your father. But I can't rush into something that big. We've been together three years, and there's still so much to figure out. Marriage is forever—and getting divorced later would be a total mess."

Astrid let out a dry chuckle. "Actually... isn't Fallon Silva the one who likes Americanos?"

River's face went pale, and he slammed his palm on the table. "What are you implying? That I'm messing around with my sister-in-law? That's insane—"

Before he could finish, Astrid pulled out her phone and played a video.

River watched the footage—captured on a rainy day by a dashcam—where he and Fallon were caught mid-kiss, badmouthing Astrid.

The worst part? Learning they'd been sneaking around before Fallon's husband—River's cousin—had even died. Fallon had gotten pregnant, and the family had believed the kid was her late husband's. They'd mourned with her when she lost it. But Astrid had overheard the real truth: that baby was River's.

That was when Astrid finally saw the man she'd loved for three years for what he really was.

River's face crumbled as he kept watching. "Have you been spying on me?"

Astrid tucked her phone away. "You're overthinking this. I was working five gigs to cover my dad's medical bills. I overheard everything from passengers while I was driving rideshare. The dashcam caught it all."

Desperate, River reached out, trying to grab her wrist.

"Astrid, listen to me. Fallon was just a fling. You're the one I actually care about. If I'd known how bad your dad's condition was... I came here today to tell you I've made up my mind. I'll marry you now. We can go see your dad together."

Astrid shook his hand off again, her voice steady. "There's no need, River. I thought I made myself clear last time: if marriage was off the table, we were done. I'm already married. And... it's been five days since we last saw each other. If you really cared, you'd know my dad's already gone. In that time, I nearly lost everything trying to pay for his treatment—and then I lost him. That kind of pain doesn't just disappear.

You weren't there when I needed you most. That tells me everything I need to know about us. Don't come looking for me again—my husband might not take it well. Oh, and wasn't it someone else who pulled me out of that car crash three years ago?"

River's eyes went wide, panic flickering through them. "Astrid, back then—"

He trailed off, but Astrid had already connected the dots.

"I know now. And even if you had been the one who saved me, I paid that debt when Fallon miscarried—I helped her recover and designed several projects she asked for, free of charge. So I owe you nothing. Goodbye, River."

Astrid stood up, surprised by how calm she felt. Their three years hadn't been all bad. When she'd asked him to marry her, it wasn't just for her dad's sake—she genuinely saw a future with him.

But he'd never planned on marriage. He'd just wanted to keep stringing her along.

Now, accepting that their paths had split for good, she felt relief washing over her instead of grief. Her eyes were set on a brighter future: saving up enough to help Abby Carter buy a big house, and maybe get Baylor Morrison a decent car when he tied the knot.

River kept calling after her as she walked away, but Astrid tuned him out completely.

Back at the office, she spotted Magnus standing near the entrance—unusual for him. Was he heading out?

She couldn't just ignore him, so she walked over. "Mr. Marshall."

Magnus gave her a short nod.

Trying to keep things strictly professional, Astrid didn't say more and headed to her office.

Magnus watched her go, a little disappointed that all they'd exchanged was a simple greeting.

...

Astrid had learned that Magnus was River's uncle during a date where River had addressed him that way. Magnus had been born to Howard Marshall late in life, after an affair with a young housekeeper. Howard's wife couldn't stand having Magnus around, so she had him sent to an orphanage—until Howard eventually brought him back and handed him the family legacy.

With that kind of complicated family history, Astrid felt grateful that Magnus had been there for her during her darkest days. She made up her mind not to avoid him.

Once she settled into her office, she got buried in her work and didn't look up until after nine in the evening. Exhausted, she dozed off without realizing it.

When she woke up, the office was empty. She checked the time—past eleven. As she got ready to head home, she noticed a men's jacket draped over her—one she recognized from Magnus's wardrobe. He must have covered her while she was asleep.

She quickly set the jacket aside, not wanting to give coworkers any reason to gossip. Grabbing her things, she called Magnus.

He picked up right away. "I'm sorry about that—I must have dozed off while working. Is there a curfew at your place? I'll be more careful next time."

Magnus's voice was calm and understanding, clearly aware of how much the past few days had taken out of her.