Chapter 4 - The Marriage With One Condition
Arthur and I married the next afternoon.
No cathedral.
No hundreds of guests.
Just a judge in Arthur’s library.
His four children.
Two witnesses.
And a simple ivory dress Sofia chose for me.
Before the ceremony, Arthur handed me a document.
“What’s this?”
“A prenuptial agreement.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
“Read page six.”
I did.
Then read it again.
If the marriage ended, I received financial independence, a residence of my choosing, and no debt obligation to Arthur.
I looked up.
“This protects me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you should never stay because you’re trapped.”
I closed the document.
“I have a condition too.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“Tell me.”
“Your children never hear anyone call me their replacement mother.”
His expression softened.
“Agreed.”
“And I don’t want them forced to love me.”
“Agreed.”
“And you never make decisions about my life without asking me.”
A pause.
Then Arthur extended his hand.
“Agreed.”
We shook.
The judge married us twenty minutes later.
The first weeks were strange.
Arthur left early.
Returned late.
We shared dinners with the children.
Sometimes we barely spoke.
But gradually, things changed.
Matteo began waiting for me after school.
Isabella demanded a bedtime story every night.
Sofia started borrowing my clothes without permission.
Luca remained difficult.
One evening, I found him sitting alone outside.
“You hate me?” I asked.
“No.”
“Disappointed?”
He shrugged.
“Dad loved Mom.”
“I know.”
“He hasn’t been normal since she died.”
I sat beside him.
“I’m not asking him to stop loving her.”
Luca looked at me.
“Most women would.”
“I’m not most women.”
“No.”
He almost smiled.
“You’re definitely weird.”
“Thank you.”
Then he became serious.
“People around Dad get hurt.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Love him?”
I froze.
“We’ve been married six weeks.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Before I could answer, headlights swept across the driveway.
Arthur’s car.
Except it stopped crookedly.
Security men rushed outside.
Arthur emerged.
His suit was torn.
Blood marked his shirt near his shoulder.
“Dad!”
Luca ran.
Arthur caught him.
“I’m fine.”
I reached them.
“What happened?”
“Business disagreement.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Arthur looked at the children.
“Inside.”
Nobody moved.
I folded my arms.
“You heard him.”
Four children immediately went inside.
Arthur stared.
“How did you do that?”
“Magic.”
He almost smiled.
Then his knees weakened.
I caught his arm.
“Arthur.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“And you’re lying.”
Inside his study, I cleaned the shallow wound while Arthur watched me.
“You’re angry,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you scared them.”
“The children?”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
I stopped.
Arthur’s eyes stayed on mine.
“You scared me too.”
Something shifted between us.
He reached for my hand.
I let him take it.
Then his phone rang.
Arthur checked the screen.
His expression hardened.
“What?”
He answered.
Listened.
Then looked at me.
“Where’s Sofia?”
My heart stopped.
“Upstairs.”
Arthur stood.
“No.”
He looked toward the hallway.
May you like
“She isn’t.”
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