Chapter 6 I Married the Man My Ex Feared Most

Nora's POV

"If you didn't have to give up Milan, would you still marry me?"

Adrian didn't rush me for an answer.

The streetlights swept across his face.

Julian had told me he loved me, yet he'd only ever been willing to fit me into the life he'd planned for me.

Adrian didn't even love me.

But he was willing to renegotiate our marriage agreement so I wouldn't have to give up my future.

I had no idea where this marriage would take me.

But at least he'd asked if I wanted it.

"I can still go to Milan as planned?"

"Yes."

"And I get to decide where I study, where I work, and what city I live in afterward?"

"Those are things we can discuss. But I won't make those decisions for you."

I clasped my hands tightly in my lap.

"Then let's negotiate again."

Adrian studied me for a few seconds.

Then he unlocked the car and opened his door.

"Let's go upstairs. We'll settle the terms tonight."

"Now?"

"You just agreed to discuss marriage again."

He glanced at his watch.

"I don't like putting important things off until tomorrow."

We went up to my short-term apartment and spread the agreement across a small table surrounded by moving boxes.

Adrian took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and sat across from me.

"The Milan program goes ahead as planned," he said. "I'll take you to meet my grandfather before the wedding. Once you're in Milan, you'll have a video call with him once a week. If your course schedule allows it, you'll come back to New York with me for Christmas."

"And if my schedule doesn't allow it?"

"I'll explain it to him."

That wasn't the answer I'd expected.

I picked up my pen and began marking changes on the original agreement.

"The marriage is still for three years?"

"Three years, tentatively. Either of us can ask to end it early, with no penalty. In cases of violence, coercion, or serious deception, the other person can terminate the agreement immediately."

I looked up.

"That's new."

"I added it after you rejected the first agreement."

My pen paused.

Then I turned to the next page.

When I reached the clause about producing an heir, I circled the entire paragraph.

"This goes."

Adrian glanced at it.

"Children?"

"I'm not making pregnancy a contractual obligation."

"Agreed."

He took his pen, crossed out the paragraph in front of me, and added a new line.

Neither party has any obligation to have children. Any physical intimacy must be mutually consensual.

"Anything else?" he asked.

I cut the divorce payout in half.

Adrian reached across the table and rested his hand on the agreement.

"You don't have to turn down financial security to prove you're independent."

"And I don't want to solve my problems by marrying you."

"Then let's agree on an amount that allows both of us to walk away with dignity."

He pushed the document back toward me.

"Marriage is a partnership, Nora. I'm not taking you in."

I wrote down a new figure.

He read it, then closed the agreement.

"We'll each have our lawyers review it."

"Aren't you worried my lawyer will demand more?"

Adrian leaned back in his chair.

"I'm marrying a wife, not hiring an employee who's afraid to negotiate."

Over the next two days, we each had our own lawyer review the agreement.

The final version kept the tentative three-year term and the family commitments we'd discussed.

But it placed no restrictions on my education, career, where I chose to live, or whether I wanted children.

Either of us could also end the marriage early.

Even as I signed my name, the whole thing felt unreal.

A few days later, we walked into New York City Hall with our marriage license.

No wedding dress.

No flowers.

No guest list.

Adrian's assistant was there as a witness.

My college friend Leah had brought her phone and insisted on taking pictures.

"You're seriously marrying a man you've only met a handful of times?" she whispered before the ceremony.

"It's a marriage of convenience."

"Then why has he looked at you twelve times since we walked in?"

I turned to her.

"You counted?"

"I'm a statistics major."

She looked entirely pleased with herself.

Before I could argue, the officiant called our names.

The ceremony was shorter than I'd expected.

We confirmed our names, signed the documents, and stood facing each other to exchange rings.

Adrian took out a simple platinum band and held my left hand.

His palm was warm.

His fingers were steady.

In four years, Julian had never held my hand like this in front of other people.

Whenever we got close to the office, he'd always let go first.

But Adrian stood there in front of everyone and slowly slid the ring onto my finger.

"Too tight?" he asked quietly.

"Fits perfectly."

Then it was my turn.

I was so nervous that I nearly dropped his ring.

Adrian caught my wrist and steadied my hand.

"Nora. Look at me."

I lifted my head.

"If you want to back out now, I'll take you home."

He didn't hurry me.

He just kept my hand steady in his.

"But once that ring is on my finger, I'll take this marriage seriously."

I slid the band into place.

"Too late, Mr. Vale."

Leah burst out laughing beside us.

Adrian looked down at the ring.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

"Then here's to a good partnership."

He paused.

"My wife."

It was only two words.

But suddenly, my heart was racing.

The officiant smiled.

"You may kiss."

I went completely still.

Adrian didn't lean in.

Instead, he lifted my hand--the one now wearing his ring--and pressed a featherlight kiss to my knuckles.

Leah let out an audible gasp.

His lips were gone almost as soon as they touched my skin.

But his eyes lingered on my face.

For a moment, I almost forgot this was supposed to be a three-year arrangement.

After leaving City Hall, we went to the apartment Julian had rented for me.

The building manager had found a box of architectural models I'd made in college in the basement storage room.

The apartment was registered under Julian's name, so the front desk had probably notified him.

Adrian was carrying the box out when we found Julian standing downstairs.

He looked as though he'd been waiting for a long time.

The moment he saw who was with me, his expression darkened.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Picking up her belongings."

Adrian handed the box to his assistant.

His voice was as calm as if Julian had asked him something completely unimportant.

Julian stared at the ring on Adrian's hand.

Then his head snapped toward me.

"What have you done?"

"That's a question you should be asking me."

I deliberately raised my left hand.

"I got married."

The platinum band caught the sunlight.

For several seconds, Julian's face went blank.

"You married Adrian just to make me angry?"

"I didn't marry someone to get revenge on you."

"How long have you even known him?"

"Long enough for him to know I'm my own person."

"You deliberately clung to him last night to provoke me, and now you're married?"

Julian let out a bitter laugh.

"Nora, what exactly are you trying to prove?"

"I took his arm last night because I'd already told you no, and you were still trying to drag me away."

I held Julian's gaze.

"I got married today because it was my choice. Neither of those decisions has anything to do with you."

Julian stepped forward.

Adrian handed the last bag to his assistant and moved directly in front of me.

"She's made herself clear."

He looked Julian in the eye.

"Take another step, and I'll have security escort you out."

He didn't raise his voice.

But the security guard in the lobby was already heading toward us.

Julian finally stopped.

When Adrian and I got into the car, I didn't look back.

A little while later, Adrian's phone rang.

Julian's name lit up the screen.

Adrian glanced at me.

"Answer it," I said. "I'd like to hear what else he has to say."

Adrian put the call on speaker.

The moment he answered, Julian's voice filled the car, barely restrained anger in every word.

"You think marrying her means I'll just let her go?"

Adrian leaned back against his seat.

His gaze remained on the wedding ring on my hand.

"She's not something you get to hold on to."

His voice turned cold.

"She's my wife. The next time you go against her wishes, I won't stop at a warning."