Chapter 4

The First Night as Mrs. Blackwood

The room was too big.

That was the first thing I noticed when the door closed behind me.

Silence followed—thick, suffocating, unfamiliar.

I stood just inside the bedroom, my fingers still curled slightly as if I hadn’t fully let go of the world I’d walked out of barely an hour ago.

My world.

No… not mine anymore.

Everything about this room felt unreal.

The ceilings stretched high above me, framed with soft golden lighting. The walls were a soft ivory, decorated with minimalistic art that probably cost more than my entire apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the glittering city skyline below, like a sea of distant stars.

And the bed…

God.

It was enormous. Draped in silk sheets that looked too perfect to even touch.

This wasn’t a bedroom.

It was a statement.

A quiet, intimidating reminder of the kind of life I had just married into.

I swallowed hard and stepped further inside, my heels sinking softly into the plush carpet.

Mrs. Blackwood.

The words still didn’t feel real.

They felt like something borrowed.

Temporary.

Fragile.

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly aware of how small I felt in this massive space.

Just a few hours ago, I had been standing in a ballroom, watching the man I loved choose someone else.

Now…

I was in a billionaire’s mansion.

Married to a man I didn’t know.

A humorless laugh slipped from my lips.

“What a day,” I muttered.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

I turned toward the door.

“Yes?”

A maid stepped in quietly, her posture respectful.

“Mrs. Blackwood, your luggage has been prepared.”

I blinked.

“My… luggage?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Blackwood had it brought here.”

Of course he did.

Efficient.

Prepared.

Like everything else about him.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

She nodded and gestured toward a door I hadn’t noticed before.

“The dressing room is through there. If you need anything, please let us know.”

“Alright.”

She hesitated for a brief second, her eyes flickering toward me with something that almost looked like curiosity… or maybe sympathy.

Then she left.

The door clicked shut again.

Silence returned.

I let out a slow breath and walked toward the dressing room.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze.

Rows of clothes.

Designer dresses, neatly arranged by color.

Shoes displayed like art.

Jewelry cases gleaming under soft lights.

I reached out and touched one of the dresses carefully.

“This is insane…”

None of these were mine.

At least, not originally.

But now?

They were.

Because I was Mrs. Blackwood.

The thought sent a strange feeling through my chest.

Not excitement.

Not exactly fear.

Something in between.

Something dangerous.

I closed the dressing room door and leaned against it, pressing my fingers to my temples.

Focus, Aurora.

This isn’t a fairy tale.

This is a contract.

A deal.

A transaction.

And yet…

Why did it feel like I had stepped into something much bigger than that?

A quiet knock echoed again.

This time, deeper.

More deliberate.

My heart skipped.

I already knew who it was.

“Come in,” I said.

The door opened slowly.

Sebastian Blackwood stepped inside.

The air shifted instantly.

It was subtle—but undeniable.

Like the room itself had become more aware.

More tense.

He had removed his tie, the top buttons of his shirt undone just enough to make him look less like a distant CEO… and more like a man.

A very dangerous one.

His gaze found mine immediately.

Sharp.

Unreadable.

“You’re settling in,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

I straightened slightly.

“Trying to.”

His eyes moved around the room briefly before returning to me.

“If anything is missing, tell the staff.”

“I think I have more than enough.”

A flicker of something crossed his expression.

Amusement, maybe.

“I expected that answer.”

Silence fell between us again.

But this time, it wasn’t empty.

It was… charged.

I became painfully aware of how close he was standing.

Of how quiet the room had become.

Of how fast my heart was beating.

I cleared my throat.

“So… what happens now?”

His gaze darkened slightly.

“Now,” he said calmly, “we establish boundaries.”

I nodded slowly.

Right.

The contract.

The rules.

This was the part that mattered.

Sebastian took a few steps closer.

Not enough to touch me.

But enough to make my breath hitch.

“You will have your own space,” he said. “Your own schedule. Your own freedom.”

“That’s good.”

“You will attend events with me when necessary.”

“Understood.”

His eyes held mine.

“And in public, you are my wife.”

Something about the way he said that made my stomach tighten.

Not because of the words.

But because of the certainty behind them.

I crossed my arms slightly.

“And in private?”

A pause.

Then—

“In private,” he said quietly, “we keep things simple.”

Simple.

The word felt heavier than it should.

“No expectations,” he added. “No emotional entanglements.”

Exactly what this marriage was supposed to be.

So why did it bother me?

I forced a small nod.

“That works for me.”

His gaze lingered on my face, as if searching for something.

“For your sake,” he said, “I hope it does.”

A strange tension crept into my chest.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of answering, he stepped even closer.

Too close.

I could feel the heat of him now.

The faint scent of his cologne—clean, expensive, distracting.

My breath caught.

His voice dropped slightly.

“People like Victor,” he said, “only understand power.”

My jaw tightened at the mention of Victor.

“I’m aware.”

“Good.”

His eyes didn’t leave mine.

“If you’re going to stand beside me, Aurora…”

The way he said my name—

Low.

Controlled.

Dangerously intimate.

“…you can’t afford to hesitate.”

My pulse pounded in my ears.

“I didn’t hesitate tonight.”

“No,” he said softly. “You didn’t.”

For a moment, neither of us moved.

The space between us felt fragile.

Like something could snap at any second.

Or shift.

Into something else entirely.

Then his gaze dropped—just briefly—to my lips.

My breath hitched.

And just as quickly—

He stepped back.

The distance returned.

The moment shattered.

“Get some rest,” he said, his tone returning to its usual calm.

As if nothing had happened.

As if the air between us hadn’t just changed.

“I’ll have someone bring you breakfast in the morning.”

I blinked, trying to steady myself.

“Okay.”

He turned toward the door, then paused.

Without looking back, he added—

“One more thing.”

I waited.

His voice was quieter now.

But somehow heavier.

“Don’t let anyone in this house… or outside it… make you feel small again.”

My chest tightened.

Before I could respond, he walked out.

The door closed behind him.

And just like that—

I was alone again.

But this time…

The silence felt different.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the door.

My heart still racing.

My thoughts tangled.

My emotions… dangerously unclear.

I walked slowly toward the window, looking out at the city lights below.

Somewhere out there…

Was the life I had lost.

And somewhere in this house…

Was the man who had just changed everything.

I touched the glass lightly.

“Mrs. Blackwood,” I whispered.

The name no longer felt as foreign.

But it didn’t feel safe either.

Because deep down…

I was starting to realize something I hadn’t expected.

This marriage—

This man—

This life—

Wasn’t just complicated.

It was dangerous.

And if I wasn’t careful…

I might lose more than just my pride this time.