Aneira stood frozen, her mind spinning in disbelief. When her real parents had told her she would marry her ex-boyfriend's uncle, she had pictured an old man; grey-haired, hunched over with the weight of years, desperate for an heir before his time ran out. She had heard he was a lawyer, a powerful one, but she hadn't cared enough to ask for details, let alone look at a picture. All she wanted was to get through the wedding as quickly as possible, to put an end to this nightmare of a situation.
But now, standing in front of her, the man she was about to marry was not what she had imagined at all. Her heart began to race, her breath catching in her chest. Jaxton wasn't just young, he was strikingly handsome, almost alarmingly so. His dark hair was perfectly styled, framing a face that could have been carved from marble. And his eyes…those blue eyes were like nothing she had ever seen. Clear and deep, they seemed to hold a quiet power, drawing her in as if they knew secrets she wasn't ready to hear.
Jaxton's lips curved into a knowing smile as he watched her reaction. "Are you disappointed?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "That I'm not what you expected? Old… ugly, but rich?"
Aneira blinked, startled by his words. Heat crept up her neck as she realised she had been openly staring. She quickly lowered her head, embarrassed by her loss of composure in front of this stranger—no, not a stranger. He was about to become her husband.
Before she could look away, Jaxton's hand reached out and gently lifted her chin, forcing her eyes back to his. Their gazes met, and for a moment, the room seemed to fade away. His blue eyes were mesmerising, as if the sky itself had chosen to settle in them. They held a mixture of curiosity and warmth, and Aneira found herself unable to tear her gaze away. The intensity of those eyes made her feel exposed, as if he could see every emotion she was trying to hide.
"I-I..." She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Her mind was still reeling, her thoughts tangled in confusion. She wasn't sure what to say, how to feel. Her hand clenched into a tight fist at her side, a small outlet for the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
Jaxton, noticing her tension, reached out and took her hand in his. His touch was firm yet gentle, and with a deliberate motion, he slowly uncurled her fingers, letting her hand rest softly in his. "It's alright," he said, his voice low and reassuring. "I've got you. You have no reason to worry about being with me."
Something about those words, the way he said them, sent a warmth spreading through her chest. It wasn't the words themselves, but the way he made them feel like a promise. A small, fragile part of her wanted to believe him, to let that warmth take root.
Before she could respond, the door swung open. The attendant stepped in, bowing slightly. "The wedding is about to begin. You'll soon be called."
Aneira gasped softly as Jaxton turned toward the door, offering a final glance back at her. The sight of him standing there, tall and composed, took her breath away. How could someone be so effortlessly handsome? She had never seen anyone like him, not in her entire life.
He was nothing like his nephew…. Entirely nothing like Ethan.
With a smooth, deliberate motion, Jaxton brought her hand to his lips. His kiss was soft, lingering on the back of her hand, but it was his eyes that held her captive. They never left her face, as if he was studying every reaction, every shift in her expression.
Aneira's breath hitched in her throat. "I'll be waiting for you, my love," he said softly, the words both intimate and commanding. And with that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, feeling as though the ground had shifted beneath her.
The moment the door clicked shut behind him, Aneira exhaled, realising she had been holding her breath the entire time. Her heart was still racing, her mind a whirl of questions. What had just happened? Who was this man, really? And why did he make her feel this way; confused, anxious, yet strangely drawn to him?
"Is that your husband, ma'am?" the attendant asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Aneira turned back to the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with the same confused expression. She sighed heavily, still not able to process the whirlwind of emotions that had hit her in those few minutes. She didn't answer the attendant's question. She didn't have an answer. Not yet.
She turned her gaze down to her hands, still tingling from where Jaxton had touched her.
Why me?
She had wanted to ask that question, but she couldn't just voice that question out of her mouth. The question echoed in her mind. Why had he chosen her?
—-
Aneira's heart pounded in her chest as she clung to her father's arm, each step toward the altar feeling both too fast and too slow. The church was filled with faces; family,and strangers, but they all blurred together. Her mind could only focus on one thing:
Jaxton.
Her eyes found him instantly, standing tall at the end of the aisle, waiting for her. His presence was magnetic, commanding the entire room with ease, yet he was looking at her, and only her. Those piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, and suddenly, nothing else existed. The sound of her heels against the marble floor, the whispers of the crowd, even the soft grip of her father's hand…it all faded away. It was just Jaxton, standing there, and the weight of the moment pressing down on her.
Aneira couldn't look anywhere else. She was too afraid to. She felt as if her gaze broke from his, she might crumble beneath the overwhelming pressure of the room, of this life she had been thrown into. But Jaxton's steady gaze grounded her, holding her in place, offering something like assurance, even in its intensity.
Each step brought her closer, and with every inch, her heart beat faster. She was about to marry this man, a man she barely knew yet felt impossibly drawn to. Her fingers tightened slightly on her father's arm, but her eyes never wavered from Jaxton's.
When they finally reached the altar, she stopped. Her father gently lifted her hand, placing it in Jaxton's waiting palm. The moment his fingers closed around hers, Aneira's breath hitched. His hand was warm, steady so unlike the chaos she felt inside.
She dared to meet his eyes again, and in that instant, it felt as though everything outside of them disappeared.