(Amelia Carter's POV)
The day of the marriage came sooner than Amelia expected.
It arrived without warning, without preparation, as though time itself had been shortened to force her into it.
Morning light filtered softly through the curtains, pale and quiet, resting against the white dress laid carefully across her bed.
Amelia stood still, her gaze fixed on it.
It looked simple, elegant and unavoidable.
For a long moment, she did not move.
Her thoughts were not loud.
There was no panic, no sudden fear–just a quiet heaviness settling deep within her chest.
This was happening.
Whether she understood it or not.
A knock came at the door.
"Amelia."
Her aunt's voice.
Calm, as always.
"I'm ready," Amelia said, though she had not moved yet.
There was a pause.
Then, "Come downstairs when you're done."
The footsteps faded.
Amelia exhaled slowly before stepping forward.
The ceremony was small –too small.
That was the first thing she noticed.
The space was modern and understated, with tall glass windows and soft natural light filling the room. White chairs were arranged neatly, but most of them remained empty.
Only a few people were present.
Strangers.
All of them quiet and all of them watching.
Amelia's steps slowed slightly as she walked in, her eyes scanning the room instinctively, searching for something familiar.
There was nothing.
Except–
Him.
He stood at the front.
She couldn't explain it but she felt she had seen him before.
He is dressed in black.
Still.
Composed.
Ethan.
Amelia stopped.
Just for a second.
Her breath caught slightly, not out of recognition, but out of something else.
Surprise.
So this was the man.
For a brief moment, her mind went blank.
Then everything settled again.
Of course it was him, the man that approached her window.
It made sense in a way she could not explain.
Her steps continued, each one bringing her closer until she stood beside him.
She did not look at him immediately.
But she could feel his presence.
The officiant began to speak, his voice calm and practiced, filling the quiet room with formal words that felt distant and unreal.
Amelia barely listened, her attention shifted slightly just enough for her to glance at Ethan.
He was already looking at her.
Not casually, not briefly but with a quiet, unwavering focus.
She looked away.
"Do you take–"
"Yes."
Ethan's voice came first calm and certain.
Amelia blinked slightly, caught off guard by how quickly he responded.
There was no hesitation and no doubt.
When it was her turn, the silence felt heavier, her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
This was a decision even if it did not feel like one.
She inhaled softly.
"Yes," she said.
Her voice was steady but it did not feel like her own.The ring slid onto her finger with quiet finality.
Cool against her skin and perfectly fitted like everything else about this had already been decided long before she arrived.
When Ethan took her hand, his touch was firm and careful there was no force in it just control and something restrained.
It ended as quickly as it began–
No celebration and no laughter just quiet acknowledgment.
Amelia stood still for a moment after, her thoughts slow, her emotions unclear.
Ethan stepped closer.
"You don't have to be afraid," he said quietly.
His voice was low, meant only for her.
Amelia looked at him then.
"I'm not afraid," she replied.
It wasn't entirely true but it wasn't entirely false either.
Ethan studied her for a brief moment, as though considering something deeper than her words then he nodded once.
The drive was silent.
Amelia sat beside him, her hands resting in her lap, her gaze fixed on the window as the city moved past in blurred reflections.
She did not know what to say and he did not try to fill the silence and that, somehow, made it easier.
When they arrived, she stepped out slowly, taking in the building before her.
It was large, modern and imposing in a quiet way.
Everything about it reflected him.
Ethan opened the door for her.
She hesitated briefly before stepping inside.
The interior was just as she expected–clean, structured, nothing out of place.
It did not feel like a home.
Not yet.
Amelia stood near the window, her fingers lightly touching the edge of the curtain.
She could feel him behind her.
Not too close but not distant either.
"You can ask," Ethan said.
She turned slightly.
"I don't know what to ask."
It was the truth, there were too many questions and none of them simple.
Ethan nodded once.
"That's fine."
She studied him for a moment.
"You knew," she said quietly. "Before today."
"Yes."
She looked away again.
"And you still went through with it."
"Yes."
There was no apology and hesitation just certainty.
Amelia exhaled slowly.
"I don't understand any of this," she said.
"You will," he replied.