Amelia woke up to chaos.
Her phone wouldn't stop vibrating.
Message after message.
Missed calls.
Unknown numbers.
She frowned and reached for it.
Then she saw the headlines.
"Billionaire CEO Alexander Knight Secretly Marries!""Mystery Woman Becomes Mrs. Knight Overnight.""Who Is the Girl Who Stole the Ice King?"
Her stomach dropped.
What?
She hadn't even seen a wedding.
No ceremony.
No dress.
No vows.
But there it was.
A legal marriage certificate leaked to the press.
Her picture—pulled from somewhere—was plastered next to his.
A blurry photo of her entering the hotel two nights ago.
I look like I don't belong next to him.
Because I don't.
Her breathing grew shallow.
This wasn't part of the plan.
He said public appearances.
He didn't say media explosion.
Her phone rang again.
Alexander.
She answered instantly.
"You leaked it?"
His voice was calm.
"No."
"Then how—"
"I released it."
Her mind blanked.
"You WHAT?"
Silence on the other end.
Then, cool and controlled:
"You are my wife. The world was going to find out eventually."
"That wasn't the agreement!"
"It was implied."
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
"You could have warned me!"
"And give you time to panic?"
"I am panicking!"
A pause.
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"You're stronger than this."
That made her angrier.
"You don't get to decide what I can handle."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'll send a car. We're making a public statement at noon."
The line disconnected.
He didn't ask.
He commanded.
Knight Holdings Headquarters – Noon
Flashes exploded the moment she stepped out of the car.
Cameras.
Reporters shouting.
Microphones pushed forward.
"Mrs. Knight! How did you meet?"
"Are you pregnant?"
"Is this a business merger?"
"Was she your mistress?"
Amelia's face burned.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Don't show fear.
Don't show weakness.
Alexander stepped out beside her.
And everything shifted.
The crowd quieted slightly.
He placed one firm hand at the small of her back.
Not forceful.
Not gentle.
Claiming.
The contact steadied her more than she wanted to admit.
"You're shaking," he murmured near her ear.
"Because your world is insane."
"Stand tall."
Easy for you to say.
He guided her toward the entrance.
Reporters kept shouting.
Then one voice rose above the rest.
"She's clearly after your money! Was this planned?"
Amelia froze.
The insult hit deeper than expected.
Alexander stopped walking.
The sudden halt silenced the noise.
Slowly, deliberately, he turned to face the crowd.
His arm slid around her waist.
Pulling her closer.
Possessively.
His expression turned glacial.
"Be careful," he said, voice cold and sharp. "You're speaking about my wife."
The emphasis was unmistakable.
Mine.
A reporter swallowed nervously.
"But sir, people are questioning—"
"I don't care what people are questioning."
His grip tightened slightly against her waist.
"She carries my name. That alone demands respect."
Silence.
Total silence.
Amelia felt the power radiating from him.
Felt the shift in the crowd's energy.
He wasn't defending her for romance.
He was protecting his brand.
Still…
It did something to her.
Something dangerous.
Inside the Building
The doors closed behind them.
The noise vanished instantly.
She pulled away from him.
"You didn't have to do that."
"Yes, I did."
"No, you didn't."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"You represent me now. Any attack on you is an attack on me."
There it is again.
Control.
But beneath it—
Something else.
Possession.
Why does it make my heart race?
A woman in a fitted white suit approached.
Tall. Elegant. Stunning.
Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Sophia Laurent," she introduced smoothly. "Alexander's former fiancée."
The air shifted.
Former.
Fiancée.
Amelia felt something twist unexpectedly inside her chest.
Jealousy?
No.
Impossible.
This is fake.
Sophia's eyes scanned her from head to toe.
"So you're the surprise."
Alexander's expression hardened.
"That's enough."
Sophia ignored him.
"How much was she worth, Alexander? Or was she a charity case?"
The insult sliced cleanly.
Amelia opened her mouth to respond.
But Alexander spoke first.
Sharp.
Final.
"She is my wife."
The tone left no room for debate.
Sophia's smile faltered for the first time.
Amelia's heart pounded harder.
Why does he sound like he means it?
Sophia leaned closer to Amelia and whispered quietly:
"Temporary things don't last."
Then she walked away.
Silence hung in the air.
Amelia crossed her arms.
"Your ex hates me."
"She hates losing."
"That's not comforting."
He looked at her carefully.
"She won't be a problem."
"You sound confident."
"I eliminate problems."
Her pulse skipped.
That didn't sound like a metaphor.
Later That Evening
The press conference ended smoothly.
Alexander handled every question with surgical precision.
But what shocked her most—
He never once referred to the marriage as strategic.
He never called it convenient.
He said:
"I married her because I chose to."
Why would he say that?
Inside the car, silence stretched again.
Finally, she asked softly:
"Why did you really announce it so fast?"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Because hesitation invites weakness."
"That's not an answer."
He turned his head slowly.
For the first time, his expression wasn't purely controlled.
There was something darker there.
"People circle when they sense vulnerability."
"And marrying me protects you?"
"Yes."
From what?
From who?
But she didn't ask.
Because something told her—
The answer would be dangerous.
He looked at her one last time before the car stopped at the mansion.
"You handled yourself well today."
A compliment.
Unexpected.
Her heart betrayed her by warming slightly.
"Don't get used to it," she muttered.
A faint smile appeared.
"I won't."
But internally—
Alexander thought:
She didn't break.
Good.
Because the storm hasn't even started yet.
And if anyone tries to hurt her—
They won't survive it.