Grey's POV
I hated how my father had looked at her, at us. Like I was some foolish boy being toyed with by a desperate girl. Like I wasn't capable of making decisions for myself. His words had cut deeper than I'd admit, but I wasn't about to let George Williams strip me of what was mine.
If I wanted control of the empire, Seraphim had to become undeniable. Not just tolerated, but accepted.
I found her in the study one evening, flipping through one of the many untouched books that lined the shelves. She looked up, her expression wary, as always.
"We're changing tactics," I said flatly.
Her brow arched. "Tactics? You make it sound like a war."
"It is," I snapped. Then softer, more calculated, "If we want this to work, my father has to believe in you. Not just tolerate you, he needs to respect you."
She closed the book slowly. "And how do you suggest we do that?"
I leaned back against the desk, my gaze sharp. "By showing him what he values most, loyalty, strength, family. We make him see you as indispensable, as the woman beside me, not some girl who stumbled into his mansion."
For the first time since this started, she didn't argue. She just nodded. Maybe she understood that this was survival for both of us.
Seraphim's POV
The days that followed were… exhausting. Grey coached me like a soldier in training. Which wine glass to use, which fork was for salad, how to stand when his father entered a room, what phrases George Williams respected, and what topics to avoid.
I became a student of the Williams empire reading about their charities, their board members, even memorizing names of business partners I had never met. It felt like I was being sculpted into someone else, layer by layer, until the old Seraphim barely existed.
And slowly, I noticed a shift. George's icy stares became measured glances. He started asking me questions not as tests, but out of cautious curiosity.
One evening, when Grey excused himself from the table to answer a call, George turned to me.
"You've learned a lot," he said, voice gruff. "You're not the girl I saw fumbling last week."
I swallowed, careful with my words. "I don't want to disappoint Grey. Or… you."
For a second, something flickered in his eyes. Approval, maybe. The first crack in his armor.
Grey's POV
It was late when I found Father in his study, a glass of brandy in hand. The room smelled of leather and power his kingdom.
"You've been busy," he said without looking up, swirling the amber liquid. "Shaping her into your perfect little partner."
I kept my voice steady. "I'm shaping her into the partner this family needs. You wanted me to prove myself, didn't you?"
He finally met my gaze, his own sharp and unyielding. "You've always been ambitious, Grey. But ambition without roots is nothing but vanity. Family grounds you. Marriage grounds you. Without that… I won't trust you with what I've built."
The words hit me like a verdict. So this was it the condition. The price of the empire.
"You're saying you won't hand it over unless…" I paused, jaw tightening. "Unless I marry her."
He sipped his drink. "Not just marry. Commit. Make it official. Only then will I know you understand what it means to carry the Williams name forward."
I hated how he said "commit," like I needed a leash. But I also knew I had no choice. If marriage was the battlefield, then marriage he would get.
Seraphim's POV
When Grey told me about his father's condition, I thought he was joking at first. A wedding? Us? It felt absurd. But his expression was stone-cold serious.
"This isn't about love," he said. "It's about securing the empire. We'll make it small, legal, official. Enough to shut him up."
My heart raced. Marriage wasn't just a word to me. Even if fake, even if bound by lies, it was a chain. But what choice did I have? My life was already tied to his contract.
So, the plan was set.
It happened during one of the family dinners. Grey stood suddenly, his chair scraping back, and reached into his pocket. My breath caught as he pulled out a velvet box small, sleek, expensive.
"Seraphim," he said, his voice carrying just the right amount of charm and sincerity, "from the moment I met you, you've challenged me, surprised me, and made me want to be a better man. I can't imagine facing the future without you by my side."
I almost laughed at the irony, but the weight of everyone's eyes kept me still. He opened the box, revealing a diamond that could blind the truth itself.
"Will you marry me?"
The room gasped. His mother clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes misty. George leaned forward, his gaze sharp but approving.
And me? I forced a smile, my throat dry. "Yes," I whispered, praying my voice wouldn't crack.
Applause filled the room. To them, it was love. To me, it was a fate disguised as a ring.
The ceremony was small, just as Grey wanted. No flowers, no aisle, no vows that meant anything. Just papers, signatures, and a judge who smiled like he was blessing the start of forever.
I signed my name with trembling fingers, sealing myself into a life I had no choice but to choose.
When it was done, George Williams placed a firm hand on Grey's shoulder. "Now you're ready, son," he said. "The empire is yours."
Grey's smile was sharp, victorious. Mine was hollow.
Grey's POV
That night, after everyone left us alone, I walked into the room where she sat staring at the ring on her finger like it was a shackle.
"You think you won," I said, my voice low, almost mocking.
She blinked up at me, confusion flashing in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
I stepped closer, my shadow falling over her. "Don't play innocent. My father bought your act, my mother swallowed your tears — but I know you. You're nothing but a girl who stumbled into money she doesn't deserve."
Her lips parted, but no words came.
I leaned in, close enough for her to feel the venom in my words. "Don't forget, Seraphim, you humiliated me once, on that day of the competition, did you think I'll forget? Did you think you got the contract because you deserved it? Ohh no seraph, I'm not that stupid, there were other beautiful women I could have given it to buy you. Now that we're happily married, the first thing you should learn is that I do not tolerate disrespect from anybody, and especially not from a low class bitch like you. Seraphim I don't forgive humiliation."
I straightened, my expression cold as stone. "You may be my wife on paper, but in this house, you're nothing but a pawn. My pawn."
The flicker of fear in her eyes gave me the satisfaction I'd been craving since that night.
Seraphim's POV
I didn't cry. Not in front of him. But inside, the ring on my finger burned hotter than fire. He had gotten everything he wanted, and still, it wasn't enough.
Now I wasn't just bound by contract. I was chained by law — and hated by the man I was forced to call my husband by fate.