Chaos swallowed the Landmark Event Centre in seconds. Screams pierced the air like shattered glass as guests scrambled for cover behind marble pillars and overturned tables. The elegant ballroom, moments ago filled with crystal chandeliers, soft jazz, and the clink of champagne flutes, had become a war zone. Security personnel shouted orders, their voices barely cutting through the panic. Distant sirens wailed from the streets of Victoria Island, growing louder by the second.
Mia lay pinned beneath Kael Sebastian's heavy, unyielding body on the cold marble floor. Her emerald gown was ruined, soaked with warm, sticky blood that seeped from his side onto her skin. Her heart thundered so violently she could feel it in her throat. His breath came in short, controlled grunts against her ear, each one laced with pain, yet his arms remained locked around her like steel bands—protective, possessive, refusing to let even an inch of her be exposed.
"Kael!" she gasped, her voice hoarse. Her hands pressed instinctively against the wound on his left side, just below the ribs. Blood welled between her fingers, dark and relentless. "You're hit. Oh God, you're bleeding—"
"Stay down," he growled through gritted teeth, his deep voice rough with adrenaline and barely contained agony. His gray eyes locked onto hers from inches away, fierce and commanding even as pain etched lines around them. "Don't move, Mia. Not until I say."
The weight of him was overwhelming—solid muscle and heat pressing her into the floor. She could feel every tense line of his body, the rapid beat of his heart against her chest, the way his muscles flexed as he shifted slightly to shield her more completely. Hate still burned in her chest for the man who had bought her like property, but in this moment, with bullets having flown and his blood staining her dress, something shifted. He had thrown himself over her without hesitation. The ruthless billionaire had become her human shield.
Security swarmed the area now, forming a protective cordon. "Clear! Shooter fled through the east exit!" someone barked. Guests were being herded toward safer zones, but Kael didn't budge until two of his personal bodyguards—hulking men in dark suits with earpieces—dropped to their knees beside them.
"Boss, ambulance is two minutes out. We've got the perimeter secured," one said urgently.
Kael nodded once, jaw clenched. With their help, he finally eased off Mia, but not before his hand brushed her cheek in a fleeting, almost tender gesture that sent confusing sparks through her despite the terror. "You hurt?" he asked, voice low, eyes scanning her frantically for injuries.
She shook her head, sitting up on trembling arms. Her braids had come partially loose in the fall, tendrils framing her face. Blood smeared her hands and the front of her gown. "No… but you are. We need to get you to a hospital now."
He tried to stand, but a sharp hiss escaped him as pain lanced through his side. The bodyguards supported him, one on each arm. Mia scrambled to her feet, the slit in her gown tearing further as she moved. She stayed close, one hand hovering near his wound as if she could somehow stem the bleeding with sheer will.
The drive to the hospital was a blur of flashing lights and tense silence. Kael's private security detail had cleared a path, and they sped through Lagos traffic in a convoy of black SUVs. Mia sat beside him in the back of the lead vehicle, pressing a makeshift compress—his own tuxedo jacket—against the wound. His head leaned back against the seat, eyes half-closed, but his free hand found hers, gripping it with surprising strength.
"Don't you dare die on me, Sebastian," she whispered fiercely, anger and fear twisting together. "We have a contract. You can't back out now."
A ghost of that arrogant smirk touched his pale lips. "Worried about me, little wife? Or just the money?"
"Both," she shot back, but her voice cracked. The memory of his body covering hers, the way he had shielded her completely, refused to leave her mind. This man was a liar, a manipulator with decade-old files on her family hidden in his penthouse. Yet tonight, he had taken a bullet that might have been meant for her.
They arrived at a private wing of one of Lagos' top hospitals—St. Nicholas, known for discreet treatment of high-profile patients. Nigerian law required a police report for gunshot wounds, but Kael's influence bypassed the usual delays. Doctors and nurses moved with efficient urgency, wheeling him into an examination room while Mia was gently guided to a waiting area. She refused to leave his side until a nurse insisted.
"Mrs. Sebastian, we need space to work. He's stable for now—the bullet grazed, not deep, but there's significant blood loss. We'll stitch him up, give antibiotics, monitor for infection."
Mia paced the sterile corridor, her ruined gown drawing stares from staff. She washed the blood from her hands in a nearby sink, watching the red swirl down the drain. Her mind raced. Who had fired those shots? Victoria's venomous words echoed: Secrets have a way of coming out on nights like this. Was the ex-fiancée involved? Or was this tied to whatever "Project Bride" Kael was hiding?
An hour later, a doctor emerged. "He's asking for you. The wound is cleaned and stitched. He'll need rest, but he's refusing pain meds beyond the minimum. Stubborn man."
Mia entered the private room. Kael lay propped against pillows, his bare chest bandaged tightly, an IV line in his arm. The tuxedo shirt was gone, revealing the powerful, sculpted torso she had felt pressed against her earlier—now marred by the fresh white dressing and older scars she hadn't noticed before. One jagged line near his collarbone, another along his ribs. This man had survived violence before.
His gray eyes tracked her as she approached, intense even through the haze of medication and exhaustion. "You stayed."
"Of course I stayed," she said, pulling a chair closer to the bed. Her voice was softer than she intended. "Someone just tried to kill us on our first public outing as a 'happy couple.' I deserve answers, Kael. Who wants you dead? And why am I suddenly in the crosshairs?"
He watched her for a long moment, the monitors beeping steadily in the background. Lagos traffic hummed faintly outside the window, a reminder that the city never slept. "It's business. Rivals. Disgruntled former partners. The Sebastian Empire steps on toes. Tonight was a message."
"A message that nearly put a bullet through your lung," she countered, leaning forward. Her emerald gown, now torn and bloodstained, pooled around her like a fallen queen's robe. "And don't feed me that half-truth. I saw the way you reacted when I mentioned the drawer last night. You have files on my family going back years. Photos of me as a child. What is 'Eleanor Project – Phase One'? And don't you dare tell me to drop it. Not after you bled all over me."
Kael's expression darkened, the ice in his eyes cracking with something raw—frustration, maybe regret. He reached out, his large hand closing around her wrist, thumb brushing her pulse point where it raced. The touch was electric, sending unwanted warmth curling through her despite the hospital smells of antiseptic and the sterile chill in the air.
"You push too hard, Mia," he murmured, voice low and rough. "Some secrets are buried for a reason. Digging them up could destroy more than just our little contract."
She didn't pull away. Instead, she held his gaze, fire meeting ice. "Then why marry me? Why tie our families together if your past is so deadly? My father is dying in another hospital bed because of debts you claim he owes. But those files suggest this goes deeper. You planned this long before the debt notice."
His grip tightened slightly, not painful but possessive. For a heartbeat, the air between them thickened—the same charged tension from the penthouse the night before. His eyes dropped to her lips, then lower to where the gown clung to her curves, bloodstains and all. "Because leverage is power. And you… you were the perfect key. Strong enough to stand in my world without breaking. Beautiful enough to sell the lie."
Mia's breath hitched. She hated how his words affected her, how the memory of his body shielding hers made her want to both slap him and lean closer. "And now? After tonight? Is the contract still just business, or has someone decided your 'secret bride' needs to be eliminated too?"
Kael's jaw clenched. He released her wrist but didn't look away. "The gala attack changes nothing. We continue as planned. But from now on, you follow my rules even stricter. No more snooping. No more questions in public. And when we get home…"
A soft knock interrupted. One of his bodyguards entered briefly, handing Kael his phone before stepping out again. Kael glanced at the screen, his face hardening into pure steel.
Mia's curiosity spiked. While he was distracted reading the message, she noticed his personal tablet left on the bedside table—likely brought by security. The screen had dimmed but not locked. Heart pounding, she waited until he was absorbed in whatever urgent update had arrived.
She reached for it quietly, angling it away from his direct line of sight. Her fingers—still trembling slightly from adrenaline—swiped across the screen. Files. Dozens of them. She tapped one labeled simply "Project Bride."
The document opened. Her eyes widened as she scanned the contents.
Project Bride – Phase 1: Eleanor Leverage
Objective: Use Mia Eleanor as public cover and eventual termination point to neutralize ongoing threats from the Eleanor network. Debt acquisition complete. Marriage contract ensures compliance for 6 months. Post-term elimination protocol recommended to tie loose ends and send message to remaining conspirators.
Risk Assessment: Subject shows high intelligence and hacking aptitude—monitor closely. Emotional attachment risk: low, but physical attraction noted. Adjust if necessary.
Attached: Old surveillance photos of young Mia. Detailed reports on her father's past dealings with Kael's own family—rivalries, betrayals from over fifteen years ago. Notes in Kael's handwriting: "She cannot know the full truth until it's too late."
Mia's blood ran cold. Termination? Elimination protocol? This wasn't just a fake marriage for debt repayment or revenge. Kael had intended to use her… and possibly dispose of her once the six months ended.
She scrolled further, breath shallow. There were emails between Kael and unknown contacts discussing "neutralizing the threat" tied to her family name.
A shadow fell over the tablet.
Kael's hand shot out, snatching the device from her with surprising speed for an injured man. His expression was thunderous—deadly calm on the surface, but storm raging in those gray eyes.
"You weren't supposed to see that," he said, voice dangerously soft, laced with lethal warning. The monitors beeped faster as his pulse spiked. He set the tablet aside, then gripped the bed rail, leaning toward her despite the fresh stitches pulling at his side.
Mia stood abruptly, chair scraping back. Her chest heaved with a mix of fury, betrayal, and lingering fear from the gala. "Termination after six months? You planned to kill me? Or have me killed? All of this—the contract, the penthouse, the 'perfect wife' charade—was just a setup to destroy what's left of my family?"
Kael's eyes burned into hers. He pushed himself up straighter, ignoring the obvious pain, his bandaged torso flexing. The raw power in him was undeniable even wounded. "It's not that simple, Mia. The files are old. Plans change. But you seeing them… that puts you in more danger than you realize."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing despite the doctor's orders, towering over her once more. The hospital gown hung loosely on his frame, but it did nothing to diminish the commanding presence. "You have two choices now, little wife. Run and watch your family burn faster than before… or become mine completely. No more half-measures. No more digging in secret."
Mia's back hit the wall as he advanced slowly, one hand bracing beside her head. His free hand cupped her chin, tilting her face up. The touch was firm, heated, sending conflicting signals through her body—rage and an unwanted pull that made her skin tingle.
His voice dropped to a velvet growl. "Decide quickly. Because whoever pulled that trigger tonight knows you're with me now. And they won't stop at one attempt."
Outside the room, hurried footsteps approached—likely the doctor returning or more security. But in that charged bubble, Mia stared up at the man who had just saved her life… while planning her eventual end.
A text notification pinged loudly on his discarded phone.
Kael glanced at it briefly, his expression shifting to pure ice.
The message preview glowed on the screen:
"She knows too much. Terminate the contract immediately… or we terminate her tonight."
The same unknown number from the penthouse. The game had just escalated, and Mia Eleanor—now Mrs. Kael Sebastian was trapped in the crossfire of lies that could end them both before dawn.