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“I have an officiant here, and we can do it now.” He smirked, pulling me toward a man I’d never seen before. The crowd had quieted back down as he spoke into the microphone. “We can start now?—”

“Wait!” I yelled as I snatched the microphone from him, finally finding my voice. The fire in his eyes was instant. “If we’re going to do this tonight, I want my brother to officiate it.”

Squinting his eyes, I knew he wasn’t happy about my public protest, but I didn’t care. If we were going to do this, it was going to be Jules or no one. Turning around toward the crowd, Jules stepped to the stage as Rosier looked on with rage.

“You sure about this?” was the first thing my brother asked as I placed my hand on his shoulder. His eyes held all the love he had for me, but the worry couldn’t be missed. “You don’t have to do this.”

“What the fuck do you mean?—”

“I’m sure,” I answered him as I cut Chandler off. The crowd had grown so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. “Will you please do me the honor? I’m not getting married unless my big brother officiates.”

Nodding, he dragged his eyes over to Chan, and I prayed he didn’t turn this man into a rodent in front of all these people. Hereached for the microphone, and Chandler’s hesitancy to hand it over was witnessed by all.

Staring at each other for a moment, a grin formed on Jules’ face as he began to speak. “Chan, I wish you the best with the hellion you’re about to bind yourself to.” Stepping back, we took our places on the stage as Jules did the same. Winking at me, he cracked his neck a few times. I dropped my head to keep from laughing. He didn’t have a serious bone in his body. “Let’s get you two hitched.”

"Welcome home, Mrs. Gourneau."

Pushing down the bile I felt rising in my throat, I crossed over the threshold into Chandler's home. I’ve stayed over here once or twice, so I’m familiar with the layout of his home. Everything about his place screamed bachelor pad. I knew the paintings on the wall and furniture pieces were expensive, but there was nothing he could ever do to this place that would make it feel like home to me.

“I thought I told you I didn’t want to live in a home where you’ve fucked other women.” I spun on my heels and found him staring at me. Crossing my arms, I shot daggers his way. “So, is this what life is going to be like? Asking you to compromise and getting nothing in return? The contract states?—”

“Fuck the contract, Noemi.” He pushed off the wall, stalking toward me as if I were his prey. In a way, I was. “You’re my wife now, and the actions or things you’re given from this day forward are dependent upon how well you perform duties. Tonight…” He pushed one of my loose locs from my face, and I immediately saw the hunger fill his eyes. “Is where it will all begin. You’re my wife now, and this will be our home until youprove to me that you deserve better. The more you fight me on this, the worse your hell will be.”

Dragging his finger down my exposed chest, my skin felt as if it was sizzling. The mere touch of this man made me want to rip it off. My chest was visibly throbbing as I watched him undress me with his eyes.

“You did a good thing marrying me tonight.” He chuckled as he spun me around, pinning my back to his front. “I was almost hoping you would’ve fought me. I wanted a reason to cause your family pain. Marrying you will do for now because I know you are carrying my last name, which is killing your brother.”

Standing in the middle of his living room, I held my breath as his hands roamed my body. I knew what I was getting into by marrying him, just like I knew what he wanted from me tonight. Instead of making matters worse by rejecting him, I decided to approach things a different way.

“Wait!” I pulled from him before he could slide his hand down the middle of my corset. “I need to go upstairs and shower. I’ve been in this dress all evening. We’ve been dancing and sweating. It’s best I am fresh for our encounter.”

Giving me his evil eye, he relented as he strolled to his dining area with me closely following. The room was so vast and immaculate that it pretty much could have been its own wing. The arrangement on the extra-long island of different sandwiches, fruits, cheese, and wine caused me to pause.

“Fine. The only reason I’m agreeing to this is because we will be having company soon.” He spoke with malice. As if on cue, a few of his housekeepers made their presence known. I watched as they hustled about getting things in order as the doorbell rang. “A few people from my Family wanted to come by and congratulate us privately on our nuptials, so we will be hosting for a while. Go upstairs and change but make it quick.”

The way he so casually dismissed me caused the blood in my veins to boil. Chandler wanted a dormant for a wife, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t be me.

“Chan…” I stopped him before he walked back toward the sitting area. Glancing over his shoulder, he waited to see what I had to say. “Just one question. It’s been on my mind all night.” Stepping to him, my glare never wavered. “Did you fuck Virginia?”

Licking his lips, he smirked. “Did you fuck that nigga you were with on your little vacation? You two looked cozy on your dates.” My eye twitched at his revelation, but I said nothing. “I may have been late in finding out where you were, but I know more than you think. I let you get your rocks off because I was a little occupied myself.” He winked before turning to walk away. “Go get changed. Your things from your condo were moved earlier this evening inourmain bedroom—you know where that is.”

This arrogant son of a bitch!

Seeing a hunting rifle in his gun case, my fingers itched to unload it into him. Knowing him, he probably fucked the manager and sweet-talked himself into my unit. That’s fine because my name will be on that building by the end of the summer. I ignored the hellos and waves from his staff because now wasn’t the time to get chummy with me. They’ve heard Chandler and me argue about this union on several occasions, and I didn’t fuck with them either.

Taking the stairs to the second floor of his home, I made a beeline for his bedroom. Out of the six rooms he had in this house, he would make me sleep in the same room as him on the first night. Pushing the mahogany doors open, my knees buckled once I stepped inside. In the moonlit room, I could easily see my way around. What caused pause was that my mind was playing tricks on me. Chandler had a distinct smell. The YSL was verypotent but lingering in the air was the smell of cedar and spice. It was the smell of a man that caused my soul to stir from his presence alone.

It smells like him in here.

“Get it together, Noemi…” I spoke to myself as I crossed the room to find the light switch. “You miss him that much that you think you’re smelling him, girl.” I laughed at how stupid I sounded. “You had your chance, and you blew it.”

“Seems we both did.”

Before I could flick on the lights, the voice of Jordan Mills sounded in the room. My eyes bulged once the bedroom illuminated, and I saw the love of my life in the flesh. Tucked in a corner, he was dressed in all black as he pulled from his blunt. His eyes scanned my body as he pushed off the wall.

“H-How? W-Why?” I stammered, unable to move. “Jordan, what is going on? How did you get in here?”

“I hear congratulations are in order, baby.” He chuckled as he flicked the roach of his blunt across the room. This man was so disrespectful. “What type of friend would I be if I didn’t supportmy bestieon her big night?”