Page 7 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride

Once this part is over, everything will be in place, and we’ll fly back home.

“Call the pilot. Update him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Drake stays with the car, and Belle and I walk into the building. We take the elevator up to the seventh floor, to a temporary office, where Matvey is waiting for me.

Belle looks curious as I push her inside. Matvey nods in greeting.

“Are we ready?” I ask.

“Yes, everything is ready. I’ve set it up over here at the table. You’ll both need to sign.” He moves out from behind the desk and leads us to a glass table. Belle stays where she is, so I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her along with me, shoving her into a chair at the table.

She looks at the papers that I slide in front of her.

“Sign,” I growl, pushing a pen into her hand.

She looks at the pen and back at the papers.

“Sign,” I say more sternly, grabbing her hand and placing it on the paperwork.

She turns her head towards me, a curious smile on her lips—and to my disbelief, she giggles.

It spills from her lips like summer rain. Light and carefree.

My mouth drops open.

Of all the reactions I was prepared for, this was not one of them.

“Sign it,” I say again, but the command has slipped from my voice. I straighten my back and square my shoulders. “Sign it or I willmakeyou sign it,” I growl darkly, ensuring she understands the risk of disobeying me.

Belle tilts her head to the side and smiles again, then quickly scribbles her signature on the marriage certificate.

I grab the pen from her in annoyance and sign as well.

“Is that it? Are we done?” I ask Matvey.

He nods. “That’s it. You two are officially married. I’ll file the paperwork tonight, and to anyone who looks into it, this is a legal and binding document.”

Chapter 3 - Belle

I’ve never met Ardalion Pushkin in person, but I’ve heard Benedikt complain about him on numerous occasions.

I know that the two of them are rivals, but I also know that they aren’t exactly enemies. Not really. Because there is a bigger alliance that ties Nestor to both of them, neither will do something too terrible to the other.

So basically, while I have no idea what Ardalion is up to right now, this situation doesn’t seem too bad.

The guy in the gray suit hands Ardalion a copy of our marriage certificate, and I have to bite back another giggle. Why in the world does he want tomarryme? This is so random. I can’t believe this is happening to me.

But at the end of the day, it’s perfect!

No more dates. No more of Mom trying to set me up with the worst possible men on the planet. I get a break from all of that, and when this—whatever this is—is all over, Benedikt will come and rescue me.

I have no doubt Benedikt is going to come and get me. He probably already knows where I am. He always knows where I am.

Ardalion pulls me out of the chair. He eyes me up and down, trying to assess me in some way. Shaking his head, he pulls out a thick cable tie from his back pocket and wraps it around my wrists, pulling it tight, but not tight enough to hurt.

“What are you doing?” I squeal, wiggling against the restraints.