Chapter 3: The Temporary Pact

The cool night air wrapped around me like a soft blanket, offering a brief moment of clarity amidst the chaos. I leaned against the stone railing of the villa's balcony, the sprawling Tuscan hills spreading out before me, bathed in the glow of the moonlight. It was breathtaking—exactly the kind of place where you’d expect romance to blossom. Too bad I was stuck here in a pretend marriage with a guy who looked like he’d rather chew glass than share a moment with me.

Ryan Collins stood stiffly next to me, loosening his tie like it was choking him. His suit—perfectly tailored, no doubt—was classic black, sharp against the night, but I could tell he hated every second of this. If his tense shoulders didn’t give it away, the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck did. I watched him for a moment, taking in his structured, almost too-polished appearance. You could practically smell the self-discipline radiating off him.

“So,” I exhaled, letting the cool breeze calm my nerves, “this is officially the weirdest day of my life.”

Ryan glanced over, his usually impassive face softening just a little. His lips twitched, almost but not quite smiling. For him, that was probably the equivalent of a belly laugh.

“You?” he asked, voice smooth and clipped like someone who never strayed far from business meetings. “It’s got to be close for me too.”

“Well,” I smirked, turning my body toward him, “I’ve never been married by accident before. So yeah, top of the list.”

He chuckled, and I could see him relax just a bit, the tension in his shoulders easing. His laugh caught me off guard. I mean, the guy looked like he had his emotions vacuum-sealed. Seeing him let go, even a little, was… nice.

I rolled my eyes and pushed the joke further, mimicking the officiant’s voice. “I now pronounce you strangers who met five minutes ago.”

This time, Ryan fully smiled—a real, honest-to-goodness smile. It was quick, like he caught himself before he got too comfortable, but it was there. He shook his head, leaning on the railing next to me.

“Quite the whirlwind romance,” he deadpanned.

For a second, I almost forgot we were two strangers playing house in the middle of someone else’s wedding. Almost.

“You seem oddly calm about this,” I said, narrowing my eyes playfully. “Is this, like, a normal Tuesday for you? Accidentally getting married?”

Ryan straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. “Let’s just say I’m used to unexpected situations. I deal with them one at a time.”

“Right,” I drawled, amused by how serious he seemed to be about everything. “Do you handle every disaster like a board meeting?”

He didn’t catch the joke, just nodded earnestly, which made me laugh harder than I should’ve. “Exactly,” he replied.

I had to press my hand to my stomach to stop laughing. “Oh God, Ryan, you’re hilarious. No wonder you’re so fun at weddings.”

Ryan shot me a look, halfway between amusement and exasperation, but I could tell I was growing on him—whether he liked it or not. He let out a slow breath, the remnants of his smile lingering.

“We can’t exactly tell our families now, not after they’ve invested in this whole thing,” he said, shifting the conversation back to the mess we were in. He rubbed the back of his neck again, clearly frustrated, but still composed.

I thought about it, realizing he had a point. My family, with their warm hugs and enthusiastic cheers, probably wouldn’t care too much once I told them this was a mistake. But his family? The Collinses looked like the type that planned everything down to the minute. Telling them the truth now would probably cause a minor societal scandal.

“Yeah,” I admitted, “you’re right. Telling them now would just make it worse.” I glanced back toward the hall where the party still raged on, a bubble of noise and joy completely disconnected from reality. “So… what do we do?”

Ryan took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing in thought. “We keep this up. Pretend we’re married until we get home, and then we can handle it quietly.”

I bit my lip, trying to suppress a laugh at how formal he sounded about it. “You make it sound like we’re negotiating a contract.”

His jaw tightened just a fraction. “This is a contract, in a way. We’re stuck in this together for now.”

I crossed my arms and leaned in. “Okay, Mr. Businessman. Let’s negotiate our fake marriage terms. How do we make this work without blowing our cover?”

He didn’t miss a beat, already back to being the polished, composed Ryan Collins. “We’ll have to agree on some ground rules. No obvious slip-ups, no contradicting stories. And we need to be seen together enough to make it believable. Appearances are everything.”

I nodded, though part of me wanted to roll my eyes. “Right, appearances. Well, since we’re already married,” I said with a smirk, “how about we skip the awkward honeymoon phase and just get right to the part where we ‘quietly divorce’ later?”

Ryan shot me a sidelong look, clearly unimpressed with my sarcasm. “This isn’t a joke, Mia.”

“I know, I know,” I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “But come on, it’s kind of funny, right? We’re in the middle of Tuscany, at someone else’s wedding, and somehow we end up married. If this isn’t a rom-com, I don’t know what is.”

Ryan’s expression softened, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “I suppose it is a little ridiculous,” he conceded.

“Thank you,” I said, placing a hand on my chest dramatically. “At least someone gets it.”

We stood there for a moment, the ridiculousness of it all sinking in. The night had taken on a quieter tone—the party still rumbled behind us, but here on the balcony, it was just the two of us. For the first time, it didn’t feel so strange.

I glanced at Ryan, who was staring out at the view, his suit jacket now unbuttoned, his tie loose. It was the first time he didn’t look like he was about to bolt. He actually looked… comfortable.

“You know,” I said, nudging him gently with my elbow, “you’re not so bad when you’re not in crisis mode.”

Ryan looked down at me, eyebrows raised. “Crisis mode?”

“Yeah,” I said, smirking. “That’s your default setting, right?”

He rolled his eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I’m practical,” he corrected. “Not in crisis.”

“Sure, sure,” I teased, waving him off. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

We fell into an easy silence again, and for the first time since this whole mess started, I didn’t feel like I was on the verge of a breakdown.

“So,” I said after a while, “what’s the plan now? We just keep pretending until we fly home?”

Ryan nodded. “Exactly. It’s the easiest way to avoid causing a scene.”

I tilted my head, studying him for a second. He was so calm about everything, so methodical. It was almost impressive how easily he’d slid into the role of “accidental husband.”

“And what happens when we get back?” I asked, genuinely curious. “We just quietly disappear from each other’s lives?”

“That’s the plan,” he said, his voice steady.

I stared out at the rolling hills again, feeling a strange tug in my chest. It was all so simple, so clear-cut for him. But for me? I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was the wine, or the fact that we were standing on a balcony in Tuscany pretending to be married, but something about it didn’t sit right.

“Well,” I said, extending my hand toward him with a playful grin, “here’s to our temporary marriage.”

Ryan looked at my hand, then at me, clearly unsure what I was up to. But after a second, he took my hand, shaking it firmly.

“To a temporary disaster,” he replied, smirking slightly.

And just like that, we had an agreement.

We turned back toward the party, walking side by side into the chaos, our fates accidentally and absurdly intertwined. I had no idea what would happen next, but one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***