The small, official room smelled faintly of paper and polish. Vivian sat at the table, pen poised over the marriage register, her heart thudding painfully loud in her chest.
Nikolai stood behind her, a shadow of quiet command, his hand resting lightly on the back of her chair.
The registrar glanced between them expectantly.
Registrar
(polite) Miss Reyes?
Vivian swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the pen.
Vivian Reyes (FL)
(quiet) …Vivian Reyes.
Her signature flowed across the page, shaky but final. She set the pen down, staring at the black ink as though it might vanish.
Nikolai took the pen next, his signature bold and precise, without a moment’s hesitation.
When it was done, he placed his hand over hers and squeezed.
Nikolai Vetrova (ML)
(low) Too late to run now.
Vivian Reyes (FL)
(hard) I wasn’t planning to.
His smirk deepened as he leaned down, brushing his lips deliberately against her cheek in front of the registrar.
Nikolai Vetrova (ML)
(flat) Good.
Nikolai Vetrova (ML)
You’re mine now, Mrs. Vetrova.
Her stomach twisted at the sound of her new name and at the thrill that came with it.
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