Chapter 5

Liam raised his eyebrows, letting out a low laugh:

"I didn't mean that. I meant... how about marrying me?"

I froze for a second. Last night was a spontaneous hookup; I hadn't actually thought about marrying him.

"I don't sleep around, I'm young and successful, I have good genetics, and I can clearly satisfy you in bed. Compared to Carter, I'm a much better option."

Liam stubbed out his cigarette, took mine out of my mouth, and leaned down slightly:

"How many people only partner with your company because of your family’s ties to the Vances? Now that you've broken up with Carter, those clients are going to hesitate. Besides, your parents will definitely like me better."

I thought about it for three seconds, walked over to my desk, and grabbed my ID and birth certificate.

"Let's do it!"

An hour later, I was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, staring at our official marriage certificate in disbelief.

I actually got married. And of all people, to Carter's arch-rival.

The very next day, Liam flew me out to Europe for what he called a "spontaneous honeymoon."

I sent a quick text to my parents, requested annual leave from my company, and turned off my phone completely. I wanted to enjoy this trip without any interruptions.

I had to hand it to Liam; he had planned every single detail of the honeymoon so perfectly, it felt almost as if he had been planning it for years.

When we finally returned to the country and I turned my phone back on, my screen exploded with hundreds of missed calls and texts. Almost all of them were from Carter.

Just as I cleared the notifications, Carter called again.

The moment I pressed answer, Carter’s furious voice boomed through the speaker:

"I've called you hundreds of times! Where the hell have you been? I went to your apartment and you weren't there. Your assistant said you took a leave of absence!"

"We're over, Carter. Where I go is none of your business."

On the other end of the line, Carter scoffed, his tone still incredibly arrogant:

"Are you seriously still throwing a tantrum just because I had that little ceremony with Daisy? I told you it was just a joke. Fine, I'll make it up to you and throw you another wedding. You don't have to plan a thing. I've already hired the planners. The date is set for the 30th of next month."

I rolled my eyes so hard they practically hurt. "Carter, do you not speak English? We are done."

Carter's voice escalated, turning harsh:

"Sera, don't be ungrateful. I'm giving you a way out here. What else do you want? Why do you have to be so difficult? I'm telling you, if you don't marry me now, you'll never get another chance."

Where did this man get his delusions of grandeur? Did he think marrying him was some kind of royal crown?

"Go to hell, Carter. Stop harassing me. Go marry whoever you want."

I had completely lost my patience. I hung up the phone.

Beside me, Liam leaned in and asked, "Carter?"

I nodded, looking disgusted. "Yeah. He set a wedding date for the 30th of next month. What a clown."

Liam's brow furrowed, his face darkening instantly. "I've already started planning our wedding. It's going to be a million times better than whatever he could put together."

Determined to assert his dominance, Liam immediately dragged me to a high-end jewelry store.

He picked out two sets of rings. The diamonds on the wedding band were massive—literally the size of quail eggs, sparkling so bright they were blinding.

"Since we're legally married, wear this one first. We'll use the other set for the ceremony."

Liam slid the ring onto my ring finger, looking like a victorious king.

I found his competitive streak kind of childish, completely different from his usual cold, ruthless billionaire persona.

As soon as Chloe found out I was back, she dragged me out for drinks.

She was my best friend. When I first told her about the wedding cancellation, she had almost gone to Carter's house to break his legs.

"You vanished for an entire month. Were you really that heartbroken?"

Chloe stared at me with concern. I simply opened my purse, pulled out the marriage certificate, and slapped it on the table.

"I was on my honeymoon."

Chloe gasped, her jaw dropping so low it almost hit the table. She picked up the certificate:

"Is this real?!"

"One hundred percent legal."

"Liam Rutherford?! The guy who looks like an untouchable ice prince? Damn, Sera, you are a savage!"

Chloe gave me a massive thumbs-up and immediately ordered a bottle of Dom Pérignon to celebrate.

"I would pay a million dollars to see the look on Carter's face when he finds out you married his worst enemy!"

After a few glasses, I felt a bit tipsy and went to the restroom. On my way back, I ran right into Brad.

If Brad was here, it meant Carter was probably nearby.

"Sera? You actually came here to find him?"

"Don't call me that. Carter and I broke up."

Brad scratched his head, completely ignoring my words. "You're here for Carter, right? Let me go grab him for you."

"Wait, don't—"

Before I could finish, Brad darted off. Afraid he would say something stupid, I followed him.

I stopped outside a private VIP lounge. Inside, Carter was throwing a birthday party for Daisy. Through the cracked door, I heard Daisy make a wish:

"My wish is for Carter to love me forever."

The crowd cheered, shouting for them to kiss. The two of them immediately locked lips in a passionate, sloppy make-out session.

"Uh, Carter..." Brad walked in, looking a bit awkward. "I just saw Sera outside. I think she came to find you."

Before Carter could even speak, one of his friends scoffed:

"I knew Sera couldn't resist. She saw you throwing a party for Daisy and couldn't handle it."

Brad looked uneasy and tried to persuade Carter: "I stopped her and said I'd get you. I didn't want her to see this and blow up. This fight has gone on long enough, man. Go talk to her before you push her too far."

Daisy tugged on Carter's sleeve, her voice dripping with fake sweet innocence:

"Carter, you promised you'd spend the whole night with me today..."

Carter leaned back on the leather sofa, crossing his legs arrogantly:

"Who does she think she is? Canceling the wedding whenever she wants, and expecting me to run to her the second she shows up? She needs to learn her place."

I couldn't stand his disgusting, arrogant face for another second. I pushed the door wide open and walked in.

Everyone gasped, their eyes locking onto me.

The lounge was dimly lit, which made the massive, flawless diamond ring on my finger catch the light and sparkle brilliantly. It was impossible to miss.

Carter’s eyes locked onto my hand. He lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a tight grip:

"What is that?"

I snatched my hand back fiercely, flashing my ring finger with a sweet, mocking smile:

"A wedding ring."