Love Along The Way

Maya’s POV.

The elevator ride to my father’s office felt like an eternity. Each floor ticked by with a hollow ding, and my stomach knotted tighter with every sound. I’d been summoned urgently by my father which was never a good sign.

“Maya, sit,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I obeyed and felt my pulse quickening. “Dad, what’s going on? Why did you call me here so suddenly?”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Maya, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll be blunt. Our company is at a crossroads, and I’ve made a decision to secure our future.”

I could tell by the way his jaw tightened that this wasn’t going to be good. “What do you mean? What kind of decision?”

He handed me a folder. “The Williams family has proposed a merger with us, but it’s conditional. They want you to marry Adrian Williams.”

The air left my lungs as if I’d been punched. I stared at him somehow hoping this was some cruel joke, but the grim set of his mouth told me otherwise. “Marry Adrian Williams? Dad, we’ve barely spoken! This is ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous,” he countered with a very firm voice. “It’s necessary. Their company has what we need to stay competitive, and this marriage will solidify our alliance.”

I flipped through the folder, my vision blurring as I tried to process the legal jargon and cold, calculated terms of the agreement. “You’re asking me to sacrifice my life for a business deal?”

“I’m asking you to do what’s best for the family,” he said, his tone softening but still resolute. “This is about more than just us, Maya. It’s about the thousands of employees who depend on us.”

I closed the folder, my hands were trembling. “And what if I say no?”

He didn’t hesitate and just shot right at me. “Then everything we’ve worked for could fall apart. The Williams are offering us a lifeline. We can’t afford to turn it down.”

My throat tightened, a mixture of anger and despair rising within me. “So, you’re selling me off to the highest bidder?”

He flinched, just for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices. This is our best chance at survival.”

“When is this supposed to happen?” I asked.

“The engagement party is this weekend,” he replied, watching me carefully. “You’ll meet Adrian tomorrow to discuss the details.”

I nodded numbly with my mind spinning. I was trapped. There was no way out of this, not without destroying everything my family had built.

“I’ll do it,” I said finally, the words feeling like a betrayal to myself.

He reached across the desk, squeezing my hand. “I know this is hard, Maya. But you’re strong. You’ll get through this.”

I pulled my hand back, unable to meet his gaze. “I need some air,” I muttered, standing up and walking out of the office before he could say anything else.

---

The next morning came too quickly, I was meeting Adrian Williams at a private club "neutral ground", my father had called it. As if that made any difference.

When I arrived, the place was all polished marble and dark wood, a typical giveaway to old money and power. I was led to a private room at the back, where Adrian was already waiting.

He didn’t bother to stand when I entered, He just sat there merely flicking his cold blue eyes up from his phone to glance at me. “You’re late,” he said flatly.

I bristled at his tone rather taken aback. “I’m on time, actually. You must be early.”

He shrugged, setting his phone down with a deliberate carelessness that made my blood boil. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get this over with.”

I sat down opposite him, my heart pounding in my chest. Up close, Adrian was even more intimidating than I remembered, tall, broad-shouldered, with a face that could have been carved from stone. There was no warmth in his eyes, just a steely indifference that set my nerves on edge.

“So, we’re really doing this?” I asked.

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “It’s not about what we want. It’s about what our families need.”

His dismissive tone grated on me. “I’m aware of that. But it doesn’t mean we can’t at least try to make this… bearable.”

His lips twisted into a mockery of a smile. “Bearable? That’s ambitious. I don’t know what fantasy world you’re living in, but this isn’t some fairytale. This is business. We get married, play nice for the cameras, and then go our separate ways. Simple.”

I stared at him, disbelief mixing with anger. “You make it sound easy.”

“Because it is,” he replied, his gaze hardening. “This isn’t about love, or even compatibility. It’s about power. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be.”

My hands clenched into fists under the table. “I don’t need you to explain how the world works, Adrian. I know what’s at stake. But this affects both of us, and I won’t just be a puppet in your little game.”

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I saw something flash behind his cool exterior like annoyance, maybe even anger. But it was gone as quickly as it came. “You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that. But don’t fool yourself into thinking you have any real control here. We’re doing this on my terms.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off with a sharp wave of his hand. “Enough. We’ll go over the details now and be done with it.”

He pulled out a folder, another damn folder I thought to myself as he slid it across the table to me. He went on rather absentmindedly “Everything you need to know is in there. The engagement party, the wedding plans, the public appearances, the prenup. I’ll have my assistant coordinate with you on the finer points.”

I didn’t touch the folder, glaring at him instead. “And what about after the wedding? Do I just fade into the background while you play the role of the perfect husband?”

His expression remained unchanged as he took a sip of his drink. “After the wedding, we go our separate ways. You’ll have your life, I’ll have mine. As long as we keep up appearances, that’s all that matters.”

His cold approach made me sick. I had expected this to be difficult, but I hadn’t anticipated just how ruthless he would be.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But don’t think for a second that I’ll let you walk all over me. I may be doing this for my family, but I’m not your doormat.”

His lips curled into a smirk, a cruel glint in his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Just then, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening in an instant. He quickly pocketed the phone.

For the first time, I saw a crack in his armor, a flash of fear, quickly masked by anger. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “We’re done here,” he snapped, turning on his heel and striding out of the room without another word.

Maya’s POV.

The grand church stood in front of us with its towering spires casting long shadows in the afternoon sun. My heart pounded in my chest as I stood just outside the ornate doors, clutching my father’s arm.

“Maya,” my father’s voice cut through my thoughts, stern yet soft. “Remember why we’re doing this, it's for the greater good”

I swallowed hard and nodded,“I know, Dad. It’s just… it all feels so unreal.”

He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “It’s not about feelings, Maya. This is about the company, about the future. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

The heavy doors swung open, revealing the aisle adorned with flowers and light. My father straightened, his posture commanding as he led me forward. The guests turned to look at me, their eyes scrutinizing every detail of my dress, my expression, my every move. Cameras flashed, capturing the moment.

As we reached the altar, my father leaned in close. “Don’t disappoint me.”

I nodded again, I could feel the eyes of the guests on me, but I kept my gaze forward, trying to block out everything except the task at hand.

Adrian stood at the altar, his expression was rather neutral, his presence imposing in a tailored suit that looked as though it had been crafted just for him. As I reached his side, he barely spared me a glance, his cold demeanor sent a shiver down my spine.

The officiant began the ceremony, his voice was like a distant drone as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. The vows felt hollow as I repeated them. “I promise to stand by you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, to hold and to honor as my lawfully wedded husband.”

Adrian’s response was just as emotionless, his words clipped. “I vow to stand by you, to honor you in sickness and in health, through good or bad, and to treat you no less than you deserve.”

When the time came for the kiss, I hesitated, dreading the contact. But there was no avoiding it. Adrian leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. The emptiness of the act hollowed out my chest, and I fought to keep my composure as the guests clapped.

The ceremony ended, and we made our way back down the aisle, our hands loosely clasped with forced smiles on our faces. The cameras continued to flash, capturing what the world would see as a perfect union.

Once inside the limo, the pretense dropped. Adrian’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold indifference. The silence between us was suffocating and neither of us was willing to break it.

As we arrived at the reception, I was struck by the grandeur of it all. The hall was adorned with elaborate decorations, It was hard to believe it had all been arranged in just a week. Money, I reminded myself, could accomplish anything.

Adrian’s step-siblings, a young man and woman with polished smiles, approached us as we entered. “Congratulations, Adrian,” his stepsister said, her tone measured. She turned to me, her smile never reaching her eyes. “Maya, welcome to the family.”

“Thank you,” I replied, managing a polite smile of my own. The sense of being an outsider in my own marriage made me uneasy.

As the evening progressed, I noticed Adrian’s phone buzzing incessantly. Each time he checked it, his expression darkened, and I could see a flicker of something like irritation, maybe even anger. Finally, he excused himself, slipping away from the reception without a word.

Curiosity took over me, and despite my better judgment, I followed him. The hallway was dimly lit, the sound of the reception fading as I approached a partially open door. Through the crack, I caught sight of Adrian, his back to me as he spoke in hushed tones with a woman. Her fiery red hair was unmistakable, as was the smug smile on her face.

Erica. My former best friend turned high school bully. And now, apparently, Adrian’s mistress.

I watched, frozen, as she leaned in closer to him, her fingers trailing along his arm. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he responded to her touch, his hand moving to the small of her back as he drew her closer.

My heart pounded in my chest. I took a step back, ready to confront them, but my feet refused to move. I felt paralyzed, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene before me.

But then Adrian turned, his gaze sweeping over the hallway. For a moment, our eyes met, and I saw a flicker of something in his expression, surprise? maybe even guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the cold indifference I had come to expect from him.

“Maya,” he said as he stepped out into the hallway, Erica trailing behind him. “Why are you here?”

The contempt in his voice stung, but I refused to let him see how much it hurt. “I could ask you the same thing,” I shot back, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound calm.

He took a step closer, “This is none of your business.”

“None of my business?” I repeated, incredulous. “You’re my husband, Adrian. Or did you forget that part?”

Erica laughed softly behind him, the sound grating on my nerves. “Oh, Maya,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension. “This is just a sham marriage, You’re just a pawn in your family’s game, just like Adrian is in his.”

“Stay out of this, Erica,” I snapped, my anger flaring. “This isn’t your fight.”

Adrian’s hand shot out, grabbing my arm with more force than necessary. “Enough, Maya. You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not now, not ever.”

I wrenched my arm free, glaring up at him. “I’m not going to stand by and let you make a mockery of this marriage.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. Don’t push me.”

Before I could respond, Erica stepped forward, placing a hand on Adrian’s chest. “Come on, Adrian. Let’s not waste time on this… childish drama.”

For a moment, I thought he might push her away, that he might choose to stay and fight for this sham of a marriage. But then he turned his back on me, walking away with Erica by his side.

As the reception wound down, I plastered a smile on my face, playing the role of the dutiful wife. But inside, I was seething, my mind racing with thoughts of how to handle this mess.

Later that night, after the obligatory cake-cutting and forced first dance, we were escorted to a helicopter that would take us to our honeymoon destination.

As we arrived at the resort, I was too exhausted to care about the grandeur of the place. All I wanted was to get some rest and figure out what to do next.

Adrian didn’t bother to help me with my bags as we checked in, The concierge handed us our room keys, and I was relieved to see that Adrian had booked separate suites.

The relief was short-lived.

Later that evening, as I stood on the balcony of my suite, trying to make sense of everything, I noticed Adrian's car pulling into the parking lot below, the private plate number was unmistakable. Adrian stepped out, and a moment later, a woman with bright red hair emerged from the back seat, her presence unmistakable even from this distance.

Erica.