Isla's hands trembled as she stared at the photo of Julian on her phone. Blood. Ropes. Fear in his eyes.
"We need to call the police," she whispered.
Damien took the phone from her hand. "No. Whoever did this will hurt him if we do."
"You don't get to decide!" Isla tried to grab her phone back, but Damien held it out of reach.
"Think, Isla. Someone planned this for months. They stole your grandmother's ring. They drugged us, created fake memories, and now they've taken Julian. If we call the police, we put him in more danger."
Serena put a hand on Isla's arm. "He's right. We need to be careful."
Isla felt tears burning her eyes. "This is insane. Yesterday I was engaged to Julian. Today I'm married to you, and Julian is..." Her voice broke.
Damien's face softened slightly. "We'll find him. But first, we need to figure out who's behind this."
Another text arrived: Come home, Mrs. Calloway. Alone. Or your fiancé won't see tomorrow.
"I have to go," Isla said, pulling away from Serena's grip.
"You can't go alone," Serena protested.
"I'll follow her," Damien said quietly. "But first, we need a plan."
Twenty minutes later, Isla walked into Mercer & Hayes Law Firm, trying to look normal despite the storm inside her. She needed files from her office—anything that might explain why someone would force her and Damien together.
The receptionist's eyes widened when she saw her. "Mrs. Calloway! Congratulations on your marriage! Everyone's been talking about it."
"Thank you," Isla managed, forcing a smile. "I just need to grab some files."
"Of course! Though Mr. Mercer cleared out your office this morning. Said you'd be working from your husband's company now."
Julian had cleaned out her office? No, that couldn't be right. Julian was tied up somewhere, being held against his will.
"Did he say anything else?" Isla asked carefully.
"Just that he was happy for you, though he looked upset, poor man. Can't be easy when your business partner leaves so suddenly."
Isla's head spun. How could Julian have been here clearing her office when he was being held captive? Unless...
A strong hand suddenly gripped her elbow. She turned to find Damien beside her, his expression dark.
"My wife forgot her laptop," he told the receptionist smoothly. "We'll just check her office."
He steered Isla down the hallway before the receptionist could respond.
"What are you doing here?" Isla hissed. "I was supposed to come alone!"
"Plans changed when your 'kidnapped' fiancé was spotted here this morning," Damien replied, his voice low. "Something's not adding up."
They reached Isla's office. The door was open, the room nearly empty. Her diplomas were gone from the walls. Her desk was cleared of all personal items. Only a single cardboard box remained in the corner.
Damien closed the door behind them. "Check the box."
Isla knelt beside it, rummaging through what remained of her office life. Files, a spare pair of shoes, her favorite coffee mug. At the bottom, she found a sealed envelope with her name on it.
She recognized Julian's handwriting immediately.
With shaking fingers, she tore it open and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
Isla,
By the time you read this, you'll be married to Calloway. I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but you left me no choice.
Don't try to find me. Don't try to undo what's been done. This marriage needs to last at least six months, or everyone will suffer the consequences—including you.
I loved you once. Remember that.
Julian
Isla felt the blood drain from her face. "He's behind this."
Damien read the letter over her shoulder, his breath warm against her neck. "Why would your fiancé force you to marry me?"
"I don't know," Isla whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "None of this makes sense. The Julian I know would never do something like this."
"People aren't always who we think they are," Damien said quietly.
The office door suddenly swung open. Serena stood there, her face pale. "You need to see this."
She held up her phone to show a breaking news alert: Mercer & Hayes Law Firm Announces Merger with Calloway Industries Following CEO's Marriage to Partner
"A merger?" Isla gasped. "That's impossible!"
"Not according to these documents," Serena said, handing her a folder. "They were just delivered to every partner. The merger paperwork has both your signatures, dated yesterday."
Damien grabbed the folder, flipping through the legal documents inside. "These look legitimate."
"They can't be," Isla insisted. "I never signed anything!"
"Just like you never married me?" Damien asked, his blue eyes intense.
Isla stared at the signatures. They certainly looked like hers. "Someone's forging my signature."
"Or drugging you to sign things you don't remember," Damien suggested.
Serena checked her watch. "The partners are meeting in ten minutes to discuss the merger. Everyone's expecting both of you there."
"We can't go to that meeting," Isla said, panic rising in her chest. "We need to find Julian!"
"We need answers first," Damien countered. "And right now, the only lead we have is this merger. If Julian orchestrated this, these partners might know something."
A text buzzed on Isla's phone: Tick tock, Mrs. Calloway. Time's running out for Julian.
Along with it came another photo—Julian still tied up, but now with a gun visible at the edge of the frame.
"We need to split up," Isla decided. "I'll go wherever they want me to go. You and Serena attend the partners' meeting."
"That's exactly what they want," Damien argued. "To separate us."
"Julian's life is at stake!"
"And so is yours!" Damien grabbed her shoulders. "Think about it. Someone wants us married. Someone wants our companies merged. And they're threatening Julian to control you. What happens when you show up alone?"
Isla stared into his eyes, surprised by the genuine concern she saw there. "Why do you care what happens to me?"
"Because like it or not, we're in this together." His grip softened. "I don't know why someone forced us into this marriage, but I'm not letting you walk into danger alone."
Before Isla could respond, the office door opened again. A tall man in an expensive suit smiled at them. "Ah, the happy couple. Perfect timing."
"Mr. Hayes," Isla said, recognizing Serena's father and the firm's founding partner.
"Richard," Damien nodded coldly.
Richard Hayes glanced between them. "The board is waiting. Shall we discuss how this unexpected marriage benefits all our companies?"
As they followed him toward the conference room, Damien's hand slipped around Isla's waist, pulling her close as if they were actually a couple.
"Follow my lead," he whispered in her ear. "We need to play along until we know who's really behind this."
The conference room fell silent as they entered. Twelve partners sat around the table, including Victoria Calloway, who smiled warmly at them.
"Just in time," Victoria said. "We were discussing the final details of how Calloway Industries will absorb Mercer & Hayes, now that you two have united our families."
Damien's arm tightened around Isla's waist. "Actually, we have other plans."
Isla glanced up at him in surprise.
"My wife and I," Damien continued, emphasizing the word 'wife,' "have decided that Mercer & Hayes will remain independent, but with exclusive rights to Calloway Industries' legal business."
Murmurs broke out around the table. Victoria's smile vanished.
"That wasn't the agreement," Richard Hayes said sharply.
"The agreement has changed," Damien replied coldly. "Unless you'd prefer I look into how this merger was arranged in the first place?"
Richard's face paled. "I'm sure we can work something out."
Isla felt her phone buzz again. Another text: Wrong move, Mrs. Calloway. Say goodbye to Julian.
The photo that followed made her heart stop. Julian, still tied to the chair, but now with a hooded figure standing behind him, gun pressed to his head.
As she stared in horror, she noticed something in the background of the photo—a painting she recognized. It hung in Victoria Calloway's office, just two floors above them.
Isla's eyes met Damien's, and she knew he'd seen it too.
"If you'll excuse us," Damien said smoothly, "my wife isn't feeling well. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow."
As they left the conference room, Damien whispered, "Victoria's office. Now."
They hurried toward the elevators, Serena close behind them.
"What's going on?" Serena asked.
"Julian is being held in Victoria's office," Isla explained, her heart racing. "We need to—"
The lights suddenly went out, plunging the hallway into darkness. Emergency lights flickered on, casting eerie shadows.
"Power outage?" Serena wondered.
"No," Damien said grimly. "Someone doesn't want us reaching Victoria's office."
A figure stepped out of the shadows ahead of them—Cassian Wolfe, Damien's business rival.
"Going somewhere?" he asked with a cold smile.
"Get out of our way, Wolfe," Damien growled.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Cassian replied. "You see, this marriage of yours has caused quite a stir in certain circles. People are invested in its success."
"What do you know about this?" Isla demanded.
Cassian's smile widened. "I know that Julian Mercer isn't the victim here. He's as much a part of this as Victoria."
"Why?" Isla asked, her voice breaking. "Why would Julian do this to me?"
"For the same reason anyone does anything in our world, Mrs. Calloway," Cassian said softly. "Power."
A gunshot echoed from somewhere above them. Isla's blood turned to ice.
"Julian," she whispered.
"Too late," Cassian said with a shrug. "Now there's nothing holding you to your old life. Just your new husband... and the child you're carrying."
Isla froze. "What did you say?"
"Oh," Cassian's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Did they not tell you yet? Congratulations, Mrs. Calloway. You're pregnant."