Chapter 4 - Marrying Adrian King

Serena's POV

The cathedral doors opened slowly, and there he was.

Standing at the altar.

Adrian Knight.

For a second, my entire body locked up.

This man, this cold, terrifyingly composed man, was supposed to become my husband in the next few minutes.

The cathedral was massive, filled with wealthy guests, soft music, camera flashes, and expensive flowers decorating nearly every surface. Everything looked elegant enough to belong in a movie.

But all I could focus on was him.

Tall, still, and unreadable.

He just stood there, expressionless and calm.

Like this wedding meant absolutely nothing to him, and somehow, that made me feel worse.

My fingers tightened around the bouquet, trembling slightly in my hands.

Run.

The thought hit me instantly.

Run now.

But my feet refused to move backward because where exactly was I supposed to run to? I didn't even know where I was.

I wasn't Serena Vale anymore.

The realization hit me harder than it had yesterday.

Serena Vale was gone.

Maybe dead.

Meanwhile, I was trapped inside Lilith Laurent's body, about to marry a man she hated enough to die trying to escape.

My throat tightened painfully.

No. Don't think about it. Not now.

If I thought about everything now, about Damian, about Vanessa… I would completely fall apart in front of hundreds of people.

So instead, I forced myself to walk.

One step, then another.

The cathedral suddenly felt too long, too bright, too suffocating.

Every eye followed me as I walked slowly toward Adrian.

The closer I got to him, the more overwhelming his presence became.

Power radiated from him naturally.

Not loud, not flashy, but controlled.

Like a man who was used to being obeyed without having to ask twice.

His black eyes remained fixed on me throughout the entire walk down the aisle, observant and sharp.

I looked away first.

Something about holding eye contact with him felt dangerous.

By the time I finally reached the altar, my pulse was so loud I could barely hear the priest anymore.

The ceremony began.

I hated every second of it.

Not because Adrian was cruel or because anyone treated me badly, but because none of this belonged to me.

The name Lilith Laurent sounded wrong every single time someone said it.

Every vow felt stolen, and every smile from the guests felt misplaced.

The entire time, one terrifying thought kept repeating in my head.

Where is Serena Vale?

But I forced it down.

I had bigger problems right now, like surviving this wedding without passing out.

“Do you, Adrian Knight, take Lilith Laurent to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

His answer came calmly and immediately, without hesitation.

The priest smiled before turning toward me.

“And do you, Lilith Laurent, take Adrian Knight to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

The name almost made me flinch.

Not Serena.

Lilith.

Silence stretched painfully.

For one reckless second, I considered saying no.

I looked around.

I had nowhere to run to.

So I quietly whispered, “I do.”

Applause immediately filled the cathedral.

And just like that, it was done.

The rest passed in a blur.

Pictures.

People are coming to congratulate me.

Conversations with people I didn't know.

People smiling at me like this was the happiest day of my life.

Meanwhile, I spent the entire reception counting down the minutes until it ended.

Adrian barely spoke, and honestly, I preferred that.

Eventually, the reception finally came to an end.

The cold evening air outside felt like freedom against my skin.

At least until I remembered I was leaving with him now.

A black luxury car waited outside while security stood nearby.

The driver opened the door respectfully.

“Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”

Mrs. Knight.

The title made my stomach twist painfully.

I slid quietly into the back seat while Adrian entered moments later.

Silence filled the car.

The city lights blurred outside the windows while exhaustion settled heavily into my body.

I leaned my head slightly against the window.

Today felt unreal.

Like I was watching someone else's life happen from a distance.

No matter how many times I looked at my hands, they still weren't mine.

By the time the car finally pulled through enormous iron gates, I was too emotionally exhausted to react properly anymore.

The Knight estate stood ahead like something out of a magazine.

Huge.

Perfect.

Cold and beautiful in a way that didn't feel welcoming.

The car stopped near the entrance, and the staff immediately lined up outside.

“Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”

I stepped out slowly and followed Adrian inside the mansion, and somehow… the inside felt even colder than outside.

---

Adrian's POV

Something about her felt off.

Not dramatically.

Not enough to raise real concern.

Just different from what I expected.

The woman standing beside me inside the mansion was far calmer than the reports I had received yesterday.

This was supposedly the same woman who had attempted suicide less than forty-eight hours ago.

Yet throughout the wedding, she hadn't cried once or caused a scene.

She looked terrified, yes, but controlled.

I removed my cufflinks calmly while the staff quietly disappeared upstairs.

The silence between us settled immediately afterward.

She stood awkwardly near the entrance, looking exhausted.

Not dramatic.

Not emotional.

Just tired.

I studied her quietly for a moment before deciding on the simplest solution.

Distance.

The last thing I needed was to make the situation worse on the first night.

So instead of approaching her, I stepped back slightly and loosened my tie.

She noticed immediately.

“You're avoiding me.”

Direct.

I looked at her calmly.

“I'm giving you space.”

Confusion crossed her face briefly.

“Why?”

I answered honestly.

“You attempted to kill yourself because of this marriage. I assumed forcing interaction immediately wouldn't help.”

For a second, something unreadable crossed her expression.

Not embarrassment or anger.

Something stranger.

Like acceptance.

Then she looked away quietly.

“Oh.”

That was it.

No argument.

No emotional reaction.

No tantrum.

Just… acceptance.

Again, not what I had expected.

Most people tried to hide their discomfort with conversation.

She seemed more focused on surviving the moment itself.

I watched her carefully for another second before finally speaking.

“Your room is upstairs. The staff will help you settle in.”

She nodded once immediately, almost relieved.

The massive mansion fell silent except for the sound of her heels lightly hitting the marble stairs.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Then suddenly, her body swayed.

I frowned instantly.

“Lilith?”

She grabbed the railing quickly like she was trying to steady herself.

“I'm fine, I'm fine…”

But her grip weakened almost immediately, and before anyone could react, she collapsed.

Her body crumpled forward violently.

“Mrs. Knight!” the servants screamed in panic.

I moved before I could even think and caught her before she hit the stairs completely.

I wrapped my arms around her unconscious body instantly.

Her skin felt freezing cold.

“Lilith?”

No response.

My jaw tightened immediately.

“Can you hear me?”

Nothing.

For the first time that night, a genuine alarm crossed my face.

“Call the family doctor. Now!"