" Mrs. Watson, don't even think about escaping from me."
That was the message on Elara's phone. It was a strange number, which obviously belonged to her newly acquired husband.
" Fuck you all!" Elara cursed, yelling loudly as she made her way out of the hall.
Not even the calling of her name from her close friends could stop her from going berserk. She was on the verge of breaking down.
As soon as she got into her car, she intended to get wasted in a bar but a message from her best friend made her change her mind. She made a U-turn to her penthouse, instead.
By the time Elara got back to her penthouse that night, she was exhausted all around. The day had been a complete and utter nightmare for her.
Feeling grumpy, she took a few confused steps into her living room. She needed a cold bath and a hot tequila to bring her back to sanity.
Elara flung her bag on the sofa and made her way inside the house, only to see a dark slender figure lurking inside.
" Fuc-"
Elara swallowed the remaining words when she took a closer look. It was Vanessa Montgomery, her best friend.
And judging from the wide grin on her face, it was obvious that she had no idea of the eerie roller coaster Elara had just been through.
" You know I can fucking kill you, right?" Elara asked, gripping her chest tightly.
If not for the strange happenings tonight, Elara wouldn't even flinched at the sight of a vampire. However, today's event have left her muddled headed.
" Not before I listen to your juicy tale of proposal with that boyfriend of yours," Vanessa responded, rolling her eyes.
Elara slumped on the sofa, thinking of how to tell her best friend that she was already married to a stranger which she had no recollection about.
"So... you're getting married to Joshua, huh?" Vanessa went further to ask, her tone filled with disappointment.
Vanessa had always hated Joshua and Elara had no idea why.
Elara let out a short, sharp bitter laughter. " Oh, Vanessa. If only you were half right!"
Vanessa, who was ready for another round of lecture, frowned slightly. She took another look at Elara and realized her friend was looking way out of the box.
Standing up abruptly with a dagger like gaze and anger that would literally destroy a nation, Vanessa let out the stem.
" Did that son of a bitch cheat on you? I swear I am going to maim him right now!"
Elara who was feeling depressed suddenly sprang to her feet to hold back her dearest goddess of war.
" Vanessa, please calm down let me expl-"
" Elara, are you defending that cheater?"
Elara was having strings of headaches rushing in at once. If anyone had cheated, that would be her!
" I am the one that cheated!" Elara let out, not believing those words came out from her mouth.
Vanessa who was all swords and guns was taken aback by her friend's words. She blinked rapidly as if she was in a dream.
" You-You cheated on Joshua?" Vanessa managed to ask, squinting her brows. The Elara she knew loves Joshua and would never cheat on him.
What the hell was happening?
" I think I cheated big time," Elara breathed out, bringing her bag closer.
Vanessa wore a confused look and was about to ask what Elara meant, but the latter didn't let her. Instead, Elara pulled the envelope from her bag and threw it at Vanessa.
She caught it with both palms, blinking in half confusion and half alarm.
"What's this?"
Elara sank onto the nearest chair, reclining without support. "Read it, And tell me if I am gradually losing my mind."
Vanessa hesitated with her inquisitive eyes on her for a second, then finally she carefully pulled out the papers. The moment her eyes landed on the words, those pairs of eyes were on the verge of spilling.
Luckily, the socket held them in place.
Elara didn't need to see it again to know what she was looking at. It was the same thing that destroyed her engagement.
Elara Clarksville & Leo Watson.
They registered their marriage three days ago, and below it, was her signature, sitting prettily. Her own goddamn signature, displayed as accurately as it could be.
Vanessa looked up at Elara, her face pale, her voice a whisper.
"Elara... what the hell did you do in Las Vegas?"
If Elara had the slightest answer to thst question, she wouldn't be on the verge of breaking down. Chuckling to herself dryly, Elara gripped the edge of the table like someone on the verge of lunacy.
Her world spinning way too fast. "I have no idea."
Vanessa stared at the certificate, trying to make sense of something that simply didn't make sense.
Elara leaned back tiredly.
She didn't need to hear every word as she had already seen what mattered. But then Vanessa did something Elara did not expect.
She looked up sharply.
And then, instead of simply confirming what Elara already knew, she started reading aloud while Elara squinted at her words.
Something wasn't right. Elara must have missed. The smug look vanished from her face.
This wasn't just a marriage certificate; It was a contract. Silence fell as the last words of the stranger sounded again.
"You have three days!"
In one swift motion, Elara shot up from her seat, finding energy where she had none before. And soon, she closed the distance between Vanessa and herself in three quick strides.
"Give me that."
Vanessa barely reacted before Elara snatched the paper to see things for herself.
"The agreed terms are binding, and neither party may annul the agreement before the stipulated time frame unless under extreme circumstances, as outlined in Section 5, Clause 3..."
Elara went numb.
"This isn't real."
She pulled away from the document, staring into the vacant space. If she had indeed signed this, she would have seen this clause. She would have read it for herself.
But she didn't.
Elara remembered nothing about doing so. And yet the sight of her own signature was challenging her now.
It was there, perfectly aligned.
Elara shook her head. This was impossible.
She couldn't stay still and watch herself getting played about like a sitting duck. Her hand reached for her phone, as she turned on the internet.
If this Leo Watson was real enough to actually marry her and do all these, then he was real enough to be found. It was time to remind him that no one was really a ghost in this new age.
Without further ado, Elara typed his name into the search box, her fingers moving faster than her mind could keep up.
It was about seven straight minutes of typing, scrolling, and zooming, but she found nothing in the end.
Absolutely nothing!
No social media handles? No business records? Zero news commentaries? Not even a whisper of his name. He was literally a ghost even on the internet.
Elara's went numb. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Vanessa had since hurried over to Elara's side, her presence barely noticeable until she murmured. "How does a man who can pull something like this off have no online presence?"
Elara stared blankly as she couldn't think of anything. She was confused at everything. She didn't know what was worse now, the fact that she was trapped in a legally binding contract with a stranger or the fact that the stranger didn't even exist.
" As if the marriage wasn't strange enough. I had to add ghost-wife to it," Elara murmure, forcing out a dry laughter.
She was definitely going crazy.
" Who the fuck are you, Leo!" She almost screamed her lungs out.
With barely concealed anger, Elara brought out her phone. She started scrolling until her eyes caught the contact.
Henry Lancaster, her personal Lawyer.
The phone barely finished ringing before he answered.
" Elara…"
She blurted out, cutting him off. "I need you to help me draft some divorce papers…urgently."
There was a long pause, followed by laughter. " Do you mean a prenup agreement? I heard you got engaged…"
" I am not joking, Henry. And it's not a prenup, either," Elara cuts in, biting back her anxiety.
After a golden silence, Henry finally asked. "A divorce agreement?"
" Yeah. For me, Henry…"
The silence that followed was thick with question, unanswered. Then Henry repeated, sounding aghast. " Divorce agreement for you? Elara, you are freaking me out. You are not even married."
Elara smiled bitterly. "Well that makes two of us,"
There was another silence, this one was heavier. When Henry spoke again, his voice had lost all it's energy.
" Fine. Send me the details…"
She was still on the phone when Vanessa's scream made her look up.
" You've got to see this, girl. What the hell did you actually get yourself into in Las Vegas?" Vanessa asked, trembling as she showed Elara her phone.
It was a news article.
The moment she read the headline, Elara's blood freezed.
"Watson Group Announces New President. Leo Watson, the Ares of the Business World, Takes Control of the Family Empire."
The man she was trying to divorce was actually the brutal heir to the most powerful business empire in the United States.
What the hell had she gotten herself into?