JASMINE'S POV
I woke up with a headache from hell.
The kind of headache that felt like my skull was splitting in two, the kind that made me swear—swear—I would never drink again.
The sunlight pouring through the large floor-to-ceiling windows did nothing to help. A groan left my lips as I buried my face in the nearest pillow, but the second I inhaled, I froze.
This wasn't my pillow.
The fabric was too soft. The scent—masculine, expensive, dangerously intoxicating—was all wrong. And the bed? It seemed excessively large and extravagant. This was definitely not my apartment.
A slow, creeping panic curled up my spine as I forced myself to sit up—a big mistake. I sat up too fast.
The room swirled around me, and a wave of nausea hit me like a freight train. I shut my eyes tight and pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to figure out what had happened last night.
Where the hell am I? What the hell happened last night?And why does my body feel like I have run a marathon?
I looked around the room, taking in the luxurious penthouse, the stylish furniture and the expensive artwork. This wasn't some random hotel.
And then I saw it.
On the nightstand, a document sat neatly beside a glass of water, staring back at me harmlessly until my eyes caught two words at the top. Marriage Certificate.
I snatched it up, my pulse roaring in my ears as I scanned the page, barely registering the words—until I saw my name.
Jasmine Heart Frost.
Aiden Stark Frost.
For a long, painful second, my brain refused to process what I was seeing.
I blinked. Read it again. Then again.
No, no, no, no!
I wasn't married. I couldn't be married.
My heart pounded in my ears as I scanned the details over and over.
It was legal, signed and stamped.
This isn't real. This cannot be real.
This had to be a joke. Some horrible, twisted prank. There was no way…
A harsh exhale left my lips. This was some drunken mistake that I could laugh about over mimosas later.
The sound of my phone buzzing snapped me back to reality. I lunged for it, hands shaking as I tapped the screen. A flood of messages from Sophia filled the screen.
— Where the hell are you?!
— Hitting it hard with Mr. Mysterious?
— Girl, if this isn't the best sex of your life, I will actually unfriend you.
— Okay, I didn't mean that, but CALL ME ASAP!
— Jas?? Hello??
— This isn't funny. CALL ME.
My breath hitched as I scrolled down and… five missed calls.
One voicemail.
A fresh text popped up at the bottom.
Sophia: Jasmine, answer your phone. If you don't text or call me back in an hour, I'm sending a search party or the police.
I swallowed hard because she was right; this wasn't funny.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Mr. Mysterious.
Flashes of last night came in pieces.
The previous day had started out normal—or as normal as it could be when your life wasn't really yours.
There was a charity gala… elegant but also excessive and overwhelming. There were beautiful gowns everywhere, champagne glasses clinking, and talks that often had hidden agendas.
I had been playing my part perfectly—smiling, nodding, pretending I wasn't drowning—until Alex stood up in the middle of the ballroom and did the unthinkable.
He announced our engagement.
My blood had turned to ice.
I hadn't said yes. Hell, I had said no—loudly, repeatedly, clearly. But none of it had mattered. Not to Alex. Not to my father. Not to the guests who clapped as if my life was just another business deal being finalised.
I wasn't even given a heads-up before the announcement. There was no warning, no conversation, just a public ambush disguised as a proposal.
Alex had turned to me, flashing that rehearsed, camera-ready smile like he expected me to just go along with it.
Like I had no other choice.
Then came the whispers.
"Her father must be relieved."
"Heart Enterprises needs this merger."
A merger. That's how they saw me—nothing more than a transaction or a contract waiting to be signed. To them, I was simply a business deal, a means to achieve their goals, while my true identity was lost in the piles of paperwork and corporate language.
Desperate to escape, I gripped Sophia's wrist and suggested we go somewhere they couldn't follow.
And that was how we had ended up at the masquerade ball.
A place where no one knew my name.
It was a place where, for one night, I could disappear.
It was supposed to be just drinks, but that was when I saw him—tall, well-built and dressed in a black tuxedo.
After the dance, we started drinking.
I remember the warmth of his hand resting on my waist. The deep, husky timbre of his voice against my skin. His lips brushed my ear as he murmured something I could barely remember. And then—my own voice, slurred yet giddy: God, Aiden. Let's just do it. Marry me.
What followed was laughter, a courthouse setting, and then I saw the shiny pen as I wrote my name.
A strangled sound escaped my throat.
"Oh. Oh, God."
I married him.
I scrambled out of bed, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. My dress from last night lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.
This wasn't a prank. This was real.
I glanced around again, taking in the sight of the room, when my gaze darted over to the white envelope sitting next to the marriage certificate. My name was written on it in bold, deliberate handwriting.
With a sinking feeling, I ripped it open.
Meet me at Stark Global Ventures. – A.
The breath whooshed out of my lungs.
Aiden Stark Frost.
That name—I've heard it somewhere before.
My fingers tightened around my phone as I pulled up the browser and typed his name into the search bar.
Aiden Stark Frost—CEO of Stark Global Ventures. Billionaire. Power player. And, according to recent rumours,… possibly engaged?
My stomach twisted as I scrolled through article after article.
"Sources report that Aiden Stark Frost will likely announce an important engagement soon. The CEO, recognised for his tough business strategies and private lifestyle, has been secretive about his relationships, but rumours are swirling like never before..."
What the hell?
Why would a man like him risk his reputation marrying a stranger?
I was still processing that horrifying revelation when I remembered something else.
His lips had brushed against my ear, and his low, commanding voice murmured, "Mine."
The word had sent a shiver down my spine last night. It still did now.
But was it really just drunken possessiveness? Was it merely lust or a temporary feeling brought on by alcohol?
Then why did it feel like more?
I shook myself, forcing the thought away.
It didn't matter what kind of man Aiden Stark Frost was.
I was going to find him. And I was going to end this marriage.
Without wasting another second, I freshened up and got dressed, as I wasn't about to let him see me in such a messy state. My heart raced as I left, focused on one goal—divorcing Aiden Stark Frost.