Flash Marriage: A Night To Remember

One damn mistake, they said, could change your life, and mine had turned everything upside down.The chill in the room made my skin prickle as I groaned and reached for the duvet to cover myself. My hand, however, landed on a warm body. I jolted upright, immediately noticing my clothes scattered on the floor and realizing I was completely naked. I pulled the duvet around me and my eyes fell on a man sleeping peacefully on the bed."What the hell?" I whispered, shock and confusion mixing in my voice. "Shit, shit." The moment I muttered the words, my head pounded, and fragments of the previous night flooded back. I remembered following my friends—Emma, Tonia, and Mara to a nightclub for our usual ladies' night. I recalled taking shots and drinking heavily, but I had no memory of ending up in a stranger’s bed.I frantically searched the room for my cell phone, finally finding it under the bed. I unlocked it, only to be met with a barrage of messages and notifications. They all seemed to

I then turned to Ivan’s mother, my eyes narrowing. "I’m sorry, but I can’t agree to this," I said firmly, gripping my mother’s hand tighter. "This whole situation is a mistake. I was intoxicated, and I agreed to marry your son. You can tell the press that. I’m not going to make it worse by pretending to be something I’m not."The other young lady almost my age, who was dressed in a brown and cream color shirt, looked down at the iPad she was holding and raised it at me. "With this success, this is bringing, I'm not sure telling the press such is a good idea."Ivan’s mother raised an eyebrow, her expression calm and composed. "I understand this is overwhelming, Veronica," she said, her voice smooth but insistent. "But think about the opportunities this could bring. Not just for Ivan, but for you too."I shook my head, my resolve hardening. "I don’t care about the opportunities. I care about my mother and my sanity. I’m not moving into your mansion and continuing this lie."The tension

"What?" I stammered. "No, I can't stay in your room. If I don’t get my own room, I won't agree to this anymore." Ivan smirked and moved closer to me. "Who’s talking about an agreement here?" He lifted his phone and played a video of a drunken me agreeing to marry him. "That’s the only agreement I need." A chill ran down my spine. The video made it clear he had leverage over me, and a growing suspicion that he had orchestrated the entire scene to blackmail me took hold. Before I could fully process my thoughts, Ivan was right in front of me. His hand reached up and gently cupped my jaw, forcing me to look directly at him. "I want you next to me, Veronica," he said softly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that was both unsettling and mesmerizing. "That’s why I proposed to you." I tried to pull away, but his grip was firm yet gentle. "I thought you did that because you were intoxicated," I whispered, my voice trembling. "What do you want from me?" Ivan’s expression soft

Ivan looked at me for a long moment, as if he knew exactly what was on my mind. He climbed onto the bed, gently parting my thighs with his hand.I shifted, torn between wanting to leave his room immediately and the part of me that didn’t. No matter how much I tried to hide how he made me feel, it was as if I were an open book.“Let's just say every part of you want me more than I want you,” he whispered in my ear, kissing my neck softly. I scoffed, trying to pull away from him. “In your dreams, Mr. Carlos.“ But he drew me back, his body hovering over mine, his eyes piercing into me.I took a deep breath, avoiding his gaze as I struggled to control my feelings.He kissed me softly on the chest, his hand sliding from my side to under my dress, and I realized I was wearing a flower printed knee length dress that made it easy for him to touch me.I wasn’t intoxicated this time—I could feel everything. It brought back memories of our first night, the kind of feeling that made me feel like

“I didn’t ask for this,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “You think I want to be part of this ridiculous game? If it were up to me, I’d be gone in a second. But I have a role to play, just like you do.”Isabel’s eyes flared with anger, but I caught a flicker of uncertainty beneath the surface. She wasn’t used to being challenged, especially by me. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy the attention,” she snapped. “I see the way you look at him. You like the idea of being his wife, even if it’s all fake.”Her words stung, but I stood my ground. Maybe there was some truth to what she was saying. Maybe part of me *did* get caught up in the idea of being with Ivan, even though I knew deep down it wasn’t real. But I wasn’t about to let her twist that into something ugly.“You’re wrong,” I said firmly. “I’m not here for Ivan. I’m not here for any of this. I agreed to the marriage because it was part of the deal, but that’s it. So if you have a problem with the situation, take it up with