Chapter 3

But, wait, wasn't it rumored that Alex had a disfigured face? Why didn't Claire see the slightest flaw in her future husband's face?

Everyone there was as surprised as Claire. 

"Wasn't his face disfigured in the fire eight years ago? But why is he so handsome? There's no sign of disfigurement on his face."

"Could it be that he had plastic surgery?"

Some of the guests whispered. They were astonished by Alex's appearance, which turned out to be without a single blemish, as rumored.

Alice's eyes looked at Alex with a stunned expression.

"Damn! So this handsome man is the one Claire is going to marry?" Alice couldn't hide her annoyance. Her lips curled in annoyance.

That is, until the priest made sure the wedding blessing began.

With annoyed faces, Alice and her family came down from the altar and sat in the pews. They watched as Claire and Alex were blessed.

"...do you, Alexander Knight, take Claire Jhonson to be your wife..."

Upon hearing the name of his future wife, Alex suddenly frowned. He looked at Claire's face for a long time. He felt that something was wrong. 

Still staring at Claire's face, Alex replied. "I do."

Next, the priest asked Claire the same question. To which Claire replied. "I do."

Smiling, the minister asked the couple to exchange rings.

Alex grabbed Claire's fingers and placed the ring on her ring finger.

Seeing this, Alice, who was sitting in her chair, snorted sarcastically. She folded her arms across her chest.

"So the rumor that Alex has a disfigured face is not true?"

Alice's question was overheard by Noah, who was sitting next to her.

Noah's forehead wrinkled. He didn't like it when Alice's attention was drawn to Alex's good looks.

"Are you jealous, baby? Are you disappointed that Alex is better looking than me?"

Alice shook her head. "Jealous? Of course not. It's no use having a handsome face if he's just going to be a useless piece of trash," Alice said.

A wide smile spread across Noah's lips. "That's just smart thinking."

"Now, groom, you may kiss your wife." The priest said to Alex.

Hearing this, Claire's face looked nervous and tense. Her eyes were wide.

Although she had been with Noah for three years, Claire had never kissed him. She wanted to save her lips and honor only for the man who would become her husband in the future. And that's why Noah calls Claire a boring woman.

But now her husband was standing in front of her and began to bring their faces closer together.

Claire's eyes closed as those lips moved closer. Then she felt the wet lips pressed against hers, sending a strange thrill through her blood.

***

As soon as the wedding was over, Alex immediately asked Claire to come home with him.

Now Claire was in Alex's car, sitting next to him in the back seat.

As the driver drove at a moderate speed.

"So your name is Claire Jhonson?" Alex broke the silence.

Claire nodded as she folded her hands in her lap. The wedding dress still clung to her body.

"As I recall, the woman I'm marrying is Alice Wilson. I didn't know your name would suddenly change on the wedding day," Alex said.

"Alice is my stepsister," Claire said honestly.

Alex's face looked a little surprised to hear that. One eyebrow arched in Claire's direction.

"Oh, so they changed the bride without my knowledge?" Alex guessed, then smiled wryly.

"Are you disappointed that it wasn't Alice who married you?" asked Claire, turning to Alex.

"I know about the arrangement between my father and your father. Your father wanted you to marry my father's own son. You should know that even though my parents divorced when I was a child, my father's blood still flows in my body. Our marriage will not tarnish your father's arranged marriage because I am Graham's biological daughter," Claire explained.

Alex was silent and just stared at his wife's face.

Being stared at so deeply made Claire nervous and she decided to look away.

The car stopped in front of a simple house.

Not too small and big enough for both of them to live in. Alex invited Claire inside.

Her eyes scanned the inside of the house carefully. It turned out that the house looked tidy even with a makeshift interior.

"Welcome to my home. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a proper place to live." Alex said as he opened his tuxedo suit and draped it over his arm.

Claire shook her head. "This is enough for me. Your house looks cozy."

Alex smiled. His eyes fell on the wedding dress that still clung to his wife's slender body. "Don't you want to change?"

Claire also looked at her dress, then said awkwardly. "Yes, I want to change. Um... where is our room?"

"Our room?" one of Alex's eyebrows raised at Claire's question.

Claire's brow furrowed in surprise. She nodded her head. "I mean, we're married. That means we live in the same room, right?"

A corner of Alex's lips turned up.

Alex's right hand held a glass of wine, then his feet walked over to Claire.

Claire's face tightened as the man's tall body stopped directly in front of her.

Alex lowered his head, brought his face closer, locked their eyeballs together, then said. "You're right, Claire. We are married, but we still don't know each other. I also know that you're being forced into this marriage. That's why I have decided that we will sleep in separate rooms."

"Let's make an agreement. After one year of marriage, we will divorce, and then you will be free to live your new life. Do you agree?" Alex asked, extending his right hand to Claire.

One year? Is this some kind of contract marriage?