The Billionaire’s Bride: Our Vows Do Not Matter

Xavier was surrounded by his lawyer and assistant, feeling the weight of his father’s expectations pressing down on him. As he made his way back to the lavish wedding reception, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of resentment towards his father for forcing him into a marriage he didn’t want. The thought of pretending to be a dutiful husband filled him with dread, yet at the same time, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of obligation towards his family. With each step closer to his father, Xavier’s conflicted emotions grew stronger.

“There you are. Where is your bride? I bet she has already left because she hates your guts.” The man’s body swayed in rhythm with the music, his arms gracefully stretching and twisting as his feet moved seamlessly across the dance floor. A smug smirk played on his lips as he spoke to Xavier.

“Well, that makes the two of us,” he said as he continued to stare at the man in front of him. “Who is she? I thought I was going to get married to Avery Jackson.” Xavier was convinced that the girl he married wasn’t Avery Jackson; otherwise, why was she acting differently from the background check that was done by his trusted assistant?

“I beg of you, please don’t ruin my mood. My doctors told me I needed to dance more. Since it’s your wedding day, why not?”

“Cut it, Father! Who the hell did I get married to?” Xavier’s face was twisted in a deep frown, his brows furrowed as his eyes narrowed in anger. His fists were clenched at his sides, and the veins in his arms were pulsing with tension. He wanted to know who he was married to because the girl he married didn’t look like an uneducated one.

“Find out for yourself; she is, after all, your wife.” With a sharp hiss of frustration, Xavier stormed out of the wedding reception. His heart heavy and mind reeling, he made a beeline for his house, desperate to escape the chaos of the evening. Collapsing onto the couch with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, his features contorted into a brooding scowl as he tried to process everything that had transpired at the event. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the faint scent of lilies from the bride’s bouquet, creating a bittersweet sensory experience. But Xavier’s thoughts were too consumed by confusion and anger to fully appreciate them.

His eyes bore into the blank wall, his thoughts racing a million miles per hour. He eventually retrieved his mobile phone from his pocket and dialled a number. He spoke in a hushed tone. and asked, “Can you please help me check if the Jackson family has another daughter? If you’ve seen my wife, find out how she’s related to Avery Jackson.”

He put down his cell phone on the couch and started staring at his wedding band and laughing, ‘Where is the bride? This is our honeymoon.’ He then turned his attention to his surroundings and reflected, “At the very least, I still have the entire house to myself. I hate playing husband to a woman I barely know.”

He closed his eyes and reflected on the fact that the woman he had married did not appear to have the slightest bit of interest in him. He was worried, but it was also a good sign. When it came to his wife, nothing made any sense to him, and as a result, his mind was a complete mess. He grabbed a cup of coffee on the way to his room.

The following morning, the bright morning sun streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on Xavier’s face as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and his body felt heavy, a telltale sign of a night filled with too much celebration. He groggily rubbed his sleepy eyes and winced at the harshness of the light. Gradually, he shifted around in his position on the bed and squinted at the watch hanging on the wall. Its hands had barely moved since he had last checked it before falling into bed. A sigh escaped him as he remembered that last night had been supposed to be his wedding night, but his new wife was nowhere to be seen. With a sense of resignation, he reached for the phone on the nightstand and dialed a number, unsure of what to expect when someone finally answered.

“What information have you uncovered regarding my wife?” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and let out a long, drawn-out yawn. His voice was barely audible, a clear sign that he was still groggy and sleepy.

“I was just about to give you a call. Something isn’t right. The name of the woman you married is not Avery. Avery eloped the day before her wedding and disappeared. But there is another daughter of the Jackson family who had only been back in the country for two days; she was abroad. It is said that they are sisters, but there is something off about them. They are not close; the more confusing thing is that the name that was used at the airport is Avery Jackson. Which can also suggest that you did get married to Avery, sir.”

“Give me what you have on the other daughter. Age, studies, or anything else that might be of assistance?” Xavier asked.

“It seems she is 24; this indicates that she was born prior to Avery Jackson, who is currently 23 years old. Regarding her academic pursuits, there is no evidence to be found. She remains something of a secret.”

“Alright, meet me at the office in two hours’ time.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

After a quick and efficient shower, Xavier marched to his office with determined steps. As the mastermind behind multiple global businesses at just 33 years old, he oversaw every aspect of their operations with a calculating mind. His own flesh and blood, Finn, stood by his side as the deputy CEO of the Knight Group, but the public was fooled into thinking Finn held the title of president. Only a select few knew the truth-that it was Xavier who truly controlled the company, and Finn was nothing more than a pawn in his game. With a cool composure masking his inner turmoil, Xavier entered his private elevator and ascended to his floor. He despised this particular branch in New York City because of his family’s constant interference. They had a tendency to show up unannounced, disrupting his carefully crafted plans. As he approached his office, Xavier’s grip on the file in his hand tightened, his knuckles turning white. This file contained sensitive information that could make or break his empire, and he refused to let anyone get in the way of his success.