Chapter 2Marrying Her Rented Groom

Before I could process what was happening, a notification chimed from my laptop behind me.

In the “Operation Cover-Up” group chat, Tyler had just dropped a message.

[Look who finally came out of the bridal suite. Good luck making babies.]

My entire body trembled as memories from five years ago flooded back like a broken dam.

That was Mandy's third attempt at a wedding.

I had been studying abroad during her first two, so she never invited me. When I got back, I even complained that she was not treating me like a real best friend.

She had given me a forced, tight smile back then. She told me there was this absolute psycho obsessed with revenge, and she did not want me traveling all that way just to watch a trainwreck.

I had naively tried to comfort her. "What psycho? Maybe he’s just into you and acting out to get your attention."

Her face turned deathly pale. She shook her head fiercely. "Maya, don’t say stuff like that. His best friend died because of me. He hates my guts."

That day, I swore I would protect her.

I genuinely thought the ceremony would go off without a hitch. However, halfway through, Logan burst through the doors.

He casually dropped an Amex Black Card at the groom's feet. "There’s a hundred grand on that. Get lost."

The groom picked up the card and slunk away like a coward.

Mandy bit her lip, her eyes burning with tears. "Logan! Do you really have to push me into a corner like this?!"

Logan let out a cruel laugh. "Pushing you? As long as I’m breathing, you’re never marrying anyone else."

Whispers erupted across the room. Seeing her tremble, so humiliated she could barely stand, a rush of heat surged to my head. I hurled myself in front of her like a human shield.

"If you have a problem, take it out on me!" I yelled, closing my eyes tight, "Mandy is my best friend!"

The violent shove I braced for never came. Instead, a wave of warm breath brushed past my forehead.

I opened my eyes and locked onto a pair of dark, intense eyes staring down at me.

He looked at me for two solid seconds, then his lips curved into a sharp, dangerously charming smirk.

Before I could react, his fingers wrapped tight around my wrist, and he yanked me toward the exit.

Every single guest stared at our backs that day.

He pulled me through the crowd like a groom sweeping me away from my own ruined wedding.

For a brief moment, it felt like I was the bride all along.

I fell for him, right then and there.

Later, when he confessed his feelings to me, his voice was dripping with absolute devotion.

"Maya, the crowd was deafening that day, but the second I looked across that room, I knew you were the one. I don’t want anyone else in this lifetime."

I said yes.

That same day, I went straight to Mandy to come clean and apologize.

Her expression turned sour for a split second, but she quickly forced a soft smile.

"It’s totally fine, Maya. Honestly, maybe if you two are together, you can talk some sense into him and get him to leave me alone."

Back then, I thought she was just being sweet and forgiving. Looking back now, that line was not sweet at all.

It was a sharp, taunting jab hidden behind a smile.

For five years, I begged Logan to drop his vendetta. For five years, he went ahead and wrecked wedding after wedding anyway.

Every time he smirked with smug satisfaction after sabotaging Mandy’s life, I chose to look the other way.

I kept telling myself over and over that Mandy was responsible for his best friend's death. How could he possibly love her?

If he loved her, why didn't they just end up together from the start? Why did he choose me?

The truth was that my entire existence was just a pawn he used to force her to surrender. I was a disposable prop she used to test if he still cared.

Mandy had been trying to tell me all along that no matter how hard I tried, his sick obsession would always belong to her.

The cold, hard truth proved that I had lost completely.

My eyes burned with unshed tears as I turned around, gesturing for the guy at the door to step inside.

"What’s your name? How much did Mandy pay you?"

"Leo Carter," he said, stepping into the house, "Ms. Cooper booked me through a dating app. Three hundred dollars for the day."

He had a sharp nose, warm, clear eyes, and a face so striking it looked totally flawless. Yet his aura was calm and steady, nothing like a typical college kid.

"With looks like yours, only three hundred?" I asked, scanning him, "Did you guys know each other before this?"

Leo offered a soft, gentle smile. "Nope. She posted the job, and I took the gig. Strictly business."

He paused, his eyes searching mine. "Are you unhappy with the service, Ms. Brooks?"

My stomach dropped slightly. From the moment he walked in, I had never told him my last name.

I did not press him on it. I turned around, poured two glasses of red wine, and handed one over.

I said, taking a slow sip, "Actually, I’m very happy with it. I heard you’re still in college. How about a long-term contract? You don’t have to do anything weird. Just marry me."