Chapter 11 CITY HALL
The morning of the wedding, Harper woke up at 6 AM with her stomach in knots. She'd barely slept, kept awake by the reality that today she was actually going to marry Sebastian Colton. Not in some distant, abstract future. Today. In about five hours.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Jessie: "It's not too late to back out. Say the word and I'll pick you up."
Harper stared at the message for a long time before typing back: "I'm doing this."
"Okay. But I'm here if you change your mind. Love you."
"Love you too."
Sebastian knocked on her door at 8 AM. "We need to leave by 10:30. The appointment is at 11:00."
"I know."
"Are you ready?"
Harper opened the door. She was still in her pajamas, hair unwashed, face bare. "Do I look ready?"
Sebastian was already dressed in a dark suit that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe. He looked polished and perfect and completely unaffected by the fact that he was getting married in three hours.
"You have two and a half hours," he said. "That should be enough time."
"Should be."
"Harper." Sebastian's voice softened slightly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just processing."
"Second thoughts?"
"Would it matter if I was?"
Sebastian was quiet for a moment. "Yes. It would matter. This only works if we're both committed."
"I signed a contract. I took your money. I'm committed." Harper tried to smile. "Just give me a couple hours to make myself presentable for my wedding day."
After Sebastian left, Harper stood in the shower for twenty minutes letting hot water pour over her. She was getting married today. To a man she'd known for less than a month. A man who was paying her five million dollars to play his wife for twelve months.
This was insane. Completely insane.
But the alternative was losing the Adriatic. Watching Sebastian tear it down brick by brick. Living with the knowledge that she'd failed to save the last thing her aunt had loved.
Harper got out of the shower and started getting ready.
Amanda had sent over a dress for the occasion. Not a wedding dress, exactly, but something appropriate for City Hall. Cream colored, knee length, simple but elegant. Harper put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like someone going to a wedding. She looked like a bride.
She didn't feel like one.
At 10:15, her phone rang. Claire.
"Hey," Harper answered.
"I'm downstairs. Sebastian asked me to be the witness. I hope that's okay."
"Of course."
"Are you ready?"
Harper looked at herself in the mirror one more time. "As ready as I'm going to be."
The ride to City Hall was quiet. Sebastian sat in the front with the driver. Claire sat in the back with Harper, occasionally reaching over to squeeze her hand. It was a small gesture, but it helped. At least someone in this arrangement seemed to understand that this was a big deal, even if it was fake.
"You look beautiful," Claire said quietly.
"Thanks."
"I know this is weird. The whole situation is weird. But for what it's worth, I think you're good for him."
Harper looked at Claire, surprised. "We barely know each other."
"I know. But Sebastian is different around you. Less guarded. More human." Claire smiled. "That's a good thing."
They pulled up to City Hall at 10:55. Sebastian got out first, then offered his hand to help Harper out of the car. His palm was warm and steady, and Harper found herself holding on a moment longer than necessary.
"Ready?" he asked.
"No. But let's do this anyway."
City Hall was busy for a Tuesday morning. Couples everywhere, some dressed up, some casual, all looking more excited than Harper felt. She watched a young couple kiss while waiting for their turn, both of them laughing and happy and completely in love.
That should have been her. Some day. With someone who actually wanted to marry her for real.
"Harper Vale and Sebastian Colton," the clerk called.
They followed her into a small room with minimal decoration. Just a desk, a few chairs, and an American flag in the corner. The officiant was a woman in her fifties with kind eyes and a warm smile.
"Good morning," she said. "I'm Judge Martinez. I'll be performing your ceremony today."
"Thank you," Sebastian said, his voice steady.
"Do we have a witness?"
Claire stepped forward. "That's me."
"Wonderful. Let's begin." Judge Martinez opened a folder. "Marriage is a sacred commitment between two people. It's a promise to support each other, to be honest with each other, and to build a life together based on trust and respect."
Harper felt guilt twist in her stomach. Nothing about this was sacred. Nothing about this was based on trust and respect. This was a business transaction dressed up in legal paperwork.
"Sebastian Colton, do you take Harper Vale to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Sebastian looked at Harper. His expression was unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes. "I do."
"Harper Vale, do you take Sebastian Colton to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Harper's mouth went dry. This was it. The point of no return. Once she said these words, she was married. Legally bound to Sebastian Colton for at least the next twelve months.
"I do," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Do we have rings?"
Sebastian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Harper's eyes widened. They hadn't discussed rings. She'd assumed they would skip that part.
He opened the box to reveal two simple platinum bands. Nothing flashy or expensive looking, just classic and elegant.
"Sebastian, place the ring on Harper's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I wed."
Sebastian took Harper's left hand. His fingers were steady while hers were shaking. He slid the ring onto her finger slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"With this ring, I wed thee," he repeated.
The ring fit perfectly. Harper wondered how he'd known her size.
"Harper, place the ring on Sebastian's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I wed."
Harper took the other ring with trembling fingers. She reached for Sebastian's left hand and slid the ring onto his finger. It looked right there, like it belonged.
"With this ring, I wed thee," she managed to say.
"By the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Judge Martinez smiled. "You may kiss the bride."
Harper's heart stopped. They hadn't discussed this either. Hadn't practiced or planned or prepared for this moment. She looked at Sebastian, panic rising in her chest.
Sebastian stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup her face. "It's okay," he murmured, so quietly only she could hear. "Just follow my lead."
Then he kissed her.
It was supposed to be simple. Quick. Just for show, just to make it official. But the moment Sebastian's lips touched hers, something shifted. His hand was warm against her cheek, his mouth soft and careful, and Harper felt her entire body respond in ways she hadn't expected.
She kissed him back without thinking about it. Her hands came up to rest on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her palms. The kiss deepened slightly, Sebastian's other hand finding her waist, pulling her closer.
This wasn't a fake kiss. This wasn't acting. This was real and terrifying and completely inappropriate for a contract marriage in City Hall.
They broke apart after what felt like forever but was probably only a few seconds. Harper's face was flushed, her breathing unsteady. Sebastian looked equally rattled, his carefully controlled expression cracking just slightly.
"Congratulations," Judge Martinez said, completely oblivious to the tension. "You're officially married."
Claire clapped, smiling broadly. "Congratulations, you two."
They signed the paperwork in a daze. Harper's hand was still shaking when she wrote her name. Sebastian signed with his usual controlled precision, but Harper noticed his jaw was tight.
Outside City Hall, Claire hugged them both. "I have to get back to work, but we should celebrate properly soon. Dinner this weekend?"
"Sure," Sebastian said. "That sounds good."
After Claire left, Sebastian and Harper stood on the steps of City Hall, newly married and not knowing what to say to each other.
"That kiss," Harper started.
"Was necessary," Sebastian finished quickly. "For appearances. The judge would have thought it was strange if we didn't."
"Right. Of course. Appearances."
"Should we head back?"
"Actually, I need some air. I think I'll walk for a bit."
Sebastian looked like he wanted to argue but stopped himself. "Okay. I'll see you at home."
Home. The penthouse was home now. Harper was going home to her husband.
The words felt surreal.
Harper walked through downtown Seattle for over an hour, still wearing her cream dress and heels, her marriage certificate folded in her purse. She passed couples holding hands, families laughing, normal people living normal lives that didn't involve fake marriages and complicated contracts.
Her phone buzzed. Jessie: "How'd it go?"
"I'm married."
"Holy shit. How do you feel?"
Harper sat down on a bench overlooking Elliott Bay. "Honestly? I have no idea."
"Was it awful?"
"No. That's the problem. It wasn't awful." Harper thought about the kiss, about the way Sebastian's hand had felt on her face. "It felt real."
"Harper..."
"I know. I know it's not real. I know this is business. But when he kissed me, it didn't feel like business."
"Maybe he's just a really good actor."
"Maybe." Harper watched the ferries cross the bay. "Or maybe this whole arrangement was a huge mistake."
"Do you want to come over? We can talk."
"Not tonight. I need to go home and face my husband."
"That sounds so weird."
"Tell me about it."
When Harper finally made it back to the penthouse, it was after 2 PM. Sebastian was in the living room, still in his suit but with his tie loosened and jacket off. He looked up when she walked in.
"You were gone a long time."
"Needed to process."
"And did you? Process?"
Harper set down her purse and pulled out the marriage certificate. "We're married."
"Yes. We are."
"For the next twelve months."
"That was the agreement."
Harper moved to the window, looking out at the city. "That kiss wasn't part of the agreement."
"It was necessary"
"Don't." Harper turned to face him. "Don't tell me it was just for appearances. Don't tell me it didn't mean anything. Because it felt like something, Sebastian. And if this is going to work, if we're going to live together for a year as husband and wife, we need to be honest about what just happened."
Sebastian stood up, moving closer but maintaining some distance. "What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me the truth. Did that kiss mean something to you or not?"
He was quiet for a long moment, his expression guarded. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know, Harper. This whole situation is complicated. You're complicated. And yes, when I kissed you today, it felt like more than just going through the motions. But I don't know what that means or if it matters."
"It matters to me."
"Why?"
"Because I need to know if I'm alone. If these feelings I'm starting to have are one sided or if there's any possibility that this could become something real."
Sebastian's expression shifted, something vulnerable breaking through his usual control. "You're having feelings?"
"Of course I'm having feelings. You helped me save my aunt's hotel. You apologized to Richard. You took the time to understand why the Adriatic matters. You bought me a ring that fits perfectly and kissed me like you meant it." Harper felt her voice crack. "How am I supposed to not have feelings?"
"Harper"
"Just tell me honestly. Is there any chance that this becomes real? Or am I setting myself up to get hurt?"
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling. "I don't know. I spent so long building walls, being careful, keeping people at a distance. I don't know if I'm capable of what you're asking for."
"I'm not asking for forever. I'm just asking if there's a possibility. If maybe, over the next twelve months, this could become more than a contract."
"I think," Sebastian said carefully, "that it's already more than a contract. I just don't know what to do about that."
Harper felt tears prick her eyes. "Neither do I."
They stood there in the living room of the penthouse, newly married and terrified and completely out of their depth.
"We should set some ground rules," Sebastian said finally. "About this. About us."
"Okay."
"We're married. Legally. That means something, even if we didn't start this the traditional way."
"I agree."
"We should try to make this work. Not just for appearances, but actually work. As partners. Maybe even as friends."
"And the rest?" Harper asked quietly. "The feelings?"
Sebastian met her eyes. "I think we take it one day at a time. See what develops naturally. No pressure, no expectations beyond the contract. But we're honest with each other about what we're feeling."
"I can do that."
"Good." Sebastian checked his watch. "I need to get back to the office. But Harper?"
"Yeah?"
"That kiss did mean something to me. I don't know what yet, but it meant something."
After he left, Harper sat on the couch and looked at the ring on her finger. She was married. To Sebastian Colton. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, for the next twelve months.
And despite everything, despite the contract and the money and the fake beginning, she found herself hoping that maybe, just maybe, something real could grow from this complicated start.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Sebastian: "Thank you. For today. For being honest. For giving this a chance."
Harper smiled despite herself. "Thank you for the ring. It's perfect."
"I noticed you
r ring size when we were working on renovation plans. You took off a ring to wash your hands."
"You're very observant."
"Only about things that matter."
Harper read that message three times, her heart doing something complicated in her chest.
Maybe this wasn't such a mistake after all.