The silence in the hall was thick when the officiant announced:

“You may kiss the bride.”

Olívia felt her entire body tremble. Her heart beat out of rhythm, her breath coming in short pulls. Liam watched her with a deep, almost hypnotic gaze. For a moment, everything disappeared—guests, flashes, music. There were only his eyes, green and intense, and the memory of the real reason behind that wedding.

He lifted his hand and, with long fingers, brushed her cheek in a light caress. The unexpected