Chapter 3

Katherine Monroe POV:

We walked side by side back into the air-conditioned registry hall, Barrett's broad shoulders naturally blocking the crowded line and the sour smell of nervous strangers from reaching me.

When we stopped at the exact same window I had left ten minutes ago, the Beta clerk looked up from his keyboard and nearly knocked his water cup off the desk. Even though he couldn't smell Barrett's scent, the sheer physical presence of the tall man beside me made the clerk's throat bob nervously.

"We're registering a marriage bond," Barrett said, sliding our ID cards and a fresh match application under the glass. His tone left zero room for questions.

The clerk grabbed the cards with slightly shaky hands and began typing our serial numbers into the government database without daring to take a loud breath.

I stood beside Barrett, my eyes fixed on the digital monitor facing us. A green progress bar hit one hundred percent, and a bold number flashed onto the screen: 96.8%.

My breath froze in my chest. In our world, anything above ninety-five percent was classified as Resonance tier—the rarest genetic lock capable of linking two people's nervous systems if permanently marked. I whipped my head toward Barrett in shock, but his expression didn't even flicker, as if the number meant nothing more than a zip code.

"Congratulations," the clerk stammered, printing out two gold-trimmed certificates. "Please sign at the bottom right and press your thumbprints to the ink pad."

I picked up the pen again. Staring at the two names printed side by side, I steadied my pulse and signed "Katherine Monroe."

Barrett took the pen from my fingers. His signature was bold, dark, and sweeping, locking right next to mine before we both pressed our red thumbprints over the seal.

The heavy steel stamp came down with a loud thud. In less than ten minutes, a stranger had become my legal spouse.

Once we walked back out onto the sunny plaza, Barrett reached into his pocket and handed me a brass key along with a sleek black keycard.

"The spare key to my downtown apartment," he said smoothly. "We agreed on living apart, but in case our families check up on us, you have an address."

The metal felt cool against my palm as I closed my fingers around it. "Thank you. I have to head back to the office now. The preparatory meeting for Apex can't wait."

At the mention of "Apex," a sharp glint flashed across Barrett's gray-blue eyes, though it vanished before I could read it. He gave a slow, polite nod.

"Drive safely, Mrs. Craft."

The title made the tips of my ears burn hot. I gave him a quick nod, hurried down the remaining steps, and flagged down a yellow silent-protocol cab waiting at the curb.

Climbing into the backseat, where the driver wore a mandatory Level III cuff and the air smelled of pure charcoal filters, I leaned back against the leather and watched the city streets blur past.

Barrett Craft POV:

I stood at the top of the stone steps, watching the yellow cab merge into the downtown traffic until it disappeared around the corner, my lips curving into a slow, genuine smile.

From the shadow of a parked black Maybach thirty feet away, my chief assistant, Ethan Foster, hurried over and bowed his head respectfully.

"Sir, the mess with the Daniel family has been scrubbed clean," Ethan reported in a low voice.

"Good," I said, letting the warmth drop from my face as I turned toward the car. "Run a check on Katherine Monroe's current position at Apex."

Ethan blinked in surprise, tapped his tablet screen twice, and looked up five seconds later. "Sir... Madam is the newly appointed Preparatory Director of Apex Entertainment."

A low laugh rumbled in my chest. The guarded little wildcat who had just laid down three strict rules to protect herself from an "import-export trader" was actually spearheading my conglomerate's flagship entertainment venture.

"Notify HR," I ordered as I walked toward the Maybach. "Elevate her clearance to the highest executive tier, and make sure nobody leaks my identity."

"Understood, Mr. Craft," Ethan said, pulling the heavy rear door open for me.

I slid into the leather seat and hooked a finger under the edge of my black steel neck guard, loosening the clasp by a millimeter. Her stubborn, wary eyes flashed through my head, making the S-class pheromones in my blood stir with a sharp, possessive heat.

You walked straight into my territory on your own, Katherine. As the Maybach glided smoothly into the main avenue, I closed my eyes and began mapping out how a simple businessman was going to move right into her life.