Surprisingly, there wasn''t a single person outside the city clerk''s office today.

It wasn''t until the car stopped in front of a secluded building tucked deep inside that she realized Ethan had arranged a private spot to register their marriage.

The staff were already waiting inside. The man standing out front was drenched in sweat. He blotted his forehead continuously with a tissue.

Grace watched as a staff member flipped through her documents.

She blurted out, "I''m not here by choice."

The staff member''s pen paused just above the paper, but it was only for a moment. Then, he signed the paperwork, pretending not to hear her.

When it was time for them to take amemorative photo, she and Ethan were ushered into a separate room. All the bodyguards in ck stayed outside, and the staff member avoided her gazepletely as if he was afraid to even look at her.

As the camera lens turned toward her, she said again, "Can''t you see? I''m not here willingly."

The staff member wiped at his forehead with a tissue, practically sweating through it. He gave an awkward smile. "If you could both look at the camera and maybe smile a little? We''ll keep a copy of the photo in our records."

There was no way Grace could force a smile. Her face stayed nk and expressionless.

What surprised her was Ethan. He actually yed along. The corner of his lips lifted, just slightly. She thought it might have just been a trick of her mind.

Her head suddenly throbbed, forcing her to press a hand to her brow as the voice returned, repeating itself in her mind.

"Do you think I could marry you someday? Then promise you''ll marry me. I''ll love you forever, you know."

The sharp pain made her frown uncontrobly.

"Ms. Lambert, a smile, please!" the staff member prompted.

Grace didn''t respond. She didn''t even look at the camera.

The staff member snuck a quick nce at Ethan, then said nothing more and hurried off to process the photo.

Grace stayed where she was. When the sharp pain in her head faded, she realized the staff member had leftz leaving just the two of them in the room now. She turned to Ethan puzzled by his sudden cheerfulness It was the kind of happiness you could see written all over his face.  s

"It''s not toote to walk away, Mr. Henderson. You''re a good man, and I don''t want

us to end up like one of those bitter couples who can''t stand the sight of each other."

As soon as she finished her sentence, Ethan''s smile faltered.

Grace thought he was reconsidering it. Hence, she crouched down to meet his eyes "You deserve someone who truly loves you. Besides, Mr. Henderson Senior would never want me as your wife. Can you really handle the fallout?"  s

Void of emotions, he lifted his gaze. Then, he reached out and yanked her toward him.

Grace was still mid-sentence when he silenced her with a kiss. The kiss was cold, and it wasced with something dark and possessive. It shut down the conversationpletely.

The moment struck her like a thunderp. She jerked back, staring at him in shock. Her limbs felt weak.

Things just didn''t add up. Ethan had never shown the slightest romantic interest in her, so why had he kissed her like that? And twice too!

She tried everything she could think of to calm herself down. However, the more she thought, the worse it became. The prickling unease crept under her skin spreading through her entire body. There was no calming down.  sfn5811 The source of th?s content is find(?)ovel/fn5811

In the end, she could onlye to one conclusion-Ethan had gone mad after

losing Jodie. Only someone unhinged could change sopletely overnight, after

all.

She rubbed her lips instinctively. She caught a glimpse of a staff member walking

out with the marriage certificate and passing it to Ethan.

Grace didn''t even dare to approach. She stood rooted to the spot.

The room wasn''trge, but right now, she was standing as far away from Ethan as

it allowed as if he was surrounded by wolves.