Chapter 3 Billionaire's Official Wife

As the cameras flashed, her only thought was of her mother – her warmth, her laughter, and the countless times she had been her pillar of strength. Deep down, she was worried if her cancer was back. After her two years cancer miraculously disappeared, they had been thinking what was and what not. She could feel her heart racing, her chest tight with worry, and a sense of helplessness consumed her.

But she was more concerned about her mother than anything else. Determined, Yazmin pushed her way through the crowd into the not so friendly hands of the heavy rain outside. She rushed to the cab stand, clutching her gown tightly to her chest.

With no hope of getting any lift, she resorted to trekking. She knew the hospital her mom would be at. Probably the one they used to take her to whenever her cancer acted up. As Yazmin navigated through the street, her mind raced with a lot of thoughts. What if her mother's cancer was back again? What if, this time, it was there to stay? She couldn't possibly live without her mother.

What Yazmin hadn't considered, though, was just how miserable the combination of walking eight boring miles in a wedding dress and battling through heavy rain would be.

As each step took her farther from the wedding venue and closer to the hospital, the reality of her situation became painfully clear. The once-pristine fabric of her gown clung to her skin, heavy and sodden.

Muddy water splashed up around her feet, mixing with the rain and turning the hem of the dress into a dark, soggy mess.

The road ahead stretched on endlessly, but finally she got to the hospital. She made her way to the desk, asking about her mother but she could feel some sets of eyes digging holes into her skin. She rushed to the hospital room, her sister and a doctor already standing at the door of the room.

She could see confusion evident in the way she looked at her but Yazmin had to time for explanation.

"What happened to mom?" she asked the doctor as she finally caught her breath.

The doctor, taken aback by her appearance, remained composed, "You have nothing to worry about. Your mother passed out due to stress. She just needs rest for a few days" he replied and walked away.

On hearing that, Yazmin felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulder. She rested on Janelle who was evidently curious as to why her sister looked like a mess.

"For a moment, I thought..." Yazmin managed to say as she exchanged an understanding glance with Janelle which made her realize they'd both feared the same thing.

Yazmin considered Janelle responsible and reliable. It made sense since she was basically an adult-she was eighteen-but even so, she seemed to have a sturdiness to her that Yazmin hadn't seen in many other teens around her age.

Yazmin had tried to compliment her on how she handled things like an adult but Janelle had always called her a brownnoser. Yazmin wasn't sure what exactly that was, but she could tell it wasn't a good thing by the way she always said it. Even so, she was pretty sure Janelle secretly appreciated the compliments.

Janelle sighed, patting her on the shoulder with a reassuring smile, "I'm happy mum's fine" she stopped abruptly as she scanned her eyes through her sister's dress. "Did you get married behind our backs?"

Yazmin let out a sigh, unsure of how to explain her ordeal to her sister. "I agreed to model for a wedding dress brand and you called me in the middle of my shoot" she replied, looking sideways.

Janelle glared at her for a moment, "Well, I hope the dress is free because, heck! It's totally ruined"

About an hour later, Yazmin had already changed into a crop top and jeans. She waited patiently for her mom to wake up but she was still asleep. It was already dark outside and the rain had subsided and while they were waiting, she fell asleep on Janelle's shoulders in the waiting lounge.

...

Blaine Sinclair slammed his fists onto the dressing table, causing the dressing mirror to crack. Anger surged through him, evident in his sparking eyes and flaring nostrils. Knotting his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, he stood up, his entire being consumed by fury.

That damned wedding planner was the cause of his rage. How could she have carelessly revealed her true identity as his wife to the press? The very idea of it infuriated him. She had wrecked his carefully crafted plan.

Blaine had never intended to remain married to Freya for long, which was why he had concealed her identity, even her name, from the public eye. The plan was simple: marry her, secure the merger with his grandfather, and then swiftly divorce her after a month or two.

The proposal had come from his grandfather, Trent Gaberman, who was on the brink of retirement. He had offered a merger of their respective companies, but there was a condition attached – Blaine had to get married again.

But after his first wife, his first love, left him with their six-month-old daughter to pursue her acting career thirteen years ago, he had sworn off marriage for good. His sole focus had been on taking care of his daughter, Ayra and building his own company, multibillion dollar company, SinCo Enterprises. But the merger with his grandfather presented an opportunity to surpass even his father's company, and he couldn't let it slip away.

Reluctantly, he had agreed to his grandfather's terms and had hired Freya to play the role of his bride. Little did he know that she would betray him by fleeing on the day of the wedding. And now, not only was he dealing with her betrayal, but also the repercussions of the wedding planner unveiling her identity to the press.

As he sat at the dressing table, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him, a gentle knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. His grandfather, Trent Gaberman, entered the room. With his aged frame and the support of a cane, he slowly made his way to a chair and sat down.

"I'm so glad you're finally married, Blaine," he said with a hint of pride in his voice. "I saw your bride running in the hallway. I never thought you'd find love again after Hattie."

Blaine remained stoic, though a storm of emotions churned within him. He hadn't forgotten Hattie, his ex-wife. The tattoo of her name etched on his lower abdomen served as a constant reminder of the pain she inflicted upon him.

"I suppose," He replied numbly, neither confirming nor denying his assumption.

Trent sighed as he struggled to rise from the chair, leaning on his cane for support. "Well, let's see how your marriage holds up for a year. Only then can we decide about the merger."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. The idea of being married for a year seemed unfathomable, almost unbearable. With an attempt to maintain a calm facade, he voiced his thoughts. "A year? You must be joking."

"No joke, Blaine. I have faith in you. I believe you'll thrive," Trent declared as he slowly departed from the room.

Left alone with his turbulent thoughts, Blaine contemplated the unexpected twist. If he wanted the merger to proceed, he had to find a way to contact the wedding planner – the woman who had posed as his wife. The stakes were higher than ever now.

He reached for his phone and swiftly dialed his secretary's number. It was time to take matters into his own hands and find the wedding planner who had made a fool out of him.

"Greg, I need you to find the wedding planner immediately," He instructed, his voice firm and determined. "I don't care what it takes. Use all our resources, contacts, and connections. Find her and bring her to me."

There was a brief pause on the line before Greg responded, "Of course, Mr. Sinclair. I'll get on it right away"

"Good," He replied curtly before ending the call. He leaned back and a smirk played on his lips. The merger with his grandfather's company was hanging in the balance, and if he didn't find the wedding planner and salvage the situation, everything would crumble before his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. He would find her, confront her, and make her pay for the havoc she had wreaked upon his carefully orchestrated plan. He had another way of finding her, without any stress and nothing would stand in his way.

...

Next morning...

The bright sun coarsed through the busy lounge as Yazmin's eyes fluttered open. She rubbed her eyes, trying to see clearly. She sat up from the long bench realizing it was morning already. She felt a sting in her back due to the stiffness of the chair, as her eyes scanned the sea of people. Taking in the scenery, she searched for Janelle but she was nowhere to be found.

She reached for her phone in her pocket to call her but she noticed a missed call from Molly.

With a yawn, she called her back, curiosity mingling with the remnants of drowsiness. "Hey, Molly. What's up?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yazmin! Oh my goodness, you won't believe what's happening!" Molly exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

Yazmin could sense Molly's excitement through the phone, and curiosity started to replace her fatigue. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Molly paused for a moment, probably trying to find the right words. "Yazmin, you're... you're the most trending topic online right now! It's all over the news! And, wait for it... you've been confirmed as the wife of a billionaire! When did you even get married without..."

Yazmin sat up abruptly, her heart pounding in her chest. The news hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend the magnitude of the situation.