The Unexpected Choice

Arthur stared at Rosalind in sheer disbelief, his jaw slackening as he processed her shocking declaration. He stepped forward, his face etched with confusion. "Well, how am I supposed to do that?"

Rosalind did not hesitate for a fraction of a second. She boldly raised her hand and pointed squarely at the man sitting in the shadows near the edge of the stage. "Since that vague marriage deal did not specify a name, I pick Kaelen."

The opulent hall fell into a stunned, suffocating silence. The well-dressed guests froze in their tracks, their murmurs dying instantly. They exchanged wild, wide-eyed glances, assuming the beautiful young woman had lost her mind. Why would she willfully set herself up for a miserable, sexless life? Kaelen Prescott was notoriously disabled and famously aloof. He sat confined to a wheelchair year after year, and he had never shown a shred of interest in women. The elite circles whispered endless rumors about his physical limitations and cold demeanor. Marrying him meant signing away any chance at a normal romantic life. Everyone thought Rosalind was throwing her future away on a whim.

The heavy quiet stretched, thick and eerie. The only sound in the vast room was the rhythmic, deliberate tapping of Kaelen's long fingers against the armrest of his custom wheelchair.

Then, Kaelen stopped tapping. He lifted his gaze. His piercing amber eyes fixed intensely on Rosalind, gleaming under the bright chandelier lights with a strange, hypnotic intensity. He stared at her for a long moment. Without a flicker of hesitation, he delivered his verdict. "I agree."

His cool, authoritative voice sliced right through the silence, echoing across the marble floors.

Declan, standing at attention behind the wheelchair, blinked in shock. He quickly masked his surprise, but the crowd could not contain theirs. Gasps rippled across the grand hall. The guests stared in pure disbelief. Their jaws practically hit the floor. Kaelen was known to reject every single matchmaking attempt made by his family. His sudden, public acceptance shattered every rumor they had ever heard.

A gleam of triumph twinkled in Rosalind's eyes. She bit her lower lip to hide her expanding smile. She confidently descended the stage steps, her heels clicking softly, and walked straight toward him.

Kaelen watched her approach. "Come here," he commanded softly.

Rosalind stopped right in front of his wheelchair, offering a sweet, quiet smile. Kaelen reached out. His long fingers gently grasped her wrist, tilting her arm into the light. He unclasped his personal amethyst bracelet and slipped the cool stones onto her arm. The jewelry was a signature piece, instantly recognizable among the city's elite. It served as a silent, irrefutable public acknowledgment of her new status. She was his woman now.

He shifted his grip, letting his large hand envelop hers. The warm, solid pressure of his palm grounded her instantly. A profound, anchoring sense of security flooded Rosalind's veins. She had desperately missed this exact feeling during her torturous past life. Back then, she had been too distracted by her own misery and too focused on her deceptive savior to appreciate his protective presence. Now, feeling the steady heat of his skin, her heart throbbed in a wild rhythm. A rosy flush crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks.

Kaelen turned his gaze back toward the stage. His demeanor shifted in a heartbeat. The gentle warmth vanished, replaced by ice-cold dominance. He stared down his ruined, gloomy nephew standing frozen in the spotlight. "Come here."

His voice carried a lethal edge.

Harrison flinched as if physically struck. The young man stumbled off the stage and approached the wheelchair with a defeated, pathetic slump. His grand plans and pristine reputation lay pulverized in the dust. "I am sorry, Uncle Kaelen." He shifted his desperate gaze to the woman holding his uncle's hand. "Rosie, do not be mad at me. Please do not make fun of my uncle just to get back at me."

"I am not mad. I would never make a joke out of Kaelen." Rosalind held his gaze with a terrifying calm.

Hearing his name on her lips coaxed a faint smile from Kaelen. The smile died the second he looked at his nephew. "She is aunt-in-law to you."

The command landed like a physical blow. Harrison turned a brilliant shade of crimson. The reality of his demotion crushed whatever pride he had left. His ex-fiancée had chosen to align herself with a disabled man rather than forgive him. He had no leverage, no escape route, and no way to salvage the catastrophic mess he created. He just had to swallow his pride.

Harrison braced himself. He bowed his head and mumbled to the floor. "Auntie."

Kaelen gave a low hum of satisfaction. He squeezed Rosalind's hand, his deep voice sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Do you want to say anything else?"

Rosalind turned to deliver the final, crushing blow to the cheating pair. She looked past Harrison, aiming her words at her weeping sister still cowering by the stage. "What's done is done. Just take good care of my sister. Tonight's engagement party should be yours and Genevieve's. You guys can exchange rings now."

Her command ensured their names would remain permanently tied to this scandalous affair. Harrison and Genevieve stared at her in horrified silence. The crowd murmured in awe, impressed by her ruthless, clean break.

Rosalind squeezed Kaelen's hand back. "That is all I have to say."

Kaelen felt a distinct tingle shoot straight to his chest. He swallowed hard. Looking over at the Vance patriarch, he offered a nod of respect. "Mr. Vance, can Rosalind and I leave now? We have matters to discuss."

Roderick snapped out of his stunned daze. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

Arthur stroked his beard and let out a booming chuckle. "Take all night if you need!"

Rosalind bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a laugh at the older men. She moved behind the wheelchair and gripped the handles. "Could you please fetch my purse from the makeup room?" she asked Declan.

"Got it," Declan replied, hurrying off.

Rosalind proudly wheeled Kaelen out of the venue. She left the awestruck, whispering crowd and her delighted grandfather far behind. As they navigated the quiet corridors toward the exit, the magnitude of her public choice settled over her. She had just flipped the script on her entire tragic destiny.

Outside the venue, the cool night air washed over them. A sleek black Maybach waited by the curb. Declan returned with her purse and assisted Kaelen into the luxurious cabin.

The moment the heavy car doors clicked shut, they were sealed in a private, dimly lit world. The leather seats smelled of rich cedar and expensive cologne. The streetlights flashed through the tinted windows, illuminating the sharp angles of Kaelen's face.

Kaelen leaned back against the headrest and motioned with his hand. "Come closer."

Rosalind did not just move closer. She boldly climbed right onto Kaelen's lap. She settled her weight over his thighs and casually wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head with a bright smile.

Kaelen arched an eyebrow, caught off guard by the sudden proximity. "I said closer, not this close."

"You have to be more specific next time." Her gaze remained unwavering.

His amber eyes narrowed with sharp intrigue. The soft scent of her perfume filled the narrow space between them. "You are the one who leaked those photos and clips?"

"Yep." Rosalind admitted it without a second of hesitation. "If they are bold enough to snap them, I am game to put them on blast. I am not down with playing scared or letting cheaters slide."

Kaelen studied her face, searching for any hint of deceit. "Why did you pick me, though?"

"Because you are the real deal." She looked at him with dead seriousness.

Kaelen pressed the issue, his tone laced with quiet skepticism. "What is so great about me?"

"You have got it all," she fired back smoothly.

A low, self-deprecating laugh rumbled in his chest. "Even with my bum legs?"

The question triggered a flood of memories. In her past life, Rosalind had learned that Kaelen eventually walked again. She had never considered checking his medical status back then, assuming his recovery was natural. Now, seated on his lap, she realized how masterfully he hid his true physical condition. He sat in the wheelchair day after day, enduring the cruel whispers without ever giving a hint of his strength.

Rosalind needed to know the truth. Using her position, she secretly slid her fingers down his arm. She pressed her fingertips against his wrist, finding his pulse point. Her medical intuition kicked into high gear. The blood circulation thrummed beneath her touch. It was powerful and steady. The rhythm confirmed her suspicions. His lower limbs were perfectly fine.

However, as she focused deeper, a secondary, erratic rhythm caught her attention. Beneath the strong pulse, she detected a strange hot-and-cold condition coursing through his veins. It was a dangerous, volatile poison. If left unchecked, it could wreak havoc on his internal organs. She silently vowed to cure him. She possessed the medical knowledge to save lives, and this time around, she would protect the man who had protected her.

Kaelen watched her face grow solemn. He misinterpreted her silence. He assumed she was regretting her impulsive, public choice. Who would willingly marry a disabled man just to spite an ex?

"People usually care deeply if their partner cannot walk," Kaelen pointed out rigidly, offering her an out.

Tears of genuine empathy sprang to Rosalind's eyes. She felt a sharp ache in her chest thinking about the ridicule he endured. She leaned forward, pressing her ear firmly against his broad chest. The steady, reassuring thumping of his strong heartbeat filled her ears.

"You are awesome, you know," she whispered softly, her voice thick with lingering trauma. "Even though you are in a wheelchair, you are top notch. Kaelen, you are my pick."

The rigid tension bled out of Kaelen's shoulders. A rare grin touched the corners of his lips. His large hand moved up, gently lifting her chin to force her to look into his eyes. "You know, it is not too late to bail."

"I am sticking to my guns. No regrets." Rosalind held his intense gaze with fierce determination.

The fire in her eyes satisfied him. Kaelen broke the eye contact and tapped his knuckles against the driver's seat partition. "Declan, hit up Civic Center."

The order hung in the air for a second. Declan did a double-take in the front seat, though he quickly put the car in gear.

Rosalind's eyes widened in sheer surprise. "Are we going to get our marriage license right now?"

Kaelen offered a cool hum of confirmation. The Maybach merged smoothly into the nighttime traffic, speeding toward their new reality. He looked back at her, his expression turning serious. "I will give you one last chance to back out, if you have doubts."

Rosalind smiled softly. She raised a hand and pressed a slender finger directly against his lips, silencing his offer. The soft touch brought an immediate halt to his words.

"Kaelen, I have no regrets," she murmured, tracing the edge of his lower lip. "But before we sign that document, can I stamp something on you?"

Caught off guard by her proximity and the strange request, Kaelen furrowed his brow. "What kind of stamp?"