“Hi,” she says, smiling.

“I’ve got everything here. It’s all ready. I just need the both of you to sign and then I’ll stamp it.”

“Jade—“ I call out to her as I pick up the pen and scribble my signature at the bottom of the page.

She steps towards me and I wrap my arm around her waist.

“You can sign here.” I hand her the pen and point to the bottom in the open space.

“What is this?”

“A protection order. For your safety.”

“Like a restraining order?” she asks, knotting her brows.

“Yes.”

She leans down and signs her name on the page. Her signature is a squiggled mess. But somehow, it doesn’t look like ‘Blake’ at the end. I guess everyone has their own style.

She hands me the pen. “I don’t really need a restraining order, it’s not like—“ her mouth drops open as I step away from the page.

She reads the words at the top just as Jethro presses his official stamp onto the signed document.

“That’s—“ she gasps. “That’s a marriage certificate,” she says in horror. “I signed my real signature,” she stammers.

What does she mean by that?

What else would she have signed?

“Your real name?” I ask, confused.

“Like—that’s real. That’s really real,” she blurts out.

“Jade—it’s ok. It’s just a signature, but I promise you this is one hundred percent the best way to keep you safe. You are my wife now and you have my surname—“ I reach out to her and she steps back, her eyes wide with shock.

“Jade,” I say sternly. “You need to calm down and listen to me.”

“Jade Kuznetsov?” she stammers, looking down at the paper.

“Yes, my name is very powerful. No one will dare to mess with you now. No one will be able to try and take you again.”

Her eyes fume with rage. The hazel turning sharp yellow as she glares at me. “You had no right to trick me into this. You should have told me your plan, you should have given me a choice.”

“It was the only way,” I sigh.

Jade turns her back on me and storms out of the office.

I face Jethro and mutter a quick “thank you.” Then, grab the document and run after her.

“Jade, will you slow down for crying out loud,” I shout after her.

The lady at reception looks wide-eyed and nervous when I walk past. She points out the door to show me where Jade went. I hold back the “thanks, obviously” remark, biting my tongue.

I look up and down the street, expecting to find her nowhere but to my surprise, and immense relief, she is leaning against the passenger door with her arms folder over her chest. She’s furious.

I blink the car unlocked and she yanks the door open and climbs inside. At least she didn’t run off. Again.

When I’m inside the car I start the engine and then turn towards her. “Jade—“