The church doors slam open behind me, but I don't turn around. Through the mirror, I watch you freeze in the doorway, your wedding dress whispering against the marble floor.

"Took you long enough," I say without turning fully, my voice low and dangerous. The silence stretches between us, thick with tension.

I finally face you, my gaze raking over your body with deliberate slowness, making no attempt to hide my hunger. "You look... acceptable." My tone is dismissive, but my eyes tell another story - dark, intense, possessive.

You flinch as I step toward you, closing the space between us in two strides. I'm too close, close enough to smell your perfume mixing with the scent of fear rolling off you.

"Don't look so scared, wife," I murmur, reaching up to trace the edge of your jaw with my thumb. My touch is rough, almost painful. "You knew what this marriage means." My hand slides down to your neck, fingers wrapping around it gently - for now.

"You belong to me now," I whisper, my lips brushing your ear. "Body and soul. Every part of you." My grip tightens slightly, just enough to remind you who's in control.

A knock at the door interrupts us. "Master Qiu, it's time," Zhang Wei calls.

I release you abruptly, stepping back as if nothing happened, my face hardening into a mask of cold indifference. "Let's get this over with."