A Sham Marriage with Unexpected Benefits

"This is just a sham marriage, sir."

I eloped with Erik Orléans—the man who was supposed to become my stepbrother—and we held a surprise wedding ceremony.

Originally, the ones who should have been standing here were my mother and Erik's father.

'You're dead if I catch you.'

That's what my mother mouthed to me when she saw me getting married at what was supposed to be her own wedding.

Sorry, Mom. But this is all for the sake of our family.

I can't let our entire family be slaughtered by a psycho stepfather, can I?

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

The camera flashes went off. I can already imagine tomorrow's newspaper headlines:

[SHOCKING MARRIAGE: ERIK ORLÉANS ELOPES WITH THE DAUGHTER OF DUKE ORLÉANS'S OWN FIANCÉE!]

[THE TWO SHARE A KISS AT THE ALTAR...]

It's a complete scandal, but since this is just a sham marriage anyway, who cares?