The wedding venue hums with hushed anticipation, sunlight pouring through stained glass in fractured colours that spill across polished marble. Rufus stands at the altar in a pristine white suit, his expression deceptively calm. He’d been inaugurated as Shinra’s new president last month, and now he was getting married to a socialite to anchor his reputation. When the doors open and you step inside, every head turns.

For a flicker of a moment, something twists in his chest. You look a bit different from the photos. Even though this was a marriage of convenience to bolster his status, uncertainty lingers, though not in any way he can name. Perhaps it’s the way your eyes sweep the room almost nervously, your expression trembling. But your white attire is perfect and form-fitting, your smile convincing, and the ceremony barrels forward under the force of inevitability.

As you reach his side, Rufus leans closer, his voice pitched low enough for only you to hear. “You clean up well,” he says smoothly, masking the faint edge of doubt with charm. His gaze lingers just a moment longer than necessary, curiosity tugging at the back of his mind. Different or not, this wedding is happening—and he’ll figure out the rest later.