Husband With Benefits-Chapter 786: Stopping a Wedding

"What’s the holdup?" Emma asked, her voice tinged with impatience as she glanced around the civil affairs bureau. The room felt stifling, not because of its size, but because of the weight of what they were about to do—or at least, what they were supposed to be doing. They had been waiting far longer than she’d expected. First, the staff had been utterly speechless, gawking at the fact that their prince—their Prince Rafe—was marrying quietly, without the grand fanfare everyone no doubt expected. They’d seemed so dumbfounded that they couldn’t even manage a proper response.

And then came the complication: apparently, the local civil affairs bureau did not have the proper jurisdiction to marry royalty. That revelation had made Emma’s stomach drop. Marrying a prince wasn’t as simple as walking in, signing a paper, and walking out—there were legalities, traditions, protocols. Rafe had kept his cool, though, quickly arranging for the necessary signatures of priests and high-ranking officers. Yet here they still were, sitting around, waiting.

Emma glanced at Rafe, who seemed unusually calm. If anything, it was his hesitance that concerned her now. Why was he stalling? She could not afford this! Hadn’t he been eager to marry her? So much so that he’t thrown the contract papers for marriage at her the moment he knew that she was alive? Was he hesitating now because she’d proposed to marry him immediately?

"Rafe," she sighed, tugging gently at his sleeve. "If it’s not convenient for them, we can just come back another day. This was all so impulsive, anyway." She bit her lip, pretending to second-guess the very idea that had brought them here in the first place. "Honestly, I’m starting to get cold feet. Maybe we should take some time... I don’t know, a year or two of dating, and then we can plan the perfect wedding." She forced a soft smile, hoping her casual suggestion sounded convincing.

Rafe, however, wasn’t buying it. His dark eyes softened, but his grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.

Slowly, he intertwined their fingers, his thumb tracing gentle circles across her knuckles.

"We’re not waiting a year or two, Emma," he said firmly, his deep voice soothing but unyielding. He brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her fingers, his gaze never leaving hers. "This is happening today. We just need a few more minutes. The witnesses are on their way."

His words were final, leaving no room for negotiation. Before she could respond, Rafe let go of her hand and stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket. "I’ll go check on the timing, see how long they’ll be," he added, casting her a reassuring smile before walking toward the front desk. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Emma nodded, watching his retreating form, but her mind was racing. Of course, they weren’t waiting. How could they? She couldn’t afford to wait any longer. It was now or never. And Rafe, thankfully, had taken the bait she’d thrown so skillfully. Her mention of cold feet had been nothing more than a test, and he had passed—no hesitation, no second-guessing. He was all in, and that was exactly what she needed to guarantee her safety.

Once outside, Rafe quickly messaged Kael, asking him how far away they were, his fingers moving rapidly over the screen. He sighed in frustration when no reply came through. Damn it! Why was it taking them so long? Maybe he really should just go ahead and finish the formalities with the employees here as their witnesses. The thought gnawed at him as he took another glance at his phone, hoping for a change, but the screen remained blank. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair, deciding he would give them another ten minutes. Any later, he thought with irritation, and they could sign their own heads instead of my marriage papers.

He sighed again, but this time, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Despite the delays, despite the frustration, there was a sense of satisfaction growing within him. He was finally making right the last wrong he had committed. He had hurt Emma deeply, making her fall in love with him and then forcing her to live away from her family, in fear.

Of course, he didn’t love her, but he would never let her know or feel that. He had chosen this path for her sake, and though his heart wasn’t fully in it yet, he was determined to make it right. He would always care for her—the girl who had fallen so deeply for him. She deserved that much from him, and in time, he was certain he would fall for her as well. Or so he hoped. For now, duty, honor, and responsibility would guide his steps.

He glanced at his phone again, the minutes ticking away in his mind. Oops. Five minutes had already passed.. And soon, the next five minutes were up as well. He sighed and gestured to the officer who had been waiting on the side," Arrange for the witnesses and begin the ceremony."

"YourHighness? Aren’t you waiting for your brother?" the officer asked slowly.

"I think he is a bit busy. So, I think we should start. Its not right to have everyone wait and work overtime because of us."

"It’s not a problem, Your Highness. It is our honour to actually be a part of your wedding."

Rafe smiled then," Really? Then would you do me the honour of becoming a witness for my marriage."

The officer hurriedly bowed, "Your highness, I barely can afford this lever of honor! I’ll go and look for a few higher- ups quickly." As the officer hurried out of sight, Rafe could only sigh, second guessing this decision. What if Emma was right to have cold feet?

Soon, the two people stood in front of the clerk in the office, ready to say their vows and put their signatures against each other, forever. Emma bent down and signed the papers with a flourish before handing the pen over to Rafe...