Signed, Sealed, Scandalous

Chapter 1

Stepping out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Sophia Sterling stared blankly at the red marriage certificate in her hand.

Had she really just gotten married?

To a complete stranger she'd only met once?

The booklet was still warm, the name Adrian Pierce printed neatly across the page. That name, and his face, were all she knew about him.

"When should we have the wedding? I'm in a bit of a hurry," the man beside her said coolly.

Adrian Pierce stood tall, devastatingly handsome, with dark eyes that seemed to see right through her.

Sophia thought for a moment. "Two weeks. I'll need some time to prepare."

His lips curved into a faint smile, and for a second, there was a surprising warmth in his gaze. "Alright. You don't need to worry about anything. Just be ready. I'll come get you that day."

She nodded lightly. "I live at the Kingsley estate in Crystal Waters. I'll be waiting."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but his phone rang before he could. A sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the curb.

"Sorry, I have to go."

Sophia gave him an understanding nod, and Adrian got into the car. A moment later, he was gone, the car shrinking to a black speck in the distance.

Then, just as the wind began to pick up, three luxury cars skidded to a stop in front of her.

The doors flew open, and out stepped three strikingly handsome men, her foster brothers.

Ethan Kingsley, the eldest, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses as he approached her. "Lily has a fever. I stayed to take care of her. That's why I couldn't come register our marriage with you today."

Next came Liam, the middle brother, tall and sharp in a black trench coat. "You've been dragging your feet on choosing between us anyway. Just consider this a delay. We'll talk marriage next year."

And last, Noah, the youngest and the wildest, sauntered over with a scoff. "Forget next year. Give it a few more. Let her think this through properly."

Sophia gave a soft laugh and pulled out the red booklet from her bag. She held it up.

"No need to choose anymore. I'm already married."

The brothers froze. All three stared at her, eyes filled with disbelief.

Ethan narrowed his gaze. "Is this because we couldn't come today? You're upset?"

Liam's expression turned cold. "Lily saved our lives in that car crash. Of course we'd stay with her. You know we've always loved you. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

Noah's jaw tightened. He reached for the certificate. "Everyone knows you're our girl. What idiot would dare marry you? They must have a death wish. You forged this, didn't you?"

He didn't wait for an answer. With a swift tug, he tore the marriage certificate in half. Then into quarters. Then into confetti.

Bits of red paper fluttered to the ground around her.

Sophia stared at him in shock, lips parting, anger rising in her chest.

But she forced it down.

It was her wedding day. She wouldn't let them ruin it.

Besides, certificates could be reissued.

She took a breath and said calmly, "Ripping it up doesn't undo the marriage. The wedding's in two weeks. You're welcome to attend."

The brothers exchanged a look. Their smirks said it all, they thought she was bluffing.

Liam stepped forward, voice like ice. "This game of yours is getting old."

"I'm not playing," she replied, voice steady.

"Sure you're not," Noah said with a wave. "Can't wait to see how you fake this wedding too."

Ethan looked like he was about to speak, but his phone rang first. As he answered, a weak, tearful voice crackled through the speaker.

"Ethan? Liam? Noah? Where are you? I feel awful…"

Lily.

Instantly, their expressions changed.

Ethan's voice softened. "I just went out to get your favorite porridge. I'll be right back."

"Don't worry, Lily. I'm coming now."

"Hang in there, I'm on my way."

And just like that, they turned and bolted for their cars, engines roaring as they sped away.

Not one of them looked back.

Sophia stood alone in the cold wind, hair whipping across her face, eyes stinging.

She watched their taillights disappear.

And then she smiled. Just faintly. A strange emptiness blooming in her chest.

She didn't understand how things had ended up like this.

She had been seven when her parents died in a car crash. The Kingsleys had taken her in, the girl betrothed to one of their sons.

She'd arrived in a princess dress, all pink cheeks and shy smiles, and from that moment on, the three boys adored her.

They fought over who got to sit next to her, hold her hand, read her bedtime stories. Their parents had thought it was cute, a childhood crush that would pass.

But it never did.

As they grew older, the rivalry only deepened. They treated Sophia like a fragile treasure, scaring off any boy who looked her way.

Ethan became the family heir. Liam turned into a world-famous actor. Noah, an Esports legend. They couldn't have been more different, but when it came to loving Sophia, they were united.

Until Lily Wilson.

The daughter of their new housekeeper, Lily had moved in quietly but made herself known quickly, bringing the boys cookies, reminding them to eat, rushing out in the rain with cold medicine.

At first, they brushed her off. They'd seen her type before.

Then came the accident.

A speeding car. Lily throwing herself in front of it to protect them.

She nearly died.

And from that moment on, everything changed.

They stopped seeing her as annoying. They started seeing her as a savior.

And slowly, they began to forget Sophia.

When Lily twisted her ankle, they left Sophia stranded on a snake-infested mountain.

When Lily wanted to visit an amusement park, they ditched Sophia, burning with a 104-degree fever, to take her.

When both girls fell into a lake, all three jumped in to save Lily.

Time and time again, they chose Lily.

And today, the day they were supposed to marry Sophia?

They chose her again.

The boys who once vowed they'd die without Sophia hadn't even shown up.

And so, Sophia made her choice.

To protect her dignity, and her heart, she'd married the first man who would take her.

The engagement was over.

From now on, Sophia Sterling and the Kingsley brothers were nothing to each other.