Astrid's eyes flashed with sarcasm as she raised her glass. "Wow," she said, her voice laced with disdain. "What did I get myself into?" The wine seemed to burn her throat as she took a large gulp, the liquid courage momentarily numbing her pain.

As she set the glass down, her gaze drifted back to Andrew, her mind racing with the reality of their situation. "I'm married to a mysterious man,a masked man," she whispered, the words tasting bitter on her lips. "Someone I know nothing about... and yet, we're married."

Astrid's laughter was a mixture of desperation and despair as she took three more gulps of wine. The liquid...