The Vow I Never Took

Twelve

Lena's POV

That fierce gaze was enough to make one s**t on her pants. However, I was Lena Carter, not just anyone.

“ Lost and came across this dusty library. I would go mad without anything keeping me company,” I let, adjusting my hands while skillfully closing whatever document I just saw.

There was a particular picture in one of the emails that stood out. A picture of Nathan and a woman. I couldn't get enough information before Victoria barged in.

“ Leave!” Her voice sounded paranoid, as if distraught by something or someone. Well, I would do just that even if she doesn't say.

As I left, I could feel a suppressed hateful aura around her. Not at me, but at whatever was in the room. Damn! These powerful families surely have it all… secrets, whatever snobbish attitude one can think of.

I spent the rest of the day pretending that I wasn’t bothered. I answered emails, read over a few contracts, and even gave some direction on a pending deal. But it was all surface and fake focus. My mind kept circling back to that damn email.

Who was she to Nathan Hale?

The woman in the photo looked too comfortable. That hand on Nathan's knee wasn’t casual, and I could tell they had some history. Her face was slightly turned, but you could still see the softness in her smile. And the way Nathan looked at her wasn't neutral either.

It was intimate.

I shook my head and groaned, dropping my phone on the bed beside me. Since when did I start to care about whoever Nathan Hale decided to shag or marry? It wasn’t like I had any claim over him. This marriage wasn’t built on love. We weren’t even supposed to be anything real.

But still.

Still!

Wearing a baggy shirt, I got up to get fresh air in the garden. Maybe I could cool my head there. I don't know how long I was there, but I was craving food from my favourite spot.

And of course, a much fresher air.

I needed some fresh air. If I stayed cooped up in this mansion for one more minute, I’d end up throwing something. So, I went back to the room to get changed and unexpectedly met Nathan Hale.

His eyes roamed all over my body while wearing a complex look. Did I bump into something? Although he dismissed my question, I watched him scaring away as if he had just met his secret crush while wearing fake jeans!

Shrugging, I tied my hair into a messy bun, grabbed my phone and wallet, and then stepped outside after dressing up.

The hallways were quiet. No sign of Grandmother Hale or Victoria. Thank God. That might've been the final straw today. I kept walking, silently thanking the universe for giving me a window to escape.

Outside, I ordered a cab. My car was still at my apartment building, thanks to Nathan being an overbearing control freak when he dragged me here.

Then I called Grace.

“Hey, are you off work?”

“ YESSSS. Why? What's happening? Are you okay?”

“ Kind of. I need to see a human who doesn't speak in code or wear silk robes to breakfast.

“ Ha! Drop the location. I'm there.”

“ Usual spot.”

“ You better not start eating without me.

“I make no promises.”

“ I wanna hear everything that is happening in that house. I'm on my way.”

I smiled, and that was my first real one all day. I glanced out the window as the cab turned onto 7th Street, and I pressed my head against the window as I closed my eyes for a second.

Three days. Three days in that house, and I had already fought off a meltdown, a mother-in-law from hell and emotional whiplash from Nathan Hale.

Was this what married life looked like?

No. This wasn’t a real marriage.

In ten minutes, the cab let me off in front of the deli. I stepped inside and spotted Grace instantly. She was waving her arms like a maniac from the corner booth.

“Over here, Queen of Confusion!” she called, grinning widely. "LENA!"

I rolled my eyes and made my way over. “Can you not shout my name across a deli for once in your life?”

“Oh come on,” she simpered as I slid into the booth. “You need to be welcomed properly. You’ve been locked up in some creepy billionaire mansion like a princess in distress, and I’m your dramatic relief.”

We ordered our food quickly. I got my usual chicken panini, and she went for a turkey club. Then, we settled into easy chatter. For the first few bites, I let myself enjoy the normalcy. Just food and my best friend with tension.

But of course, my brain wouldn’t let things go.

I picked at the crust of my sandwich. “Hypothetically… what would you do if someone sent you an anonymous message with a picture of your husband with another woman?”

Grace paused, a piece of pickle halfway to her mouth. “I’d fake my own death and follow him in a trench coat and sunglasses until I caught him red-handed, obviously.”

I burst out laughing. “That is both insane and very on-brand for you. Be serious, Grace!”

“Girl, please,” she rolled her eyes, popping the pickle in her mouth. “If a man wants to play games, I’ll turn the whole thing into a Netflix thriller. I’ll be the narrator, the lead, and the one who writes the plot twist. Trust me, no man can treat me like that and get away with it so easily.”

I laughed, but it didn’t reach all the way inside. Grace didn’t miss it.

“Okay,” she leaned forward, “that wasn’t really a hypothetical, was it?”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It's just another thing to add to the chaos of my life right now.”

“What now?” she asked. “Is it the haunted mansion again? More weird Hale family drama?”

“All of the above,” I said. “Grandmother Hale wants me to dress a certain way, act a certain way and practically curtsy when I pass her in the hallway. Nathan Hale's mother hates me and talks to me like she’s waiting for me to drop dead. Nathan Hale is acting like he’s hiding a whole novel of secrets. And my parents…”

I sighed. “They practically threw me at Nathan and expect me to be grateful for it.”

"Well, as long as you're away from that creep, David." She muttered. "Anything, but that sounds like heaven right now."

Taking a sip of her soda, Grace shook her head. “Your parents have always been about power moves, but I still don’t get it. Why him?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Okay, so here’s what you do,” she said, wiping her hands. “Keep pretending to play their game. But you’re Lena freaking Carter, the heiress of the Carter empire. You play better, and you stay smart. You figure out what all of them are hiding, and then you use it to your advantage. f**k Nathan Hale's mother and his grandmother.”

I took a bite of my panini. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“Oh please,” she waved her hand. “You’re my best friend. You’re the only one I’d bail out of jail at 3 a.m. and still bring fries.”

I laughed and leaned back in the booth. This was what I needed.

Grace glanced at her phone. “Damn, I gotta run. I have a date at eight.”

“Ooh, who’s the lucky victim?”

“Some guy I met at a bookstore. If he owns at least one plant and doesn’t say ‘let’s circle back’ in casual conversation, he might survive.”

We hugged tightly.

“Text me everything,” she whispered. “Every single detail from the mansion. I want tea. I want dirt. I want espionage.”

“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “Now go. Try not to scare him off on the first date.”

I left the deli feeling lighter. My stomach was full and my brain was a little less heavy.

By the time I returned to the Hale mansion, the sky had gone full dark. The front of the house looked like somewhere a vampire might take refuge. I stepped in quietly and closed the door behind me. That was when I heard voices coming from the den.

“He should’ve stayed married to her,” Victoria’s voice said sharply. “Not that Carter girl.”

I froze in the hallway. Carter girl.... that stung me more than I expected.

I backed up slowly, careful not to be seen, and tiptoed toward the staircase back into my room.

I had no idea who Victoria meant by "her" but I was going to find out. And then I was going to figure out what the hell I had walked into.