chapter 2
1099 Words
Liana sat on the edge of the velvet bed, pulled off her heels, and slowly sunk into her thoughts. She felt it all. The fear, the loss, the rage.
And under it all...a spark.
Of power.
For the first time in her life, she wasn’t surviving someone else’s storm.
She was walking straight into one.
And this time, she’d be the one who burned everything down.
“You’re quiet,” he said, resting his chin on his fingers.
“You didn’t exactly ask for conversation.”
“You're right. I asked for a wife.”
The word sliced. Even now, even after everything it still felt wrong.
He didn’t waste time.
“There will be rules.”
Her back stiffened.
“This arrangement only works if boundaries are clear. So listen carefully, because I won’t repeat myself.”
He reached for the whiskey, swirled it, didn’t drink.
“One: You don’t lie to me. Ever. If you’re thinking something, say it. If you hear something, tell me.”
Liana stared at him, unsure whether to nod or laugh.
“Two: No running. You stay here. You don’t leave the estate unless you’re with me or I’ve given permission.”
She opened her mouth. Closed it again.
“Three: You’ll attend events with me. Smile when needed. Speak when spoken to. And wear what I choose.”
Her jaw clenched. “So I’m just supposed to be your doll now?”
His eyes met hers sharp, unblinking.
“You agreed to this. Don’t forget that.”
“I agreed because I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice,” he said coolly. “You just didn’t like your other options.”
Silence settled between them like fog.
Liana looked down at her hands. Her nails were shaking slightly.
“And what if I break one of your precious rules?” she asked quietly.
Dimitri leaned back.
“Then I’ll remind you why you’re safer with me than without me.”
His voice was calm. Deadly calm.
She swallowed hard, pulse spiking.
This wasn’t a marriage.
It was a contract with the devil, and she’d just signed with her soul.
Liana’s hands stayed clenched in her lap long after Dimitri finished talking.
He was watching her studying her like he was waiting to see how far he could push before she cracked.
She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction
"Like I said before" he continued, If we’re doing this, it has to look real. That includes public affection. And yes, occasionally, private appearances too.”
Her stomach flipped.
“Fake affection,” she whispered.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, voice low and unreadable.
“Call it whatever you want. But if someone thinks you’re not mine if someone even suspects this entire arrangement burns. And you with it.”
Her spine stiffened.
“You make it sound like you’re doing me a favor.”
“I am.”
Liana stood. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And you’re here,” he replied. “Which means you’re smart. Let’s keep it that way.”
She wanted to scream. Throw something. Demand to go back to whatever pathetic life she had before. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.
Instead, she walked toward the door and held it open.
“What are you doing?” he asked, voice even but laced with steel.
“Asking you to leave the room you said I could have. Or is that only allowed after I beg?”
He didn’t answer, simply walked towards the door. He stopped midway and turned around.
"Don't go to the east wing". With that,he walked out.
She just stood there, trying to breathe. Trying to feel like herself again.
Then her eyes landed on something odd.
A folder. Plain. Closed. Left on the bedside table like someone forgot it.
Curious or maybe reckless she picked it up and opened it.
Inside were documents. Surveillance stills. Notes in another language. She flipped through them, faster and faster until one name jumped out at her.
Ivan Viktor.
She froze.
The name repeated in her head like a broken record. She didn’t know why it felt familiar only that it did.
And something about it made her skin crawl.
Before she could process, there was a knock at the door.
“Liana,” Dimitri called from the other side. “Dinner. Ten minutes.”
She slammed the folder shut and shoved it into a drawer.
Her hands were shaking again.
But this time, it wasn’t just fear.
It was something darker.Suspicion.
Dinner was served in a room too fancy to feel real.
A long table stretched between them, like they were strangers forced to eat in the same orbit. Liana sat stiffly at one end while Dimitri lounged at the other, swirling a glass of red wine like he didn’t have a care in the world.
She didn’t touch her food. She couldn’t.
“I said eat,” he said, not bothering to look up.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’ll need strength for what’s coming.”
She glanced at him. “And what exactly is coming?”
Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “A very public engagement announcement.”
Liana’s fork clattered against her plate. “What?”
“I told you we don’t have time to waste,” he said casually. “Tomorrow night, there’s a gala. Everyone who matters will be there. We’ll make our debut.”
Her heart skipped. “You’re serious.”
He smiled, slow and mocking. “Welcome to your new life, sweetheart.”
After dinner, she was sent to her room by a silent maid who didn’t meet her eyes.
Liana paced the floor, mind racing. Ivan Viktor. Why had that name been in Dimitri’s possession? And why did it feel like something dangerous was just beginning to unfold?
She sat on the bed and pulled the drawer open again.
The folder was gone.
Her breath caught.
She hadn’t imagined it. She was sure of what she saw. The name. The papers. The photos.
Now, nothing.
Just an empty drawer and a colder room than before.
She sat back, spine pressed against the headboard, and stared at the ceiling.
There were layers here secrets hiding under the surface. And Dimitri, despite his cold exterior, was at the center of it all.
He might’ve saved her from whatever fate chased her out of Chicago, but he wasn’t her savior.
He was something else entirely.
And if she wanted to survive this really survive it she’d need to stop being afraid of him.
She’d need to outsmart him.
- Writer
