Chapter Five
1151 Words
Elena's Pov
“I can’t believe I just said that.”
The words echoed in my skull long after they’d left my mouth. I had agreed. To marry Adrian Kael. My sworn enemy. The man whose father destroyed mine.
I should have walked out of his office the second the contract hit the desk. Instead, I’d let him box me into a corner. Worse, I’d let desperation do the rest.
I hated him for it. I hated myself more.
“You’ll need to sign before the board meets again,” Adrian said calmly, as if I’d just agreed to sign a simple lease.
I laughed bitterly. “You’ve got your victory, Kael. Try not to gloat too hard.”
“This isn’t about gloating,” he replied, his face unreadable. “It’s about survival. For both of us.”
I wanted to throw the pen at his head. Instead, I sat in the chair opposite his desk, flipping through the contract again.
The terms were clinical. One year. Appearances at events. Public outings. Residency requirement, move into his penthouse within a week. A confidentiality clause thicker than my civil procedure textbook. And of course, a payout clause, generous enough to cover Leo’s debts three times over.
That clause mocked me the most. He knew exactly how to sink his claws into me.
“You must really trust me not to poison your food,” I muttered.
His lips almost twitched. Almost. “You strike me as more… creative than poison.”
I scrawled my name at the bottom before I could change my mind.
There. Done. My life was no longer mine.
Adrian collected the papers with a crisp movement, slid them into a leather folder, and locked it away. Just like that, I was his, on paper, at least.
“Now what?” I asked, my tone sharper than intended.
“Now,” he said smoothly, “we begin.”
His version of “beginning” turned out to be dragging me to his penthouse the very next evening.
I stood in the gleaming lobby of Kael Tower with two suitcases, feeling like I’d stepped into the lion’s den. Marble floors reflected the gold accents of the walls, and men in sharp suits glanced at me with curiosity.
This was his world. Polished, intimidating and untouchable.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and there he was. Adrian Kael in yet another perfectly cut suit, his tie loosened just enough to look human.
“Elena,” he said, his gaze flicking down at the luggage in my hands. “Punctual today. I take it as a good sign.”
I forced a smile. “What would you have done if I’d changed my mind?”
His eyes narrowed just slightly. “You wouldn’t have.”
Arrogant bastard. He wasn’t wrong.
The elevator ride up was silent, except for the soft hum of machinery. I focused on the numbers ticking higher and higher. Fifty floors. Sixty. Seventy. My ears popped before the elevator slowed and opened into the penthouse.
I stepped out and stopped cold.
Glass walls stretched across the entire space, giving a panoramic view of the city. The skyline glittered like a sea of stars, and the furniture gleamed with sleek lines and sharp edges. It was less a home than a statement: power, perfection, control.
Of course it fit him.
“You’ll stay here,” Adrian said, motioning toward a hallway. “The guest suite is on the east side. My room is on the west. Keep your things contained.”
I arched a brow. “Afraid I’ll taint your palace?”
“Afraid you’ll rearrange it,” he said dryly.
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. His eyes flickered at the sound, but his face remained carved in stone.
“Fine,” I said, dragging my bags down the hall. “But don’t think I’m cooking for you.”
“I wouldn’t trust your cooking,” he said smoothly, following me.
I spun to face him, mock-offended. “Excuse me?”
“You burn bridges,” he said. “I assume you’d burn toast too.”
I hated that I almost smiled.
Later that night, I unpacked in the massive guest suite. It was larger than my entire apartment. The bed looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel, and the walk-in closet could have swallowed my wardrobe whole.
And yet, I felt caged. This wasn’t mine. None of it was.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, whispering to myself: “It’s just a year. One year. Then you’re free.”
But a year suddenly felt like a lifetime.
******************
The next morning, I joined Adrian for breakfast. Or rather, I grabbed coffee while he sat at the marble island reading the financial section.
“You look tired,” he remarked without looking up.
“Maybe because someone uprooted my life overnight,” I shot back.
He folded the paper neatly. “Get used to it. We have a dinner with investors tonight. Seven sharp. Wear something formal.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. “Tonight? You didn’t think to give me more notice?”
“You adapt quickly,” he said simply.
I glared at him. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re late for court,” he replied, glancing at his watch. “Shall I call a car?”
“No,” I snapped, grabbing my bag. “I’ll manage.”
As I stormed out, I heard his low voice behind me. “You always do.”
That evening, I stood in front of the mirror again, this time in a deep navy dress I hadn’t worn since law school graduation. My stomach twisted.
This was no longer just about me. Every glance tonight would weigh our story, test our performance.
When I stepped out into the living room, Adrian was already waiting, black suit immaculate, cufflinks glinting under the lights. His eyes swept over me slowly, deliberately.
“Acceptable,” he said at last.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t overdo the compliments.”
We rode together in silence, the car gliding through the city streets. My pulse raced faster the closer we got to the restaurant.
“Remember,” Adrian said quietly as the driver pulled up, “appearances are everything. We are not enemies tonight. We are partners.”
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile onto my lips.
“And if I slip?” I asked, my voice low.
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my ear. “Then I’ll remind you.”
The doors opened. Flashes exploded immediately. Cameras, reporters, investors waiting just beyond the velvet ropes.
Adrian’s hand slid against mine, firm and unyielding, threading our fingers together.
The heat of it jolted through me, sharp and unexpected.
“Smile,” he murmured under his breath. “You’re my wife now.”
- Writer
