The First Blow
1125 Words
Silence stretched across the grand hall, suffocating and thick with unspoken tension. The headline on the glossy magazine page screamed betrayal, scandal, and deception—all the things Harold Carter would never tolerate in his family.
Khan felt the weight of every gaze, the judgment slicing through her like a blade. Her fingers instinctively clenched at her sides, but she forced herself to breathe, to remain composed. This was just another test. Another move in the game Harold and Khloe were playing.
Liam, standing beside her, exuded icy control. His expression was unreadable, but the stiffness in his posture betrayed his rage. He stepped forward, slowly, deliberately, and plucked the magazine off the piano.
With excruciating calm, he read aloud, "The Carter heir’s mysterious marriage raises eyebrows—sources suggest the union is nothing more than a desperate ploy to reclaim his inheritance."
He snapped the magazine shut, his grip tightening on the glossy pages. His voice, when he finally spoke, was dangerously low. "And who, exactly, provided these ‘sources’?"
Khloe’s smirk widened, her red lips curling like a cat toying with its prey. "Oh, darling, you know how the media is. Always looking for the next scandal."
Khan’s pulse hammered. Khloe had done this on purpose. She wanted to plant doubt, to force Harold’s hand, to make Liam and Khan’s already fragile arrangement crumble under public scrutiny.
Vivian, Liam’s aunt, stepped forward, her sharp gaze flickering between the magazine and Khan. Unlike the others, there was no malice in her expression—just curiosity, and beneath that, something softer.
"Khan," Vivian said gently, breaking the tension. "How do you feel about this?"
Khan met her gaze and straightened. She would not cower. Not for Khloe, not for Harold, not for anyone. "I feel," she said evenly, "that people believe what they want to believe. And I don’t have time to convince the world otherwise."
Harold exhaled sharply, the sound resembling a scoff. "A convenient answer."
Liam moved then, placing the magazine down with deliberate care. "This is beneath you, Khloe," he said, his voice laced with disappointment.
Khloe shrugged, feigning innocence. "I was simply passing along information. After all, wouldn’t it be a shame if the board started questioning the legitimacy of your marriage?"
Harold’s piercing gaze settled on Liam. "The damage has already been done. Whether this is true or not, it has put the Carter name under scrutiny."
Liam’s jaw tightened. "And what exactly do you suggest?"
Harold let the silence stretch, enjoying the power he held over the moment. Then, his gaze shifted to Khan, calculating, assessing. "I suggest you prove your marriage is real."
Khan’s stomach dropped. She knew that tone. Harold was about to raise the stakes.
"You will stay here at the Carter estate for the next month," Harold declared. "Together. Under my roof. As husband and wife."
A beat of silence.
Khan blinked, not sure she’d heard him correctly.
Liam, however, wasn’t as easily shaken. "You’re joking."
Harold’s eyes darkened. "Do I look like I’m joking?"
Liam’s fingers flexed at his sides. "I don’t answer to you, Grandfather."
"No," Harold mused. "But you do answer to the board. And right now, they need reassurance that this marriage isn’t a cheap ploy to manipulate your way back into your rightful place."
Khan swallowed. Harold had backed them into a corner. If they refused, it would only fuel suspicion. If they agreed, she’d be under the same roof as her enemy, with no escape.
Khloe’s smirk deepened, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
Vivian, standing slightly apart from the chaos, sighed. "Harold, is that really necessary?"
He cut her a sharp look. "You would rather have Liam’s future jeopardized?"
Vivian hesitated but said nothing more.
Liam turned to Khan, his eyes searching hers. It wasn’t a question of whether they had a choice. They didn’t. Not if they wanted to keep up the illusion.
Khan exhaled and nodded, just once.
Liam faced Harold with quiet defiance. "Fine. We’ll stay."
Khloe clapped her hands together, delighted. "Oh, how lovely! A month of wedded bliss under one roof. I can’t wait to see how this plays out."
Khan gritted her teeth. Neither could she.
---
The first night at the Carter estate was unbearable.
Khan sat on the edge of the bed in the lavish guest suite Liam had assigned her—directly across from his. The arrangement was clear: they had to appear married, but Liam had no intention of sharing a room.
She didn’t mind. If anything, it was a relief.
Except relief didn’t keep her thoughts from drifting back to Harold’s cold stare, to Khloe’s smug satisfaction, to the growing storm she had willingly stepped into.
A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.
She opened it to find Vivian standing there, arms crossed, a knowing expression on her face.
"May I?"
Khan hesitated, then stepped aside, allowing Liam’s aunt into the room.
Vivian took a moment to look around before settling on the armchair near the window. "My father is testing you," she said simply. "He does that with everyone, but especially with those he doesn’t trust."
Khan sat on the edge of the bed again. "I figured."
Vivian studied her for a long moment before saying, "He won’t stop until he’s either broken you or decided you’re worth keeping around."
Khan swallowed, unsure how to respond.
Vivian’s gaze softened slightly. "But I hope, for Liam’s sake, that you don’t let him win."
Khan blinked. "You… believe me?"
Vivian’s lips curved slightly. "Let’s just say… I have my suspicions about how this marriage came to be. But that doesn’t mean I think you’re a bad person."
Khan hesitated before asking, "Why do you care?"
Vivian sighed, standing. "Because my brother—Liam’s father—made the mistake of letting Harold dictate his life. I don’t want Liam to do the same."
Khan absorbed her words, the weight of them settling deep.
Vivian headed for the door, pausing just before leaving. "Oh, and one more thing," she added with a wry smile. "If you ever need an ally in this house, you know where to find me."
Then, she was gone, leaving Khan with a strange sense of hope—however small.
---
The night stretched on, quiet and deceptively peaceful.
Khan was drifting into a light sleep when she heard something—a rustle outside her door.
She sat up, heart pounding. Had she imagined it?
Then, just as she swung her legs over the bed, the door creaked open.
Her breath hitched as she stared into the dimly lit hallway. A shadow stood there.
Not Liam.
Not Vivian.
And definitely not Harold.
Someone else was in the house. And they had come for her.
- Writer
