A Bride in a Gilded Cage
1289 Words
The mansion didn’t sleep.
Even in the quiet hours of the morning, it hummed with a kind of silent precision staff moving discreetly, footsteps echoing faintly across marble floors, doors opening and closing without a sound.
Ava stood in the middle of her new bedroom, taking it all in.
It was beautiful. Too beautiful.
The room was larger than her entire family home. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, soft curtains swayed gently, and everything from the furniture to the smallest decoration looked expensive and untouched.
And yet…
It didn’t feel like hers.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Ava said.
Three women entered, each dressed in sleek black uniforms, their expressions polite but distant.
“Good morning, Mrs. Blackwood,” one of them said. “We’re here to prepare you for the day.”
Ava blinked. “Prepare me?”
“Yes. Mr. Blackwood has scheduled your fittings, hair, and press briefing.”
“Press briefing?” Ava repeated, her stomach tightening.
“The wedding will be announced today.”
Of course it will.
She exhaled slowly. “Right… I guess there’s no easing into this.”
The women exchanged brief glances, but said nothing.
Within minutes, Ava was seated in front of a large mirror as they began working measuring, styling, adjusting. Hands moved around her with practiced ease, transforming her appearance piece by piece.
As strands of her hair were pinned into place, Ava barely recognized the reflection staring back at her.
Elegant.
Polished.
Perfect.
A stranger.
“Mr. Blackwood has very high standards,” one of the stylists commented softly.
Ava let out a quiet laugh. “I’ve noticed.”
By the time Ava stepped into the main hall, she felt like she was walking into someone else’s life.
And then she saw him.
Ethan stood near the grand staircase, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, speaking on the phone. His voice was calm, controlled, commanding.
“…I don’t care what it takes. Make it happen,” he said before ending the call.
His eyes lifted.
And for a brief moment
He froze.
It was subtle. Almost unnoticeable.
But Ava saw it.
His gaze lingered on her, scanning every detail as if seeing her for the first time.
“You clean up well,” he said finally.
Ava raised an eyebrow. “That’s your version of a compliment?”
“It’s an observation.”
She rolled her eyes slightly. “You could try sounding human once in a while.”
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips gone almost instantly.
“Come,” he said, gesturing toward the dining area. “You need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You will be,” he replied. “Today will be long.”
Reluctantly, Ava followed him.
The dining table was already set, more food than she could possibly eat laid out neatly.
They sat across from each other.
Silence settled between them, thick and awkward.
Ava picked at her food before finally speaking. “So… when were you planning to tell the world you’re getting married?”
Ethan took a sip of his coffee. “In two hours.”
She nearly choked. “Two hours?!”
“Yes.”
“And you think that’s normal?”
“I don’t concern myself with what’s normal.”
Ava stared at him. “Clearly.”
He set his cup down. “The announcement will be simple. Engagement confirmed. Wedding in three days. No unnecessary details.”
“And what about us?” she asked. “What do we tell people about how we met?”
Ethan’s eyes met hers.
“That we fell in love.”
Ava let out a short, incredulous laugh. “That’s almost funny.”
“It’s believable,” he said.
“Not with you,” she shot back.
For a second, the air shifted.
Ethan leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening.
“Then make it believable,” he said quietly. “Smile when you need to. Look at me like you don’t hate me.”
Ava held his gaze, her pulse quickening.
“And what if I do?” she asked softly.
Silence.
Then
“Then learn how to hide it,” he replied.
The press conference was worse than Ava imagined.
Cameras flashed the moment they stepped into the room. Voices overlapped, questions flying in every direction.
“Mr. Blackwood! Is it true you’re getting married?”
“Who is she?”
“Where did you meet?”
Ava’s heart pounded.
This is it.
Ethan’s hand suddenly found hers.
Firm. Steady.
The unexpected contact sent a jolt through her.
“Stay close,” he murmured under his breath.
And just like that, his entire demeanor changed.
His expression softened. His posture shifted.
To the world watching
He looked like a man completely in love.
“Thank you all for coming,” Ethan said smoothly. “Yes, the rumors are true. I’m engaged.”
More flashes. Louder voices.
“And this,” he continued, gently pulling Ava closer, “is my fiancée.”
Ava forced a smile, her hand tightening slightly in his.
“Her name is Ava,” he said, his voice calm but warm. “And she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The words hit her like a shock.
For a split second…
She almost believed him.
“Miss Ava!” a reporter called out. “How did you meet Mr. Blackwood?”
Ava hesitated.
Ethan’s thumb brushed lightly against her hand a silent warning.
She swallowed.
“We… met through mutual connections,” she said carefully. “And things just… happened naturally.”
Naturally.
The irony almost made her laugh.
“And when is the wedding?” another voice shouted.
“Three days from now,” Ethan answered.
Gasps rippled through the room.
“So soon?”
“When you know,” Ethan said, glancing at Ava, “you don’t wait.”
Her breath caught.
His eyes held hers for a moment longer than necessary.
And again…
That strange, unsettling feeling crept in.
As if there was something real hidden beneath the performance.
But that was impossible.
Wasn’t it?
The moment they stepped out of the press room, Ethan released her hand.
Just like that.
The warmth was gone.
The distance returned.
“Good job,” he said.
Ava flexed her fingers slightly, as if trying to shake off the lingering sensation. “You’re a very convincing liar.”
“I prefer the term ‘strategic.’”
She shook her head. “You really don’t feel anything when you say those things, do you?”
Ethan didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he adjusted his cufflinks, his expression unreadable.
“Feelings complicate things,” he said finally.
Ava studied him.
For a moment, he looked… tired.
Not physically.
But something deeper.
“You weren’t always like this, were you?” she asked quietly.
Ethan’s movements stilled.
Slowly, he turned to face her.
And the look in his eyes
Cold.
Closed.
Final.
“You’re crossing a line,” he said.
Ava’s chest tightened. “I was just”
“Don’t,” he cut in sharply. “Ask questions you don’t need answers to.”
The reminder stung more this time.
Ava nodded slowly. “Right. The rules.”
Ethan held her gaze for a second longer… then walked past her.
Leaving her standing there.
Alone.
Confused.
And more curious than ever.
Because for a brief moment…
She had seen something in him.
Something real.
Something broken.
And now she couldn’t stop wondering
What happened to Ethan Blackwood that turned him into a man incapable of love… and why did it feel like she was about to find out the hard way?
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD