Married to My Enemy: Every kiss was a lie, every feeling was real

The large living room was filled with tension. Two powerful families sat facing each other, discussing a marriage neither side seemed happy about. “M—my sister and this jerk? This is a joke, right?” The already fuming man stared at the people seated around the room, his brows pulled tight together as if hoping someone would suddenly laugh and admit it was all a misunderstanding. But no one laughed. The room remained painfully quiet. Realization dawned on his face. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in disbelief. “No. Absolutely not!” he burst out. “I will not allow this. Especially not with this arrogant jerk. You’ll have to kill me before they can get married.” “Your death is the only thing I’m looking forward to,” came a calm voice. The man who spoke appeared to be in his late twenties. He leaned back lazily in his chair, one arm resting against the armrest as though the heated tension in the room had nothing to do with him. But the sharp line of his jaw and the cold fire hidden in his eyes told a different story. His black suit fit him perfectly, tailored as if it had been designed specifically for him. The crisp white shirt beneath contrasted sharply with his dark aura, and the luxury watch on his wrist glinted under the light, silently reminding everyone of his power and wealth. He was beautiful in a way that made people uneasy. “What did you say?” David finally exploded, rising to his feet like a man seconds away from throwing a punch. “David, sit down. We can settle this without fighting,” said a man in his mid-fifties seated nearby. His tone was calm, but the tiredness in his eyes suggested he already knew his son wasn’t in the mood to listen. “Dad, no. Let me teach this small boy a lesson,” David snapped. “He thinks he can walk into my house and talk to me however he wants.” “Your father’s house,” the cold man corrected him lazily, glancing down at his wristwatch as if everyone in the room was wasting his precious time. “You’re not in any position to tell me whether this is my house or my father’s house,” David shot back, stepping closer. “Mind your business, or else…” He jabbed a finger toward the man’s chest, clearly trying to provoke him. “Or else what?” The man finally looked up. “I’m not in the mood to banter with a kid like you,” he said calmly. “I have far more important things to do. The only thing that matters here is explaining to everyone that your sister and I are completely incompatible.” His lips curled slightly. “I have a life to live, and I’m sure she has a ‘life’ to live.” He emphasized the word "life," his tone dripping with mockery. “Enough!” The sharp sound of a staff striking the floor echoed through the room. Nathan’s grandfather, Henry, glared at the two men, pointing the carved staff between them like a judge passing sentence. “Will you two stop bickering like children?” Both men reluctantly fell silent. Henry let out a long sigh before continuing. “Nathan, I don’t care whether you support this marriage or not. That girl will become my daughter-in-law. That is final.” “Grandpa, that will only happen if you plan on taking her to live with you,” Nathan replied flatly. He grumbled like a stubborn child denied something he wanted. David rolled his eyes. “And who told you I’ve even accepted that she’s coming with you?” he asked with obvious disgust. Nathan slowly turned his gaze toward him. “Learn not to interrupt when families are talking,” he said coldly. “I find it very rude. Do you understand?” David scoffed. “Look who’s lecturing me about manners. You’re a clown.” Nathan’s chair scraped against the floor as he rose to his feet for the first time. “What did you just call me?” He stepped forward until he stood directly in front of David. David didn’t move an inch, anger, disgust, and pure mockery written across his face. Around them, both families watched helplessly, already exhausted by the endless hostility between the two men. Grandpa Henry opened his mouth to speak, but the door suddenly opened. A girl stepped into the room. She looked about twenty-one, though the innocence in her bright eyes made her appear much younger. Ice cream was smeared messily across her cheek, and she held a chocolate bar tightly in one hand like a prized possession. Her smile lit up the entire room. Despite her slightly unsteady steps, she walked straight toward David, who was still locked in a heated standoff with Nathan. “David!” she called happily. “Look! Mum bought me ice cream and chocolate. Mum is the best.” She held the chocolate up proudly. David’s anger disappeared instantly. His face softened into a wide smile as he pinched her cheeks gently before ruffling her hair. Everyone in the room froze in shock. Even David’s father blinked in disbelief. “Princess,” David said playfully, “where’s my ice cream?” Nathan stared at the scene in silence, clearly baffled. *Is this really how siblings behave?* he muttered under his breath. “David, don’t worry,” the girl said earnestly. “I’ll tell Mum to buy you ice cream and chocolate later. But let sister have this one, please.” She looked at him with big pleading eyes. It was painfully obvious that she had no intention of sharing her snacks. David chuckled. “Don’t worry, Princess. You can have it all. If you want more, your brother will buy some for you.” Her face lit up instantly. “Thank you, brother!” She jumped happily like a child who had just won a prize. David watched her fondly until his gaze slowly shifted back to Nathan, who was observing them as if they were a circus act. The warmth on David’s face vanished. “Princess,” he said, pointing at Nathan, “look at that man. He’s a bad guy. Don’t ever trust him, okay?” Instead of answering immediately, the girl went quiet. David frowned and looked down at her. For a brief moment, something strange flashed across her face, a mix of anger and pain. It appeared so suddenly that it made his chest tighten. David gently tapped her shoulder. The moment he did, her expression changed. The anger disappeared as if it had never been there, and her usual innocent smile returned. “Princess… are you okay?” he asked carefully. “David, sister is fine,” she replied brightly. “I want to play.” Her cheerful smile hid everything, as if that painful expression had never existed. Just as the siblings seemed to drift into their own little world, Grandpa Henry’s voice interrupted them. “Princess.” “Oh!” She skipped happily toward the older men. “Grandpa! Dad! You’re here!” She squeezed herself between them on the couch, carefully making space so her chocolate wouldn’t fall. Richard, David’s father, placed a hand dramatically over his chest. “So it’s true that my daughter loves her brother more than me,” he sighed dramatically. “I’m clearly not loved. Thank goodness I still have my wife.” The girl immediately looked guilty. “Dad… don’t be sad,” she said softly, lowering her head. “Daughter is sorry.” Her father smiled at her and pulled her into a warm hug. "Of course, I can never be mad at you," he said softly, stroking her hair. "You are my only daughter." Across the room, Nathan's gaze lingered on the girl. He had heard the rumors about her, the girl with the mind of a child. Yet, as he watched her cling to her chocolate and beam so innocently, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Innocent indeed," he muttered under his breath. "So, Angel," her father called gently, leaning forward slightly as if coaxing a shy kitten, "do you want to follow Grandpa?" Before she could answer, David immediately cut in. "Hey, no, no, no, Dad, she’s not going anywhere. We already talked about this, right?" "David," Richard said firmly, shooting his son a warning look, "be quiet and let your sister decide." Then his expression softened as he turned back to his daughter. "Baby girl," he coaxed sweetly, "will you follow Grandpa Henry so you can eat lots of ice cream and chocolate?" Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward Angel. Some of them watched with quiet anticipation, hoping she would agree, while others silently prayed she wouldn’t. Angel looked from one face to another, blinking slowly as if trying to understand the situation. Then a bright smile spread across her face. She stuffed the chocolate bar into her mouth and spoke around it. “Dad, I will go if you, David, and Mummy follow me.” Nathan let out a quiet scoff, a smirk curling on his lips at her childish logic. David looked at him immediately and shot him a sharp glare. “Princess,” Richard said patiently, crouching slightly to look at her properly. “You will go alone today. Your brother, your mother, and I will come visit you later. How about that?” Angel tilted her head slightly, as if thinking very hard, then nodded cheerfully. “Okay. Anything Daddy says, I will do.” The old man sitting beside her looked visibly relieved. His shoulders relaxed, and a satisfied smile crept onto his face. Convincing her had been far easier than he expected. His stubborn grandson, however, was another matter entirely. But who cares about him? the old man thought with a quiet snort. David, on the other hand, was still stunned. He hadn’t expected Angel to agree so easily. For a moment, he simply stared at her, speechless. Then he leaned closer to Nathan, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. “I swear,” he whispered through clenched teeth, “if you touch even a strand of my sister’s hair, you’ll have me to contend with.” Nathan didn’t even look bothered. Instead, a slow smile spread across his face as he leaned closer and murmured back, “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to step on your toes.” Everyone else seemed too distracted to notice what was happening between the two men, which meant no one saw the expression that quietly appeared on Angel’s face. For the briefest moment, her bright innocence disappeared. A cold smile curled slowly across her lips, as if she had been waiting for this moment all along. Under her breath, she whispered softly to herself, “Let the game begin.”