The Wrong Blackwell
1043 Words
The messages she received from the unknown sender crawled over Selene's mind for days.
No matter how hard she tried to dismiss them as a prank, the words remained etched in her mind.
Stay away from the Blackwells if you want to live.
"The marriage won't save you."
She considered telling her parents about the messages she received, but she knew them very well. Either they would dismiss her concerns or command a tight security that would suffocate her freedom.
So she chose to bear the concern to herself.
The toxic thoughts crept into her mind every day, so she decided to escape at least for a short time.
Go to her favorite place, the Vale Botanical Garden. It was peaceful and untouched by the chaos of the outside world.
Colorful flowers bloomed beneath the morning sun while a small fountain trickled quietly nearby.
Staring at the colorful flowers finally relaxed Selene.
"Planning to hide here forever?"
She turned as soon as she heard the voice.
And immediately smiled.
"Ace."
Ace Keifer Lockwood walked toward her, carrying two cups of coffee.
"I tried to visit. The maids told me that you were here," he added, then gave her one cup of coffee.
His easy grin appeared the moment their eyes met.
Unlike every interaction she had with Zane, conversations with Ace never felt like battles.
They felt effortless.
Comfortable.
Normal.
Selene stared at the coffee.
"Your favorite," Ace smiled.
"You remembered?"
"I remember everything about my friends."
Her heart skipped slightly.
Friends.
The word shouldn't have disappointed her.
Yet somehow it did.
They settled onto a nearby bench.
For a while, neither spoke.
The silence between them felt natural.
Not awkward.
Not forced.
Just peaceful.
Eventually, Ace glanced toward her.
"You've been thinking about him."
"Must we ruin a perfectly good morning?"
Ace chuckled.
And once more, Selene found herself smiling in front of this man.
She hated how much she enjoyed being around him, but half of her longed for his presence at times like this.
Over the following weeks, Ace became her escape.
Whenever family obligations became unbearable, he was there.
Whenever wedding preparations drove her insane, he listened.
Whenever she needed someone who treated her like a person instead of a political alliance, she found herself turning to him.
Without realizing it, Selene began looking forward to every moment she spent with him.
And slowly...
Dangerously...
Her feelings grew.
One afternoon, Ace brought Selene to a private resort owned by the Lockwood family.
The ocean provided a relaxing view.
The winds and waves synchronized each other.
Selene sat on the sand while Ace skipped stones across the water.
"You know," he said, "when I was younger, I wanted to leave all of this behind."
She looked up.
"The mafia life?"
He nodded.
"What stopped you?"
A sad smile crossed his face.
"Family."
Selene instantly understood his feelings because they were on the same side.
She also experienced pressure from her own family to do things that were against her will.
"It's unfair sometimes."
"It is."
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, neither looked away.
The air between them shifted.
Selene felt her pulse quicken.
They both felt something in the air, but neither crossed the line.
Not yet.
The next family gathering took place at the Blackwell Estate.
A charity gala attended by politicians, celebrities, and wealthy elites.
The moment Selene arrived, she never hesitated to go and approach Ace.
She never even noticed that Zane was already staring at them.
He stood beside several investors while pretending to pay attention to the conversation.
In reality, his gaze remained fixed on Selene.
Specifically, about who she was talking to.
Ace.
Again.
The sight irritated him more than it should have.
Every event.
Every gathering.
Every opportunity.
She always chose Ace.
Not that he cared.
Later that evening, Selene and Ace found themselves alone on one of the estate's balconies.
The city lights stretched endlessly before them.
The music from the ballroom echoed softly in the distance.
Selene sighed, "I needed this."
Ace smiled.
"A break from wedding planning?"
"A break from everything."
Then his expression softened.
"You deserve better than being forced into something you don't want."
"Ace..."
Those words touched her.
She instantly forgot everything about responsibilities and pressures. All she knew was she was with the one who comforted her, the man she had always longed for.
And suddenly, Selene became painfully aware of how close he was standing.
Her heart pounded.
This was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Inside the ballroom, Zane stepped onto the balcony.
He froze immediately.
Selene and Ace stood together.
Far too close.
Neither had noticed him.
Something cold twisted inside his chest.
An emotion he despised.
An emotion he refused to acknowledge.
Because Ace was his cousin.
And Selene was simply his future wife.
Nothing more.
When Ace finally noticed Zane, everything finally snapped back to reality.
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
"What do you want?" Selene crossed her arms.
The irritation in her voice was immediate.
Automatic.
Zane ignored it.
"The guests are looking for you."
"I'm not interested."
"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice."
"There you go, giving orders again."
His patience thinned.
"And there you go, acting like a child."
Selene's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
Ace immediately stepped forward.
"Easy."
"Just come inside," Zane said coldly.
"No."
Again.
Finally, Ace stepped between them.
"I'll bring her inside."
A long silence followed.
Zane looked at him.
Then at Selene.
Zane's gaze shifted to his cousin.
Without another word, he walked away.
Selene witnessed the expression in Zane's eyes. There's no anger, nor pride.
All she saw was hurt.
Or assumed that it was.
Then her thoughts drifted back to Ace, who was standing next to her.
His smile.
His kindness.
The way he made her feel understood.
Yet, guilt followed.
Because no matter how much she tried to ignore it...
She knew the truth.
She was falling for the wrong Blackwell.
As she turned away from the window, her phone buzzed.
A new anonymous message appeared. This time it was a different number.
She received a captured picture.
A picture of her.
Taken earlier that evening.
At the gala.
Standing beside Ace.
Beneath it was a single sentence.
"Choose carefully, Selene Vale."
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD