Chapter Four – The First Public Event
867 Words
The gown Alexander sent me clung to my curves like it had been stitched onto my body. Silk, midnight-blue, with a slit that kissed the top of my thigh. It was beautiful, yes. But it wasn’t me.
I’d never owned anything so expensive in my life. And yet, staring at myself in the mirror, I felt like an imposter wrapped in someone else’s skin.
“Mrs. Stone?” The maid knocked softly. “The car is waiting.”
Mrs. Stone. The title still felt foreign, like a costume I was borrowing for the night.
When I stepped into the limousine, Alexander was already inside, his black suit tailored like it had been made for a king. He didn’t even look at me, his eyes glued to his phone.
“You’re late,” he said flatly.
My hands tightened around my clutch. “I—”
“Doesn’t matter. Just remember the rules.” His gaze flicked to me briefly, scanning me head to toe, before he added coldly, “Don’t embarrass me tonight.”
The ride was silent after that, except for the sound of my racing heartbeat.
⸻
The gala was held at the Grand Orion Hotel, a glittering tower of glass and light. Red carpets, flashing cameras, chandeliers dripping with crystals — I felt like I had stepped into another universe.
Alexander took my hand as soon as we stepped out. To the world, his grip looked protective. In reality, it was iron, a warning pressed into my skin.
“Smile,” he ordered under his breath.
So I did. I smiled like I belonged there, even as whispers followed me.
“Who is she?”
“That can’t be his wife.”
“Look at her dress… does she even know how to walk in heels?”
Every word cut, but I held my chin high. For my mother, I reminded myself. For her.
Alexander guided me through the crowd like I was a piece of property on display. Men in tuxedos greeted him with firm handshakes, women in diamond necklaces kissed his cheek.
Then came the inevitable.
“Oh,” a woman’s voice drawled, dripping with mock sweetness. “So this is the new Mrs. Stone?”
She was tall, blonde, and perfect — like she had walked straight out of a magazine cover. Her eyes skimmed over me with barely hidden disdain.
“She’s… lovely,” she added, the word laced with venom.
Alexander’s lips curved into a polite smile. “Ava, this is Veronica — an old acquaintance.”
“Old friend, darling,” Veronica corrected, letting her manicured hand linger on Alexander’s arm. She leaned closer to him, her perfume suffocating. “We were just catching up the other day, weren’t we?”
My stomach twisted. Old friend. Catching up. My imagination painted pictures I didn’t want to see.
“Excuse me,” Veronica said suddenly, tilting her head at me. “But where did Alexander find you? You don’t look like… his usual type.”
The laughter around us was soft but sharp, like glass shattering. Heat burned my cheeks, but I forced a smile. “I suppose I’m not.”
The woman smirked, victorious. “Well, you’ll learn quickly. This world is… unforgiving.”
I wanted to run, to hide, but Alexander’s grip on my waist tightened. He leaned down, his breath brushing my ear.
“Don’t you dare cry,” he whispered.
⸻
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of humiliation. Every polite smile from strangers was edged with curiosity, every handshake a silent judgment. I clung to my composure, praying for the night to end.
Finally, when the gala was nearly over, I slipped away to the balcony, desperate for air. The city lights sparkled below, and for the first time that night, I could breathe.
But peace never lasted long with Alexander Stone.
He found me leaning against the railing, my eyes still stinging. “Pathetic,” he muttered. “One evening, and you almost ruined everything.”
Anger sparked, finally breaking through my fear. “I didn’t ask for this,” I snapped. “I didn’t ask to be paraded around like a trophy, or to be insulted by your—”
“Watch your mouth,” he warned, his voice dangerously low.
“No.” My chest heaved as I met his gaze, refusing to look away. “You made the rules, Alexander. But you don’t own me. Not completely.”
For a heartbeat, silence fell. His eyes darkened, unreadable, and something shifted in the air between us.
Then, to my shock, he stepped closer, his hand bracing the railing beside me. His body boxed me in, his face inches from mine.
“Careful, Ava,” he murmured, his voice a low growl. “Defiance is… tempting. But it’s also dangerous.”
My pulse thundered, my knees weak. His scent, his nearness, the way his eyes burned into mine — it was too much.
And just when I thought he might actually kiss me, he pulled away with a smirk.
“Come. The night isn’t over.”
He walked back inside, leaving me trembling, breathless, and more confused than ever.
- Writer
