Living With the Enemy
934 Words
Marriage, Liana realized, wasn’t the problem.
It was proximity.
Living in the same space as Arvin Kade meant there was no distance to hide behind,no time to carefully choose reactions, no room to retreat when things became too… intense.
His penthouse was exactly what she expected.
Minimal.
Controlled.
Everything in its place, nothing unnecessary.
Just like him.
“You’ll have access to everything on this floor,” Arvin said as he walked ahead of her, his tone as measured as ever. “The staff has been informed.”
Liana glanced around, her expression neutral. “And what exactly have they been told?”
“That you’re my wife.”
She let out a quiet breath. “Efficient.”
“They don’t need details,” he added.
Of course they didn’t.
In his world, appearances were facts.
Reality didn’t matter.
The first morning felt… staged.
Liana stepped into the dining area to find breakfast already prepared, the staff moving quietly in the background.
Arvin was seated at the table, reviewing something on his tablet.
He didn’t look up immediately.
“You’re late,” he said.
Liana stopped mid-step.
Her brows lifted slightly. “Excuse me?”
He finally glanced at her. “Breakfast is at seven.”
A pause.
Then she walked forward, completely unbothered.
“I don’t recall agreeing to a schedule,” she replied, taking a seat across from him.
His gaze lingered for a second.
Testing.
“Discipline is efficient,” he said.
“Control is predictable,” she returned.
Silence.
Not hostile.
But not comfortable either.
He looked back at his tablet.
“Your schedule starts today.”
“I’ll review it,” she said.
“You’ll follow it.”
Liana picked up her coffee calmly.
“We’ll negotiate that.”
That made him pause.
Not visibly.
But she felt it.
By midday, the reality of her new position became clearer.
Meetings.
Introductions.
Eyes that followed her just a second too long.
Not because she was new.
Because of who she had married.
“She’s the ex’s girlfriend, right?”
“I heard it was sudden.”
“Strategic, probably.”
Liana didn’t react.
She smiled when necessary. Nodded when expected.
Played the role perfectly.
But inside,
She was watching everything.
Learning.
The tension peaked when the doors opened again.
Liana didn’t need to turn to know who had walked in.
The shift in the room said enough.
Daniel.
His gaze found her immediately.
Sharp. Disbelieving.
Then it shifted to Arvin.
And hardened.
“Well,” Daniel said, stepping forward. “This is… unexpected.”
Arvin didn’t rise.
“Not really,” he replied calmly.
Liana remained seated, her posture straight, her expression composed.
Daniel’s attention snapped back to her.
“You didn’t even think to tell me?” he demanded.
She met his gaze without hesitation.
“There was nothing to tell.”
His jaw tightened. “You married him overnight.”
“Yes.”
Just one word.
No explanation.
No apology.
That seemed to hit harder than anything else.
“You’re doing this to get back at me,” he said.
Liana tilted her head slightly.
“Is that what you think this is about?”
“What else would it be?”
She held his gaze for a moment.
Then,
“That would mean you still matter enough for me to do something like that.”
Silence.
Sharp. Immediate.
Daniel’s expression shifted.
Anger… mixed with something else.
Something closer to realization.
Arvin finally stood.
The movement was subtle, but it shifted the balance instantly.
“Business meeting,” he said, his tone flat. “If you’re done with personal discussions.”
Daniel let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it.
“You think this is over?”
Arvin’s gaze met his.
“It was never about you,” he said.
That landed harder than any insult.
Daniel stepped closer, his voice dropping.
“You don’t get involved in something like this without a reason.”
A pause.
Then,
“I’m curious what yours is.”
For the first time, something unreadable flickered in Arvin’s expression.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
“You’ll find out,” he said.
Not a threat.
Not a promise.
something in between
The meeting ended, but the tension didn’t.
It followed them back.
Into the car.
Into the silence that stretched between them.
Liana finally spoke.
“You enjoy that, don’t you?”
Arvin didn’t look at her. “Enjoy what?”
“Control.”
A beat.
“I prefer outcomes,” he said.
She turned slightly, studying him.
“And I’m an outcome?”
His answer came without hesitation.
“You’re a decision.”
That should have bothered her.
But it didn’t.
Not in the way it should.
That night, Liana stood alone by the window, the city glowing beneath her.
Everything had changed.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
All at once.
Behind her, she heard his footsteps.
Steady. Unrushed.
“You handled today well,” Arvin said.
She didn’t turn.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
That made her pause.
Then she glanced over her shoulder.
“And what happens when I make one you don’t like?”
A quiet moment passed.
Then
“Then I adjust,” he said.
Too calm.
Too certain.
Like losing control wasn’t something he considered a real possibility.
Liana faced forward again, her reflection faint against the glass.
This wasn’t just tension.
It wasn’t just power.
It was something more dangerous.
Because for the first time ,
She wasn’t sure who was observing who.
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