A WIFE ON DISPLAY
433 Words
The knock came just after dusk.
Selena was still brushing her hair, not yet in the emerald gown that had arrived earlier, neatly folded on the bed with a note in Luca’s handwriting.
“Wear this. Dinner. 8 PM. Formal.”
She opened the door to find the same silent maid, now holding a velvet box.
“For what?” Selena asked.
No reply. The box was handed to her, then the maid vanished again like a shadow.
Inside was a necklace diamonds and emeralds set in delicate gold. Selena’s breath caught. It looked like it belonged in a royal vault, not on her neck.
She touched it with trembling fingers.
This wasn’t a gift.
It was a leash.
⸻
At 7:59 PM, she stepped into the grand dining room. The chandelier above glittered like ice, and Luca was already seated, suit perfectly tailored, glass of whiskey untouched in his hand.
He looked up as she entered. His gaze dragged over her like a blade.
“You clean up well.”
“Flattery wasn’t part of the contract,” she replied, sliding into her seat.
He didn’t smile. “We have guests tonight. Politicians. Investors. They don’t need to know what this marriage is.”
“Fake?”
His jaw clenched. “Contractual.”
She sipped her wine. “You mean fake with paperwork.”
He leaned closer, voice low and sharp. “Tonight, you’re my wife. You smile. You nod. You hold my arm and laugh like we share secrets. Do you understand?”
Selena stared at him, heart thudding. “And what happens if I don’t?”
He didn’t blink. “Then I remind you who owns the ink on that contract.”
⸻
When the guests arrived, Selena played her part.
She stood beside Luca, his arm around her waist, the press of his hand steady almost possessive. She smiled when she needed to. She laughed at jokes that weren’t funny. She touched his shoulder like they had history.
Luca? He was perfect.
Charming. Sharp. Cold when needed. People respected him… or feared him. Maybe both.
And through it all, his hand never left her waist.
As the night wore on, she whispered into his ear during one toast.
“You’re good at pretending.”
His reply, barely audible: “I’ve been pretending my whole life.”
⸻
Later, in the quiet of her room, Selena removed the necklace.
It sparkled under the lamp. Beautiful. Dangerous. Like Luca.
She stared into the mirror.
Who was she becoming?
And why did part of her… like the way he looked at her?
- Writer
