CHAPTER 6 : A DANGEROUS ATTRACTION
740 Words
Chapter 6: A Dangerous Attraction
The gala was far from over, but Elena had already played her part. She had smiled, charmed, danced with the devil, and convinced the world that she belonged at Abina Varela’s side.
And yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
It started with the stares—some curious, some envious. But a few were different. Watchful. Calculating.
One man in particular stood out.
He stood near the balcony, his sharp eyes locked onto her with an intensity that sent a chill down her spine. He was tall, dressed in a charcoal-gray suit, his presence exuding quiet danger. He wasn’t a politician or an elite socialite.
He was something else.
Elena’s fingers tightened around her champagne glass.
Abina’s voice was suddenly at her ear. “You feel it, don’t you?”
She turned slightly, finding his dark gaze already on her. He hadn’t missed a thing.
“There’s a man watching me,” she murmured.
Abina’s expression didn’t change, but his grip on her waist did—tightening just enough to make her breath hitch.
“I know.”
The confirmation sent a ripple of unease through her.
“Who is he?”
Abina’s lips barely moved as he whispered, “Someone who wants to see if my new wife is my weakness.”
The weight of his words settled in her stomach like lead.
A weakness.
Was that what she was now?
Elena’s pulse raced, but she refused to let it show. She took a slow sip of champagne, schooling her expression. “Then I hope I don’t disappoint.”
A flicker of something dark passed through Abina’s eyes.
His hand slid lower, resting just above the curve of her hip. A deliberate, possessive move. A warning—to her, to the man watching, to anyone who thought they could test him.
“You won’t,” he murmured.
And then, just like that, he turned her in his arms, shielding her from the man’s view as if daring him to make a move.
Elena felt it then—something dangerous humming beneath the surface of this marriage.
She had thought she was walking into a contract. A deal.
But she was beginning to realize—
She had walked into a war.
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A Warning and a Promise
They left the gala late, slipping into the black car that waited for them outside. The air inside was thick with unspoken tension.
Elena’s body was still buzzing from the night—from the dance, from the stares, from Abina’s touch that lingered like a brand.
She exhaled sharply. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Abina didn’t respond right away. He was watching her again, the way he always did—like he was searching for something beneath the surface.
Finally, he spoke. “You handled yourself well tonight.”
“That’s not an answer.”
His smirk was slow, calculated. “No, it’s not.”
She clenched her fists. “If I’m supposed to be your wife, I should know what kind of danger I’m in.”
A slow, amused chuckle. “Danger?” He leaned in, so close their knees touched. “You are the danger, Elena.”
Her breath hitched.
“What—?”
“You walked into my life and made people look twice,” he murmured, his fingers brushing her wrist, sending a pulse of heat up her arm. “And now, they’re wondering… is the ruthless Abina Varela losing control?”
His gaze locked onto hers, and for the first time, she saw something she hadn’t before.
Restraint.
As if he was holding back something dark. Something dangerous.
Elena swallowed. “Are you?”
Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
Then, his hand slid up her arm, curling around the side of her neck.
“I don’t lose,” he murmured, his thumb tracing slow circles against her skin. “Not in business. Not in war. And not with you.”
Her pulse thundered.
Abina’s grip tightened slightly, his lips a whisper away. “You wanted the truth?” His voice was a dark promise. “Then listen carefully.”
Elena held her breath.
“You are mine,” he said, his tone lethal. “And anyone who thinks otherwise is already dead.”
A shiver ran through her.
Because she believed him.
And worse?
A part of her liked it.
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- Writer
