Chapter Four: The Rules Of Marriage
1051 Words
“If I tell you everything… you may not want to stay married to me anymore.”
The words lingered heavily between them.
Lena stared at Ethan, trying to decide whether she was more angry or afraid.
“Do I even have a choice?” she asked quietly.
For the first time, Ethan looked away.
That alone gave her the answer.
The realization settled deep in her chest like ice.
This marriage wasn’t temporary.
Wasn’t simple.
And somehow, she had stepped into something far more dangerous than a family arrangement.
⸻
The rest of the morning passed in strained silence.
Ethan disappeared into another wing of the mansion after breakfast, leaving Lena alone with too many thoughts and not enough answers.
She wandered through the massive estate aimlessly, trying to clear her head.
But every hallway reminded her of secrets.
Every closed door reminded her she didn’t belong here.
By afternoon, she found herself standing in front of the enormous glass windows overlooking the city below. Rain streaked softly against the panes, blurring the skyline into silver shadows.
“You look trapped.”
Lena jumped.
Adrian stood behind her.
Of course he did.
Unlike Ethan, Adrian never seemed to make noise when he entered a room.
“You have a habit of appearing out of nowhere,” she muttered.
“And you have a habit of wandering into dangerous places.”
He moved beside her, hands tucked casually into his pockets.
Up close, he was almost intimidatingly attractive. The kind of man who looked carved from money, power, and bad decisions.
“You enjoy making people uncomfortable, don’t you?” she asked.
Adrian smirked slightly. “Only when they lie.”
Lena crossed her arms.
“That’s funny coming from this family.”
His expression sharpened with amusement.
“You’re learning quickly.”
The rain outside intensified, thunder rumbling faintly in the distance.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Adrian said quietly, “You should leave while you still can.”
Her head turned sharply.
“What?”
He kept his gaze on the city.
“This house destroys people.”
Something in his tone caught her off guard.
It wasn’t mocking.
It almost sounded genuine.
Before she could ask another question, Ethan’s voice cut through the room.
“Adrian.”
The temperature seemed to drop instantly.
Ethan stood at the entrance, his expression calm—but his eyes were hard.
Adrian sighed dramatically. “There he is. The protective husband.”
“You need something?” Ethan asked coldly.
“No. I was just giving your wife advice.”
Lena frowned. “Advice about what?”
Adrian finally looked at her again.
“Trust no one in this family.”
Then he walked past Ethan and disappeared down the hall.
The brothers didn’t look at each other as he passed.
But the hatred between them was impossible to miss.
⸻
That evening, Lena sat alone in her room replaying everything Adrian had said.
Trust no one.
The words echoed louder with every passing hour.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Before she could answer, the door opened slightly.
Ethan stepped inside.
He had changed clothes since earlier, wearing a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Simpler than Adrian’s polished image—but somehow more dangerous now that she knew it was deliberate.
“We need to discuss boundaries,” he said.
Lena blinked. “Boundaries?”
“Our marriage.”
A bitter laugh escaped her. “You mean our business arrangement.”
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“You can call it whatever you want.”
He walked farther into the room, placing a small velvet box on the table near her bed.
“What’s that?”
“Open it.”
Cautiously, Lena lifted the lid.
Inside rested a breathtaking diamond necklace.
She stared at it in shock.
“Ethan…”
“You’ll need it tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“There’s a company gala.”
Her stomach dropped immediately.
“No.”
His eyebrow lifted slightly. “No?”
“I’m not going.”
“You have to.”
“I absolutely do not.”
Ethan sighed softly, as though he expected this reaction.
“People already know I’m married.”
“That’s your problem.”
“It becomes yours when reporters start asking questions.”
Lena stood abruptly.
“I didn’t agree to becoming some rich family’s public prop!”
Ethan stepped closer.
“You agreed to marry me.”
“And you agreed to tell me the truth!”
Silence filled the room again.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Then Ethan said quietly, “The gala matters.”
“Why?”
“Because there are people waiting for me to fail.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
His eyes held hers steadily.
“Everything.”
Something about the way he said it made her pulse stumble.
Not manipulation.
Not pressure.
Fear.
Real fear.
Before she could process that, Ethan reached into his pocket and handed her a black card.
“What’s this?”
“A spending account.”
Lena stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re giving me money?”
“You’ll need clothes for the event.”
“I already have clothes.”
“Not for this.”
She almost rolled her eyes until she noticed the expression on his face.
Completely serious.
“How rich are you exactly?” she asked slowly.
Ethan gave a faint humorless smile.
“Rich enough that people stop seeing me as human.”
The answer unsettled her more than it should have.
She looked down at the necklace again.
Expensive.
Elegant.
Cold.
Just like this house.
“I don’t want your money,” she said quietly.
Ethan was silent for a moment before replying.
“It’s already yours.”
The simplicity of the statement caught her off guard.
No arrogance.
No performance.
Just fact.
Then his gaze shifted toward the storm outside the windows.
“When we attend the gala tomorrow,” he said calmly, “stay close to me.”
Lena frowned.
“Why?”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Because once people realize who you are…”
He paused.
“And who you married…”
Something dangerous flickered across his face.
“They’ll come after you too.”
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