Chapter 5 – Pawns in Public
1009 Words
Emma stepped out of the car, the crisp night air brushing her shoulders like a silent warning. She took a breath.
The dress clung to her body like it was made for her — because it was. She hadn’t picked it. She hadn’t even seen it until the makeup artist Alex sent zipped the back and stepped aside like unveiling a statue.
Now here she was — walking beside Alex Donovan into The Celion Gala, a luxury business gathering filled with powerful people and vicious smiles.
He didn’t say a word as they walked. But his hand slid around her waist as if they were a couple who did this often. It wasn’t a gentle touch — it was claiming, firm, a message to everyone watching: She’s with me.
Emma didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or hold her breath.
Inside, the event glittered with glass chandeliers and polished marble. Laughter buzzed like perfume. Men in tuxedos and women in gowns sipped wine and whispered fake compliments.
Alex leaned slightly toward her. Not for conversation — just enough so his mouth hovered close to her ear.
“You’re not allowed to look uncomfortable,” he muttered low.
“I didn’t know I needed permission to have a facial expression,” she replied under her breath.
He placed his hand on the small of her back again, guiding her through the room as if she were his. His fingers brushed the side of her hip once, drawing attention without saying a word.
They greeted no one formally. Alex offered a few tight nods. When someone tried to stop him to chat, he simply moved on. Emma said nothing — just followed, feeling every stare.
Then suddenly, he paused beside a group of glass tables where champagne was served.
“You’ll wait here. Don’t disappear.”
“You talk like you’re my bodyguard,” she said, grabbing a glass.
He plucked it from her hand instantly.
“No alcohol,” he said quietly. “You’re not here to relax.”
He set the drink back on the tray and disappeared into the crowd.
Emma exhaled sharply. She turned toward the bar area and leaned against a pillar, watching him vanish.
What exactly am I to him here? A date? A prop? A warning sign?
“Looks like someone didn’t read the fine print.”
She turned.
A man in a dark blue suit stood beside her, casually sipping water. He looked to be in his late twenties, sharp jawline, unruly dark hair — and something familiar in the eyes.
“You're not enjoying yourself,” he noted.
“Should I be?”
“That depends. Did he tell you what this gala’s really for?”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“Scott. Scott Donovan.”
Her heart thudded.
Donovan?
“Wait — you’re related to Alex?”
He grinned lazily. “Step-brother. Not something we advertise.”
Emma blinked. “He didn’t mention you.”
Scott sipped again. “He rarely talks about people who get under his skin.”
“You think you get under his skin?”
“I know I do.”
She crossed her arms. “Right.”
Scott tilted his head. “You’re bold. But you don’t belong in this world, do you?”
“I didn’t realize you were the gatekeeper.”
He smiled. “I’m just warning you. Alex doesn’t do ‘dates.’ If you’re here, you’re a message. Or a misstep.”
Before she could reply, a third voice cut through the air like perfume and poison.
“Oh, don’t be mean, darling. She’s too pretty to scare off.”
Emma turned.
A woman in a silky emerald dress walked up like she was stepping off a runway. Long black hair, elegant diamond earrings, and a face that could charm and kill at the same time.
She rested her hand on Scott’s chest.
“Vanessa,” she purred. “And you must be Emma.”
Emma said nothing.
Vanessa tilted her head. “I’ve heard… nothing about you. Which is curious.”
Emma met her gaze. “That’s because I’m not something people talk about. I show up instead.”
Vanessa’s eyes glinted. “Touché.”
Just then, Emma felt it — the warmth of his presence at her back.
She didn’t need to turn. She knew it was him.
Alex.
He stepped beside her like a shadow taking its rightful place, silent, confident, deadly calm. One hand slid around her waist, not gently, but with quiet possession — like she’d been his from the beginning and everyone in the room had better remember that.
Emma swallowed.
Vanessa’s voice cut through the silence.
“Well, Alex,” she said, smiling through glass, “you’ve picked someone… brave.”
Alex didn’t look at her.
Instead, he tilted his head toward Emma — close enough that she could feel his breath ghost along her jaw.
And then…
His lips pressed against her cheek.
Soft.
Slow.
Deliberate.
It wasn’t a kiss meant for her. It was meant for everyone else — a performance, a message, a bullet wrapped in velvet.
But her breath caught.
His mouth lingered a second too long. Warm. Controlled. Dangerous. Like a man who knew exactly what he was doing… and exactly what it would do to her.
Her spine straightened.
Her chest forgot how to move.
Time didn’t stop — but it slowed just enough for Emma to wonder:
Why does this feel real?
He pulled back just slightly, still close, his voice a whisper only she could hear.
“We’re leaving in five. Don’t disappear.”
And then he walked off, calm as ever, leaving the taste of confusion and adrenaline thick in her mouth.
Emma didn’t move.
She didn’t even blink.
She just stood there — stunned — while Vanessa’s forced smile twitched like a flaw in glass.
No one said a word.
But in that moment, Emma knew something had shifted.
And she wasn’t sure if it was inside him...
or inside her.
- Writer
