Chapter Four
772 Words
Chapter Four: The Spotlight Burns
The ballroom shimmered with chandeliers, polished marble, and polished lies.
Lily walked beside Damian, her arm tucked into his, trying not to trip over her own nerves. Every pair of eyes turned toward them—curious, calculating. Damian nodded to a few important-looking guests, always cool, always unreadable.
She, on the other hand, felt like she was wearing a target on her back.
“They’re staring,” she muttered through her smile.
“Of course,” Damian said quietly. “You’re news now. The mystery bride.”
She winced. “I didn’t realize marrying you meant being put on display.”
“You should get used to it.”
As they reached the center of the room, a man in a velvet blazer and smug grin approached them with two champagne glasses.
“Damian Blackwood,” he said with fake warmth. “I almost didn’t believe the news.”
Damian’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Believe it, Marcus. This is my wife, Lily.”
Marcus gave her a once-over, his gaze lingering a second too long. “Charming. And unexpected. Where’d you find this one, Damian—on clearance?”
Lily’s hand clenched around her clutch.
Before she could snap back, Damian’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Careful, Marcus. My wife doesn’t tolerate disrespect.”
She blinked. My wife. As if the words weren’t just a performance.
Marcus raised his hands in mock surrender. “Of course. Just teasing.”
He walked off, chuckling under his breath.
Lily exhaled shakily. “Does he always talk like that?”
“Marcus thrives on making people uncomfortable,” Damian said. “Ignore him.”
“Easier said than done.”
Damian offered her a glass of champagne. “You held your ground. That’s good.”
She took the glass, not drinking. “Is this what my life is going to be now? Fancy rooms full of fake smiles and worse people?”
“Yes,” Damian said without hesitation. “But remember—this is temporary.”
Lily nodded, her chest tightening.
Everything in her life was temporary now.
---
Later in the evening, while Damian was cornered by a pair of investors, Lily found a moment of peace near the balcony. She stepped outside into the crisp night air, trying to breathe.
The stars above the city were drowned by light, but she stared anyway, wishing she could float away.
“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”
She turned to see a woman standing beside her. Elegant. Tall. Wearing a red silk dress that hugged her curves like it was designed just for her.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Lily asked cautiously.
The woman smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, no. But I know you. Well, not you exactly. Just… the position you now hold.”
Lily stiffened. “And what position is that?”
“The woman who married Damian Blackwood,” the woman said. “I’m Cassandra.”
The name hit like a slap.
Cassandra Ellis. Damian’s ex. The one the tabloids called his perfect match.
“I thought you two ended things a long time ago,” Lily said.
Cassandra smiled. “He might have ended it, but it doesn’t mean I did. He always finds his way back to me. Eventually.”
Lily stared at her. “Is that a threat?”
“No, dear. Just a prediction.”
Before Lily could respond, Damian stepped onto the balcony. His eyes flicked between the two women, instantly assessing the tension.
“Cassandra,” he said flatly. “Don’t you have someone else to bother?”
Cassandra gave him a sultry glance. “We should talk sometime. Privately.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Damian replied.
She stepped past Lily with a final, pointed smile. “Enjoy your wife, Damian. While the illusion lasts.”
When she was gone, Damian turned to Lily.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with her.”
“She doesn’t seem like the type who goes away easily.”
“She isn’t.”
They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of everything settling between them.
“You okay?” he asked, to her surprise.
Lily looked at him. “You’re asking if I’m okay?”
He didn’t smile. “We’re in this together. I need you to hold up your end. That means keeping your head high. No matter who tries to knock you down.”
She nodded slowly. “I’ll manage.”
“Good,” he said. “Because this is only the beginning.”
- Writer
