PLAYING THE PART
889 Words
Lily didn’t answer his question.
Not immediately.
She stood in the hallway, the soft glow from the keypad lighting the side of Alexander’s face. Up close, his expression was unreadable again—controlled, guarded, like every emotion had been carefully locked away.
Much like the room behind that door.
“You ask a lot of questions,” he said quietly.
“And you avoid answering them.”
“That should tell you something.”
Lily held his gaze.
“It does.”
“And what is that?”
“That whatever is behind that door matters.”
For a moment neither of them moved.
Then Alexander stepped back.
“Your room is the second door on the left,” he said.
Conversation closed.
Just like that.
Lily watched him walk away before she finally pushed open the door to the guest room.
The space was bigger than she expected—wide windows, soft gray walls, and a bed large enough to swallow her whole. Her single suitcase suddenly looked even smaller sitting on the polished floor.
She exhaled slowly.
This was real.
She was living with Alexander Sterling.
Pretending to be engaged to him.
The mere thought of it made her feel anxious .
After a quick shower, Lily changed into a loose shirt and stepped back into the hallway.
The penthouse was quiet.
Too quiet.
Soft light glowed from the kitchen area, and the faint sound of water running reached her ears.
She followed the sound.
Alexander stood at the kitchen counter pouring himself a drink.
His sleeves were rolled up now, exposing strong forearms, and his tie had disappeared somewhere between the office and here.
For the first time that day, he looked… less like a CEO.
More like a man.
He noticed her reflection in the glass cabinets.
“You should be asleep.”
“It’s barely nine.”
“For someone who had a long day, it's late.”
Lily leaned lightly against the counter.
“You kidn*pped me from my apartment and moved me into a penthouse with a locked mystery room.”
Her eyebrow lifted.
“I think I deserve a little insomnia.”
Alexander took a sip of his drink.
“You’ll survive.”
“That’s reassuring.”
He glanced at her again.
“You talk a lot.”
“Someone has to.”
The corner of his mouth almost moved.
Almost.
Lily pushed herself off the counter and walked toward the fridge.
“You have any normal food in here?” she asked.
“I eat normal food.”
“Your definition of normal worries me.”
She opened the fridge door.
And immediately felt the cold rush of air.
It was packed with neatly organized containers.
Protein meals.
Fresh fruit.
Bottled water.
Everything precise.
Controlled.
“You run your fridge like you run your company,” she said.
“Efficiently?”
“Intimidatingly.”
Alexander stepped closer.
Not enough to trap her.
But close enough that she suddenly became aware of the space between them again.
“You’re not intimidated.”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
She turned slightly to face him.
“How close you’re standing.”
His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth.
Then back to her eyes.
“Get used to it.”
“Why?”
“Because starting tomorrow,” he said calmly, “the world believes we’re in love.”
Lily let out a small breath.
Right.
The engagement.
The act.
“How convincing do we have to be?” she asked.
Alexander didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he reached past her to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
His arm brushed lightly against hers.
The contact was brief.
But enough to send a surprising spark up her arm.
Lily felt it instantly.
Judging by the way his hand paused for half a second—
He did too.
Neither of them mentioned it.
Alexander closed the fridge door slowly.
“You’ll have to look comfortable around me,” he said.
“I can fake comfort.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
His voice lowered slightly.
Before she could ask what he meant—
His phone buzzed sharply on the counter.
Alexander glanced at the screen.
His expression changed immediately.
The small warmth from before disappeared.
“What is it?” Lily asked.
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he turned the screen toward her.
A photo filled the display.
It was taken from outside the penthouse windows.
A zoomed-in shot of the two of them standing in the kitchen.
Close.
Very close.
Lily’s stomach dropped.
Someone had been watching them.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
Below the image was a message.
One line.
Cold.
Direct.
**“You should have chosen someone stronger, Alexander.”**
Another message appeared seconds later.
**“Your brother tried to stop us too.”**
The air in the room went completely still.
Lily slowly looked up.
Alexander’s jaw had tightened again.
But this time—
There was something darker in his eyes.
Something dangerous.
“Alexander,” she whispered.
“Who sent that?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he stared at the phone screen like he was already calculating his next move.
Then a third message appeared.
And this one made Lily’s heart stop.
**“Check the locked room.”**
- Writer
