DON'T FALL FOR THE ENEMY

CHAPTER 05

ELENA

I walked through the front door of the Vancourt mansion and kicked off my heels immediately, my legs aching from a twelve-hour day of back-to-back meetings. My feet were swollen and my head was pounding, and all I wanted was to go upstairs and crawl into bed. I didn't even make it to the stairs before I saw Victor and Beatrice, standing in the formal living room, their faces stiff and serious, and my stomach dropped.

"Elena, sit down," Victor said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I'm tired, Victor. Can this wait?" I asked, trying to keep moving.

"No, it cannot," Beatrice snapped, stepping into my path. "We know about the proposal. We know Killian Thorne asked you to marry him."

I froze, my hand gripping the banister. My heart started to race, and a cold sweat broke out across my skin. "How do you know that? Were you following me?"

"It doesn't matter how we know," Victor dismissed, walking toward me. "What matters is that you are going to say yes. You are going to marry him, and you are going to do it as soon as possible."

I stared at him, completely shocked. Just yesterday they were calling me a slut and telling me I was ruining the family name by being seen with him. Now they were ordering me to become his wife.

"I don't understand," I said, my voice shaking. "You told me he was a nobody. You said you didn't want me near him. What changed?"

"We did some research," Beatrice said, her eyes glinting with a greed she couldn't hide. "Mr. Thorne is far from a nobody. He is exactly what this family needs to secure our future. He has resources that could turn Vancourt Tech into a global empire overnight."

"So you're selling me?" I laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You're forcing me to marry a man because he's rich? I told him I needed time to think. I’m not someone you can just move around."

Victor’s face turned a deep shade of red, and he stepped closer until he was looming over me. "Listen to me, you ungrateful girl. You will marry Killian Thorne, or I will liquidate your startup by Monday morning. I will strip your name from every patent, I will fire every employee you’ve hired, and I will leave you with nothing. Do you understand me? You either secure this alliance, or you are out on the street."

I looked at Beatrice, but she just adjusted her pearls and looked away. I loved Killian, and I wanted to believe his intentions were as pure as the flowers he sent me every morning. If I married him, I’d be escaping the Vancourts and saving my company at the same time. It felt like the only way out.

"Fine," I whispered, my voice sounding hollow. "I'll do it."

*

The wedding happened three weeks later, and it was the most expensive event I had ever seen. The Vancourts spared no expense because it wasn't a wedding to them; it was a profit. I stood in front of the mirror in my dressing room, wearing a lace gown. I looked beautiful, but I wasn't feeling as great as I thought I should.

I walked down the aisle on Victor’s arm, my legs trembling with every step. When I reached the altar, Killian was waiting. He looked devastating in a black tuxedo, his expression unreadable behind that cold, handsome face. He took my hand, and his grip was firm.

"You look beautiful, Elena," he murmured.

When the priest finally told him he could kiss the bride, Killian leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't the passionate kiss from the elevator. It was rather brief, and it sent a strange shiver of doubt through me.

By the time we reached the bridal suite of the hotel that night, I was exhausted and nervous. The reality of what I had done was finally sinking in. I was married to a man I barely knew. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, still in my dress, when Killian walked in. He had already taken off his jacket and loosened his tie.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, not looking at me.

He tossed his phone onto the nightstand and disappeared into the bathroom. I sat there for a moment, listening to the sound of the water, and that was when his phone lit up. I didn't mean to look, but the screen was bright in the dim room. A message popped up from a name I didn't recognize.

‘We found out something about her. We need to talk now.’

My heart stopped. About her? Who was "her"? Was he talking about me? I reached out and picked up the phone, my fingers hovering over the screen. Before I could do anything, the bathroom door opened and Killian stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist.

He saw me holding the phone and his face darkened instantly. He walked over and snatched it out of my hand, his eyes scanning the message. He looked annoyed, his jaw ticking as he typed a quick response.

"Who is that?" I asked, my voice small. "Who are they talking about, Killian?"

"It's business, Elena. Don't worry about it," he said, his voice cold.

He didn't look at me again. He grabbed a shirt and a pair of trousers and started getting dressed.

"Where are you going?" I asked, standing up. "It's our wedding night."

"Something came up," he said, his tone flat. "Go to sleep. I'll be back late."

He walked out of the room without another word, leaving me standing there in my wedding dress. I felt a cold knot form in my stomach. I looked at the closed door and then at the diamond bracelet on my wrist. I felt conflicted, stuck between the man who had showered me with flowers and the man who had just walked out on me.

TWO YEARS LATER

I stood in the middle of our massive living room in the penthouse, staring down the rain hitting the windows. Two years had passed, and I felt like a ghost in my own home. Killian was never here, and when he was, we acted like strangers. The flowers had stopped a long time ago. The secret dinners were replaced by silent meals where the only sound was the clinking of silverware.

I heard the front door open, and a moment later, Killian walked in. He looked tired, his coat damp from the rain. He didn't say hello. He just headed for the bar to pour himself a drink.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice steady.

He didn't turn around. "I've had a long day, Elena. Not now."

"Now," I insisted, walking toward him.

He finally turned, his dark eyes meeting mine. He looked at me with that same cold indifference he had used for two years. "What is it?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a manila envelope, tossing it onto the bar beside his drink.

"What's this?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"The papers," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I'm done being your wife, Killian.”

He looked at the envelope, then back at me. A flash of something that looked like surprise crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same icy mask.

"Elena….”

"Don't," I interrupted and took a deep breath. "Killian, I want a divorce.”