IN DEVIL'S GRIP

Chapter five The Heir's Price

The day passed slowly. Kellan tried to remain calm and friendly with Lyra as much as possible, but mandatory work meetings in the office kept him away for hours.

Lyra felt the need for calm, so she took a warm bath, hoping it would soothe her frayed nerves.

Lyra emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and as she approached the bed, she saw something on the floor that hadn't been there before.

It was a carefully folded piece of paper, placed right near the bathroom door. Lyra didn't hesitate to pick it up.

Her hands froze when she opened it.

It wasn't a written message, but a small, high-quality photograph, showing Lyra wearing revealing nightwear, a fake smile painted on her lips, and in the arms of someone in bed.

The shock was seismic. How did he get these pictures? Who was taking photos of her in someone's arms in bed? Could her mother have done that? Impossible, she couldn't have! Her mother only forced her to sleep with clients for money, but she couldn't have photographed her!

It seemed Evan was not threatening her with words, but with her entire past. He had acquired the proof.

Lyra snatched the photo with a trembling hand, tore it into small pieces, then rushed to the bathroom wastebasket and burned it with an old lighter she had left with some personal belongings. She watched the edge of the photo being consumed by fire, and the fear doubled in her chest. If Kellan saw this photo, if he knew her past... everything would collapse. He would confirm she was no different from her mother, that she was a "night girl" like her. She would lose him and lose his love.

Suddenly, she heard the door open. Lyra rushed to the dressing room to put on her clothes.

It was Kellan. He had returned early because he couldn't concentrate in the meeting.

Kellan saw the room filled with a faint smell of smoke. Lyra emerged from the dressing room, fully clothed, water droplets falling from her hair. Kellan saw her standing in the middle of the room, her eyes wide with terror, her hands slightly black from the ash.

"Lyra! What happened? What is this smell?" Kellan asked impulsively, searching for her.

She was trying hard to smile, but her eyes lied. She said, "Nothing. Just... just an old candle. It suddenly went out..." Lyra lied, knowing the lie was weak, but it was the only way to keep her secret.

Kellan grabbed her arms with extreme anxiety. "What are you burning? Where is the smoke? Tell me what's wrong?"

Lyra looked at him, then at the glass sideboard in the corner, and said in a decisive tone: "Please, Kellan. I'm fine. Just leave me alone now. Please, I want to be by myself."

Her terrified look, and her sudden request for distance, aroused a vague anger in Kellan's soul. He was genuinely trying to protect her. But he sighed deeply, and his confession of love prevented him from pressuring her further.

"Fine, Lyra. I will leave."

Kellan left the room, abandoning Lyra to the pressure of her new fear, while he now faced the first impenetrable wall Lyra had built between them: the secret she preferred to hide from him rather than ask him for help.

______

After a night of tension and silence between them, Kellan did not return to Lyra as soon as darkness fell. He remained in his office, reviewing papers or perhaps trying to understand the reason for her rejection and her strange request for distance.

The next day, Kellan could not ignore the large family gathering that Grandfather Arthur had prepared to welcome an important investment delegation. Lyra had to attend.

In the evening, the maid entered Lyra's room carrying a dark blue gown and high heels, along with a simple diamond set.

"Mr. Kellan requested you wear this," the maid said cautiously.

Lyra felt the pressure. This dress was a declaration of her new status, and his. She put it on, looking like a pale princess who had just emerged from her tower.

When she arrived at the main reception hall, the room was filled with New York’s wealthy elite and some members of the Pierce family. Kellan was waiting for her. The moment he saw her, all traces of anger and frustration vanished from his face.

Kellan extended his hand to her confidently, and everyone's eyes were on them. "You look magnificent, Lyra," he whispered to her, a phrase that returned some of her strength.

Lyra took his hand, feeling that this night was not just a party, but a battlefield.

While Kellan was introducing her to Grandfather Arthur, who settled for a forced smile, Lyra felt Evan's presence behind her.

"Lyra!" Evan called out in a friendly voice, but it was slightly too loud. "You look beautiful tonight, although dark blue might seem... dull. You need vibrant colors."

The words struck Lyra like a lightning bolt. It was a direct reference to the vulgar dresses she wore at Karla's parties. Her face flushed, but she remembered she was standing next to Kellan now.

Before Lyra could respond, Kellan intervened immediately. He squeezed her hand lightly and then turned to Evan, his eyes shooting cold sparks.

"I think you are feeling tired, Evan. Lyra doesn't need vibrant colors to attract attention. She is wearing this gown because she is now responsible for this name, and she is by my side. That is more important than any color."

He then turned to Grandfather Arthur and the guests, raising his voice slightly: "Please forgive my brother; he is inexperienced in the etiquette of dealing with... my fiancée."

The entire hall was shocked, including Lyra. Kellan had publicly announced their engagement!

Kellan looked at Lyra, his eyes asking for her forgiveness and pleading for her trust at the same time.

As for Evan, the yellow smile vanished from his face, replaced by suppressed anger, realizing that Kellan had raised the stakes to their highest level. Kellan was no longer just responsible for her; he was now a future husband, and this made the threat of the photos more difficult and far more destructive.

Grandfather Arthur, meanwhile, looked with anger and complete dissatisfaction at Kellan, his eye gleaming with sparks of malice. Grandmother Edith smiled; she had wished for this but hadn't imagined it happening so quickly. And Richard stood with them, his expression showing nothing, but inside he was very happy; he was reassured about Lyra. Kellan was certainly the person Richard trusted most, and now he owned his daughter.

Lyra could not take her eyes off Kellan as they left the reception hall amidst the guests' whispers and the Grandfather's deadly stares. Kellan quickly walked her toward the quiet library, where the glass doors closed behind them.

Lyra pulled away from his hand and took a step back, her eyes filled with tears mixed with shock and gratitude.

"Kellan... what have you done?" she whispered in a voice barely audible. "Your fiancée? You know this isn't real. You are sacrificing... sacrificing so much for me."

Kellan advanced toward her with calm steps, his eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and love that Lyra could not deny.

"I love you, Lyra, and no one matters to me, not even my grandfather. I will stand against him and everyone else for your sake. No one matters to me but you, my darling," he said in a gentle tone as he approached her. He continued: "You are now my future wife, officially linked to me."

"But... why didn't you tell me?"

Kellan sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Because you would have refused. I had no other way."

"And is this truly the best path for you?" Lyra asked, remembering the angry looks directed by Grandfather Arthur.

Before Kellan could answer, the door was opened abruptly. David (the guard) stood on the threshold, obvious worry on his face.

"Sir Kellan, Grandfather Arthur requests to see you immediately in his private office. He looked very angry."

Kellan looked at Lyra, then at the guard. "Fine, tell him I am coming."

Kellan returned his gaze to Lyra, then kissed her hands with love and gentleness and said: "I will go see what he wants. Whatever happens there, I want you to trust every step I take. Remember, you are my fiancée now."

Kellan left, abandoning Lyra alone in the library. Lyra felt like she was in a race against time. She realized that this decision placed Kellan's entire future in jeopardy.

Does he love her enough that he is willing to sacrifice everything for her sake?!

_______

When Kellan arrived, Arthur was standing behind his desk, his hands clasped, surrounded by an aura of icy rage.

"You don't inform me that you are engaged, Kellan," Arthur began with an icy tone, using Kellan's first name with a severity he rarely resorted to. "You broadcast this nonsense to the public, acting like an adolescent child driven by fleeting lust! Have you lost your mind? Did that w***e manage to deceive you just as her mother did with Richard?"

Kellan stood upright before the desk, maintaining his composure despite the storm.

"I made a decision to protect the family, Grandfather," Kellan replied calmly. "There is something you didn't consider when you agreed to keep Lyra within the family: that she will be the heiress to the family and to Richard. Did you think of that, Grandfather? Did you think that she will have a share in the company and in everything, and it's highly possible she will marry and allow the man she marries to manage her share? Then, an outsider will enter our family and management. Don't forget, a girl like Lyra, whose mother is Karla, certainly won't marry someone suitable for our family. It's highly possible she could even bring Karla in as a partner—she is her mother after all! Then, our family's reputation will be on every tongue.

"I did all this to protect our family, Grandfather. You know me well, and you know I can never fall in love with a w***e like her. I am only thinking about tomorrow and what that girl might do."

At this moment, it seems Kellan did not love her as he told her. He is only seeking to protect the family! He is manipulating and deceiving her!

The Grandfather sat down on his chair, deep in thought. Kellan was right; he had considered many things that never crossed his mind. He had saved the family by getting engaged to that girl. My God, how did those consequences never occur to him!

The Grandfather sighed, looked at Kellan, and said: "Forgive me, Kellan, for my impulsiveness. I was afraid you had fallen into the same mistake your uncle made and had come to love her!"

Kellan smiled sarcastically and exclaimed: "Love whom? A girl whose mother is a prostitute (night girl)! Do you think, Grandfather, that I could fall into such a mistake? Even if her morals are clean and she's not like Karla, I can never love her."

At that moment, the door opened, and Evan entered.

Evan said with a manufactured smile: "The engagement is a good decision. The girl is pretty, and she managed to make you fall in love with her, just like her mother did with your uncle. But I hope her morals aren't like her mother's. I hope we don't discover later that her suspicious past holds evidence... that could destroy the family's existence!"

Kellan felt a sharp punch to his stomach. He realized Evan was referring to something specific, something stronger than mere rumors.

Grandfather Arthur looked at Evan, then returned his gaze to Kellan, and said seriously: "My grandson is not like you, Evan; chasing after whores to spend a night with them, nor is he easily deceived like Richard. His marriage to that girl is to protect the family, and I approve of his marriage to her."

Kellan smiled in triumph as he saw shock and shame on Evan's features, who said: "Grandfather, what are you saying! He is going to marry Karla's daughter!"

The Grandfather said calmly: "And what is the problem? Don't forget, Evan, she is his cousin's daughter in the end!"

Then he continued, standing up: "Come on, the guests are waiting for us outside. We are late."

Evan stood aghast, looking at Kellan, who was smiling with triumph and exhilaration. Evan thought: How did Kellan convince his grandfather? How did he trick him into agreeing so easily?! Damn it! Since Kellan was young, he could convince Grandfather of everything, and Kellan has always been the favored one to Grandfather. As for him, he is always the failed older son who can't accomplish anything.