Chapter 2: Rules of the Game
1558 Words
Aria woke up because of the cold.
The guest room was dark, the AC blasting too high. The thick blanket covering her felt foreign against her skin. Not the worn, thin blanket from her cramped apartment. This was silk. Expensive. Cold against her skin.
She sat up slowly, her head still heavy. Last night felt like a nightmare. But when her eyes fell on the large wooden door locked from the outside, reality slapped her hard.
She wasn’t home.
She was in Adrian Blackwood’s gilded cage.
Aria slipped out of bed. Her feet still stung from running last night. She walked to the door and turned the handle. Locked. Just as she expected.
“Great,” she muttered quietly. “Even the guest room is like a prison.”
She sighed, trying to calm herself. Panicking wouldn’t get her out of here. What she needed now was information. A way out. A way to protect her father. And a way to avoid being destroyed by Adrian.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Mistress Blackwood, breakfast is ready,” a woman’s voice came from outside. A maid, probably.
Aria didn’t answer. She didn’t feel like anyone’s “Mistress Blackwood.”
The door opened. A middle-aged woman entered, carrying a tray. She bowed politely. “Mr. Adrian ordered me to help you get ready. There’s an important meeting this afternoon.”
“What meeting?” Aria asked sharply.
The woman lifted her face slightly. “The launch event for Blackwood Corp’s new project. You’ll be attending as Mr. Adrian’s wife.”
So that was it. The show started fast.
Aria clenched her fists. “I’m not going.”
The maid only smiled faintly, like she’d heard that a thousand times before. “Mr. Adrian doesn’t like being ignored, Miss. Please, take a bath. I’ve prepared clothes for you in the bathroom.”
The door closed again. Aria was left alone with boiling anger in her chest.
---
Thirty minutes later, Aria stood in front of the large bathroom mirror.
A black knee-length dress lay on the bed. Elegant, expensive, and clearly chosen to cover her body without looking vulgar. Beside it were low heels, simple jewelry, and makeup already laid out.
Adrian was detailed. Annoying.
Aria stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, her hair a mess, but her expression was hard. She wouldn’t let that man destroy her.
She took a quick shower, forcing herself into the dress. It felt like wearing a hostage’s costume.
When she came out, the maid was already waiting. “Mr. Adrian is waiting in the dining room.”
The dining room was huge, the long table could seat twelve people. But only one person was sitting there.
Adrian.
He’d changed into a gray suit, his hair neat, his face as calm as a lake. But his eyes… his eyes locked onto Aria the moment she entered.
He stood up. “You’re seven minutes late.”
Aria sat at the farthest end of the table from him. “I’m not your employee. I don’t need to be on time.”
Adrian didn’t get angry. He even smiled a little. “You’re my wife now. You represent my name. Your lateness is my lateness.”
“Then fire me.”
“I don’t fire what I own, Aria.” His voice was low, flat, but there was a threat in it.
The maid started serving food. Aria didn’t touch it. Her stomach felt nauseous.
Adrian noticed. “Eat. You’ll need the energy today.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Good. Because if you faint in front of my guests, it would be embarrassing.”
Aria looked up. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You picked today so I couldn’t run.”
Adrian put down his fork. “I never do anything without a reason, Aria. Did you think I’d give you time to think? To escape?”
He stood, walking around the table, stopping behind Aria’s chair. He didn’t touch her. But his closeness made Aria hold her breath.
“The rules are simple,” he whispered. “In public, you’re my perfect wife. Obedient, elegant, no trouble. Behind closed doors, you stay here. You don’t go out without my permission. You don’t contact anyone without my supervision.”
Aria turned, staring at him fiercely. “And if I refuse?”
Adrian smiled. That smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Your father’s video will be uploaded to twenty different sites. In ten minutes, the whole world will know where he is.”
Aria’s blood froze.
“You’re… a bastard.”
“Yes,” Adrian admitted casually. “But I’m a bastard who can protect him. The choice is in your hands.”
He moved back to his seat. “Eat. We leave in twenty minutes.”
---
The launch event was held at a five-star hotel downtown.
The moment the car stopped, dozens of cameras turned toward them. Flashes went off nonstop. Reporters shouted Adrian’s name.
The car door opened. Adrian got out first, then extended his hand to Aria.
Aria stared at that hand like it was a venomous snake.
“Don’t make a scene, Aria,” Adrian’s voice was only loud enough for her to hear. “Smile.”
With gritted teeth, Aria placed her hand on Adrian’s arm. She was forced out, forced to smile, forced to pretend this was normal.
“Adrian! Who’s the beautiful woman beside you?”
“Is this your new fiancée, Mr. Blackwood?”
“When was the wedding announced?”
Adrian didn’t answer the questions. He just wrapped an arm around Aria’s waist, pulling her closer. That small action made Aria want to throw up.
“Meet Mrs. Blackwood,” he said to the reporters, his voice calm, proud, possessive. “My wife.”
That word exploded in Aria’s head like a bomb.
My wife.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to push Adrian away and run. But she knew, one wrong move, and her father would pay for it.
They entered the ballroom. The room was full of businessmen, celebrities, politicians. Everyone stared at them. Everyone whispered.
Aria felt like an animal in a zoo.
Adrian whispered in her ear. “See? Easy, right? Smile more.”
Aria forced her smile wider. Her eyes were cold.
Throughout the event, Adrian didn’t let her go. He introduced Aria to every important person. He held her, held her hand, making sure everyone knew she belonged to him.
Every touch from Adrian felt like a shackle.
When it was time for Adrian’s speech, he brought Aria up on stage. In front of hundreds of people, he kissed her forehead.
Cameras exploded.
Aria froze. She wasn’t ready for that. Her heart raced not from nervousness, but from anger.
After the speech, an older woman approached them. Mrs. Hartono, one of Blackwood Corp’s biggest investors.
“Mistress Blackwood,” the woman smiled kindly at Aria. “You’re very beautiful. Adrian is lucky.”
Aria opened her mouth to answer. But before she could say anything, Adrian spoke first.
“She is mine, Mrs. Hartono,” he said. His hand squeezed Aria’s waist a little harder. “And I don’t like sharing.”
Mrs. Hartono laughed awkwardly. Aria could only manage a stiff smile.
That night felt like hell.
---
At 11 PM, they went home.
The moment the penthouse door closed, Aria’s mask shattered.
She pulled her hand away from Adrian’s roughly. “Never touch me like that in public again!”
Adrian took off his jacket, tossing it onto the sofa. He didn’t look tired at all. “You did well.”
“Well? I felt like an expensive escort you were showing off!”
Adrian stepped closer. “Watch your words, Aria. You’re speaking to your husband.”
“Fake husband!” Aria shouted. “This is all fake! You forced me!”
Adrian stopped in front of her. His height made Aria have to look up. His shadow covered her entire body.
“Do you think I care if it’s fake or not?” his voice was low, dangerous. “What matters now is that you’re mine. On paper, in the eyes of the law, and in the eyes of the world.”
Aria stared at him, her chest heaving with anger. “You’re crazy. You’re obsessive.”
“Yes,” Adrian admitted without hesitation. “I’m obsessive about what I own. And you, Aria Bennett, are mine.”
He raised his hand, touching Aria’s cheek with the back of his fingers. The touch was light, but it made Aria’s skin crawl.
“Stop fighting. The more you fight, the worse it gets.”
Aria slapped his hand away. “I’ll never be yours.”
“We’ll see,” Adrian whispered. He stepped back one pace. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll learn the rules. And trust me, I’m not a patient husband.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Aria standing alone in the middle of the cold living room.
That night, Aria couldn’t sleep again.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about her father, thinking about her future that had just been sold.
Adrian Blackwood wanted to play with her.
But Aria vowed, she wouldn’t be an easy pawn to control.
This game had just begun.
- Writer
