ChapterThree
1323 Words
(Jane Blackwood – POV)
I wake up to a mixture of sounds. Tomville never really sleeps—it just changes tempo. I stand close to my window, and watch the city—glass-towered buildings, the sound of car horns in traffic, and the smell of earth.
I’ve lost thought of where I am. Then I see the mark on my wrist, gleaming under my skin. The memories now flood me—headlights, the crash, his voice.
Jacob Curry.
The thought of him makes me want to smash the window. He is a weird man. He is hiding something that I can’t seem to figure out—something wild or maybe dangerous.
I take a stroll around my suite. It’s much bigger than my entire apartment—gold-plated seats, a wall of windows overlooking the city. There’s even a tray with breakfast waiting with steam curling off a cup of coffee.
I take a sip, and it tastes bitter and expensive like everything here.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My face is pale, my hair tangled from sleep, and goosebumps all over my body.
The elevator door chimes, then I hear a knock at my door.
I hesitate. “Come in?”
A woman in a tailored suit walks in with a digital tablet and a folder in hand. She looks like she could drain your soul without flinching.
“Miss Blackwood?”
“Yes?”
“My name is Rose Becks, Mr. Curry’s executive assistant. I’m here to see you through your…orientation.”
Orientation. What a polite word for whatever this is.
She studies me for a while, then gestures toward a wardrobe near the wall. “The boss expects you to be ready for training by nine. You’ll find suitable attire there.”
I open the wardrobe, and I see things that don’t belong to me—dresses, heels, and jewelry.
“Please be specific about what I’m training for.”
“To act the part,” she says. “You’ll be going to a charity gala as Mr. Curry’s fiancée this weekend. You’ll need to learn posture, diction, etiquette, and composure.”
I blink. “That’s in three days.”
“You’ll have to adapt, Miss Blackwood. Don’t embarrass him,” she replies with a wicked smile.
I leave my response in my mind. I can’t afford pride when my Mum’s life is being used as collateral.
She hands me the folder. “Go through this. It contains your relationship timeline, background, and family. You met the boss at a charity auction, and you’ve been together for eight months. Engaged privately three weeks ago.”
“Great,” I whisper, while flipping through. “This is unbelievable.”
Rose smirks. “You’d be surprised how easily people believe what they want to.”
After she leaves, I pull one of the dresses—diamond-infused—and slip it on. The mirror reflects a stranger.
What I see is a woman who looks like she somehow belongs in Jacob Curry’s world.
The elevator opens directly onto his private floor.
Jacob is standing by the window with his hands in his pockets. He turns.
“You’re not messing around, right on time, huh?”
“They said you hate being kept waiting,” I reply, trying to sound bold.
He locks eyes with me—my heart skips a beat.
“Walk,” he says.
“What?”
He gestures to the open space in front of his desk. “I want to see how the fiancée of a billionaire walks.”
I blink. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” he replies.
I roll my eyes but move anyway. The sound of my heels echoes through the room. My steps wobble, my shoulders remain stiff.
“Stop,” he orders. “You walk like you owe someone money.”
I turn and face him. “Maybe because I do.”
His eyes squint, and he clenches his jaw, but not in anger. “You got something else to say?” he asks.
I open my mouth, but words elude me.
“Better,” he murmurs. “Pretending to be confident won't get you anywhere. If you have to pretend to be confident, then you must do it in a manner that makes everyone believe and fear you.”
His voice sends a strange shiver down my spine.
He steps closer—too close. The scent of his cologne fills the air—expensive, and sharp.
“I make you nervous, don’t I?” he whispers.
“Yes,” I answer before I could hold my answer to myself.
Then he leans forward. “Good, that means you're paying attention.”
Silence fills the room for a moment. I can hear the city buzzing.
Then I hear his phone vibrate. He steps away from me, and answers in a cold tone, “It’s Curry.”
I pretend to study the room, while trying to eavesdrop. I hear numbers, investors, words that I hardly come across.
When he hangs up, I ask in a low tone, “Do you ever stop working?”
He stares for a moment. “Do you?”
I huff out a small laugh. “Touché.”
His expression shifts a bit, then he gets soft again.
“Our first outing is this weekend,” he says, back to business. “Until then, shadow me. Press events, calls, board meetings, and facial expressions. Just watch and learn, and stay silent until you're asked to speak.”
“And if someone asks about us?”
“You give them a smile, touch my arm, and look like you're in love.”
I clench my fist, then I release it. “That's easy.”
“Since it's already settled, I'll have Rose arrange your access card. You'll live here, move with my security detail. And lastly, no late-night wandering.”
“So I'm your prisoner and employee at the same time?” I ask.
“Yeah, until you pay your debt in full,” he replies.
Before I can raise a question, the door opens, and Luca steps in.
“We’ve got someone downstairs asking for Miss Blackwood,” he says.
My heart skips a beat. “Who?”
“A guy. Says he’s your boyfriend.”
Jacob’s fists ball, and his jaw clenches. “Take care of it.”
Luca hesitates. “He’s got photos to prove it.”
Sweat trickles down my face, and my breath catches.
Jacob turns to me. “Is he telling the truth?”
I shake my head. “I don’t— I don’t know who that is.”
But my voice trembles. Because I do know.
It's my ex, Liam. He vanished when the debts got too heavy.
Jacob studies me with an unreadable gaze. He presses a button, and Rose walks in almost in an instant.
“Take Miss Blackwood to the lower conference room. I'm going to take care of this with Luca.”
“No,” I blurt out. “He’s harmless. Let me talk to him.”
Jacob’s reply turns cold. “Remember that you don't get to talk to anyone without my approval.”
Rage fills me. “You don't own me!”
Silence guts the room. He steps forward, with a low and dangerous voice. “I don't just own you, I control you. I decide what you do. Don't undermine my leniency.”
Then he turns to Luca. “I’ll go alone, make sure she stays put.”
The door slams behind him.
I stand there, shaking. The mark on my wrist glows, but it's faint.
Rose turns to me. “Learn to know when to provoke the Alpha.”
“What’s an Alpha?” but she's gone before I can get an answer.
I hear the sound again—another howl.
It's closer, and it's as if it's calling my name.
- Writer
