Mr.Bride

Gilded Cage

The black sports car finally pulled up the long, winding driveway of the Sterling estate. The second Adrian shifted into park, he let go of my leg.

My skin throbbed where his fingers had been. I bet there’d be a bruise there by tomorrow morning.

“Smile, Ethan,” Adrian murmured, lazily checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Your bride is waiting.”

Before I could even give him the middle finger, the passenger door flew open.

“Ethan! You’re finally here!”

Selena stood there, glowing in a summer dress. Before I could even untangle my legs from the low sports car, she threw her arms around my neck.

I froze for a second, my hands hovering in the air. Right. Act normal. I forced my arms down and gave her a stiff pat on the back. Over her shoulder, I could see Adrian leaning against the hood of the car. He crossed his arms, tracking my every movement with those dead, mocking eyes.

“I missed you,” Selena said, pulling back with a massive smile. “Come on, let me show you your room. I spent all morning helping the maids set it up!”

The Sterling mansion inside was like a high-end museum where you weren't allowed to touch anything. Everything was white marble, gold trim, and smelled like beeswax polish.

Selena led me upstairs to a massive bedroom at the end of the hall. It had a king-sized bed, a balcony, and a flat-screen TV bigger than my entire living room back home.

“Since we aren't officially married yet, Father insisted we stay in separate rooms,” Selena explained, bouncing on her heels. “But look!”

She pointed to a heavy, dark wooden door in the corner of my room.

“That connects directly to Adrian’s suite,” she said, completely oblivious. “Father wanted the family wing close together, and your bathroom shares the plumbing with his. Isn't that convenient? If you ever need anything, my brother is right there!”

My jaw almost hit the floor. Convenient? It was a literal death trap.

I stared at the wooden door. There was a lock on my side, sure, but it didn’t look strong. The man who had just threatened my best friend and groped me in a sports car was sleeping right on the other side of a piece of wood. I was going to sleep with one eye open for the rest of my life.

“Yeah,” I choked out, forcing a miserable smile. “Super convenient.”

Later that evening, Mr. Sterling and Adrian had to leave for some late-night emergency board meeting. The second that front door closed behind them, I felt like I could finally take a full breath of air.

Selena and I ended up having dinner alone in the massive dining hall. Without the terrifying presence of our fathers or Adrian, the vibe became... nice.

“I’m really glad it’s you, Ethan,” Selena said, swirling a strawberry around in her dessert bowl. She looked up at me, her eyes bright and genuine. “When Father told me about the arrangement, I thought I’d be married off to some arrogant, ninety-year-old businessman. But you're... different. You're quiet. And gentle.”

A cold, heavy weight dropped straight into my gut. She was so innocent. She had no idea her dad was a corporate shark, my dad was a bankrupt fraud, and her future husband was secretly gay.

“I just... I have this really strong feeling, Ethan,” she continued, leaning forward across the table, her cheeks turning a little pink. “I really think this is true love. Like, the kind you read about. I can see it happening for us in real life. I really can.”

I almost choked on my water. True love?

My inner voice was screaming. Please don't say that. Don't make this harder than it already is. I felt like the biggest villain in a movie. She was looking at me like I was her prince charming, and I was just trying not to get murdered by her brother.

“Selena,” I started, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat, trying to sound like a normal, decent human being. “I... I promise I’ll take care of you. I’ll do my best to make you happy.”

It was the only honest thing I could say.

By 2:00 AM, I was a complete disaster.

I was tossing and turning in the massive king-sized bed, the silk sheets tangled around my legs. The house was way too quiet. Every time the house creaked, my eyes snapped open, darting toward that stupid connecting door in the corner.

Whoosh.

My whole body shrunk.

The lock on the connecting door turned. Slowly, the heavy wood swung open, revealing the dark silhouette of a tall man standing in the frame.

I scrambled backward against the headboard, dragging the duvet up to my chest like a shield. “What the hell are you doing? Get out!” I hissed, keeping my voice down so I wouldn't wake the entire house.

Adrian didn't care. He was wearing a loose black silk robe.He walked over to the side of my bed, his long shadow blocking out the moonlight.

He didn't touch me. Instead, he reached into his pocket and tossed a small, heavy velvet box onto my lap.

I opened the lid. Inside was a blinding diamond ring.

“Tomorrow morning at breakfast, you're going to propose to my sister,” Adrian said in a low tone.

I glared up at him through the dark, my fingers gripping the velvet box tight. “You’re crazy.”

Adrian leaned down, bending over the edge of the bed until his face was inches from mine. I could smell the faint scent of whiskey on his breath.

“Make it romantic, little sheep,” Adrian murmured, his voice vibrating in the quiet room. “And while you're sliding that ring onto her finger in front of our fathers... I want you to remember whose hand was on your thigh today.”