Chapter 7: The Engagement Announcement
912 Words
I'll pick you up at 7. Wear the ring.
No greeting. No explanation. Just a demand.
Selene smirked, tossing the phone aside. Gideon Dunhaven was as arrogant as ever.
The celebration continued around her, but her mind was already elsewhere.
By tonight, she wouldn't just be known as an actress anymore.
She'd be the fiancée of the most powerful man in the city.
7 PM - The Gala
Outside, the low growl of an engine echoed through the quiet street.
Selene stepped onto the sidewalk and spotted the sleek black Aston Martin idling beneath the streetlights.
Gideon Dunhaven stood beside it, dressed in an immaculate black suit. His piercing ice-blue eyes swept over her, slow and deliberate.
His jaw tensed. Just for a second.
Her dress was designed to make an impression-deep red satin, fitted perfectly to her curves, with a dangerously high slit revealing smooth, endless legs. The plunging neckline left just enough to the imagination, but the effect was undeniable.
Gideon's fingers twitched at his side before he schooled his expression.
"You look the part," he said smoothly.
Selene smirked. "I always do."
Without a word, he opened the door for her, his fingers brushing the small of her back as she slid in.
A simple touch-but it sent a ripple of heat through her spine.
As he got in beside her, the tension thickened. His hand rested on the gear shift, inches from her thigh. He didn't move it. Neither did she.
But she could feel the heat of him, the raw energy simmering beneath his composed exterior.
The gala was already in full swing when they arrived. Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over New York's elite-business tycoons, celebrities, politicians.
The moment Selene stepped out of the car, the flash of cameras hit her.
Of course, they weren't just interested in her.
They were interested in them.
Selene Everly, daughter of the late screen legend Vivienne Everly, and Gideon Dunhaven, heir to a billion-dollar empire.
A scandalous pairing.
Gideon stepped to her side, placing a possessive hand on her waist. He leaned in slightly, murmuring, "Showtime."
Selene tilted her chin up, meeting the stares with the effortless poise of a woman who had been raised in the spotlight.
Whispers followed them inside.
"Who is she?"
"She looks familiar..."
And yet, she held her ground, her smile smooth and unwavering.
Inside, the ballroom shimmered with golden chandeliers and a sea of the city's elite-business moguls, politicians, and celebrities.
But what she wasn't expecting was the storm waiting for them inside.
They barely made it past the entrance before a voice rang out.
"Well, isn't this a surprise?"
Selene turned-and there stood Vanessa Calloway.
Gideon's ex. A business mogul in her own right, but more importantly, the woman who had once been the closest thing he had to a serious relationship.
Vanessa's gaze flickered to Selene's ring, a flash of something dangerous crossing her expression before she smiled.
"I didn't realize you were the marrying type, Gideon," she mused.
Beside Selene, Gideon's grip on her waist tightened. Just for a second.
"Things change," he said smoothly.
Vanessa let out a soft, knowing hum. "Do they?"
Selene barely had time to process the tension before another voice cut in.
"Congratulations, brother," Nathaniel "Nate" Dunhaven drawled, stepping into the circle.
Gideon's younger half-brother. Charismatic, charming, and too smart for his own good.
But his smirk wasn't entirely playful.
His sharp blue gaze flicked to Selene, then back to Gideon.
"So, when's the wedding?"
Selene tensed, but Gideon didn't even blink.
"You'll know when you get the invitation," he said smoothly.
Nate chuckled, shaking his head. "Right. Can't wait."
Selene could feel the doubt in the air.
Vanessa wasn't buying it.
Nate was definitely not buying it.
And Gideon?
He was completely unreadable.
Before the conversation could turn into a full interrogation, Gideon smoothly excused them, leading Selene toward the ballroom.
She leaned in. "They don't believe us."
His lips barely moved as he whispered back, "They don't have to."
Selene gritted her teeth. If they didn't sell this, the entire deal could fall apart.
And then-the microphone clicked on.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the host announced. "Please welcome our esteemed CEO, Mr. Gideon Dunhaven."
Applause filled the ballroom as Gideon stepped onto the stage.
Selene stayed back, watching as the man who never lost control commanded the entire room's attention.
Then-his eyes found hers.
And then, his next words sent the entire gala into chaos.
"Before we continue tonight's celebration, I have an announcement to make."
The room hushed.
His voice was smooth, confident. "I'd like to introduce you all to my fiancée, Selene Everly."
A collective gasp.
Selene's breath caught as every head turned toward her.
Whispers, murmurs-shock.
Gideon extended a hand toward her.
Selene didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, sliding her hand into his.
She barely had time to react before Gideon pulled her flush against him-and kissed her.
It wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet.
It was a statement. A claim. A warning.
His lips moved against hers with slow, calculated intensity, just enough to convince the world-but there was something else.
Something undeniable.
Heat licked down her spine as his fingers pressed into her lower back, keeping her against him for a second longer than necessary.
And when he finally pulled away-Selene wasn't sure if she was still acting anymore.
Because the look in Gideon's glacier-blue eyes was no longer just for show.
It was real.
And that terrified her.
- Writer
