Chapter 4: Dinner with the Devil
925 Words
Lena stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection like she didn’t recognize the person looking back.
Mrs. Blackwood.
The name echoed again.
She hated how quickly it was starting to feel real.
The dress laid out for her was elegant—too elegant. A deep black silk gown that hugged her figure perfectly. It wasn’t hers. Nothing in this house was.
“This is not my life,” she muttered, gripping the edge of the dresser.
But when she thought about her mother lying in that hospital bed…
She exhaled slowly.
“This is temporary.”
A lie she needed to believe.
When Lena stepped into the dining hall, her footsteps felt too loud in the silence.
The room was massive. A long table stretched across it, set perfectly for two.
At the head of the table sat Adrian.
Waiting.
Watching.
“You’re late,” he said calmly, lifting his glass.
Lena rolled her eyes as she walked toward him. “It’s been five minutes.”
“In my world,” he replied, “that’s late.”
“Well, in my world, people don’t time how long it takes to breathe.”
A pause.
Then—
A faint smirk.
“You’ll adjust.”
“I doubt that.”
She sat down across from him, keeping as much distance as possible.
Immediately, staff began serving food—perfectly plated dishes that looked too expensive to even touch.
Lena hesitated.
“Eat,” Adrian said.
“You don’t have to order me around every second.”
“And you don’t have to resist everything I say.”
Their eyes met.
Clash.
Fire.
Tension.
Lena picked up her fork.
“Fine.”
For a moment, they ate in silence.
But it wasn’t peaceful.
It was heavy. Like something was waiting to explode.
“You’re staring,” Lena said without looking up.
“I’m observing.”
“That’s creepy.”
“That’s necessary.”
She dropped her fork, finally looking at him. “For what?”
Adrian leaned back slightly, his gaze steady.
“To understand how convincing you’ll be.”
Her brows furrowed. “Convincing?”
“Yes,” he said. “Tomorrow night, we attend a gala.”
Lena blinked. “Already?”
“Yes.”
“I just got here.”
“And you’re already my wife.”
Her chest tightened.
“This is too fast.”
“That’s the point.”
Lena shook her head. “No, this is insane. I don’t even know how to act around you.”
Adrian leaned forward slightly.
“Then learn.”
His voice dropped.
“Because tomorrow… every powerful person in this city will be watching us.”
Her stomach twisted.
“What happens if I mess up?”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Then—
“You won’t.”
That wasn’t reassurance.
That was pressure.
“Who will be there?” Lena asked after a moment.
“Business partners. Rivals. People who would love to see me fail.”
“And now I’m part of that?”
“Yes.”
Lena let out a breath. “Great. No pressure.”
Adrian studied her for a second longer.
Then—
“They’ll test you.”
Her heart skipped.
“What do you mean?”
“They’ll ask questions. Personal ones. About us.”
Lena’s grip tightened on her fork.
“But there is no ‘us.’”
Adrian’s gaze darkened slightly.
“There is now.”
Silence.
“Then maybe you should tell me something real,” she said. “So I don’t embarrass you.”
A pause.
Adrian set his glass down slowly.
“We met,” he began, his voice controlled, “at a charity event.”
“That’s already a lie.”
“It’s a story.”
“There’s a difference.”
He ignored that.
“You were different. Not impressed by money. Not intimidated.”
Lena let out a small scoff. “You just described someone who clearly hasn’t met you.”
Another flicker of something crossed his face.
Gone too quickly.
“I pursued you,” he continued. “You resisted.”
“That part sounds believable.”
“And eventually… you agreed.”
Lena tilted her head. “To marry you? That fast?”
Adrian’s lips curved slightly.
“People believe what they want to believe.”
That sent a strange feeling through her.
“Why do I feel like this isn’t just about the gala?” she asked quietly.
Because it wasn’t.
She could feel it.
Something bigger was at play.
Adrian didn’t answer.
Instead, he changed the subject.
“You’ll need to learn quickly.”
“I’m not your project.”
“No,” he said calmly.
“You’re my responsibility.”
The words hit differently.
Too heavy.
Too personal.
Lena looked away.
“I didn’t ask for that.”
“No,” Adrian said quietly.
“You didn’t.”
Dinner ended in silence.
But the tension didn’t.
As Lena stood to leave, Adrian’s voice stopped her.
“Lena.”
She turned slowly.
“What?”
His gaze locked onto hers.
“For tomorrow… stay close to me.”
Her heart skipped.
“Why?”
A pause.
Then—
“Because not everyone in that room is harmless.”
A chill ran through her.
“Are you saying I’m in danger?”
Adrian didn’t answer directly.
“You’re with me now,” he said instead.
“That makes you a target.”
Her breath caught.
This wasn’t just a fake marriage anymore.
This was something else.
Something dangerous.
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