Chapter 6: The Rules of the Game

I shut the bedroom door behind me, leaning against it for a moment.

My mind was still reeling.

Leon had murmured my name in his sleep.

Why?

The question wouldn’t leave me alone, circling like a vulture. I had stood there for too long, watching him, listening to the way my name had slipped from his lips. It hadn’t been forceful. Hadn’t been commanding. It had been soft. Almost… familiar.

And that terrified me.

Because I didn’t know what it meant.

My fingers curled into the fabric of my robe as I exhaled, pushing myself away from the door. I didn’t have time for this. I wasn’t going to stand here, dissecting the meaning behind something Leon would never admit to.

It didn’t change anything.

By morning, he would be the same.

Distant. Cold. Unreadable.

And I would be a fool to think otherwise.

At Breakfast

The dining room was quiet except for the faint clinking of silverware.

I lifted my coffee cup, watching Leon over the rim. He was always composed, always in control, but this morning, there was something different about him. A certain steel in his posture, a sharpness in his eyes that told me whatever was coming next wouldn’t be pleasant.

I set the cup down. “Alright. I’m listening.”

Leon leaned back in his chair, assessing me. “There are rules, Eva.”

A flicker of amusement curled at the edge of my lips. “Rules?”

“Yes.” His tone was even, but there was an undercurrent of something more. “If we’re going to survive this arrangement, you need to understand them.”

“Survive,” I repeated, arching a brow. “Sounds ominous.”

Leon didn’t smile.

I sighed, bracing myself. “Go on, then.”

He set his fork down and rested his elbows on the table. His eyes locked onto mine, unrelenting. “Appearances matter. We need to be the perfect couple—affectionate, unbreakable, in sync.”

A strange tightness settled in my stomach.

Leon continued. “My enemies are always watching. They’ll be looking for any weakness, any crack in the façade. If they find one, they’ll use it.”

I swallowed. This was the world I had married into—a world of power, deception, and silent wars.

“You must never trust anyone but me,” Leon said.

I frowned. “That’s a bit dramatic.”

“I’m not joking.” His voice was firm, final. “Anyone—friends, staff, business associates—could have their own agenda. Trust no one but me, Eva.”

I held his gaze, trying to read between the lines. Was this a warning? Or a test?

“And the last rule?” I asked.

Leon’s jaw tightened.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then—

“You can never fall for me.”

Silence stretched between us.

I let out a slow breath, tilting my head. “Confident, aren’t you?”

His lips twitched at that, but his eyes remained serious.

“I mean it,” he said. “This is an arrangement. Nothing more.”

My fingers curled around the edge of my napkin.

For some reason, the words stung.

But I schooled my expression, refusing to let him see any reaction.

Instead, I met his gaze, steady and unreadable.

“Perfectly,” I said.

Leon studied me for a long moment. Whatever he was looking for, he didn’t find it.

He nodded once, then picked up his coffee.

The conversation was over.

But I had the distinct feeling that the real test hadn’t even begun.

The next morning, I woke up to a sharp buzzing sound.

I groaned, reaching blindly for my phone on the nightstand. My eyes were still heavy with sleep, but the moment I saw the notification on my screen, everything inside me went cold.

BREAKING NEWS: LEON CASTELLO’S NEW WIFE – JUST ANOTHER PAWN?

I sat up, my heart slamming against my ribs.

I clicked on the article, fingers trembling.

And there it was.

Daniel.

His name stood out like a dagger in the text.

My breath caught as I scanned the statement he had given to the press.

"I only want what’s best for Eva. This marriage happened too fast. I just hope she hasn’t been manipulated into something dangerous."

My stomach churned.

Damn it, Daniel.

This was bad.

A tightness wrapped around my chest as I scrolled further. The article speculated on my relationship with Leon, questioning whether I was just a pawn in a bigger game. It hinted at Leon’s business dealings, his ruthless reputation. Some sources even suggested that I might be in danger.

And thanks to Daniel’s statement, the entire world now had an excuse to pry into our lives.

A shadow fell over me.

My head snapped up—Leon stood at the edge of the bed, his phone in hand, his expression unreadable.

He had seen it too.

His voice, when he spoke, was dangerously calm.

“Well,” he said, “that didn’t take long.”

My pulse pounded. I knew that tone.

I was in trouble.

Leon slipped his phone into his pocket and tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he had yet to solve.

“Tell me, Eva.” His voice was smooth, but there was an edge beneath it. “Did you know this was going to happen?”

My heart stuttered.

“No,” I said quickly. “Of course not.”

Leon hummed, his gaze never wavering. “You’re sure?”

I met his eyes. “I didn’t ask him to do this.”

A tense silence stretched between us.

Then, Leon sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

He turned, grabbing his suit jacket from the chair.

I frowned. “Where are you going?”

Leon glanced back at me, his expression unreadable.

“Damage control.”

My stomach twisted.

I wanted to ask what that meant. What he was going to do.

But before I could, Leon was already walking toward the door.

He paused just before stepping out, his voice quiet but firm.

“I hope you’re ready, Eva,” he murmured. “Because the real game starts now.”

Then he was gone.

I sat frozen, gripping my phone.

Outside, the world was already buzzing.

The headline burned into my vision.

My past and my present had just collided—and now, there was no turning back.