Chapter 6

The moment the Coles left, the tension in the room finally cracked like a thin layer of ice over deep waters. My mother exhaled, brushing imaginary dust from her silk blouse, while my father adjusted the cuffs of his suit. I, however, was still reeling.

Asher Cole was… infuriating.

Arrogant. Calculating.

And now, my fiancé.

I clenched my fists at my sides, still feeling the warmth of his hand lingering on my skin. I should have expected him to be this way—untouchable and unreadable. But something about him unsettled me.

“You handled yourself well,” my mother said softly, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “He’s—well, he’s different from what I imagined.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “That makes two of us.”

“He’s sharp,” my father interjected, his tone neutral. “That’s good. You’ll need to be just as sharp if you’re going to survive in that world.”

Survive?

I turned to face him fully. “You talk about this as if it’s some battle.”

My father’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Because it is.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. There was a weight to them, an unspoken truth lingering between us. Marrying Asher wasn’t just about me—it was about power, influence, and playing a game far bigger than I had imagined.

“I hope you understand what’s expected of you, Anastasia,” my father continued, his tone even but firm. “This is not just a marriage. This is an alliance.”

I swallowed down the frustration bubbling in my throat. “And what about what I want?”

My father met my gaze, his expression unreadable. “What you want is no longer the priority.”

The words stung, but I refused to let them show. This was the life I had chosen the moment I agreed to come back. I had given up the right to complain.

“I need some air,” I muttered, turning before either of them could protest.

I stepped outside, the evening air crisp against my skin. The estate grounds stretched endlessly before me, the neatly trimmed hedges casting long shadows under the dimming sky. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

But, of course, fate had other plans.

“You’re running away already?”

The deep voice sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. I turned sharply, finding Asher leaning against a sleek black car parked near the driveway. The glow of a nearby lantern illuminated his face, casting sharp shadows over his cheekbones.

He had loosened his tie, the top buttons of his shirt undone as if he had already shed the weight of formality.

“I needed air,” I said, crossing my arms. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

His lips twitched. “It is now, fiancée.”

I gritted my teeth. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It’s the truth.”

I exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You really enjoy being annoying, don’t you?”

Asher pushed off the car and took a slow step toward me. “I enjoy a lot of things,” he mused, his voice maddeningly calm. “But right now, I’m just trying to figure out what kind of woman I’m going to be stuck with.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Stuck with?”

He tilted his head, studying me as if I were a particularly fascinating puzzle. “You tell me, Tasia. Do you really want this marriage?”

The question caught me off guard. I expected him to be indifferent, to treat this engagement as another business deal. But there was something in his gaze—something sharp, like he was testing me.

I straightened. “Do you?”

For the first time since I met him, Asher hesitated. It was brief, barely a flicker in his expression, but I caught it.

Then, just as quickly, he smirked. “I don’t believe in fairytales, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I scoffed. “Good. Because I don’t either.”

His chuckle was low, amused. “I figured. After all, you already ran off once for a man, didn’t you?”

My breath caught in my throat.

He had said it so casually, but the weight of his words hit me like a slap. The reminder of my past, of the mistake I had made—the betrayal that had shattered me.

“Did my father tell you that?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.

Asher shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. “People talk.”

People talk.

Of course, they did.

I clenched my fists, fighting the wave of emotions rising inside me. Once, I had thrown everything away for Jarem. I had believed in his love, trusted his words. And where had it led me?

To death.

To betrayal.

To this moment—standing before Asher Cole, caught between my past and my future.

But this was my second chance.

I inhaled deeply, steadying myself. “And what do you think?” I asked, tilting my chin up. “Do you believe everything you hear?”

His gaze flickered with something unreadable before he responded. “I believe in what people show me, not what they say.”

I held his stare. “Then I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “I suppose I will.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him that this was not fine. But what would be the point? We were both trapped in this, and there was no way out.

Asher’s gaze lingered on me for a second too long before he stepped back. “I’ll see you soon, fiancée.”

I watched as he slid into his car, the engine purring to life. And as he drove off into the night, I realized something unsettling.

As much as I wanted to hate him…

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.