Chapter Four: Act Like You Mean It

Amara instantly regretted everything.

The moment Adrian took her hand again, in front of everyone, reality hit her properly now.

This wasn’t just a deal anymore.

This was public.

“Smile,” Adrian said quietly beside her.

Amara forced one instantly.

Too fast.

Too wide.

“Not like that,” he added calmly.

Her smile dropped slightly.

“Then how?” she whispered.

“Like you’re happy to be here.”

“I’m not,” she muttered under her breath.

“That’s the problem.”

She resisted the urge to step on his foot.

Instead, she adjusted her posture, trying to look more relaxed.

More natural.

It wasn’t working.

At all.

People were staring at them.

Whispering.

Watching.

“Why are they all looking at us?” she asked through her smile.

“Because they’ve never seen me with anyone before,” Adrian replied.

That didn’t help.

“…Great,” she said. “No pressure.”

Before she could say anything else, someone walked up to them.

“Adrian.”

Amara turned slightly.

A well dressed woman stood in front of them, her expression polite, but her eyes were very sharp.

Observant.

“I didn’t know you were engaged,” the woman said.

Amara felt Adrian’s hand tighten slightly around hers.

“It happened recently,” he replied smoothly.

The woman’s gaze shifted to Amara.

Watching her.

Measuring.

“And you are?” she asked.

Amara froze.

For half a second, her mind went blank.

Then, she smiled.

“Amara,” she responded. “His fiancée.”

That felt strange to say.

Too strange.

The woman raised a brow slightly.

“How interesting,” she said.

Amara didn’t like the way she said that.

“Very,” Adrian added.

That made Amara glance at him briefly.

Was that sarcasm? She couldn’t tell.

“Well,” the woman said, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

That didn’t sound like any compliment.

Amara smiled anyway.

“I always do,” she replied.

Lie.

The woman gave her one last look, then walked away.

The moment she left, Amara exhaled.

“…I don’t like her,” she muttered.

“She doesn’t like you either,” Adrian replied.

“Great,” Amara said. “We’re already making enemies.”

“That’s expected to happen.”

Amara frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Adrian didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at her, carefully.

“Stay close,” he said.

Before she could ask why, more people walked up to them.

And just like that, it started.

Introductions.

Questions.

Curious looks.

Amara smiled so much her face started hurting.

Every time someone asked something, Adrian answered effortlessly.

So Easy for him.

Like this was normal.

Like this was real.

Meanwhile, Amara was trying not to say something that would expose everything.

“How did you two meet?” someone asked.

Amara froze again.

Adrian didn’t.

“She got lost,” he said calmly.

Amara blinked.

“…What?”

“And found me,” he added.

That was not what happened.

At all.

But somehow, it worked.

People laughed lightly.

“That’s quite a story you know,” someone said.

Amara forced a small laugh.

“Yes… very romantic,” she added.

Adrian glanced at her briefly.

That look again, like he was amused.

She ignored it.

After what felt like forever, the crowd finally eased off.

Amara let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“…I’m exhausted,” she said.

“You’ve done nothing,” Adrian replied.

She turned to him.

“Smiling is work,” she said.

“For you, I can tell.”

Her eyes rolled.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“A little,” he admitted.

She shook her head.

“This is a disaster,” she said.

“No,” Adrian replied.

A pause.

“It’s working.”

Amara stopped.

“…What do you mean?”

Adrian’s gaze shifted slightly, toward a group of people watching them from a distance.

“People believe it,” he said.

Amara followed his gaze. And that’s when she noticed, the attention.

The whispers.

The reactions.

It was spreading.

Very fast.

“…Oh,” she said softly.

This wasn’t small, not normal.

This was something else entirely.

Then, Adrian leaned slightly closer.

“Which means,” he said quietly, “you need to do better.”

Amara blinked.

“…Better?”

“I did something, I…, I helped.” She stuttered.

His eyes met hers.

“Act like you mean it next time.”

Her heart skipped.

Just slightly.

And for a second, she wasn’t sure if he was still talking about the act or something more.