CHAPTER THREE - A MARRIAGE OF LIES.

The serene restaurant made my father's bankruptcy feel even more real.

Everything here cost more than most people made in a month and I was supposed to sit across from my mother and lie about being in love with the man who'd made it clear he owned me now.

Kaid sat beside me with his hand on my thigh under the table. To anyone watching it looked affectionate. I could feel the control in his grip.

"Stop shaking," he murmured against my ear.

"I'm not."

"Your leg has been bouncing for the past five minutes." His fingers tightened. "Calm down or they'll know something's wrong."

I wanted to tell him that everything was wrong but our parents walked in before I could respond.

Mom looked beautiful in a cream dress that probably came from Kaid's father's credit card. Richard walked beside her with his hand on her back and they looked happy. Actually happy.

This was going to destroy them.

"Darlings." Mom's face lit up when she saw us. Then her eyes dropped to our joined hands and confusion clouded her beautiful face.

"I didn't realize you two were meeting us here."

"We wanted to talk to you both," Kaid said and stood to pull out Mom's chair. "About something important."

Richard sat down and looked between us with sharp eyes.

"This sounds serious."

"It is." Kaid sat back down and took my hand again. Brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles while maintaining eye contact with his father.

"Sage and I have something to tell you."

Mom's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God."

"We're getting married," I said and the words felt like acid in my throat.

Silence fell over the table.

Richard's face went red. "What did you just say?"

"You heard her." Kaid's voice was calm. "Sage and I are engaged. We wanted you both to be the first to know."

"This is a joke." Richard looked at me like I'd betrayed him.

"Tell me this is a joke."

"It's not." I forced the words out. "We've been seeing each other since the wedding. We tried to stay away but we couldn't."

"You're stepsiblings." Mom's voice was low. "This is wrong."

"We're not blood related," Kaid reiterated. "We're two adults who fell in love."

I wanted to laugh at how easily the lies came to him.

Richard stood so fast his chair scraped the floor. "I won't allow this."

"You don't have a say." Kaid stood too. "I'm thirty years old. Sage is twenty six. We. don't. need. your. permission."

"You need my approval to keep running my company."

"Actually I don't." Kaid smiled. It was vicious.

"I own fifty one percent. So unless you want to watch me burn everything you built I suggest you sit down and congratulate your son!"

The threat hung in the air.

Richard sat. Looked at my mother who had tears streaming down her face.

"Katherine," he said softly, with a grim face. "Talk to your daughter."

Mom looked at me and I saw betrayal in her eyes. "Sage, honey, you can't do this."

"I love him." The lie escaped my lips. "I know it's complicated but I love him and we want to be together."

"Since when." Her voice broke. "You barely spoke at the wedding."

"I lied because I was scared of what you'd think." I forced myself to look at Kaid. To let some of the heat I felt when he touched me show in my eyes. "But I can't hide it anymore."

Kaid's hand tightened on mine and something real passed between us.

Something dangerous.

"This is insane," Richard said. "You're throwing away your reputation for this girl."

"Watch how you speak about my fiancée." Kaid's voice dropped. To something lethal.

"Sage is going to be my wife. That makes her family."

Mom reached across the table and took my hand. The one wearing the massive ring. Her fingers traced over the diamond and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Richard stood again and threw his napkin on the table. "I need air."

He walked out and the silence was suffocating.

Mom looked at Kaid with fear in her eyes. "Don't hurt her. Whatever else happens, please don't hurt my daughter."

"I would never hurt Sage," Kaid said and the lie was so smooth I almost believed it. "I'm going to take care of her."

Mom nodded and kissed my cheek. "We'll talk later."

Then she was gone and it was just us.

"That went well," Kaid said and picked up his wine.

"Your father looked like he wanted to kill you."

"He'll get over it." He took a sip. "Or he won't."

"How can you be so calm."

"Because unlike you I'm not pretending to have feelings." He set the glass down. "Our parents don't matter."

"They're people, Kaid. Not chess pieces."

"Everyone's a chess piece." His eyes glinted. "And I always win."

I stood. "I'm going home."

"No you're not." He stood too and moved into my space. "You're coming back to the penthouse with me. Starting tonight you live where I live."

"The contract said I had until tomorrow."

"The contract also said you obey me." His hand cupped my jaw. "We just told our parents we're in love. That means you come home with me. Sleep in my bed. Act like you're mine."

"I can't."

"You're out of time." He leaned down until his mouth was a breath away. "Get used to it, Sage. Your old life is fucking over."

Then he kissed me right there where anyone could see.

And I kissed him back like I meant it.

His car was waiting outside. He guided me into the leather seats and we drove through the city in silence.

We pulled up to his building and he led me through the lobby into a private elevator. His hand stayed on my lower back the whole time.

The doors opened into his penthouse and I stepped into a space that looked lifeless. Just like him.

"Your room is down the hall," Kaid said. "Second door. Your things arrive tomorrow."

"My room?" I looked at him. "I thought you said I had to sleep in your bed."

"Only when necessary." He poured himself a drink. "Tonight you can have space. Consider it a gift."

I should have been relieved but the dismissal hurt.

I walked down the hall and found the room. It was beautiful and aloof. It was my prison.

Then I heard voices from the living room. Kaid's voice and someone else. A woman.

I tiptoed back and stopped when I could hear clearly.

"You actually went through with it," the woman said. "You're marrying the little stepsister."

"It's temporary," Kaid replied. "A means to an end."

"And when the end comes? What happens to her?"

Silence. Then he laughed and the sound made my skin tingle with unease.

"What do you think happens, Vivian? She served her purpose and I move on.”