~Elena~My hands grew colder as the car drove into my grandfather’s estate. Throughout the ride, I tried so hard not to be obvious about being around him, and each time he tried to speak to me, I responded with quick words that wouldn’t drag the discussion any further. I was not supposed to be helpless in front of a man who could be like everyone else, and even though he gave a good impression at my funeral, I still didn’t trust him yet because I had no idea what he was capable of doing. "We have arrived, sir." The driver’s announcement and Christian’s hand on my shoulder jolted me out of my thoughts. ‘’I uhm…’’ I cleared my throat as I faced him. ‘’Thank you so much for today,’’ I told him. Just then, the door opened, and I gave him a little wave before stepping out of the car. I didn’t know what to say to him, and I felt like a fool seeing how he watched me walk out of the car without responding, but to my surprise, he walked out right after me and stood behind me. ‘’I have to wa
~Elena~My heart pounded hard in my chest as I drove into the driveway of the royal Mansion. Just like my grandfather’s Mansion, it exuded an aura of wealth and legacy yet rivaled it in building, making it seem like a common home in comparison. The beauty of the Mansion was breathtaking as I reached the front door, where Christian was waiting for me, dressed in a tailored blue suit that accentuated his chiseled features. A dazzling smile spread across his face as our eyes met, and I felt excitement. This was all fake, I reminded myself, but my heart pounded harder as he approached, still smiling. I forgot how to breathe for a second as he reached my side and stretched forth his hand for me to take. ‘’Welcome, Elena,’’ he said, his voice low and smooth. ‘’You look beautiful.’’ My face suddenly turned red, and I tried hard to avoid looking at him as each glance made my heart race faster. ‘’And you look dashing in your…’’I trailed off, unsure how to finish, but he understood and chuck
~Christian~I watched as Landon walked in with his father, his smug expression a familiar sight I had seen before. It had been years since we last saw each other, and I'd expected time to have changed him. But at one glance, he was still the same. He was still the same cocky boy I met when my parents died. His eyes locked onto mine, and that same condescending smirk spread across his face. My fists clenched instinctively, a surge of anger coursing through me, and I had the urge to punch him in the face.Landon's presence was a harsh reminder of our family's complicated dynamics. We shared a mother, but that's where our connection ended. He was the illegitimate son, born to a thug father. On the other hand, I was the rightful heir to the royal family. Landon always reminded me how he'd steal everything from me when we were younger. Seeing him again brought back memories I'd rather forget. His father's presence made matters worse.The little I knew about Landon's father was that he was
~Christian~The table grew silent, and the only noise was the clicking of our spoons on our plates. Dinner went on for almost an hour, with anyone barely eating anything on their plates except my grandfather. It was torture having people who were my enemies with me on the table pretending to be good, and finally, after almost an hour, my father spoke up again. ‘’Now,’’ he settled his glass on the table and wiped his mouth clean before speaking again. ‘’ The main reason for the dinner is to discuss the inheritance,’’ he announced. Elena suddenly stood up, but I grabbed her hand. ‘’where are you going?’’ I whispered to her. ‘’I…’’ she tried to speak as all eyes on the table turned towards her. ‘’I am not sure if I am supposed to be a part of this meeting.’’ My grandfather laughed and pointed to her chair so she could sit. ‘’Don’t worry about that because you are getting married to Christian. He will need your support as your husband.’’ Husband? I still haven’t gotten used to hearin
~Owen~ I knew all hell would break loose once my father returned from the royal mansion. I hadn’t expected Christian to have me followed and discover the girls I’d been secretly seeing behind Elena’s back. The plan was to go there and ruin Elena's dinner, but it backfired, and now I was in serious trouble with my father. I knew exactly what my father would do—especially since it involved his favorite child: my older brother, the only one he truly cared about. Before he came back, my mother was already nagging me about what I’d done, warning me of the consequences and how I could avoid my father’s wrath that night. “Just make sure you go straight to your room and don’t say anything unless I ask you to. You know how he usually is when angry, so please, don’t make him even more annoyed,” she advised. Not wanting to make things worse, I followed her advice, heading to my room and sitting on my bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen when my father returned. Curious,
~Elena~"Thank you for today," I muttered to Christian as we stood beside his car, neither wanting to leave."It’s all thanks to you," he replied, a smile on his face. "I mean, I was able to make my grandfather happy again, thanks to you."A chuckle escaped my lips as I looked up at him, finding that he was also staring at me. "Owen almost ruined everything, by the way," I reminded him, and he sighed."As if I knew that was going to happen," he responded. "I already had everything planned out.""That’s so cool!" I said, genuinely excited. I was amazed by how quickly he had regained control of the situation. I had known it, even though he hadn’t told me directly. His quick thinking made me grow fond of him. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling that way, especially since I didn’t know him or his intentions towards me, but he had shown that I could trust him, even if it was just a little."Thank you for acting perfectly today in front of my grandfather," he said again, even though he had mention
~Elena~I tossed and turned in bed, thinking about the kiss Christian and I had almost shared. My heart hadn't stopped racing since I entered the room and collapsed onto my mattress, and no matter how many times I replayed the night, I couldn't make sense of it. I had almost kissed him.Almost kissed Christian Royal.The words sounded like they belonged to someone else’s life. This was supposed to be revenge, a clean, calculated plan to make Owen and Ariana pay for murdering me and my unborn child in my past life.So why was I lying here wondering what Christian’s lips would have felt like?I groaned and pulled the blanket over my face. “I am going crazy?” I muttered.I’d told my grandfather I loved Christian, and now I had to develop more stories quickly.The family dinner at his mansion would be a nightmare because Phaedra, my father, and my grandfather would be in one room with me, juggling a fake engagement with the man Ariana liked. I’d canceled my engagement with Owen months ago
~Elena~When I arrived, the café was quiet, but the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries enveloped me like a soft blanket. No one else was inside except Christian, seated at a corner table, his dark tousled hair catching the soft light. Obviously, he’d booked the entire place for us, a gesture that sent a flutter through my chest despite my efforts to stay composed.I paused, my gaze lingering on him. His presence pulled me back to that moment outside my grandfather’s mansion. I thought his lips had been so close to mine, and we’d almost kissed. When he noticed me, he looked up, and his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse race. For a heartbeat, I was frozen, caught between memory and the present.“Elena,” he said, pulling out a chair for me. “You look… radiant.”“Thanks,” I mumbled, sitting down and ignoring the warmth creeping into my cheeks. This place is nice,” I said, trying to think of something that would distract me from having any more
~Elena~The dining room in my grandfather’s mansion gleamed with opulence, with crystal chandeliers casting golden light over the polished mahogany table. As we entered, the air was thick with toasted lamb and rosemary. It smelled amazing, and my grandfather must have prepared it because he knows what I like.Christian’s hand was still entwined with mine as we entered. It's been like that since we left the Cafe.My father sat at one end, his sharp gaze landing on our joined hands, and his expression was unreadable. Phaedra sat beside him, her eyes flicking to me with thinly veiled disapproval. At the head of the table, my grandfather’s face lit up when he saw us, his smile warm and genuine.“Welcome, Christian,” he said, his voice booming. “I am happy to have you here.” “Thank you, sir,” Christian replied, shaking the offered hand firmly. He turned to my father. “Hello, sir.”My father didn’t respond, and I knew it was deliberate. I frowned but held my tongue, guiding Christian to a
~Elena~When I arrived, the café was quiet, but the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries enveloped me like a soft blanket. No one else was inside except Christian, seated at a corner table, his dark tousled hair catching the soft light. Obviously, he’d booked the entire place for us, a gesture that sent a flutter through my chest despite my efforts to stay composed.I paused, my gaze lingering on him. His presence pulled me back to that moment outside my grandfather’s mansion. I thought his lips had been so close to mine, and we’d almost kissed. When he noticed me, he looked up, and his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse race. For a heartbeat, I was frozen, caught between memory and the present.“Elena,” he said, pulling out a chair for me. “You look… radiant.”“Thanks,” I mumbled, sitting down and ignoring the warmth creeping into my cheeks. This place is nice,” I said, trying to think of something that would distract me from having any more
~Elena~I tossed and turned in bed, thinking about the kiss Christian and I had almost shared. My heart hadn't stopped racing since I entered the room and collapsed onto my mattress, and no matter how many times I replayed the night, I couldn't make sense of it. I had almost kissed him.Almost kissed Christian Royal.The words sounded like they belonged to someone else’s life. This was supposed to be revenge, a clean, calculated plan to make Owen and Ariana pay for murdering me and my unborn child in my past life.So why was I lying here wondering what Christian’s lips would have felt like?I groaned and pulled the blanket over my face. “I am going crazy?” I muttered.I’d told my grandfather I loved Christian, and now I had to develop more stories quickly.The family dinner at his mansion would be a nightmare because Phaedra, my father, and my grandfather would be in one room with me, juggling a fake engagement with the man Ariana liked. I’d canceled my engagement with Owen months ago
~Elena~"Thank you for today," I muttered to Christian as we stood beside his car, neither wanting to leave."It’s all thanks to you," he replied, a smile on his face. "I mean, I was able to make my grandfather happy again, thanks to you."A chuckle escaped my lips as I looked up at him, finding that he was also staring at me. "Owen almost ruined everything, by the way," I reminded him, and he sighed."As if I knew that was going to happen," he responded. "I already had everything planned out.""That’s so cool!" I said, genuinely excited. I was amazed by how quickly he had regained control of the situation. I had known it, even though he hadn’t told me directly. His quick thinking made me grow fond of him. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling that way, especially since I didn’t know him or his intentions towards me, but he had shown that I could trust him, even if it was just a little."Thank you for acting perfectly today in front of my grandfather," he said again, even though he had mention
~Owen~ I knew all hell would break loose once my father returned from the royal mansion. I hadn’t expected Christian to have me followed and discover the girls I’d been secretly seeing behind Elena’s back. The plan was to go there and ruin Elena's dinner, but it backfired, and now I was in serious trouble with my father. I knew exactly what my father would do—especially since it involved his favorite child: my older brother, the only one he truly cared about. Before he came back, my mother was already nagging me about what I’d done, warning me of the consequences and how I could avoid my father’s wrath that night. “Just make sure you go straight to your room and don’t say anything unless I ask you to. You know how he usually is when angry, so please, don’t make him even more annoyed,” she advised. Not wanting to make things worse, I followed her advice, heading to my room and sitting on my bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen when my father returned. Curious,
~Christian~The table grew silent, and the only noise was the clicking of our spoons on our plates. Dinner went on for almost an hour, with anyone barely eating anything on their plates except my grandfather. It was torture having people who were my enemies with me on the table pretending to be good, and finally, after almost an hour, my father spoke up again. ‘’Now,’’ he settled his glass on the table and wiped his mouth clean before speaking again. ‘’ The main reason for the dinner is to discuss the inheritance,’’ he announced. Elena suddenly stood up, but I grabbed her hand. ‘’where are you going?’’ I whispered to her. ‘’I…’’ she tried to speak as all eyes on the table turned towards her. ‘’I am not sure if I am supposed to be a part of this meeting.’’ My grandfather laughed and pointed to her chair so she could sit. ‘’Don’t worry about that because you are getting married to Christian. He will need your support as your husband.’’ Husband? I still haven’t gotten used to hearin
~Christian~I watched as Landon walked in with his father, his smug expression a familiar sight I had seen before. It had been years since we last saw each other, and I'd expected time to have changed him. But at one glance, he was still the same. He was still the same cocky boy I met when my parents died. His eyes locked onto mine, and that same condescending smirk spread across his face. My fists clenched instinctively, a surge of anger coursing through me, and I had the urge to punch him in the face.Landon's presence was a harsh reminder of our family's complicated dynamics. We shared a mother, but that's where our connection ended. He was the illegitimate son, born to a thug father. On the other hand, I was the rightful heir to the royal family. Landon always reminded me how he'd steal everything from me when we were younger. Seeing him again brought back memories I'd rather forget. His father's presence made matters worse.The little I knew about Landon's father was that he was
~Elena~My heart pounded hard in my chest as I drove into the driveway of the royal Mansion. Just like my grandfather’s Mansion, it exuded an aura of wealth and legacy yet rivaled it in building, making it seem like a common home in comparison. The beauty of the Mansion was breathtaking as I reached the front door, where Christian was waiting for me, dressed in a tailored blue suit that accentuated his chiseled features. A dazzling smile spread across his face as our eyes met, and I felt excitement. This was all fake, I reminded myself, but my heart pounded harder as he approached, still smiling. I forgot how to breathe for a second as he reached my side and stretched forth his hand for me to take. ‘’Welcome, Elena,’’ he said, his voice low and smooth. ‘’You look beautiful.’’ My face suddenly turned red, and I tried hard to avoid looking at him as each glance made my heart race faster. ‘’And you look dashing in your…’’I trailed off, unsure how to finish, but he understood and chuck
~Elena~My hands grew colder as the car drove into my grandfather’s estate. Throughout the ride, I tried so hard not to be obvious about being around him, and each time he tried to speak to me, I responded with quick words that wouldn’t drag the discussion any further. I was not supposed to be helpless in front of a man who could be like everyone else, and even though he gave a good impression at my funeral, I still didn’t trust him yet because I had no idea what he was capable of doing. "We have arrived, sir." The driver’s announcement and Christian’s hand on my shoulder jolted me out of my thoughts. ‘’I uhm…’’ I cleared my throat as I faced him. ‘’Thank you so much for today,’’ I told him. Just then, the door opened, and I gave him a little wave before stepping out of the car. I didn’t know what to say to him, and I felt like a fool seeing how he watched me walk out of the car without responding, but to my surprise, he walked out right after me and stood behind me. ‘’I have to wa