~Elena~When I had thought all hope was lost, Christian stood up and raised a hand, silencing the crowd, and the way the hall suddenly went silent sent shivers down my spine. He commanded so much attention, and the aura around him was so great that it was difficult not to respond to him. “You are done, Owen,” he gently let go of my hands and then walked towards Owen. “I warned you didn't i not to mess with her anymore but you refused to listen!” he yelled at him and raised his hand and when i had thought that he was going to hit him, he didn't instead he pulled out his phone and scroll through and on the projection were series of images with him and other women and the timestamp it was taken. It proves that they were taken while he was still with me. The crowd gasped, but Christian wasn't done. He clicked on his phone again, and more images appeared, showing Ariana and Owen kissing. My eyes widened in shock because not even I had seen the image, and I wondered how Christian had got
~Elena~ I felt my heart tighten against my chest as we both walked to the front of my hall, and I saw them. They were seated at separate tables, but somehow it seemed like they were together, judging me with their eyes. Ariana was seated at our family table wearing a black shimmering dress that calls for attention. It was impossible not to recognize her in the crowd, and as for Owen, I had not expected that he would come, not after how he was being treated by our grandfathers, but he was there seated shamelessly on the table with Christian’s family. Landon, his father, and the rest of their family were also at the table, and as our eyes met, my heart started racing fast, and I grew stiffen in Christian’s hand. He seemed to notice as he looked at me. “Elena, are you alright?” His eyes searched mine through his matte-black mask. When u didn't respond, he looked around and seemed to understand why I had suddenly become like that. Hethen placed his hand gently around my waist and le
~ Elena ~It was tonight.The engagement masquerade gala Christian’s grandfather had planned for us was finally here. After a week of preparation—days where Christian and I didn’t see each other, communicating only through texts—I couldn’t wait to see him again.The limousine door opened with a soft click. A rush of cool evening air swept over me, tugging at the gossamer cape draped across my shoulders. I hesitated, one gloved hand gripping the edge of the seat, the other clutching the sapphire pendant at my throat. The midnight-blue gown felt heavier than it had in the dressing room, its corset hugging my ribs—a reminder to breathe, or perhaps a warning not to.I glanced at my Grandfather and his sharp eyes beneath his golden mask stared back at me. He offered me his arm with a reassuring smile. “Ready, my dear?” he asked.I nodded, though my stomach twisted at the thought of what awaited at the gala. Stepping out, the hem of my skirt shimmered, silver threads catching the light like
~Christian~I heaved a deep sigh as I arrived at the front door, ready to soak myself in my bathtub for hours after enduring hours of engagement preparation with Elena’s family and my grandfather, whom I had called during dinner to inform him about the announcement. We had a video call, and he was happy when he heard the news. In the blink of an eye, he made plans for the engagement ceremony, so we started preparation, and it was fixed in a week. Now I was back home, ready to hit the bathroom and get rid of the tiredness, and also Elena. We’ve been together the past few days, and I can’t stop thinking about her and the kiss we almost had. When I confronted her and she waved the discussion off, I knew she probably didn’t want it, so I didn’t want to push it, so I dropped it. After all, we were together for revenge, but I wished for more. I noticed a brown package at the entrance as I reached my door. I had placed an order, and, thinking it was it, I picked it up. When I reached my l
~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 c
~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,