Chapter Ten

Seth's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth as if to protest, but then closed it.

“You don't have to! We already spoke about this and I promise you, he's not leaving me for work..”

Celine wasn't having it; She had forced the duo to the ground floor, making them wait at the entrance into the venue.

“It should be here by now..” Celine muttered as she glanced at her phone screen, squinting her eyes to get a better view of it.

“Celine. We had something planned already..” Seth began and Celine turned to meet his gaze. He almost choked on his words.

“In a month as you said. That's ridiculous and would you give the young lady your coat? It's cold out here!”

Thea, who had been rubbing her arms around her bare shoulders subconsciously, glanced from Seth to Celine. “No…I'm not..” Her lips were already pale and she was close to chattering her teeth.

Seth took off his coat, covering the distance between them and filling her nostrils with his scent again. It was intoxicating. She's been trying hard to ignore it every time he stood next to her but his cologne was meant to announce his presence.

…to remind her of that night….

He draped the suit across her shoulders, he was surprisingly gentle, making sure she was properly covered.

A sleek, black limousine pulled over right in front of the hall and Celine smiled in satisfaction.

“I knew something like this would happen. You can say I know Seth way too well.” The old lady chuckled, her eyes sparkling, knowing her trick would work.

Thea couldn't find anything else to say; if she drags this any further, Celine would know something was up.

“Now, off you go, you two. You have a long night ahead of you!" She shooed them away with a loving wave of her hand.

Seth's expression, as they walked away, was one of controlled annoyance.

Inside the limo, Seth sat beside Thea, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed straight ahead. The muscles in his neck were taut, he was clearly upset.

Celine leans towards the window with a mischievous smile on her face. “I'll make sure to call the hotel to confirm your arrival. Goodnight!”

The driver, sensing the tension in the air, glanced at Thea instead of Seth, in the rear mirror.

“Should we leave, ma'am?”

Thea nodded. It wasn't like she had much of a choice and Celine was on their ass that night. The driver drives off to their location, avoiding the rear mirror by all means.

Thea remained quiet. The air in the car was thick with his unspoken irritation, and she could almost feel the chill radiating from him.

Seth tugged at his tie gently but firmly, Thea could sense the irritation with each pull even when he rolled up his sleeves.

She frowned. “If you hated this so much, you could have said something back there.”

His eyes flickered to her in silence. “We both know what that would look like.” His attention returned to his sleeves for some reason. “Celine isn't exactly easy to sway.”

True.

Thea turned her attention to the window, watching the familiar streets of Zean blur past in its usual bustling nightlife.

Finally, the limousine pulled up to the grand entrance of The Grand Regent Hotel, a towering building of glass. The doorman opened their door with a respectful bow.

As they stepped into the lavish lobby adorned with marble floors and crystal chandeliers, a hotel manager rushed forward, bowing deeply.

"Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood! Welcome to The Grand Regent," he gushed, his smile wide. "Madam Celine has arranged for your stay in our finest suite. It's the best for newlyweds."

Seth's jaw visibly tightened further at the mention of "newlyweds". Thea almost winced. He gave a curt nod, his silence a clear dismissal.

Seth didn't speak until they were escorted to a private elevator that whisked them upwards.

"You handled that well.." he conceded, a grudging approval in his voice.

Thea met his gaze, brows arched in confusion. “Handled what?”

“Meeting with Celine for the first time. Though I trust you realize this complicates things."

Thea chuckled. "Maybe. Or maybe it simply means our arrangement just got a little more... realistic."

When the elevator doors opened, they revealed a private foyer leading directly into their suite. The manager unlocked the door and gestured inside. "Welcome to the Royal Serenity Suite!"

Thea stepped in first, her eyes widening. The suite was huge, bathed in soft, romantic lighting. A king-sized bed adorned with rose petals, a large jacuzzi in the bathroom, surrounded by scented candles, and a dining table set for two, with champagne chilling in a silver bucket.

It was a love suite, designed for… Thea's face coloured.

Seth entered behind her, taking in the scene with one sweeping gaze. The rose petals, the soft lighting, the champagne. His features remained impassive.

He leaned closer to Thea, his lips just inches above her ears. “What did you say about our arrangement being realistic?”

Her toes curled, his warm breath brushing past her ears and sending chills down her spine.

The hotel manager cleared his throat. “I'll leave then..” He leaves in an instant.

"Well," Thea stammered, with Seth still very much in her space. "It looks like Celine really outdid herself. It is our wedding night, after all."

Seth stared down at her, an almost evil glint in his eyes. “You're right.” He backed her against the wall, his palm resting just a few inches above her head, his height towering over hers.

“It's our wedding night.” He repeated.

Thea swallowed, she shouldn't have made that joke, it wasn't funny.

“I didn't. .”

“I'll make a few things clear, Thea, this is all an arrangement. And all this…” he gestures at the decorated room “Don't let it get into your head and don't expect me to treat this like a relationship either. Falling in love with me is going to be to your detriment. This is nothing but a contract to me, is that clear?”

Thea glanced up at him and scoffed, who the hell does he think he is?!

“You think I'm going to fall in love with you? After ruining my life? Keep flattering yourself!”

His gaze narrowed. “Good. Cause I'm going to ruin more than just your life..”