THE BILLIONAIRE'S RELUCTANT BRIDE

EVANGELINE

Sunlight streamed through my bedroom windows, birds sang in the garden, and everything looked perfect for what should have been the happiest day of my life.

Instead, I felt like I was preparing for my own funeral and staring at the devil whose gaze remained blank, reflecting nothing unlike mine which showed confusion and terror in equal measure.

I held my phone toward his face, waiting for him to read the message's contents, but he stalled, continuing to stare at me with cold, unfeeling eyes that seemed to look straight through me as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience.

The threatening message had arrived that morning, just hours before the ceremony. Words with chilling warning that said "End this marriage or face the consequences!"

The letters seemed to burn into my retinas every time I closed my eyes, a promise of violence that made my hands shake uncontrollably.

"Answer me. Are you the one who sent this message?"

I repeated my question for what felt like the hundredth time, trying desperately to maintain my composure and not explode in his face.

My voice cracked with the effort of holding back the hysteria that threatened to consume me.

Gael's eyes finally moved to the phone, reading the message's contents with the same expression one might use to examine a grocery list. He showed no reaction whatsoever - no surprise, no concern, no anger. Nothing.

"You brought me here for this?" His voice was flat, dismissive, as if my fear was nothing more than a childish tantrum that bored him.

My mouth fell open in shock.

I hadn't expected such a callous response from him, maybe I should have by now.

"It's a threatening message demanding I call off this marriage or I'll be killed! Does this really mean nothing to you?"

The words came out shriller than I intended, with desperation bleeding through every syllable.

How could he be so indifferent to a death threat? How could he look at me with such complete apathy when someone wanted me dead?

"No!" He straightened his posture condescendingly, sinking his hands into his pockets indifferently.

The gesture was so dismissive, so utterly unconcerned, that it felt like a slap across my face.

"Are you the one who sent it?" I felt increasingly nervous, taking steps backward when he began closing the little distance between us with darkened eyes.

Each step he took was like a hunter stalking wounded prey.

I was forced to stop when my back hit the wall behind me and his body settled at an almost nonexistent distance from mine.

The heat radiating from his body was overwhelming, suffocating even. I could smell his cologne mixed with something darker and more dangerous.

My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain he could hear it.

He leaned his torso closer, looming over me like a storm cloud.

"I don't need these twisted methods to get rid of you." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried more menace than any shout could have.

His dark eyes held mine captive, and I saw something there that made my blood freeze.

"I'll make you run away of your own free will when the time comes. And trust me, butterfly, that time is coming sooner than you think!"

The pet name sounded like a curse on his lips, dripping with mockery and contempt.

My gaze dropped to his lips when they stretched into a smile I found deeply suspicious. It was cold, calculating, and utterly without warmth. It was the smile of someone who enjoyed causing pain, who found pleasure in others' fear.

My heart beat with greater intensity when he brought his mouth closer to mine until our noses nearly touched and I began breathing his exhaled air.

The intimacy of the gesture was a mockery, a parody of tenderness that made my skin crawl.

"Scared?"

His deep, masculine voice asked the question with complete calm, as if my terror was exactly what he'd been hoping to achieve.

There was satisfaction in his tone, a dark pleasure that told me he was enjoying every moment of my distress.

My eyes moved back to his piercing gaze. The malevolent gleam in them urged me to speak after my prolonged silence, but my throat felt like it was closing up.

"No." My trembling tone definitely betrayed me, and I saw his smile widen at the obvious lie.

He knew exactly how terrified I was, and he was savoring every second of it as he moved even closer, eliminating what little space remained between us.

I squeezed my eyelids tightly shut, holding my breath as if that could somehow protect me from whatever he planned to do next.

I felt his lips suddenly brush my ear. The contact sent electric shocks of fear through my entire body.

"You will be. Before this is over, you'll know what real fear feels like. I'll make sure of it!" His voice was a low growl that promised unspeakable things.

A strong tremor shook my entire body from that contact, from the absolute certainty in his voice. This wasn't an empty threat - it was a promise.

The door suddenly swung open and I flinch.

"Evangeline, I was looking for... “ Mom trailed off, taking in our position. “Oh, excuse me, did I interrupt something?"

"No!" I quickly denied while moving away from him as much as possible.

My voice was too high, too frantic, and I could see the suspicion already forming in Mom's eyes.

Our position already looked suspicious, and I wouldn't escape Mom's questioning now.

The way he'd been looming over me, the flush in my cheeks, the obvious distress in my posture - it all painted a picture I couldn't explain without revealing the truth.

"Gael, what are you doing here? You shouldn't see the bride before the wedding." She tried to sound reproachful, but it was exactly the opposite. Her smile practically split her face in half, completely oblivious to the undercurrent of menace that had filled the room moments before.

"I couldn't resist. I wanted to see how she looked in her wedding dress before anyone else." The lie rolled off his tongue with ease and his voice taking on a warmth that was completely absent moments before.

Yes, today was our wedding day…  the day I would legally bind myself to a man who seemed to despise my very existence.

A man who was such an accomplished liar, able to switch personas like changing masks. The transformation was so complete, so convincing, that for a moment I almost doubted what had just happened between us.

I wasn't sure how to correct the situation until he walked toward me again, blocking my body from Mom's view so she could only see his shoulders.

The move was strategic, calculated to maintain his facade while keeping me trapped.

I held my breath when he brought his mouth to my forehead without actually making contact.

I only felt his presence hovering there for a brief moment, the ghost of intimacy that would fool any observer.

"Remember what I said." He whispered so quietly that only I could hear before he pulled away.

Then he cast me a look filled with pure hatred before sliding back into place.

Had he just pretended to kiss me in front of my Mom while simultaneously threatening me? The audacity of it was breathtaking!

"How sweet!" Mom made a sound indicating her approval of what she'd witnessed and my suspicions were confirmed.

He was manipulative beyond anything I'd imagined. A new quality I was just discovering about him, though I suspected it was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Gael truly is a gentleman!" Mom exclaimed in admiration the second he left the room.

I smiled wryly at her assessment, the expression feeling like it might crack my face. "Yes, he really is."

If only she knew the truth about the man I was about to marry. If only she could see past the facade to the darkness that lurked beneath.

I turned toward the mirror, examining my appearance one final time.

The long white dress hugged my body perfectly, with thin straps decorated with precious stones covering my shoulders. It was a design that balanced simplicity with sophistication.

The dress was beautiful, everything I'd dreamed of as a little girl. It should have made me feel like a princess, but it felt like an elaborate costume for a role I didn't want to play - or worse, like a burial shroud for the woman I used to be.

Warm hands embraced my shoulders, and I smiled with genuine joy when I saw their owner in the mirror's reflection.

"Dad!"

My voice came out shaky, revealing my desire to cry and my desperate need for his protection. If only I could tell him everything, if only I could make him understand the mistake we were all making.

He turned me toward him, enveloping me in his warm embrace.

I tightened my hold on him as my sobs grew louder, clinging to him like he was the only solid thing in a world that was rapidly spinning out of control.

"My crying daughter doesn't want to part from her Dad." His hand stroking up and down my back provided some comfort to my aching heart, but it couldn't erase the terror that had taken up permanent residence in my chest.

"Unlike you, I'm happy because I'll finally enjoy some peace away from your constant noise and disturbances."

I furrowed my eyebrows in mock annoyance and pulled away from his embrace, trying to play along with his gentle teasing despite the fear that was consuming me from the inside out.

"Really, Dad!"

He stroked my cheek with his thumbs to remove traces of my tears, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

The love in his eyes was so pure, so complete, that it made the contrast with Gael's hatred even more stark.

"I'm joking. You'll always be my moon, illuminating my darkness, my little one."

He spoke warmly, planting a long kiss on my forehead, causing my eyes to flood with tears again.

The endearment that had once brought me such joy now felt like a cruel irony. How could I illuminate anyone's darkness when I was about to be consumed by it?

"Promise me you'll be happy." His voice was thick with emotion. "Promise me this is what you want."

I wanted to tell him the truth then, wanted to confess everything about Gael's cruelty, the threatening message and my growing terror about what lay ahead. But looking into his hopeful eyes, seeing the pure joy on his face at what he believed was my happy ending, I couldn't destroy his happiness.

"I promise, Dad."

The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, like poison I was forced to swallow. It might be the last lie I ever told him, and that thought made it even more unbearable.