C-2

The morning of the grand gala arrived with a flurry of activity that Gwen had only ever seen in movies during her past life.

The Santori villa was swarming with high-end stylists and makeup artists who moved with a frantic energy because they knew that displeasing Lucian was a career-ending mistake.

Gwen sat in a plush velvet chair while three people worked on her hair and nails but her eyes were focused on the reflection of the man sitting on the sofa behind her.

Lucian had not left the room for a single second since they woke up.

He sat there with his laptop balanced on his knees but his gaze drifted toward her every few minutes with a sharp and possessive intensity that made the stylists tremble.

Every time a male tailor got too close to Gwen to adjust the hem of her gown Lucian would let out a low and warning hum that made the poor man break into a cold sweat.

"You are making them nervous baby" Gwen said as she caught his eye in the mirror and offered him a small and knowing smile.

"If you keep staring at them like you are planning their funerals I am going to be late for my own debut."

Lucian shut his laptop with a snap and stood up with a grace that reminded her of a panther stalking its prey.

He walked over and dismissed the stylists with a single flick of his wrist and they practically scrambled out of the room in their haste to escape his presence.

He stepped behind Gwen and placed his large and warm hands on her bare shoulders while he looked at her through the glass.

"I don't like the way they look at you wife" he murmured as he leaned down to press a lingering kiss to the side of her neck.

"I don't like the idea of anyone seeing the skin that belongs to me but I will endure it tonight because I want the world to see that you are the only one who can stand by my side without trembling."

Gwen turned around in his arms and smoothed out the front of his black tuxedo jacket while she marveled at how different he looked when he wasn't trying to lock her in a room.

"Tonight is about making sure everyone knows that the contract is dead" she whispered as she adjusted his bow tie with a practiced ease.

"Especially Kayla. I know she is expecting to see me in tears but I want her to see that I am the one holding the leash now."

Lucian’s eyes darkened with a mix of pride and a terrifyingly deep adoration as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

"If your sister so much as breathes in your direction I will make sure she loses every social standing she has worked for" he promised with a voice that was as cold as ice.

"I have already instructed my security to keep a ten-foot perimeter around you at all times unless I am the one holding you."

When they finally arrived at the ballroom of the Grand Metropole the doors were flung open to reveal the elite of the city all dressed in silk and diamonds.

The chatter died down to a dull hum as Lucian led Gwen into the room and his hand was firmly planted on the small of her back in a silent declaration of ownership.

Gwen spotted Kayla standing near the champagne tower and her sister’s face went from a smug grin to a mask of sheer horror as she saw Gwen walking in wearing diamonds that cost more than a small island.

Kayla’s glass nearly slipped from her fingers when she realized that instead of being a discarded wife Gwen looked like the most worshipped woman in the room.

"Look at her face baby" Lucian whispered into Gwen's ear as he pulled her closer until their hips were touching.

"She thought she destroyed you but she only gave me a reason to love you more obsessively."

Gwen took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and raised it slightly toward her stunned sister while she leaned into Lucian’s side.

The game had truly begun and she was no longer the victim of the plot but the one who was writing the ending.

Gwen felt Lucian’s grip tighten as Kayla finally regained her composure and began to weave through the crowd toward them with a fake smile plastered onto her face.

Kayla was wearing a dress of shimmering gold that was clearly designed to steal the spotlight but as she approached Lucian didn't even wait for her to open her mouth before he let out a loud and dramatic sigh of boredom.

"Oh look baby it is the golden pheasant coming this way" Lucian said with a voice that was intentionally loud enough for the surrounding socialites to hear while he tucked his chin onto Gwen’s shoulder like a clingy child.

"Why is she wearing so much glitter Gwen.  Does she think she is a Christmas decoration or is she just trying to distract people from the fact that her plastic surgeon clearly had a flickering lightbulb during her last appointment."

Kayla froze mid-step and her face turned a blotchy shade of red that clashed horribly with her gown while several nearby women muffled their laughter behind their silk fans.

"Lucian really you shouldn't be so cruel to your sister in law" Kayla stammered as she tried to maintain her white lotus persona even though her eyes were twitching with rage.

"I only came over to see if Gwen was feeling alright because we all heard rumors that she was being kept under house arrest."

Lucian didn't even look at Kayla and instead he began to play with a lock of Gwen’s hair while he pouted like a spoiled prince who had been interrupted during his favorite meal.

"House arrest sounds so much better than having to look at your mismatched foundation Kayla" he remarked with a sharp and mocking laugh that echoed through the ballroom.

"My wife is perfectly fine but I think you should worry about your own health because that dress is so tight I can practically see your internal organs crying for help."

Gwen had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the sheer absurdity of the most feared man in the city acting like a playground bully just to defend her honor.

She reached up and patted Lucian’s cheek and he immediately nuzzled into her palm with a look of pure bliss while he stuck his tongue out toward Kayla when Gwen wasn't looking.

"Now Lucian be nice" Gwen murmured with a playful glint in her eyes as she turned her attention to her fuming sister.

"Kayla was just trying to be a good sister by checking on me even if her timing is a bit as tragic as her fashion sense tonight."

Lucian let out a snorting laugh and pulled Gwen even closer until she was practically trapped against his chest in front of the entire elite circle.

"She isn't a good sister baby she is a bore and I want her to go away so I can have you all to myself again" he complained while he glared at a group of businessmen who were trying to approach him for a conversation.

"If any of you old men come one step closer I will buy your banks and shut them down just for ruining my view of my wife."

The businessmen scattered like frightened birds and Kayla stood there trembling in humiliation as she realized that her sister hadn't just survived the yandere CEO but had turned him into a weapon that was now pointed directly at her.

Lucian leaned down and whispered loudly enough for Kayla to hear every word.

"Can we leave now wife because everyone here is ugly and they are hurting my eyes and I want to go back home where I can lock the door and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist" he whined while he pressed his face into her neck and ignored the gasps of the shocked crowd.