Chapter four

Chapter four

Serena's POV

The door suddenly swung open.

I barely had enough time to realize what was happening before the woman standing inside froze. 

Her eyes widened as they landed on Lucien and me, taking in the closeness between us, his body trapping mine against the wall and my hands still pressed against his chest. 

For one long second nobody moved. The room fell into a suffocating silence that seemed to stretch forever before embarrassment flooded her face. She quickly adjusted her dress, lowered her gaze and hurried past us as though she couldn't escape fast enough.

The second she disappeared, another figure stepped into view.

 It was Cassian; my excuse for a soon to be husband.

Every muscle in my body tightened, as his gaze immediately landed on Lucien's hand still wrapped around my wrist, then on me, then back on Lucien.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. It wasn't anger, it was something colder.

Something far more dangerous.

"What exactly is going on here?" Cassian asked, his voice calm enough to make me nervous.

Lucien finally released me and took a casual step back as though he hadn't just been pinning me against a wall moments ago. The bastard even had the nerve to straighten his jacket.

"Nothing much," he replied lazily. "Just having a conversation with my future stepmother."

Cassian's jaw flexed. "A conversation?"

Lucien's smile widened. "Well, I suppose that's one way to describe it."

I silently cursed both of them.

One was a manipulative tyrant, and the other was a walking disaster wrapped in expensive fabric and arrogance, and somehow they both thought it would be fun to make  my life harder.

Cassian folded his arms over his chest. "You seem to have developed an unusual interest in my fiancée."

Lucien let out a low chuckle that immediately put me on edge.

"Interesting choice of words, Dad."

The silence that followed felt sharp enough to cut skin, then Lucien tilted his head slightly and added, "Speaking of fiancées, should we start preparing for another wedding after this one? You don't exactly have the best record when it comes to keeping your pants zipped."

My eyes widened,as his mannerism and confidence.. What is with these two?

Dear God.

This fool truly had no survival instincts.

Cassian's expression darkened instantly.

For a second I genuinely thought he might punch his own son.

"Watch yourself, Lucien."

"Or what?" Lucien asked smoothly. "You'll ground me? Disinherit me? Pretend I don't exist? You already do all three."

The hatred between them hit me like a physical force.

It wasn't an ordinary family conflict. It seemed more like years of resentment buried beneath expensive suits and forced smiles.

Years of wounds neither of them wanted to acknowledge, and I suddenly realized I didn't want to be standing between them when those wounds finally split open.

"The reporters are waiting," I interrupted before things could get worse. "And so are the guests. Unless both of you plan on embarrassing yourselves tonight, I suggest we go back out there."

Cassian's eyes moved to me immediately.

The tension in his expression softened,at least on the surface.

"You're right." He stepped closer, wrapping his hand around my waist, as though I was some item that needed to be shown off.

Before I could react, his other hand came up to my face.

He intended to kiss me.

Normally I would have allowed it, I would have smiled for the cameras and played the role perfectly.

But all I could see was the woman rushing out of that room moments ago.

All I could hear was Lucien's voice asking why I was marrying him, and before I could stop myself…I flinched.

The movement was small, barely noticeable.

Yet the look that flashed across Cassian's face told me he noticed every second of it.

A dangerous silence followed, but I immediately forced a smile. "I'll go ahead first."

Neither man stopped me, which somehow felt worse.

I walked away before either of them could say another word, my heels clicking against the polished floor while my pulse refused to settle. The moment I reached the ballroom again, noise crashed into me from every direction. 

Laughter, music, champagne glasses clinking together, Politicians, Businessmen, and Socialites. Every predator in expensive clothing gathered under one roof pretending to be civilized.

I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray and forced myself to breathe. I would rather just get drunk tonight and be over with this whole display of power.

Cassian was becoming unpredictable, and this new problem called Lucien was becoming a pain in the ass, and I was losing control of a game I couldn't afford to lose.

The realization sat heavily in my chest as I scanned the crowd.

I needed a new strategy, a better plan, something…Anything, because if tonight had proven one thing, it was that both Draven men were far more dangerous than I originally thought.

"Mr. Draven! Family picture!"

The shout came from somewhere near the press area.

Immediately every camera turned toward us, and before I could escape, Cassian appeared beside me.

One strong arm wrapped around my waist possessively.

A second later Lucien stepped into place on my other side, placing his hand bare in my ass.

Goosebumps filled by arm, and I think he noticed.

The photographers began shouting instructions.

"Closer!" 

"Everyone smiles!"

"Perfect!"

Flash after flash exploded around us.

To everyone watching, we probably looked like the perfect family.

The powerful future senator, and his beautiful fiancée, and his devoted son.

The lie was almost laughable.

Cassian's hand remained firm against my waist while Lucien moved just slightly closer. The movement was subtle enough that nobody else would notice, but I felt it immediately. Every nerve in my body seemed suddenly aware of where he was standing, then he leaned in.

Still smiling for the cameras, still looking completely harmless.

His lips never stopped smiling as he whispered,

"We're not done, Serena." My heartbeat stumbled.

Another camera flashed, then aother, and another, then his voice dropped even lower.

"Or should I say... stepmother?"

I kept smiling for the cameras.

But inside, everything was beginning