Chapter 4: The Sister Who Watches

The grand hall suddenly felt suffocating. Elara stood frozen as Selena Blackwood’s sharp gaze examined her like a puzzle waiting to be solved. The woman’s confidence filled the room in a way that made Elara feel exposed. Selena circled her slowly. Not rudely. Not aggressively. But carefully. Like a hunter studying prey.

“Adrian,” Selena said casually, “you didn’t tell me your bride would be… different.”

Adrian’s expression hardened. “Selena, that’s enough.”

She ignored him again. Her eyes stayed fixed on Elara’s face. “Different can be interesting though,” she continued lightly. “Sometimes the unexpected makes life far more entertaining.”

Elara forced herself to stay calm. If Selena suspected something, panic would only make it worse. “It’s nice to meet you,” Elara said politely.

Selena stopped walking. “Is it?” Her smile was small but sharp.

“Yes.”

“Funny,” Selena said, tilting her head slightly. “I thought my brother would marry someone much louder.”

Elara frowned slightly. “Louder?”

“Yes.”

Selena’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “The woman he was supposed to marry loved attention.”

Adrian’s voice cut through the conversation. “Selena.” This time the warning in his tone was clear.

She finally turned toward him. “What?” she asked innocently.

“Stop interrogating my wife.” The word wife sounded deliberate. Firm.

Selena raised an eyebrow. “My apologies,” she said lightly. But the apology didn’t sound sincere. She turned back to Elara. “Well then, welcome to the family.” Her smile widened slightly. “I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very well.” Something in her voice made Elara uneasy.

A few minutes later, Selena disappeared upstairs. But the tension she left behind lingered. Elara exhaled slowly. “She knows something.” Adrian looked completely unconcerned. “She suspects something.” “That’s worse.”

He walked toward the staircase calmly. “She suspects everyone. It’s part of her personality.”

Elara followed him. “That didn’t feel like suspicion.”

“It was curiosity.”

“And curiosity leads to answers.”

Adrian stopped halfway up the stairs. He turned to face her. “And answers,” he said quietly, “only matter if someone proves them.”

Elara crossed her arms slightly. “So your sister is just going to investigate me?”

“Most likely.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

Adrian shrugged. “No.”

Her frustration grew. “Why not?”

“Because,” he said calmly, “I’m the only one who knows the full truth.”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

His eyes darkened slightly. “I knew Lillian was planning to run away.”

Elara stared at him in disbelief. “You knew?”

“Yes.”

Her mind spun. “Then why didn’t you stop her?”

“Because it saved me the trouble.”

“Trouble of what?”

Adrian looked down at her thoughtfully. “Ending the engagement myself.”

The answer stunned her. “You didn’t want to marry her?”

“No.”

“Then why agree to it?”

“Business.” He continued walking upstairs.

Elara hurried after him. “So the marriage was never about love.”

Adrian chuckled softly. “Love rarely plays a role in marriages like mine.” His honesty was unsettling. They reached the second floor, where a long hallway stretched across the mansion.

Adrian stopped in front of a large double door. “This is your room.”

Elara blinked. “My room?”

“Yes.”

She hesitated. “I thought… we were married.”

“We are.”

“So why separate rooms?”

Adrian opened the door. “Because forcing a stranger to share a bed would be uncomfortable.” His calm practicality surprised her. Inside, the room was breathtaking. Tall windows overlooked the gardens. Soft cream-colored furniture filled the space, and the bed was large enough to fit four people comfortably.

Elara stepped inside slowly. “This room is bigger than my entire apartment.”

Adrian leaned casually against the doorway. “You’ll adjust.”

She turned to face him. “Why are you being kind?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

He looked mildly amused. “Do you prefer cruelty?”

“No.”

“Then there’s your answer.”

She studied him carefully. “You’re not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“A powerful man forced into a marriage with the wrong woman.”

“And?”

“And I expected you to be angry.”

His lips curved slightly. “I’m rarely angry.”

“Then what are you?”

His eyes held hers. “Interested.”

Her heart skipped. “In what?”

“You.”

She blinked. “Why?”

“Because,” he said quietly, “you walked into this marriage believing it was a mistake.”

“It is.”

“Maybe.” His gaze softened slightly. “But mistakes sometimes become opportunities.”

She frowned. “That sounds suspicious.”

He laughed softly. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re cautious.” He straightened from the door. “That means you’ll survive here.”

“Survive?” The word made her uneasy.

“Living in this family requires strength,” Adrian said simply.

“And if I don’t have it?”

“You do.”

“How do you know?”

His answer came without hesitation. “You walked down that aisle.”

Elara looked down at her hands. “I did it for my family.”

“Exactly.”

Adrian pushed away from the doorway. “I’ll see you at dinner in an hour.” He started to leave. But before he could step away, Elara spoke. “Adrian.”

He paused. “Yes?”

“Why didn’t you expose me when you realized I wasn’t Lillian?”

He looked back at her. For a moment, his expression became unreadable. Then he said something that made her heart race. “Because I wanted to see what would happen.”

“What do you mean?”

His smile returned slowly. “I was curious.”

“About what?”

His voice lowered slightly. “About the woman brave enough to marry a stranger under someone else’s name.”

Her breath caught. “And?”

“And,” he said quietly, “I think this marriage might become very interesting.” Then he walked away. Leaving Elara alone in the enormous room. Her mind swirled with questions. With doubts. With strange feelings she didn’t understand. This marriage had begun with lies. But something deep inside her whispered a dangerous thought. Maybe fate had made the mistake on purpose. And maybe…Adrian Blackwood was not the enemy she expected.