CHAPTER 6- THE THINGS HE HIDES

YULIA'S POV

I stared at him quietly. He sat opposite me, his legs crossed and his arms folded on his lap.

"Don't you have something to say to me?" I finally broke the silence. He tried to avoid my eyes as he glanced around this room, his fingers tapping against his knuckles lightly. It has been two days since the 'second wife' encounter, and this is the first time he was coming back home.

I sighed and spoke again. "Armani. You have been gone for two days...dont you think you owe me an explanation?'

"I don't owe you any explanation. I don't need you minding my business, Yulia. "

My eyes widened briefly. I sat u straight and uncrossed my arms.

"You just called me Yulia."

His jaw tightened, and he forced his eyes away. I remained quiet as I stared at him. Why did he call me Yulia?

He never called me by my name. So why now?

There was something about the way he said it that bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

I studied his face, searching for an answer, but he gave me nothing.

Then, as if he had said nothing strange at all, he continued speaking.

"The woman you saw...that was my fiancé"

"Your fiancé? Then why didn't you get married to her?? Why did you choose me?"

"I'm getting sick and tired of these useless questions. I told you... your family owes mine a big favour. It was either you...or a bloody war." His voice was laced with anger and impatience but still calm.

"My family? Are we still on the Blackwood issue? I told you I am not a Blackwood!-"

He raised his left hand, stopping me. I scoffed. The audacity of this man.

"Get dressed, please. We will be attending a party in two hours." My eyes followed him to the door.

"I am not going anywhere."

His back still turned to me. I heard a short laugh come from him.

"Two hours...Serena"

A party? After disappearing for two days? After telling me that the woman I had seen was his fiancée?

And now he expected me to dress up and play the obedient wife at some stupid party?

“I am not going anywhere.”

His back was still turned to me. A short laugh escaped him.

“Two hours... Serena.”

My entire body went still.

Serena.

Again.

My heart thudded painfully against my chest. He had called me Yulia less than a minute ago. Now Serena.

Who the hell was Serena? I stared at his back, my mind racing through every possibility.

Was Serena another woman? Was she someone from his past? And why did he keep looking at me as though he was seeing people who weren't there?

“I am not—”

I stopped myself. I hissed and looked away from him. This man was doing it on purpose. At least, I desperately wanted to believe he was. Because the alternative was far more unsettling. Something was wrong with Armani.

I stared at door for a few seconds after he left.

“Serena,” I muttered under my breath.

Of course.

That was the name they had decided belonged to me. No matter how many times I told them I was Yulia, they refused to listen. To them, I was Serena. A woman I had never met, a woman whose life they had somehow placed on my shoulders. And yet, just moments ago, Armani had called me Yulia. I couldn't get that out of my head.

Why had he?

I shook my head and walked toward the closet. Whatever his reason was, I wasn't going to stand there trying to figure him out.

Not today.

*****************************

By the time I came downstairs, Armani was already waiting. He stood near the entrance, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His expression was as unreadable as ever. His eyes moved over me briefly.

“You took your time.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You said two hours. It's been less than two hours.”

“I didn't say you had to use all two.”

“Then you should learn to be more specific.”

His lips twitched, but he said nothing. I walked past him.

“Let's go.”

He followed. The drive to the party was quiet. I looked out the window, my fingers resting against my lap. I had so many questions. About his fiancée. About the Blackwoods.About this ridiculous marriage. And most importantly, about why he had called me Yulia. But I knew better than to ask him again. Armani had a talent for making me regret asking questions.

**************************

The party was already crowded when we arrived. The moment we stepped inside, several heads turned in our direction. I wasn't surprised. Being married to Armani came with a certain amount of attention, whether I wanted it or not.A few people approached us almost immediately.

“Armani.”

He shook hands with a man I didn't recognize. Then the man's gaze shifted to me. His face lit up.

“Serena.”

I forced a polite smile.

“Hello.”

I had become used to it. At this point, correcting every single person who called me Serena would have been exhausting. The man smiled warmly.

“It has been so long. How have you been?”

I hesitated.

“I'm... fine.”

Armani's eyes briefly flickered toward me.The man continued talking, completely unaware of my discomfort.

“I heard you two were finally settling down. Your father must be pleased.”

My brows furrowed.

“My father?”

The man laughed lightly.

“Yes. Surely you remember—”

“She's been through a lot lately.”

Armani's voice cut through the conversation. The man's expression changed slightly.

“Of course.”

He nodded and smiled at me again.

“I'm glad you're doing well, Serena.”

I returned the smile. But something about that conversation bothered me. Not because he called me Serena. That was expected. It was the way he spoke to me. Like he knew me. Like he had known me for years. I glanced at Armani. He had already turned away.

“Come.”

His hand settled lightly against my back. I followed him through the crowd.

“You're being strange,” I whispered.

“I am always strange.”

I frowned.

“You know what I mean.”

He looked down at me.

“What?”

“That man.”

“What about him?”

“He spoke to me like he knew me.”

“He does.”

I stopped walking. Armani took another step before realizing I wasn't beside him anymore.

He turned.

“What?”

“How does he know me?”

His expression remained blank.

“You're Serena.”

My eyes narrowed.

“I'm Yulia.”

His gaze held mine.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then something shifted in his expression.

Barely.

So quickly that I almost convinced myself I hadn't seen it.

He looked away.

“I'm Yulia.”

His eyes stayed on mine.

“I know what you're supposed to be called.”

My brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why did you call me Yulia?”

His expression hardened. “Forget it.”

“Armani!”

A woman's voice interrupted us. I turned toward the sound. And there she was. The woman from three days ago.

His fiancée. I guess not anymore.

She stood several feet away, dressed elegantly, a smile slowly forming on her lips as she walked toward us. My stomach dropped. Armani went completely still.

And for the first time since I had met him... he looked genuinely caught off guard.