5.

“You're dead,” he growled, his eyes murderous as he cocked the gun. I swallowed hard, my hands gripping tightly onto the edge of my dress, my eyes squeezing shut as I braced myself to die.

“Ouch... ouch!”

The sudden sound of hacking coughs made my eyes fly open. I scrambled away from the gun barrel and hurried toward the bed.

“Take her to the hospital, now!” I ordered the hovering medical staff.

Before I could do anything else, Alexander grabbed my arm and dragged me backward away from his mother.

“Kill her,” he ordered his guards. My eyes widened in terror.

“Mr. Blackwood! Wait!” Doctor Shawn cried, rushing forward. “She just pulled your mother back from the brink! All we need to do now is hook her up to an IV drip, and she will be fully conscious by tomorrow.”

Alexander paused, his jaw clenching. He turned to his head guard instead. “Lock her up.”

Two heavy-handed guards grabbed me by the shoulders, dragged me down a dim hallway, and shoved me into an isolated spare room, slamming the heavy door shut behind me.

I paced back and forth, my heart hammering against my ribs, terrified for my life. I couldn't even sit still. The bright afternoon sky slowly bled into dusk, and then night fell completely. Not a single person came to check on me, and no one knocked on the door.

Exhaustion finally claimed me, and I collapsed against the floorboards, falling into a restless sleep. When I blinked awake, pale morning light was filtering through the high window.

I pushed myself up immediately, rushing to bang on the door, but met only silence.

My palms were slick with sweat, my face contorted with worry.

After hours of agonizing waiting, the lock clicked. The door swung open to reveal Alexander stepping into the room. His once-sharp, furious dark eyes looked remarkably calm.

“Thank you,” he said quietly…. so softly that if I hadn't been straining to listen, I would have missed it entirely.

I chuckled inwardly, the last of my frantic nerves settling down.

“What do you want in return?” he asked, crossing his arms.

A slow smirk touched my lips. “Marry me.”

He tilted his head in pure shock, his dark eyes widening. He clearly hadn't expected my demand to be marriage; perhaps he assumed I would ask for a fortune in cash.

“Why?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“I want your power,” I answered firmly.

He smirked, letting out a dry scoff. “If you just want someone destroyed, I can wipe them out with a snap of my fingers. Why on earth would you want to marry me?”

“I want to be a Blackwood,” I said, unyielding.

Alexander stared at me for a long beat before slowly nodding. “Very well. You saved my mother, and I never break my promise. Let's go.”

I nodded, following him out of the room. He opened the passenger door of his luxury car for me before walking around to slide into the driver's side. The car glided smoothly through the city until it pulled up outside the high court.

“We're here to get married,” Alexander stated to the magistrate inside.

The registrar nodded, sliding the documents across the mahogany desk. We signed our names, and moments later, official marriage certificates were handed over.

As we stepped back out into the cool morning air, I turned to face him.

“The official wedding ceremony will take place in three months,” he informed me.

I nodded in agreement. “Got it.”

“What's your name?” he asked, realizing he hadn't even formally asked.

“Arabella Rosewood... but now, Arabella Blackwood,” I said with a small, genuine smile.

He nodded, extending his arm for me to take. But I paused, holding my ground.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Blackwood, but there is something I need to handle before I move in with you.”

He studied my face for a long moment before giving a slow nod. “Your phone.”

I unlocked it and handed it over. With lightning-fast fingers, he typed his personal number into the screen, pressing down so hard on the glass you would have thought he wanted to shatter it.

“Here. Call me when you're done,” he instructed.

As soon as his car pulled away from the curb, I whipped out the phone and dialed Pink to share the incredible news.

“Girl, what?! You got ‘married’?” she shrieked in absolute disbelief.

“Yes.”

“Wow... you are really going all out for this, aren't you?” she laughed.

I grinned, ending the call before hailing a cab straight back to the Rosewood estate.

When I stepped through the front doors, I was genuinely surprised to find the entire household gathered in the living room. My mother, father, Vanessa, Lucas, and all three of my brothers stood in a tense semicircle. The second I walked in, every pair of eyes snapped onto me.

“You still haven't learned a single lesson, have you?” My father's booming voice shook the walls of the room.

I narrowed my eyes in genuine confusion. “I don't understand.”

“Don't play dumb with us! What on earth were you doing lurking in front of the Blackwood building yesterday?” Sebastian shouted, stepping right into my face.

For a terrifying micro-second, my heart seized. ‘Did they somehow find out I'm now Mrs. Blackwood?’

“Brother, calm down. I'm sure she just wandered past by accident, even if she can't help causing trouble. She's still bitter about reform school,” Vanessa chimed in innocently, her blue eyes gleaming with malice behind a mask of faux-sympathy as she smirked at me.

“I didn't cause trouble, I wen….”

“I see what's happening! You're trying to sabotage our family name so the Blackwoods blacklist us!” Dominic roared.

“Brother... she's just still jealous of me. She wants to ruin my reputation right when I'm about to sign my major design contract with the Blackwood corporation,” Vanessa wailed, crocodile tears springing to her eyes.

“I honestly can't believe we ever raised you,” my mother hissed, pulling Vanessa into a tight, protective embrace.

“You know what? Vanessa is the anonymous designer Pink, and you're just trying to ruin her success out of spite. You are such a pathetic disgrace,” Nathaniel snapped.

I raised a single eyebrow. Vanessa is Pink? Since when?!

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. I had completely forgotten how utterly delusional this family was.

“As of today, Arabella, you are no longer my daughter. I officially disown you!” my father thundered.

I sighed inwardly, deciding it was time to give them a parting gift. Without warning, I lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of Vanessa's golden blonde hair and jerking it back hard.

“Ahhh!” Vanessa shrieked, thrashing as pain echoed through the room.

Before I could do more damage, Sebastian's heavy hands caught my shoulders, ripping me away from her and slamming me violently against the living room wall.

“Gah!” I gasped, pain flaring across my back. But inside, I was glowing. I wanted Vanessa's hair, and I had gotten it. ‘Just you wait, Vanessa,’ I muttered to myself, watching my family flutter around her like pathetic sycophants.

“Throw her out of my sight!” my father roared.

I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a theatrical sob, forcing fake tears to spill down my cheeks. “At least before I leave... Mom, won't you even spare me a hug?” I sniffled.

“Never! You are pure evil! Get her out of my sight right now!” my mother shrieked.

Two burly guards grabbed my arms, dragging me roughly toward the front gates and tossing me onto the concrete outside.

As I pushed myself up and dusted off my dress, I heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind me.

“I would offer you a goodbye hug... but only if you beg Vanessa for forgiveness first,” Nathaniel sneered, walking out onto the porch.

I paused, turning around with a chilling smile. “Okay.”

Before he could react, I darted forward, my hand shooting out to grab a solid fistful of his dark hair, ripping a thick strand straight from his scalp.

“Agh! What the hell?!” Nathaniel roared, shoving me back in shock.

I burst out laughing, a wild, maniacal sound echoing across the yard.

“Apologize? I will never apologize to any of you! Never! If anyone in this godforsaken family deserves an apology, it's me!” I yelled, my eyes blazing with fierce vindication.

Clutching his throbbing head, Nathaniel glared at me in sheer horror before turning and bolting back inside the mansion.

I stood tall outside the gates, wiping the last fake tear from my cheek.

Finally, the stage was set. Now, it was time to uncover the ultimate truth: was Vanessa truly the biological daughter of the Rosewoods, or was her whole existence built on a mountain of lies?