chapter 4

Lena's POV

"You should know," Zane said, his voice low and velvet-smooth, "that secrets don’t stay buried in this house for long… especially when they’re in a pretty girl’s head."

I froze.

I hadn’t even shaken off the chill of Liam’s parting words “Now, you survive” and already another storm was rising.

Zane stood just a few feet away, hands tucked casually in his pockets, a lazy smile on his lips like we were discussing the weather. But his smile didn’t reach his eyes. There was danger there, tightly leashed. A warning wrapped in silk.

I didn’t blink. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

He chuckled, stepping forward with slow, deliberate grace. "No, darling. It’s supposed to seduce you."

I raised a brow. "Not going to work."

"I haven’t even started yet."

I took a step back instinctively and my spine met the cold marble wall. The moonlight from the tall windows bathed Zane in silver, making him look almost ethereal, a fallen angel with secrets in his grin.

God, I hated how breathtaking he was.

Tousled dark hair. A jawline sculpted like it was carved out of defiance. That smirk, the one that could gut you without a knife. And his eyes, dark, unreadable, but watching me like he already knew what choices I'd make.

"You think because I’m the middle brother, I’m the nice one?" he murmured, planting a hand beside my head. His voice dropped, silk over steel. "I’m the most dangerous."

"I already met Liam," I snapped. "Dangerous doesn’t scare me anymore."

He leaned in closer. The scent of expensive cologne mixed with something wilder, like smoke and rain.

"Liam is a storm. You see him coming. Me? I’m poison in your wine. You won’t even realize you’re dying until it’s too late."

I didn’t move. My heart hammered, but I held my ground.

"Try me," I whispered.

His grin deepened. "Oh, I intend to."

---

By the next morning, I had a new assignment.

Direct orders from Mrs. Hills: I was to assist Zane personally.

Not a request. An order. And I didn’t need a crystal ball to know who made it happen.

Apparently, I was now his aide for the upcoming Carter's Foundation Gala, a massive event that attracted celebrities, senators, and serpents in designer suits. My job? Keep Zane organized.

Zane, of course, found this hilarious.

"We’re going shopping," he announced, tossing a platinum credit card my way.

I caught it instinctively. "Excuse me?"

"Get a dress," he said, not even looking up. "Something that says 'I don’t belong here, but I’m trying really hard to pretend.'"

I raised a brow. "And why exactly would I do that?"

He looked up then, leaning against the doorframe with that maddening smirk. "Because, sweetheart, you’re my date."

My heart skipped. "Your what?"

"You heard me."

He didn’t wait for my answer. He just walked away, leaving his words like a trap snapping shut around me.

----

I found myself downtown an hour later, stepping out of the car beside Zane. He didn’t say a word, just tilted his head toward the entrance like this was some kind of mission.

We stood in front of a boutique that looked like it belonged in Paris, not my regular life. Crystal chandeliers sparkled through the tall glass windows. Mannequins were dripping in silk and confidence. The saleslady at the door looked like she judged people for fun, and I could already feel her eyes on me, scanning me head to toe like I didn’t belong.

Zane just shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing at his watch. “You’ve got twenty minutes. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Can I help you?” the saleslady asked, eyes skimming over me like I’d walked in wearing a garbage bag.

“I need a dress,” I said. “Something... expensive-looking. Like I don’t belong.”

Her expression didn’t change, but she led me inside. I touched the fabrics like they might burn me, lace, satin, velvet, none of it felt real. But then I saw it. Midnight blue. Backless. The slit ran scandalously high. It looked like danger stitched into fabric.

“You want to try it on?” the saleslady asked, like she didn’t believe I’d dare.

I did.

And when I looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the girl staring back. She looked like she had secrets. Like she could shatter hearts just by walking in the room.

By the time I stepped toward the car, every step made me question my life choices. But when I saw the way Zane looked at me, not with desire, but with ownership, my skin went cold.

"You clean up nicely," he said, his eyes dragging down my body like a slow knife. "Almost makes me forget you’re spying on my family."

I stiffened. "I’m not spying."

He leaned closer, his voice a dark whisper. "Lena, you found something. And now everyone’s watching to see what you’ll do with it. Including my brothers. Especially Liam"

I turned to him sharply. "Why are you telling me this?"

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t have to.

Zane’s jaw tightened. His hands gripped the steering wheel like he was holding back more than just words.

“Because you’re not safe,” he said, voice low, almost like a growl. “And if you think pretending you don’t know anything is enough… it’s not. Liam doesn’t forgive. He destroys it.”

I swallowed hard. My heart thudded in my chest. I wanted to ask more, destroy what? Who? Me? but something in his tone made the words die on my tongue.

The rest of the ride was suffocatingly quiet.

Even the music dared not play.

I stared out the window, pretending the city lights didn’t blur in my vision. I didn’t want to admit I was scared. Maybe I’d stepped into something I couldn’t dance my way out of.

When we pulled up to the gala, the car glided to a smooth stop in front of a building that looked more like a palace than a hotel. Red carpet. Golden chandeliers inside. Cameras flashing like lightning in a storm.

Zane didn’t say a word as he stepped out.

The moment he opened my door and offered his hand, my heart almost stopped. His eyes met mine, not soft, not gentle. Focused. Like I was a mission he had to carry out.

I placed my hand in his.

His fingers curled around mine, warm and firm, as if reminding me You’re already in this, Lena. There’s no turning back now.

And just like that, we walked into the lion’s den.

….

The Hills Foundation Gala looked like something out of a royal fantasy. Crystals dripped from the ceiling like stars had melted just for this night. Soft violin music floated through the air, and every woman in the room looked like she’d stepped off the cover of Vogue.

I stood beside Zane, my arm grazing his but never touching. He didn’t have to hold me, his presence alone claimed me in ways I wasn’t ready to admit. And that was exactly the problem. Because every time I moved, I felt Liam’s eyes from across the room. Watching. Measuring. Waiting for something I couldn’t name.

I leaned in, ready to excuse myself for a breath of air.

But Zane caught my wrist.

“Don’t,” he said, voice low but firm.

I blinked. “Why not?”

He looked at me now, really looked. “You leave my side tonight, and you’re unprotected.”

A chill moved down my spine. “From what?”

His jaw tightened. “From everyone.”

And that’s when I saw her.

She was tall, impossibly beautiful, with red lips that matched danger and a body that made her dress look like it was stitched onto sin. She walked toward us like she owned the floor—heels clicking, hips swaying, eyes locked on Zane.

Zane’s smile vanished.

Oh no.

“Zane,” she purred, stopping just inches away. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing your plaything.”

I blinked, confused for a second. “Excuse me?”

Zane’s smile came back, but it was razor-sharp now. Cold. “Lena, this is Cordelia. My ex.”

Cordelia didn’t wait. She leaned closer, her voice like venom wrapped in silk. “Darling, do you know what happens to girls who play with Zane? They break. Or disappear.”

I smiled sweetly, too sweetly. The kind of smile that warned of incoming storms.

“Do you know what happens to women who insult me?” I asked, keeping my voice light. “They get slapped.”

Zane choked back a laugh beside me. I felt it more than I heard it, a sharp exhale and the twitch of his shoulder.

But Cordelia? She didn’t laugh.

Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward, all fire and fury, like she was ready to pounce.

I didn’t flinch.

But before it could go any further, Zane moved between us like a shield, smooth and lethal. His tone dropped, the temperature with it.

“Enough,” he said, eyes fixed on her now. Cold. Commanding. Dangerous.

“Cordelia, don’t test me.”