CHAPTER 3

ALYANA POV

Julian’s grip on my waist was suffocating. He pulled me so close that I could feel the erratic thrum of his pulse through his shirt. It wasn't a romantic gesture; it was a warning.

The older man, Julian’s father, didn't look at me first. He looked at Julian’s mask. He sighed, a heavy sound full of disappointment.

"Still wearing that thing, I see," Arthur Vance said, his voice echoing in the room. "It makes the help nervous, Julian. And it’s bad for the brand. You look like a character from a gothic novel, not a CEO."

Julian’s fingers flared against my hip. "Good thing I’m not running a modeling agency, Father. I’m running a conglomerate. And I’m doing it better than you did."

"Is that so?" Arthur finally turned his cold, grey eyes to me. He scanned me from head to toe, dismissing my simple dress with a single glance. "And this is the girl. Alyana, was it? Your father was very eager to close the deal. I hope you have more of a spine than he does."

​"I have enough to stand here," I said. I tried to keep my voice from shaking.

​Julian’s hand tightened on my waist—a warning to stop talking.

​"At least she’s pretty," a different voice said.

The younger man stepped out from behind Arthur. He was wearing a light blue linen suit. He was tan, blonde, and had a smile that probably worked on everyone he met.

"Julian, you didn't tell me she was this stunning," the younger man said. He stepped forward, and held out his hand. "I’m Leo. The brother everyone actually likes."

​I looked up, ready to give a polite, fake smile. But the second I met his eyes, I stopped. The dining room, the cold marble, even Julian’s grip—everything else seemed to fade for a moment.

"Leo?" I whispered.

The blonde man’s smile vanished instantly. His hand stayed where it was, half-reached out toward me. His eyes—so different from Julian’s—widened as he looked at me.

"Aly?" he said, the name so low I almost didn't hear it.

It was him. The boy who used to climb the fence of my backyard when we were ten. The boy I’d shared my first awkward, teenage kiss with under the pier before his family moved away to Europe and he disappeared from my life. My first love, and my only friend during the years when my father started losing everything.

"You two know each other?" Julian asked. His voice was flat and sharp, making the room go quiet.

Julian’s grip on my waist tightened until it hurt. I felt him go rigid beside me, his entire focus shifting to Leo. He knew something was wrong before I could even process it.

"No," Leo said quickly. He recovered faster than I did, pulling his hand back and shoving it into his pocket. "I just... she looks like someone I knew in school. A long time ago. Small world, I guess."

"Very small," Julian muttered. He didn't sound convinced. He turned me toward the table. "Sit. Let’s eat. I have a board meeting at ten."

Breakfast was tense. Arthur spent the entire time picking apart Julian’s recent business deals, talking down to him despite Julian being the one actually keeping the company afloat.

​"The shareholders are talking, Julian," Arthur said, cutting into his steak. "They see the mask and the way you’ve isolated yourself. This marriage is a good start, but if you don’t produce an heir—or at least show them a face they can trust—Leo might have to take over your role in the firm."

Leo laughed, though it sounded forced. "Dad, leave him alone. Julian’s doing fine. Let him enjoy his honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" Julian gave a short, cold laugh. "I don't have time for a honeymoon. Alyana and I have an understanding."

​"I'm sure she does," Arthur said. "I'm sure she knows exactly what her father was paid for her."

​I looked down at my plate, my face hot. I could feel Leo watching me—his stare was heavy and full of questions I couldn't answer. Every time I glanced up, Julian was watching us both, his jaw tight.

​"I need some air," I said, pushing my chair back. "It’s a bit crowded in here."

"I’ll show her the terrace," Leo offered immediately, standing up.

"Marcus can show her," Julian said, his voice going low and dangerous.

"Oh, stop being so possessive, Julian," Leo said with a playful wink that didn't reach his eyes. "I’m your brother. I'm not going to steal her in five minutes."

Julian stared at him. No one at the table moved. Finally, he looked back at his father. "Fine. Five minutes, Leo. Then she needs to get ready for the press photos."

I walked out of the dining room, my legs trembling. Leo followed me. We didn't speak as we walked through the hallway and out onto the wide stone terrace that overlooked the woods.

​I walked out of the dining room, my legs trembling. Leo followed me. Neither of us spoke until we reached the stone terrace overlooking the woods.

​The moment the doors closed, I turned to face him. "Leo? What are you doing here? You're a Vance?"

​"My mother married Arthur when I was six," Leo said, stepping closer. He glanced back at the glass doors, checking for his father—or Julian. "I used my mother’s maiden name back home. Aly... what happened? Why are you here with him?"

"My father," I said, my voice cracking. "The debt... he sold the house, the business, everything. He told me if I didn't marry Julian, we’d lose it all. My sister, Leo... she’s still in school. I couldn't let her lose her future."

"He’s dangerous, Alyana," Leo whispered. He looked like he was the one in pain. "I know him. He’s been like this since the accident—cold, unreachable. You can't stay. You won’t survive him."

"I signed the papers, Leo. It’s done."

"It’s not done." Leo reached out as if to touch my face, but he stopped himself. "I’ve been looking for you for years. I didn't think I’d find you like this. Trapped in my own family’s mess."

Inside, I saw Julian stand up and turn his back to the window to answer a phone call. He was distracted.

Leo didn't wait. He moved closer, using his back to shield us from the dining room. He reached down and caught my hand, his grip familiar in a way that made my chest ache.

"Listen to me," he breathed, his eyes searching mine. "I’m not the same kid you knew. I have resources now. I have my own money."

"Leo, don't. Julian will see."

​"Let him," Leo said, his grip on my hand tightening. He leaned in close, his voice a low whisper against my ear. "I’m going to get you away from him, Aly. I don't care what you signed. I’m not leaving you here."

I looked at him, hope and fear pulling at me at the same time. Just as I felt Julian starting to turn back toward the window, Leo let go of my hand and stepped back, his expression turning blank.

​But I could still feel the heat of his palm against mine—and I knew this wasn’t over.