chapter two

ELENA’S POV

My stomach dropped;

Two nights ago, my worst nightmare, the night my best friend and my mother betrayed me.

That day, I thought I won the argument against my mother by telling that I was a virgin and I couldn't replace Elara because she already slept with Aldric.

There was no way he wouldn't find out.

I decided to attend a party to avoid the awkwardness at home and confided in my best friend, Aria, who was more than just a friend, but a sister because she was raised and nurtured by my family after she lost hers at a very young age.

Aria’s solution was to get me drunk and forget about it all.

I fell for it.

That night, I woke up to hands roaming around my body and the kisses on my neck.

I was on a bed and it wasn't my room; my entire vision was blurry and I couldn't understand what was happening at first.

There was a man on top of me, peeling off my dress and pleasing me with his mouth.

I should have screamed and pushed him away but…

It must have been the alcohol or something else; a sensation I couldn't place, but I wanted more of what he was doing to me

A soft moan escaped my lips as he nibbled harder on my neck.

He lifted his head to look at me in eyes;

“You are very intoxicating.”

He captured my mouth in a hungry and desperate kiss and I didn't fight it.

I kissed him back with the same energy as I lost all self control and let him take my innocence.

I thought it was all a dream but when I finally woke up the next morning the alcohol had worn off;

I was sore everywhere, especially between my thighs and the memories came rushing in.

There was a pile of cash on the bed stand and a note beside it.

*I didn't know you were a virgin. You must have been in urgent need of money, that's why I doubled the agreed amount. Take care. I had a good time. Hope to see you again.*

My heart shattered at that moment, a confirmation of what I feared the most;

I lost my virginity to a stranger.

But it wasn’t a stranger anymore.

Adrian’s words crashed through me like ice water;

Was it him?

My breath hitched as I stumbled back, slightly as he released my arms, “W…What did you just say?” My voice cracked.

Adrian’s lips curved into a dark smirk, but there was something dangerous flickering behind his eyes. “You heard me, Elara, or should I say… whoever you really are?”

“What a sweet welcome surprise,” His eyes scanned through my body lustfully before coming back up to meet my eyes,

“So, my brother's wife was the sexy virgin who gave me the best sex of my life when I got back to this country. Interesting,” he licked his lower lips.

My pulse roared in my ears and the room spun around me;

This can’t be happening,

The memory of that night slammed into me; blurred faces, heavy breathings and moans.

It was Aldric’s brother.

Panic clawed at my throat;

If he said a word to Aldric; if Aldric finds out about this, my family is finished.

“Adrian, listen,” I cut in quickly, forcing my trembling voice into something steady, “You must be mistaken. I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I won't let you talk to me in that manner, I'm your brother's wife. Show some respect.”

I feigned annoyance.

He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “Still denying it sweetheart?”

I forced a nervous laugh, pretending calm while my mind screamed, “Do you really think I’d risk my marriage to sleep with a stranger? How could a married woman be a virgin? You must’ve mistaken me for someone else that night. I wasn’t even in town.”

He stared at me, quietly, studying every flicker of my expression.

For a terrifying moment, I thought he’d call my bluff;

Then his lips lifted slightly. “Alright, Mrs. Harrison,” he murmured, voice laced with wicked amusement, “I'm sorry about the mix up. I just hoped I'd see her again and you know…” he winked at me and walked past me.

As he disappeared up the stairs, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, “Oh my God…” I clutched my chest and sat on the couch.

What the fuck is going on?

I had asked Aria about the man when I called her that morning but she didn’t know who it was either,

It turned out to be Aldric's brother of all people.

“How am I supposed to survive in this lie?” My voice trembled. “Just one day and I'm already walking on thin ice.”

With the look on Adrian’s face, he wasn't convinced. He'll definitely dig more into his suspicions.

He's a Harrison, I wouldn't expect less.

“What am I going to do?” I buried my face in my palms.

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

I was calm during the dinner, but inside, I was a wreck

I just wanted to get through it without any problem.

Adrian sat across from me, a smug smirk tugging at his lips;

Every time his eyes met mine, I felt my pulse spike in panic.

He knew, and he wasn't going to drop it.

But I couldn’t afford to get caught;

So I smiled, I played the part, the elegant, graceful Elara Harrison who had no skeletons in her closet.

My fingers trembled under the table, but my voice remained calm whenever Aldric spoke to me;

Aldric, oblivious to the war inside my chest, poured himself another glass of wine and turned to his brother.

“I almost forgot to mention,” Aldric said, his deep voice cutting through the uneasy silence, “Adrian will be staying with us for a few months until his building is completed. He’s decided to stay permanently in the country.”

My fork slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the porcelain plate. “He’s… staying?”

Adrian’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he leaned back lazily in his chair,“That’s right, sister-in-law. Please, take care of me.” He bowed slightly;

The corner of his mouth twitched in a knowing smirk that only I could understand;

My lips curved into a polite smile even though I could feel my stomach twisting into knots. “Of course. You’re family.”

But inside, I was screaming,

How the hell was I supposed to survive this?

Dinner eventually ended;

Aldric received a call and went to his study, leaving Adrian and me in that suffocating silence. His gaze followed me as I excused myself.

Elara had her own room and barely slept in Aldric’s room unless he wanted to sleep with her, which isn't very often. And I hope he doesn't make any advances soon.

When I reached my room, I closed the door and exhaled shakily. My heart was racing like I’d just escaped something deadly;

Maybe I had.

I stripped off my dress and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the tension from my skin.

For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe,

But even then, I couldn’t stop thinking about Adrian. About the look in his eyes, I felt like I was drowning in them.

He knew what he was doing and he wasn't going to stop.

After my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and stepped out, steam curling through the air.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I went directly to pick it up.

It was an unknown number.

I frowned. My first thought was Aria. She was probably trying to reach me through another number because I wasn't responding to her.

“Let's hear what she has to say this time,” I scoffed.

I picked it up. “Hello?”

A low male voice came through the line, smooth, and teasing, “Elena Whitmore.”

My grip on the phone tightened. “Who is this?”

The voice chuckled softly, darkly, “You really shouldn’t answer unknown numbers, sweetheart.”

The sound wasn’t just in my ear, it was behind me.

My heart froze.

Slowly, I turned around,

Adrian stepped out from the dark corner of my room, his phone pressed casually against his ear, a devilish grin spreading across his lips,

“Now,” he said, lowering the phone, “Why don’t we stop pretending, Elena Whitmore?”