All Chapters of FAKE BRIDE OF THE ALPHA KING : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

69Aaron's POV I stood in front of the mirror longer than necessary, straightening my collar, and smoothing down my shirt. I was starting my work as Briar's personal assistant today.On the outside, it seemed like just a job. But to me, it wasn't just a job. This was another opportunity for me to win her back.I mean, Briar wouldn’t want to have me this close just to be her personal assistant. If she truly wanted nothing to do with me, she wouldn’t have made me work for her. If she wanted me around, it's because she was still acting out of hurt. I was sure of it.And that hurt was something I could always make up for.I grabbed my keys and left the house, locking the door behind me. The drive to the palace was longer than usual due to the traffic that clogged the roads.At a red light, I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, replaying how I'd act and what I would say. I didn’t need to rush it. Time was on my side now. I’d be there every day and close enough to remind her of

Briar's POV A week had passed since Aaron had resumed working for me. Seven days of his presence as my personal assistant in the palace. And those seven days have been good for me.“Not there,” I said, tapping the table where he had placed a book in the palace library. “Are you simply incapable of following simple instructions? Or you enjoy doing things wrong?”“It’s better here, your Majesty,” he said carefully.“You know more than me now?” I asked, my voice cutting like glass.He paused, jaw tightening, and then shook his head and adjusted the placement exactly how I wanted it.I nodded. “Now it's better.” There was a flicker of frustration that crossed his face. It was brief, but I noticed, and a small and quiet satisfaction settled in my chest. This was how it had been for the past week. Every interaction was stripped down to harsh corrections and control, leaving him smaller each time. Always watching him stumble at my instructions was a kind of enjoyment that I had no inte

Briar’s POV The quiet of the morning felt good, and it was a contrast to the tension I’d left behind in the dining hall with Azrael. Once inside my room, I moved to the vanity and picked up my compact to apply just a few quick swipes. I already had light makeup on, but I had to make my plan very believable. I dabbed on a little more perfume, enough to leave a trace behind me. Then I adjusted my dress and stepped back, to look at myself for a second, then nodded in satisfaction.Good enough.I left my room and headed to the lower palace hall, and met Aaron there, standing with his hands lightly folded in front of him. He looked up as I approached, eyes widening just a fraction before settling back into his usual calm mask.“Good morning, your Majesty,” he said, his voice steady but carrying that slight lift that came whenever he was caught off guard.I smiled brightly at him. “Good morning. How was your night?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.He blinked, clearly a little surpris

Briar's POV While Aaron kept playing knight in shining armor, I let him. I indulged it, fully aware of what it was doing. And with every passing day, Azrael’s reactions grew worse.He still held himself together in public, still wore control like armor, but it was fraying. I could see it in the way his jaw stayed tight for too long, in the way his eyes lingered on Aaron with a dangerous kind of sharpness.I could even feel the contained and restrained dangerous heat. The kind that only needed the smallest push to break loose.He was close to losing control. And I could see it plainly.“Good morning, Your Majesty.”Aaron’s voice pulled my attention away from my phone. I looked up and saw him standing a few steps away from me. I was in the private living room where I had told him to meet me whenever he came to the palace.“Aaron,” I said, my shoulders easing slightly. “You’re here.”“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replied, then softened his tone. “How are you feeling today?”“A bit better. Tha

77Briar's POV Briar had been paying more attention to me lately, and I noticed every bit of it.The way she lingered when she spoke to me, how she didn’t rush the conversations the way she used to. Before, it had always felt like I was fighting for space, like she was half-present. Now she asked questions and she listened. She remembered things I said days ago and brought them up again like they mattered.She smiled at me more. The real kind of smile that reached her eyes and stayed there. When we walked together, she didn’t create distance the way she used to. Most times, she closed it herself.That alone told me I was doing something right.There was a steady sense of satisfaction growing. It was all proof that what I had been planning was finally taking shape.There were moments when I caught myself thinking too far ahead. Moments where I imagined what this would look like when it was fully settled, when I had finally gotten her. I pulled myself back every time. Getting careles