e had learned quickly that her new life wasn't one of luxury and ease. It was a carefully constructed façade-an in

. They barely exchanged words, and when they did, they were business-like, void of any personal connecti

like an electric charge in the air, something unspoken that neither of them was willing to address. It frustrated her. She didn't

t calendar for the coming weeks, her phone bu

re you st

text, her fingers ho

y. How's life a

Just wanted to check in. Heard anythi

ast few days had been an endless series of events, gatherings, and meetings, all

stant, and as uninterested as ever. Hon

reeze you out. You're not here for

t I didn't expect this t

survivor. Don't l

seep into every interaction. There were times when he would look at her, his eyes briefly meeting hers, and in those moments, she thought she saw so

ile for the cameras, and keep up appearances. But something inside her was gnawing at her. This wasn't what she had

-

n sat at the head of the table, his posture rigid, his attention focused on the papers in front of him. His gaze flickered tow

le a glance, her mind focused solely on the conversation with Charles. Julian, however, was the only one who seem

a," Julian said, his voice cutting through the sile

her eyes narrowing slightly. "Is

. "You're tougher than I thought. I wasn

" she asked, her tone

marry into this family break under the pressure. They either crumble or g

ne, her patience thinning. "I didn't

aze shifting toward

onversation. It was like he didn't care what was happening around him. She could feel the ange

e asked, her voice quiet but f

thing, really. I'm just here for the show. You're here to

he stand-in. But even as the words cut through her, she felt something shift inside her-a quiet resolve. If she

id quietly, her voice carrying more conviction th

t, his smirk fading. "I think you'l

," she added, her eyes flicking to Damien

air like a heavy cloud. The rest of the evening felt like it passed in a h

t at the sprawling gardens below. The night was cold, the air crisp and sharp against her

hinges echoing through the quiet night. Arielle didn't t

," Damien said, his voice quiet,

, though her words felt

ut w

n was unreadable, but there was a hardness to his eyes

" she said softly. "How I e

idn't look away. "You're here be

ere because y

ed slightly. "T

ed an eyebro

ackling with tension. "You think I don't care?

u care about. But I do know one thing-I'm not here for you. I'm here for

unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned

idea what was going on between them, but one thing was certain-

e wasn't going to let anyone-least of

-