ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW
The last guests were finally leaving. Their laughter, their congratulations, their curious stares… they were all fading into the night like smoke. My cheeks were aching from smiling so much, and my feet felt numb inside the heels. I let out a small sigh of relief when I saw my mom standing near the entrance, ready to go.
She opened her arms as soon as she saw me. "My beautiful daughter. I'm so proud of you. I will be in touch, okay?"
I nodded, forcing a tired smile. "I'll call you later. But how will you get home? You came here alone, will you call for a taxi?"
She chuckled softly, the way she always did when she thought I was worrying too much. "The nurse will drop me off."
My eyes widened a little. "The nurse? I didn't even see her here."
My mom pointed to a woman standing near the doorway, dressed simply, holding her bag. She smiled when our eyes met.
"She was here the whole time," my mom added. "I told her she could at least enjoy the food while she waited."
I blinked, still surprised, then nodded. "Alright. Be safe. And please rest when you get home."
My mom patted my cheek gently. "I'm fine, Lena. Don't worry too much." She looked around the mansion one last time. "Go. You should rest. You looked tense all evening."
Tense wasn't even close to describing how I felt.
I hugged her tightly before letting her go. When I turned to head toward the stairs, I almost collided with Nathan. He was walking toward me with a smile so warm it softened something deep inside my chest.
"There you are," he said. "I've been looking for you. You disappeared right after we met outside."
I forced a small laugh. "I needed a moment to breathe."
"I can imagine." He tilted his head, studying my face gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," I replied, maybe too quickly.
He raised a brow. "Good? That's all? You just got engaged in front of half the city."
I shrugged, suddenly shy. "It was… a lot."
Nathan chuckled softly, his eyes glimmering with amusement. "Where were you hiding all these years? Seriously. A woman like you, just walking around unnoticed? Impossible."
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I glanced away from him, needing a moment to steady myself… but the moment my eyes drifted, they locked with Alexandra's from across the hall.
He was standing still, his posture perfectly straight, his expression unreadable but sharp. His gaze held mine with a hard, cold intensity that made my breath catch. He looked like he was cutting through me, dissecting every inch of my expression.
My stomach tightened.
Nathan followed my gaze and gave a quiet hum. "He looks like he wants to murder me."
I swallowed. "He's… always like that."
"Still," Nathan said, smiling again, "it makes me want to tease him more."
Before I could respond, Alexandra said goodbye to the person he was speaking with and began walking toward us with long, deliberate strides.
Panic flickered inside me.
I quickly turned back to Nathan. "I should go upstairs. I'm tired. Thank you for checking on me."
Nathan's smile softened. "Of course. Goodnight, Elena."
I hurried away before Alexandra could reach us. I climbed the stairs faster than usual, almost tripping on my gown. When I reached the hallway, I glanced down into the living room again.
Alexandra was now talking to Nathan.
Talking… but the air around them looked tense. Nathan's brows were raised slightly, and Alexandra's expression was cold and unreadable. I couldn't hear anything, but their body language alone made my heart beat faster.
I forced myself to look away and slipped into the room that had been prepared for me. As soon as I closed the door, I released a deep breath and collapsed onto the bed.
Finally, It was over.
All the pretending. All the polite smiles. All the people watching me like I was some interesting animal on display. Tonight felt like a performance I didn't audition for.
I lay back, closing my eyes. The silence felt like a warm blanket.
But before I could breathe a second time, a sharp knock echoed against the door.
My eyes flew open.
Who could that be? Everyone should be downstairs or gone by now.
I pushed myself up, gathered the long skirt of my gown so I wouldn't trip, and walked to the door. When I opened it, the last person I expected to see was standing there.
Alexandra Reyes.
His face was expressionless, his eyes cold and sharp as always. His presence alone filled the doorway like a shadow.
I felt my throat tighten. What was he doing here? Did Nathan say something? Was he angry that I spoke to him again?
My thoughts were spiraling when his voice snapped me back.
"Move."
I blinked. "What?"
His jaw tightened slightly as though he were already irritated. "Move, Elena."
This time, his tone left no room for argument. I stepped aside, even though confusion twisted inside me.
He walked past me without sparing a second glance. I closed the door slowly and turned to face him.
"Do you… Need anything?" I asked quietly.
No response.
He walked deeper into the room and slipped off his suit jacket, placing it neatly on the chair. Then he removed his wristwatch. His movements were deliberate, calm, but I felt my heartbeat picking up with every layer he removed.
"What… what are you doing?" My voice cracked despite my effort to sound composed.
He didn't answer. He continued unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the top of his chest. My breath stopped.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
My mind jumped to the worst conclusion before I could stop it.
He's planning to sleep with me.
Panic burst inside me.
"I… you can't do that. You can't sleep with me." My words came out fast and messy. "We aren't even married yet. And you said there would be no touching. You made that very clear. So… so you can't just come in here and…"
He froze.
He looked at me slowly, disbelief and irritation mixed on his face. His shirt was half open, his toned abdomen almost visible, but he didn't seem to care.
He stared at me like I had just said the most confusing thing in the universe.
"What are you talking about?"
I swallowed hard. "I thought you were here to sleep with me or something. You came in here and you're… undressing and..."
He cut me off, his expression darkening. "Are you dumb?"
The words stung like a slap. I felt my chest tighten.
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "I wouldn't touch you. Even if someone paid me to. And you don't have to worry about any of that. You're not my type."
For a second, relief washed through me… but it was quickly replaced by a sharp, painful ache. I didn't expect his words to hurt. Not like that.
My lips parted, but nothing came out.
Alexandra looked away, almost bored. Then he dropped the real bomb, in that calm, cold tone of his.
"This is also my room."
I blinked. "What?"
"We're sleeping in the same room from now on." He picked up another button on his shirt as if nothing unusual was happening. "Until the wedding is over and we move to my house. My parents cannot know this is a contract marriage. It would cause too many problems. So we are sharing a room. Starting tonight."
My entire body went still.
Share. A room.
With him.
My lungs felt like they forgot how to work. "I… you… This wasn't part of the agreement."
He turned, finally looking directly at me, his expression unreadable but eyes sharp. "You signed the contract without reading it. That was your choice."
My stomach twisted painfully.
He was right… But hearing it like that made me feel small. Stupid. Trapped.
I stared at him, my thoughts spiraling. How was I supposed to sleep next to a man like him? A man who had no feelings, no warmth, no softness. A man who didn't want me, didn't even like me, but still expected me to play the perfect fiancée.
My heart hammered wildly.
"I can't…" I whispered, barely audible. "I didn't think it would be like this."
Alexandra sighed, clearly impatient. "Get used to it."
I felt something inside me crack.
He looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable… then he turned away and continued unbuttoning his shirt as if what he just said hadn't shattered my calm.
I stood there, frozen, unable to move or breathe properly.
Share a room.
With him.
Tonight.
The walls suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. My mind raced in circles, searching for a way out, a loophole, anything…
But there was nothing.
At this moment, all I wanted was to run back into my mother's arms and disappear from everything.
My throat tightened as I screamed inside my head... Mommy, where are you? Please... save me.