The next morning, Amara woke to sunlight spilling across the massive bedroom, but sleep had eluded her. Every shadow in the mansion seemed alive. Every whisper of the wind felt like a warning.
She stepped into the living room, her heart still tight from last night's discovery of the hidden camera. Alexander was already there, dressed in his sharp black suit, reviewing papers on a glass desk. He didn't even look up when she entered.
"Good morning," she said cautiously.
He finally glanced at her, eyes dark and unreadable. "Morning. Did you sleep?"
"Not really," she admitted. "I… I saw the camera last night."
Alexander's expression darkened. "I know. I removed it. But there could be more. That's why you need to be careful."
Amara nodded, a knot forming in her stomach. But before she could respond, a high, sharp voice cut through the air.
"Alexander! You never told me we had… a new wife?"
Amara spun around. Standing at the top of the grand staircase was Claire Knight—Alexander's ex-fiancée and the woman he had promised to marry, as Amara had learned the night before. Her eyes were icy, her lips twisted in a cruel smile.
"Claire," Alexander said evenly. "This is Amara. She is staying here… for now."
Claire's gaze shifted to Amara, and Amara felt a shiver of unease. The woman's eyes were like knives, sharp and dangerous.
"'For now'?" Claire's voice was venomous. "So this… contract marriage… is temporary?"
"Yes," Alexander replied calmly. "Until the year ends, she is my wife on paper. But she's not to be harmed. That's a rule you seem to forget, Claire."
Claire laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "Oh, I never forget anything. Don't think for a second that your little arrangement won't have consequences. Every woman who has loved you ends up ruined, Alexander. And now… she will be next."
Amara felt her chest tighten. Her pulse raced. She wanted to run, but Alexander's stern look kept her rooted in place.
"I suggest you behave," Alexander said slowly, voice low and commanding. "This isn't a game, Claire."
But Claire wasn't done. She stepped down the staircase, her heels clicking ominously on the marble. "I'm not playing, Alexander. I'm warning her. There's no way she survives in your world. Not if she doesn't know the rules."
Amara swallowed hard. "What rules?"
Claire's smile was cruel. "Survive, my dear? You watch, you listen… and you never trust anyone. Not even him."
Alexander's dark gaze shot to Amara, and for a moment, she felt exposed, as if she were standing naked in the middle of a battlefield.
"Claire," he said sharply. "Enough."
Claire didn't back down. Instead, she walked past Amara, eyes still glinting with malice, and whispered just loud enough for Amara to hear:
"Your first lesson begins today. You might think you're safe… but danger doesn't knock politely at the door. It creeps inside, silently… waiting."
Amara's stomach churned.
As Claire disappeared into the hallway, Alexander placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Ignore her," he said, though his dark eyes betrayed concern. "But… you need to learn quickly. This house isn't just a home—it's a battlefield."
Amara swallowed, realizing that surviving Alexander's world—and his enemies—was going to be far more dangerous than she ever imagined.