Tony rose from the monitor, the blue light of the betrayal still burning in his retinas. He didn't feel the heat of a jilted lover; he felt the cold, analytical satisfaction of a collector who had found a flaw in his prize and intended to blot it out.
He moved through the penthouse until he reached the master suite. He opened the door. Click.
Emily lay on her side, beneath the heavy silk duvet, her back to the door, her eyes squeezed shut and her breathing deep and deliberate in a desperate attempt to feign sleeping.
Tony stripped off his suit jacket, tossing it over an armchair, and began to unbutton his shirt.
Emily remained still even when she felt the mattress sink as he climbed onto the bed.
He didn't speak. For a long, intense minute, he simply sat there. Emily could feel his gaze crawling over her body, searching for the crack in her pretense.
Slowly, Tony reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her forehead.
"Feeling lonely?" he murmured.
Emily's breath seized but she forced herself to remain still. "I was asleep, Tony." she sighed, stretching her hands out.
Ignoring her, he put an arm over her waist and pulled her against his chest until she could feel the steady beat of his heart. He buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent.
"That can wait. I need you to make me happy," he whispered, his lips brushing over her skin.
He turned her toward him. Emily stared up at him, her heart beating rapidly. Part of her wanted to scream, to reach out and claw at those cold eyes, but the look in them made her breath seize. He wasn't looking at her with desire; he was looking at her the way a man looks at his finest possession.
He kissed her; an act of colonization not passion. Emily went rigid, her hands flat against his chest, but she didn't push. She couldn't. To resist was to admit she was rebelling, and if she admitted that, she'd never see Saturday.
She laid back like a doll and let him take what the law said he owned. Her mind retreated to a dark, quiet corner of her soul where he couldn't reach her. She stared at the ceiling, at the ornate moldings that looked like twisting vines, while Tony asserted his dominance over her body. Every touch was a reminder that her love for Alex was a fantasy, but this, this was her reality.
Hours later, Tony was propped up on one elbow, watching Emily as she lay still. Her skin felt raw and alien, her gaze fixed on nothing.
"You know, Emily," Tony said, his voice strangely tender. "I don't think it's too late for us to celebrate our five years of marriage."
Emily didn't blink. She couldn't even find the strength to flinch.
"After Alex and Victoria's wedding this Saturday, I want us to renew our commitment to each other. A private ceremony. Just us, and a few... witnesses," he continued, a sly smile spreading across his face.
He leaned down, nipping at her earlobe until she winced.
"It will be a fresh start. And we will be showing everyone that our bond is unbreakable, regardless of any temporary distractions."
He stood up and walked toward the bathroom.
Emily remained still, the weight of his words settling over the room. She refused to cry or show any weakness. Come Saturday, she will meet with Lawrence and get what she needs to put an end to him.
***
The ballroom of the St. Regis had been transformed into an intimate space for the rehearsal dinner.
Instead of dozens of round tables, a single, impossibly long banquet table stretched down the center of the room like a spine. It was draped in charcoal-silk linens so dark they seemed to swallow the light, topped with a runner of white orchids that looked pale and frozen. A lone cellist in the corner played a vibrating, low-tempo melody. Elite men and women flood into the room looking priceless in their expensive jewelry.
Emily stood at Tony's side, draped in a gown of midnight-blue velvet that felt as heavy as lead. It was a masterpiece of couture, but the way it cinched her waist and pressed against her throat felt less like fashion and more like a suffocating trap.
She hasn't seen Alex since the night he rescued her from Tony's office. He was her knight in shining armor but after tomorrow he will belong to someone else. A hint of jealousy spiraled in her heart as she recalled the headline in the New York Times.
Match made in Heaven: The Torredo-Hart union is more than the alliance of the decade, it's the greatest love story.
Tony's possessive grip tightened around her waist and she was brought back to reality.
"Smile, darling," Tony whispered, leaning in as if to share a romantic confidence. "Today is a day of celebration."
Emily forced her lips to curl, giving the brittle, artificial expression she had practiced. She could feel the stares of the crowd, a thousand eyes weighing her, judging her, and worst of all, pitying her.
Across the room, she saw Alex and her breath seized. He was a symbol of perfection in his tailored tuxedo, clean, sharp jawline and thick, dark, lustrous hair. But his eyes… His eyes held the true tragedy; they were deep and swirling with misery that made him look like a man drowning in a luxury he despised.
Victoria was right beside him. She clung to his arm like a decorative vine, her smile bright and triumphant. But every few seconds, her eyes would sharpen as they flickered toward Emily; her rival for the spotlight and for the man she was about to legally own.
Emily's heart yearned for Alex. She would do anything to put back the light in those soulful eyes and to kiss those lips again even if the world burned.
When Alex finally locked stare with Emily. It was a burst of electric sparks that lingered for what seemed like eternity.
Victoria noticed it. She tugged at Alex's arm to get his eyes back to herself but it only lasted seconds before they were back on Emily.
Victoria leaned into their personal security and whispered. "Make sure Emily doesn't come anywhere close to Alex tonight."
The guard nodded.
Once the guests had taken their seats at the long banquet table, the room fell into a curated hush. Victoria rose, tapping a manicured nail against her crystal flute.
"A toast," Victoria began. "I know today is all about me and Alex. We appreciate all the love shown to us today that we want to give back some."
Her gaze fell down at the table to where Emily sat. "Emily has had such a difficult year that it has begun to affect her mental health. I am so glad she has agreed to step away for a while and go on a private retreat where she will get professional care."
Emily's eyes widened. She opened her mouth but before any word could come out, Tony placed his hands over hers. She looked at Alex, searching for a spark of the man who had rescued her from the office, but he was stone-faced. He was playing the part, but the way his knuckles were white as he held his champagne glass told her he was at his breaking point.
Victoria paused for dramatic effect, her expression shifting into fake sympathy. "My family has offered to pay for the treatment as our way to extend love to our inlaws."
Victoria raised her glass high, her eyes locking onto Emily's with a victorious glint. "To Emily's recovery. May she find the peace she's been lacking."
A chorus of soft, pitiful murmurs rippled through the socialites, their glasses rising in a synchronized wave.
Emily sat frozen, she looked at Tony and he had a smile on. Victoria had just subtly presented her as being incapacitated to a room full of witnesses, sealing the doors of the cage.
The rest of the dinner was a blur to Emily.
***
As soon as Emily and Tony stepped into the master suite, the cold in her body melted away.
"What was all that about? Did you ask her to say that?" she raged.
Tony didn't look bothered. "Don't act like you don't know. I mean, you saw the file on my desk."
Emily's jaw dropped as she realized he knew she was at his office. She struggled for the right word to say but nothing came out.
He reached into the pocket of his dinner jacket and pulled out a small, elegant box. "Here."
Emily's hands shook as she took the box. She opened it, not knowing what to expect.
Inside was a Medical ID Bracelet made of brushed stainless steel. Engraved on it was her name. Below it: BLACKWOOD SANITARIUM – ID NO 00197.
Her breath died in her throat.
"The transport arrives at seven tomorrow," Tony whispered, leaning down until his lips were inches from her ear.
He snatched her wrist, and before she could recoil, he snapped the bracelet into place. The click of the locking mechanism sounded like a cell door slamming shut. "If you resist, you will only be proving my point."
Tony turned and walked out, leaving her alone in the dim light of the room.