LORETTA

Find his secret. Nine months. Be free

This has been my mantra for the past three days. I hadn't seen him since my first night here. Elion leaves early before the sun is up and arrives late at night when everyone is asleep, I should have been relieved by his absence, but somehow, it made me more anxious than his presence would have.

It would have been better if he had shown me some sort of anger, at least then I could have prepared myself for his wrath. But Elion has been nothing but coldness and indifference. I didn't know when my nightmare in his hands would begin, only that it definitely would.

Find his secret. Nine months. Be free.

His staffs on the other hand have been most welcoming. Mrs. Park and Joseph returned from their monthly leave the morning after I arrived. From the way they gushed over me, Elion clearly hadn't told them the truth about us, that we weren't a love match. I was too glad for their warmth to care.

Mrs parks the housekeeper baked me her special apple pie and Joseph, the butler, showed me around

Elion texted me by noon

‘Be ready by six pm. Our engagement announcement is tonight’

Simple. Short. No further explanation. I stared at my phone screen for a long time, reading the message again and again, just then a knock came on my door

I pushed off the hanging egg chair where I was reading a book. The room Elion gave to me was surprisingly cosy, unique furniture, pastel painting, almost as if it was prepared for me

Almost....

When I opened the door, Mrs. Parks beamed at me, stretching a white box my way. “The boss sent these for you”

I took it with curiosity “What's inside?”

Her smile widened an inch, as if she knew some kind of secret I didn't. “Why don't you find out?” she suggested and disappeared down the hallway

Once I shut the door, I opened the box and took out the most gorgeous blue dress I've seen in my entire life. The colour was so bright and alive, it made every other one pale in comparison.

It was a strapless, open back dress, tight at the body and flared from the waist down but what stunned me the most was that it was my exact size

How had Elion known my size?

I pushed that question to the back of my mind where other unanswered questions sat, then I checked the box. There was a pair of silver heels, some Tiffany diamond earrings, and... nothing

No note, nothing else.

A sigh slipped out of me before I could stop it. I checked my phone if he sent a follow-up text, but he didn't, then I tossed it on the bed. If this engagement announcement was

happening by six pm, I'd better start getting ready.

≈

Elion was in the living room by five fifty, clad in a deep blue tuxedo that did nothing to hide his masculine body. His dark hair was neatly sleeked back away from his face, highlighting his sharp cheekbones and jaw. Tonight, Elion Fitzpatrick was nothing short of perfection

Something odd fluttered in my belly making me almost trip.

His head shot up from his phone and those soulless eyes clashed with mine where I stood. For a moment, a moment so brief I would later consider if it happened or not, I saw his eyes widen a fraction, heard him drag in a sharp breath

Elion slipped his phone into his pocket, not taking his eyes off me. There was something about the intensity of his gaze that made my stomach turn into a pool of liquid. I couldn't look away, even if I tried to

Elion didn't either, as if we were both under some spell, he dragged his eyes from my face, where I had styled my hair into an elegant updo, to my lips coated with matte lipstick then my shoulders and my breasts down to my....

Oxygen. I needed oxygen

I couldn't breathe when he looked at me like that. I shifted on my feet, my heels scraping the floor. Elion blinked and looked away, whatever spell held us broken

I didn't understand why that upset me.

“Today is important” he spoke to me as soon as I reached his side. His tone sounded clipped. “There will be press, Elite Group members, and every person in Seattle who has been watching our families for six years. They will all be looking for a reason not to believe this.”

He gave me a stern look. “Remember the contract, we must make our relationship believable. It means you and I will act as if we were in love despite what happened in the past"

A hard swallow worked down my throat, his eyes followed the movement “I understand”

“Good” Elion nodded. “If anyone asks. We met after my release, and you were hesitant to forgive me for what I did"

His dry smile didn't touch his eyes “And I was adamant. So I pursued you until I earned your forgiveness and your heart” he spoke lowly, and took out a velvet box from his pocket. When he opened it, a large diamond ring reflected at me

He methodically took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger. It felt like a small handcuff.

I met his gaze. "Let's go”

≈

The venue was a rooftop garden with a pool, Elion led the way up there, his hand on the small of my back. It took all my willpower not to flinch at his touch

I had to remind myself that when we were in public, we were a couple in love. But his hand was like fire to my skin, I was suddenly hot for no explainable reason.

He introduced me to a few members of the Elite Group as his wife-to-be. We smiled, made small talk, At times, I would catch Elion staring at me in a way that made my legs turn to jelly

But I reminded myself of who he truly is, A patient monster taking his time to destroy me, this was only for the public

Still, every time he leaned close to speak in my ear, my breath hitched. Every time his hand shifted at my back, guiding, adjusting, slowly caressing my exposed skin, my stomach pulled tight in ways that had nothing to do with fear alone.

Elion was speaking to a man from the Elite Group board, dragging a lazy finger up and down my spine. I shivered when he reached the base of my back, close to my waist. If he noticed my reaction, he didn't show it

My cheeks heated, my pulse hummed and I suddenly forgot how to breathe.

“Excuse me” I said quietly. He broke his conversation and stared at me, brows furrowed in concern. Fake concern

“You okay?”

I nodded ”Yes. I'll be right back”

I walked towards the glowing pool so he couldn't notice the redness on my cheeks and neck. I didn't understand why I was feeling this way. It's definitely the wine, there's no other explanation

“You must be Lorreta” a young blonde woman approached me with a plastic smile “How lovely to meet you. I'm Molly”

Something about her felt off, but I greeted her warmly “Hi Molly”

She laughed, at what, I didn't know. Molly stepped closer to me and just as I felt a slight shift in her posture, a strong arm came around my waist, pulling me into something solid

It happened in a split second.

Molly stumbled into the pool in a disgraceful fall, and some of the water splashed on me.

The entire rooftop went quiet as security guards rushed to Molly's aid. Every head turned, every conversation paused.

I was breathing hard when Elion spun me around so I was facing him, his brows furrowed. “Rea?”

I blinked at him and then looked to where Molly was, she emerged from the pool, her dress wet and makeup ruined.

"Get her out of here" Elion's voice carried authority effortlessly; nobody dared speak.

Molly pulled back wet hair from her face. “But...”

“You tried to push my fiancée into the pool. Get out!"

She stuttered for words, but no one listened as she was led away.

Elion swiftly took off his jacket and draped it over me, his scent of musk and oud wood making me warmer.

"How did you know?" I asked. "That she was going to push me"

It happened too fast for anyone to notice. Yet, Elion did.

His jaw ticked once. “I notice everything."

The dark tremor of his voice settled somewhere dangerously low in my belly.

“Most people wouldn't have”

“I am not most people.” His eyes fell to my fingers clutching his jacket. “I am more observant than you know, Rea."

I pondered on that statement deeply. Elion wasn't like other people, he was more tactical, more closed off, and dangerous. How was I supposed to find his ‘big plans’ so I'll be free of him?

There was only one way possible

I have to make Elion fall in love with me