His arm was solid under mine, but his presence felt colder than the breeze swaying through the marble entrance of the gala.
Alexander didn't say a word as we walked in together. He didn't need to. His silence was a language of its own — sharp, polished, and intimidating.
Flashbulbs exploded around us. Cameras. Phones. Whispers. The crowd parted as if they feared his shadow.
But beside him, I smiled. Glassy. Hollow. Practiced.
Someone touched my elbow lightly. "Mrs. Knight, it's an honor."
I turned. A woman in a silver gown — beauty wrapped in envy — offered her hand like it was dipped in poison.
"Thank you," I said with a nod, unsure who she was.
Alexander didn't introduce me. He just kept walking, and I followed like a headline trailing behind power.
Inside the ballroom, everything glowed. Crystal chandeliers, a golden orchestra, people in suits and secrets. Waiters passed with champagne flutes I dared not take.
Alexander led me to a corner near the edge of the crowd, where the lights were dimmer and the scrutiny felt thicker.
"Why am I here?" I whispered as soon as no one was close enough to hear.
He took a sip of his drink before answering. "Because they need to see you. And I need them to believe you."
"Believe what?"
"That you're the one I chose."
I blinked. "So I'm a lie you plan to sell with confidence?"
His eyes met mine — not angry, just eerily calm. "Every empire is built on perception. This is yours."
Before I could reply, someone approached.
"Alexander," said a voice too smooth, too casual.
A man in a navy suit with sharp features and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. I knew immediately — competition.
"And this must be your... new wife," he said, eyes scanning me with the curiosity of someone looking for flaws.
"Alexa," Alexander said, his voice flat. "This is Nathan Hale."
Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Bold move, marrying a nobody."
Alexander's arm around my waist tightened slightly. "Bold is what I do best."
I didn't speak. I didn't have to. I just smiled again — glassy, controlled.
As Nathan left, Alexander leaned down slightly, his voice low.
"You'll be hearing a lot of things tonight. Just remember, silence is stronger than defense."
I nodded once.
An hour passed.
Then two.
I danced with men whose eyes lingered too long. I smiled through jokes I didn't find funny. I stood beside a man who didn't love me, yet held me like I was branded with his name.
And still, somehow, I was the one pretending.
By the time we got back to the penthouse, my feet ached, and my heart felt heavier than my dress.
Alexander walked ahead without a word.
At the stairs, I finally asked, "Do you ever get tired of being unreadable?"
He paused but didn't look back. "Do you ever get tired of wanting answers you already know?"
I stood frozen.
Then went up to my room.
And for the first time since the contract, I cried. Quietly. In a stranger's home, wearing a stranger's dress, married to a man whose warmth was reserved for ghosts.
And yet…
A part of me wanted to understand him.
Which was the most dangerous feeling of all.