Chapter 3:
The velvet box sat quietly in Cassian Wolfe's hand—
A threat dressed up as a promise.
Eden Blake stared at it from across the penthouse's pristine living room.
Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden lines across the marble floor.
It should've felt romantic.
It didn't.
It felt like a setup.
"Are you serious?" she asked, her voice low.
Cassian raised one brow. "Do I look like a joker?"
"No. But you look like a man who gets what he wants without asking twice."
He smirked, slow and sure. "Then you understand me."
He stepped forward, opening the box as he closed the space between them.
Inside, a diamond caught the light—too large, too sharp.
"Wear it," he said. "Tonight."
"Tonight?"
"The gala."
Eden stiffened. "You're introducing me as your fiancée tonight?"
"Correct."
"That wasn't part of the plan."
Cassian took her hand—firm but gentle. "Plans change."
She snatched it back. "People don't just get engaged overnight."
"In this city, they do."
Eden folded her arms. "This is too fast. Too risky."
Cassian stepped closer. "Then back out. No one's forcing you."
But that wasn't true.
Rent.
Hospital bills.
Her mom's treatment barely hanging on.
Eden didn't have real choices. Just less terrible ones.
She stared at the ring. "Why tonight?"
A flicker passed through Cassian's eyes—something almost human.
"Because Verena will be there. And if we don't sell this, she'll bury me."
Eden's heart thudded.
She reached for the ring and held it between her fingers.
Heavy. Cold. Costly.
"I want hazard pay," she said.
Cassian laughed under his breath. "We'll talk numbers later."
By 6 PM, Eden stood before the mirror, barely recognizing herself.
The black silk gown clung to her curves like it had been poured on.
Her hair was soft and styled in waves.
Diamond earrings winked under the lights.
Even her lips looked unfamiliar—painted in a deep, dangerous red.
Cassian entered the room and stopped in his tracks.
"You look..." He cleared his throat. "...expensive."
Eden arched a brow. "That's it?"
He smirked. "You want compliments or credibility?"
"Both."
He offered his arm. "Ready?"
"Not even a little."
The entrance to The Viridian was chaos.
Paparazzi swarmed the black car like vultures in Gucci sunglasses.
Flashbulbs lit up the street. Shouts erupted the moment they pulled up.
Cassian leaned in. "Once the door opens, we're in love. You trust me. You're proud to be mine."
Eden shot him a look. "You're awfully confident."
"I'm convincing."
The car door opened.
Cassian stepped out first, tall and lethal in black.
Then he turned and offered his hand.
Eden took it.
Cameras exploded.
"Cassian! Who's the mystery woman?"
"Is that Eden Blake?"
"Are you engaged?!"
Cassian pulled her close, arm around her waist like he meant it.
He leaned down.
"Smile like you're in love."
She glanced up at him. "What does that even look like?"
He didn't answer.
He kissed her.
Soft.
Deep.
Too real.
It was a kiss meant for the cameras—but it still stole the air from Eden's lungs.
By the time they walked through the entrance and into the grand marble atrium, she was dizzy.
Cassian held her hand the whole way, guiding her through crowds, past velvet ropes, into a ballroom soaked in crystal chandeliers and champagne light.
Socialites turned.
Heads tilted.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Cassian nodded at the hostess. "Cassian Wolfe and fiancée."
"Congratulations, Mr. Wolfe," she said with a dazzling smile.
Eden's knees wobbled beneath the weight of that one word:
Fiancée.
The rest of the night passed in a blur of perfect smiles and practiced charm.
Cassian never let her stray far.
He introduced her to senators, CEOs, influencers, and heiresses.
She danced with him.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
She laughed. Lied. Smiled like her life depended on it.
And maybe it did.
Then she saw her.
Verena Sterling.
Tall. Blonde. Deadly.
She floated through the ballroom in a crimson dress that screamed money and malice.
Cassian's arm stiffened.
"Let me guess," Eden whispered. "That's her."
He nodded. "Play it cool."
Verena reached them with a predator's grace.
Her smile was all teeth.
"Cassian. I see you've traded up."
"Verena," he said, cold and formal. "This is Eden. My fiancée."
Verena turned to Eden. "You poor thing. Performing is exhausting, isn't it?"
Eden smiled, sweet as poison. "Luckily, I've had years of practice pretending to like women like you."
Cassian almost choked.
Verena's smile faded. "Enjoy your night."
"Oh, I am," Eden replied. "He's a great kisser."
Hours later, back in the penthouse, Eden collapsed on the couch.
Cassian poured himself a scotch. "They believed it."
"For now?"
He nodded. "Verena will dig. She always does."
"What did she do to you?"
"She destroyed someone I cared about."
"Who?"
"My brother."
Eden blinked. "I didn't know you had a brother."
"I don't," he said quietly. "Not anymore."
Silence.
Then Eden asked, "You think she'll come for me?"
"She already is."
He held out his phone.
A tabloid headline screamed across the screen:
"Who Is Eden Blake? Wolfe's Mystery Fiancée Raises Eyebrows"
Photos.
The kiss.
The ring.
The lies.
"She leaked it?" Eden asked.
Cassian nodded. "Of course she did."
"What do we do?"
He turned to her, voice low. "We go deeper. We make them believe it's real."
Her eyes narrowed. "How?"
"We live together. Share a bed. Hold hands when no one's watching. Let them believe the lie."
"You're serious?"
Cassian stepped closer.
"You wanted hazard pay. I'm raising the hazard."
Eden rose to her feet. "This wasn't the deal."
"Then walk away. But if you do... Verena wins."
She clenched her fists.
A long beat passed.
Then Eden looked him in the eye and said:
"Fine. But from now on—you don't make decisions for me."
Cassian's gaze held hers.
"Deal."
But as they stood face to face, the air between them changed.
Thinner.
Hotter.
Charged.
And just like that, the line between fake and real began to blur.