I had never been one to shy away from attention. In business, confidence was as much a weapon as numbers on a spreadsheet. But tonight, as I stepped out of the car onto the marble steps of The Meridian Hotel, every camera flash felt like a sniper's scope.
Caelum's hand settled at the small of my back, anchoring me. He leaned down, his voice a velvet murmur that skimmed my ear.
"Smile, Mrs. Drayke. They're watching."
That title still felt like a poorly tailored dress beautiful but foreign. Mrs. Drayke. A name that didn't belong to me, not really. I curved my lips into a polite smile, the kind that made investors sign checks and rivals grit their teeth. My gown, an emerald sheath with a plunging neckline, caught the light like molten glass, and I straightened my shoulders, playing the part.
The ballroom doors opened with a flourish. Music swelled, the soft strains of a live orchestra, and the scent of expensive perfume and wealth hung in the air. Chandeliers dripped crystals like frozen rain, illuminating a sea of tuxedos and gowns.
I could feel their eyes judging, assessing, whispering. Some curious. Some envious. Some already sharpening their knives.
Caelum's hand didn't leave my back as he guided me forward, his presence a wall of calm power. In his black suit, perfectly cut to his lean frame, he looked like he owned the building and maybe he did.
"Relax," he murmured, tilting his head slightly to greet someone across the room. "You look like you're about to walk into a war."
"That's because I am," I whispered back through my smile. "Half these people would kill for my chair on the board of Vale Industries."
He smirked faintly. "And the other half would kill for me."
I turned to him, arching a brow. "Modest, aren't you?"
His hand at my back slid lower, resting on my hip in a way that made my pulse jump. "Just honest."
I hated that he could unnerve me so easily. The contract said six months of pretending, but Caelum Drayke was blurring the line between performance and reality with every slow brush of his fingers.
---
We were intercepted by a cluster of power players, all of them eager to toast Caelum's latest acquisition. I shook hands, traded smiles, and delivered rehearsed pleasantries, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't stop cataloging every flicker of interest in the room, every whisper that carried our names.
"She's stunning. Didn't think he'd ever settle."
"Temporary. Mark my words."
"Vale's daughter, right? Smart move. Merging empires through a marriage license."
I wanted to snap that it wasn't like that, but wasn't it? My father's company was on the brink of ruin, targeted by Lucien Blackwell, the vulture who had been circling us for months. Marrying Caelum had been my last card to play. A merger through matrimony. Protection for Vale Industries. Power consolidation for him.
Win-win.
Except I was starting to lose.
---
"Come," Caelum murmured, pulling me gently away from a conversation about stock projections I couldn't care less about.
We slipped through the crowd, and I exhaled when we stepped onto the balcony. The city stretched beneath us, glittering like a promise.
"You hate this," he said, leaning casually against the railing, watching me.
I blinked at him. "What gave it away?"
"The way you're clutching your champagne flute like it's a weapon."
I looked down at my hand. He wasn't wrong.
"I'm fine," I said.
"No, you're not. You're calculating every whisper, every sideways glance, and whether you'll survive this choice."
His words hit too close. I turned away, gripping the railing. The wind toyed with the hem of my gown, cool against my legs.
"I don't regret it," I said finally.
Caelum stepped closer. "Good. Because there's no turning back."
There was no menace in his tone, just fact. It was oddly comforting, in a way only Caelum could manage.
I glanced up at him, really looking this time. The sharp lines of his jaw, the cool confidence in his gaze, the hint of something softer lurking beneath it all. He was dangerous, yes, but I'd chosen this. Him.
"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly.
The question caught me off guard. My first instinct was to laugh, but his expression was serious.
"Not yet," I admitted.
He nodded, as if he expected that answer. "Then trust this: I won't let Lucien touch you."
My throat tightened. Lucien Blackwell's name was enough to sour the air between us. He was more than just a rival he was a predator. And he wanted everything I had.
---
The balcony door opened, and Caelum straightened instantly, his hand returning to my waist. A tall man in a charcoal suit stepped out, his expression smooth and unreadable.
"Mr. Drayke," he said with a polite nod. "Mrs. Drayke."
Caelum's grip tightened. "Malcolm."
Malcolm Blackwell. Lucien's younger brother. I'd met him once before a handshake at a charity gala, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Tonight, that same smile curved his lips.
"I didn't expect to see you here," I said carefully.
"Oh, I wouldn't miss it," Malcolm replied smoothly. "It's not every day New York's most eligible bachelor suddenly ties the knot." His gaze flicked between us, sharp and assessing. "Congratulations."
"Cut to the chase," Caelum said, his voice cool steel.
Malcolm's smirk deepened. "Lucien sends his regards. He says he's… disappointed you didn't accept his offer, Saphira."
My stomach knotted. "His offer was blackmail," I snapped.
"Semantics," Malcolm said lightly. "He'll be in touch."
With that, he tipped an invisible hat and disappeared back inside, leaving a trail of tension behind him.
Caelum cursed softly under his breath. "He's testing us. Seeing if you'll crack."
"I won't."
His gaze softened slightly, pride flickering there. "Good."
---
The rest of the night passed in a blur. We danced once, a slow waltz under the chandeliers, his hand warm on my back, his breath near my temple. He was flawless, composed, untouchable. And yet, when he looked at me, really looked, I felt like he saw straight through the mask I'd perfected over years of running my father's empire.
I hated that it made me feel both safe and terrified.
---
Hours later, the gala was over. The car ride back to Caelum's penthouse was quiet, but not uncomfortable. I stared out the tinted window at the city lights, the weight of Malcolm's words pressing against my chest.
"Don't let him get in your head," Caelum said softly, breaking the silence.
"He already has."
His hand reached for mine, threading his fingers through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Then let me in there too."
I turned to him, startled by the warmth in his voice.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be," I whispered.
He smirked faintly. "That's my specialty."
---
When we arrived, the penthouse was dark, the city glowing beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. I kicked off my heels, exhausted, while Caelum loosened his tie.
"I'm going to shower," I murmured, already heading toward the guest suite.
His voice stopped me. "Stay here tonight."
I froze. "What?"
"This room," he clarified, nodding to the master suite.
I turned to face him. "Caelum…"
He stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "We're married now, Saphira. People will start asking questions if you're sleeping down the hall."
"This isn't real." My voice was quieter than I meant it to be.
His eyes darkened. "It's real enough to protect you."
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. The air between us was thick with something I couldn't name.
"Fine," I said finally, trying to sound unaffected.
He smirked like he'd won a battle I didn't know I was fighting.
---
That night, I lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Caelum was in the shower, water running in the distance. The room smelled like him clean, crisp, expensive.
I should have been thinking about strategy, about Lucien, about the future of my company. But all I could think about was the way Caelum had looked at me tonight, like I was more than a business deal.
And that scared me more than Lucien ever could.
---
The water stopped. A moment later, Caelum appeared, shirtless, a towel slung low around his hips. My breath caught before I could stop it.
He smirked faintly. "Comfortable?"
I forced a shrug. "As much as I can be in enemy territory."
He chuckled softly and crossed to his side of the bed. "Get some sleep, Mrs. Drayke. We have a war to win tomorrow."
I rolled onto my side, facing away from him, trying to calm my racing heart.
Sleep eventually claimed me.
---
I woke to the sound of shattering glass.
My eyes flew open, disoriented. The clock read 3:17 AM. Caelum was already up, grabbing a gun from the nightstand.
"What"
"Stay here," he ordered, his voice low and deadly.
Panic clawed at my throat as I heard footsteps in the penthouse. Caelum moved like a predator, silent and precise. I slipped out of bed, heart hammering, ignoring his order.
A shadow passed the doorway.
Then a voice, deep and smooth, whispered from the darkness:
"Hello, Mrs. Drayke."
---
Intruder in their penthouse, addressing Saphira by her married name.