The chandeliers glimmered like a thousand watching eyes, and every whisper in the grand hall crawled under my skin.
It wasn't just a dinner. It was a spectacle. My mother had planned this down to the last detail: the guests, the wine, even the way the musicians struck soft notes that made the air feel deceptively calm.
At the center of it all, Elena stood beside me, her posture flawless, her face a mask carved from glass. From a distance, we looked like perfection—an elegant pair ready to step into a carefully woven future.
If only they knew.
My mother's voice rang out as she tapped her glass, silencing the chatter. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family—thank you for joining us tonight. We gather not only to celebrate old bonds but to witness a new one."
A ripple of anticipation swept through the room.
I felt Elena stiffen slightly beside me. For just a heartbeat, her hand brushed against mine—accident, or maybe not. I didn't move. Neither did she.
My mother smiled like a queen unveiling her crown. "Tonight, I am honored to announce the engagement of my son… and Elena."
Gasps. Applause. Whispers that stung like needles.
"He's been gone for years, and now this?"
"Didn't expect him to return with a bride."
"She's beautiful… but what's her family hiding?"
Elena's smile never wavered, but I could feel the tension in her every breath. When she finally leaned toward me, her whisper was sharp enough to cut through the applause.
"Smile. If you break character now, they'll eat us alive."
So I did. I curved my lips into something that looked convincing, even as my chest burned with resentment.
But in the crowd, one pair of eyes didn't clap. Didn't smile.
Cold. Piercing. Watching only me.
Whoever they were, they knew something.
And in that moment, I realized this marriage wasn't just a prison.
It was bait.