Elena had survived many difficult things in her life—hospital waiting rooms, crushing bills, Alexander's smug grin—but nothing prepared her for walking into the Knight Global Annual Charity Gala on Alexander's arm.
The ballroom glittered like a jewel box. Crystal chandeliers dripped with light, gold and ivory drapery shimmered across the walls, and the city's most powerful elites mingled in gowns and tuxedos that probably cost more than her apartment rent for a year.
Alexander looked devastating in a midnight-black suit, tailored to perfection, every inch of him radiating wealth and control. His hand rested lightly but firmly on the small of her back as they entered, cameras flashing in a frenzy.
Elena's dress—an emerald silk gown chosen by Alexander's stylist—hugged her curves and swept across the marble floor like liquid fire. For a moment, she almost didn't recognize herself in the mirrors that lined the hall.
The press swarmed.
"Mr. Knight! Over here!"
"Alexander! How does it feel to be a newlywed?"
"Mrs. Knight, how did you two meet?"
Elena's smile tightened. She hadn't prepared for this. But Alexander bent his head, his lips brushing her ear, his voice a velvet command.
"Smile for them, Elena. You're Mrs. Knight now. Own it."
Something about the way he said Mrs. Knight sent a shiver through her.
She plastered on a dazzling smile, letting Alexander guide her into the cameras' blaze. He slipped his arm around her waist with practiced ease, pulling her just close enough that it looked intimate. To the world, they were the picture of passion and power.
Inside, Elena wanted to scream.
Once inside the ballroom, the whispers started. Women in diamonds cast curious glances, men raised eyebrows, champagne glasses tilted in judgment. Elena felt the weight of it all pressing down on her.
"You're doing fine," Alexander murmured, leading her toward a cluster of CEOs. "Just stand there, smile, and let them envy you."
"Envy me?" she hissed back. "Half the women in this room are plotting my untimely death."
His lips curved faintly. "Then you're playing the part perfectly."
For the next hour, Elena floated from conversation to conversation, playing the dutiful wife while Alexander charmed and negotiated like the king of the room. But every so often, his hand would graze hers, his fingers brushing her lower back, his gaze catching hers across the crowd. Each touch burned hotter than it should.
And then she appeared.
Vivienne Laurent. French heiress. Model. Ex-flame of Alexander Knight.
Tall, stunning, poured into a red satin gown that looked like sin itself, Vivienne swept up to Alexander with a kiss on both cheeks.
"Darling," she purred in her accent, "you did not tell me you were married!"
Elena stiffened as Vivienne's eyes flicked over her, cool and assessing, before returning to Alexander.
"Is she… temporary?"
Alexander's jaw tightened, just barely. "This is Elena. My wife."
Vivienne's painted lips curved in a mocking smile. "How… unexpected."
Elena's blood boiled. She hated the dismissive tone, the way Vivienne clung to Alexander's arm, as if she still owned a piece of him.
Before she could stop herself, Elena slid her hand up Alexander's chest and leaned into him, smiling sweetly at Vivienne. "Unexpected, yes. But also permanent. Isn't that right, darling?"
Alexander's eyes snapped to hers, surprise flashing for just an instant. Then something darker flickered there. Approval. Heat.
He wrapped his arm fully around Elena's waist, pulling her flush against him.
"Permanent," he said smoothly, his gaze locked on Elena now, not Vivienne.
Vivienne's smile faltered.
Elena felt a rush of triumph. But that victory was short-lived, because when Alexander's hand tightened at her hip and his body leaned closer, her own pulse betrayed her—pounding, unsteady, hungry.
The night blurred after that. Dancing, champagne, whispers. Alexander's hand never strayed far. And when they finally left the gala, sliding into the back of his sleek black car, the silence between them was thick and dangerous.
Elena broke it first. "You enjoyed that, didn't you? Using me to put your ex in her place."
His lips curved into that infuriating smirk. "You enjoyed it too, Mrs. Knight."
She scoffed, looking away, but her cheeks burned with truth.
Because she had enjoyed it. Too much.