CHAPTER SIX:THE ENGAGEMENT

Ethan’s POV

The engagement party was only a few days away, but the weight of it was already suffocating me. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, the reality was clear, I was about to be bound to a woman I barely knew, all for the sake of family legacy and power.

Diana and I had struck a deal, an agreement that should have put my mind at ease. No love, no expectation, just a well-orchestrated performance. Yet, something about it still felt like a noose tightening around my neck.

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

It was the damn call from Liam, the smug way he spoke to me in the elevator, the way his words unsettled me. It was the fact that I had woken up beside Anthony, but now I wasn’t even sure if that was the full story.

And maybe, just maybe, it was also the way my father’s voice still echoed in my mind, cold, authoritative, and inescapable.

Exhaustion seemed to be attached to my body like a second skin by the time I arrived home that evening.

The penthouse was black as night when I entered, the city lights reflecting soft shadows on the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I barely had enough strength left to get to the bar before I poured a drink. The liquid amber scalded my throat, but it wasn't enough.

Nothing ever was.

I leaned against the counter, fingers tightening around the glass. I should have just gone to bed. I should have just let the booze do its thing and drive me into a restless sleep.

My brain did not quit and suddenly, my phone rang.

I glanced at the screen. Liam.

I played for a moment with the thought of not picking it up. But something inside me, perhaps frustration, perhaps sheer wantonness, drove me to answer.

"What do you want?" I said, my voice raw.

Silence.

Then a low laugh. "You sound tense."

"I'm not in the mood for games, Liam."

"Who said I was playing?" he snapped back.

I clenched my teeth. "If you're just going to…"

"I remember everything, Ethan," he interrupted, his voice now lower, more controlled. "Do you?"

My fingers curled tighter around the glass.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Another silence. Then, slowly, he said, "the other night."

My stomach twisted.

I ran a hand through my hair, my pulse quickening. "I was with Anthony last night."

"Were you?" Liam’s voice was almost amused.

"Or is that just what you’re telling yourself?"

I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

"Liam,"

"Good night, Ethan," he said smoothly, and the line went dead.

I sat there,in the deafening silence. I didn't know how long I stayed like that, holding my drink, breathing unevenly. But when I did stand up, it was not to go to bed.

It was to have another drink.

……….

The engagement party night arrived sooner than expected. The venue was a big hall, all gold chandeliers and silk-tablecloth-covered tables.

It screamed richness, power, and an unavoidable fate.

Diana was already beside me, her arm draped over my shoulder as we took our turn going in. She was gorgeous, her emerald-green wedding dress hugging her curves. She smiled up at me, a gorgeous bride-to-be to the other partygoers.

We were the golden couple, the ideal duo.

If only they knew. I did my part well enough, shaking hands, smiling at the guests, accepting congratulations I didn't give a damn about. But my mind was elsewhere, caught up in things I couldn't help.

And then I saw him. Liam.

Standing at the bar, in a black suit, his blue eyes locked on mine with something inscrutable.

My chest tightened.

He tilted his glass ever so slightly, as if in a wordless toast.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to turn away. But it was too late, my disguise was starting to deteriorate.

Diana had noticed that. "Are you okay?" she whispered beside me.

I clenched a smile. "I'm fine."

She stared at me for a second before she nodded, but I knew she didn't think so.

Neither did I.

.………

As the evening continued, I found myself seeking a way out.

I edged away from the group, going out onto the balcony where the night air wrapped around me like a soft sigh.

I took a deep breath, eyes shut.

And then I felt it. Something behind me.

"Slinking away from your own engagement party?"

I frowned, eyes flying open. "Liam."

He moved in, voice low. "You're good at pretending, I'll give you that. But I know better."

I turned to face him, jaw clenched. "What do you want from me?"

His gaze met mine. "The truth."

I laughed, harshly. "You think I owe you that?"

Liam's head was cocked to one side.

"Maybe not. But you owe it to yourself."

I turned away, grasping the railing. "There is no truth, Liam. Only what people want of me. What my father wants. What the world wants."

"And what do you expect of yourself?" he asked.

I didn't answer. Because I didn't know.

Liam moved closer again, and I could feel the heat of his body. "You're lying to yourself, Ethan. You always have."

My fists were clenched. "You don't know anything about me."

His voice was soft, almost sympathetic. "I know you remember."

I tensed.

He leaned in close, his warm breath on my skin. "I know you remember."

My heart thudded against my ribs.

"Liam…"

"You think you can keep on keeping secrets, but you can't," he huffed. "You think you can shove it under, but it'll catch up to you."

I flinched, my wild pulse. "You need to go."

"Why?" His eyes glittered. "Because I make you feel something?"

I stood there with my mouth hanging open, saying nothing. Because he was correct, I hated him for it.

Hated the way he glared at me, the way he soaked it all in.

"Get back in," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Just forget it."

Liam glared at me forever, then turned and walked away."If that's what you really want," he drew in.

He turned and left. I let out a nervous breath, my hands gripping the railing so hard my knuckles ache.

I was a great runner, but for the first time in my life, I wasn't sure if I could run anymore.