Chapter 2

Corinna POV:

His voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the quiet of my thoughts as I re-entered the dining room. "Corinna, where have you been?"

I turned, a polite smile already fixed on my face. It was a mask I'd perfected years ago, a political wife's most essential tool. "Just getting some fresh air, darling. My head was spinning a little with all the memories of Dad." I touched my forehead, feigning a slight dizziness. It was a believable excuse, given the occasion.

His eyes narrowed, scanning my face, searching for any tell. He was good, but I was better. My poker face was inherited from a man who could charm the truth out of anyone, and hide his own with equal skill. I knew how to play this game. I'd been learning from the master my entire life.

He must have found nothing, because his features softened. He pulled me close, his arm a possessive band around my waist. "You worried me, my love. You know how dangerous it is for a woman to wander alone, especially tonight." He pressed a kiss to my hair. "I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. We belong together. Forever."

The words felt like poison, burning my throat. Forever. How easy it was for him to utter such vows while his heart, or what passed for it, belonged to another. To my sister. He was a master of performance. And I, his unwitting audience, had finally seen through the act.

"I can't imagine a life without you, Corinna," he continued, holding me tighter. "The thought of losing you... I would fall apart." He buried his face in my hair, exhaling deeply. "You are my anchor. My rock. My everything."

His lies were so bold, so blatant, they almost made me laugh. I felt a surge of cold fury. This man, who was destroying my life, was pretending to be madly in love. He was an insult to the very concept of fidelity.

"So," I began, my voice soft, almost playful, "if hypothetically, I were ever to... disappear, or, say, betray you, what would you do, Graham?"

He pulled back abruptly, his eyes flashing with genuine anger, not the performative kind. "Corinna! Don't even joke about such things." His grip on my arm was tight, bruising. "Betrayal is the ultimate sin. Loyalty is everything." He looked around, making sure no one was listening too closely. "My family has always upheld that. Cross us, and you'll regret it."

He looked at me, his gaze intense, almost threatening. "You know my family's code. Loyalty is sacred. And I, Corinna Cross, swear on my family's honor, I will never betray you."

His words echoed in the elegant room, a hollow promise that mocked the truth I had just discovered. He swore on his family's honor. On his family. The very honor he was trampling with my sister.

"I know, darling," I said, a placid smile on my face. I patted his hand, forcing myself to relax into his touch. "I was just being silly. Of course, you wouldn't."

He relaxed, a smug satisfaction spreading across his face. He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering. "You are mine, Corinna. You always have been, and you always will be. We are destined for greatness together. No one can ever come between us." His eyes held a possessive glint. "If anyone ever tried to take you from me, I swear, I would make them regret the day they were born." He leaned in, his voice a low growl. "And if you ever left me, Corinna, I would hunt you to the ends of the earth. You cannot escape me."

I closed my eyes briefly, a chill running down my spine. You cannot escape me. He was right. Or, he thought he was. He had no idea the woman he was holding was already gone. My heart, once beating solely for him, was now a barren wasteland. I felt nothing but a cold, burning resolve.

I gently pushed away from him, my smile never wavering. "Graham, darling, I really do need a few minutes of quiet. I'll be in the study, just collecting my thoughts."

He frowned, but his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen, and his confident expression faltered, replaced by a flicker of irritation, then something else. Something like... panic. And desire.

My eyes, sharp and perceptive, caught the name on the caller ID before he quickly angled the screen away. "Little Canary." My sister's pet name. Hollie.

He mumbled something about an urgent family matter, a sudden crisis he needed to handle. His eyes, now full of feigned regret, met mine. "I'm so sorry, Corinna. It can't wait. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course, darling," I said, my voice sweet, understanding. "Family always comes first." The irony was a bitter taste in my mouth.

He leaned down, pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Wait for me, my love. Go on up to our suite, rest."

I nodded, playing the dutiful fiancée, the understanding partner. He smiled, relieved, and hurried out of the room, his security detail falling into step behind him. I watched his retreating back, a ghost of a smile on my lips. He thought he was escaping. He was just walking into my trap.

As soon as his car pulled away, I moved. Not to the suite, but to the service entrance. My plan was set. And my prey, oblivious, was already leading me exactly where I needed to go.