Chapter 3 Secrets and lies

As they bid the reporters farewell, Evelyn and Drake ignored the barrage of questions and surged forward, their bodyguards clearing a path through the throng of cameras and microphones. They slipped into the waiting limousine, the doors closing behind them with a soft thud.

The journey back to their honeymoon suite was quiet, the only sound, the soft hum of the engine and the occasional crackle of the radio. Evelyn gazed out the window, her eyes fixed on the city skyline, while Drake stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched.

As they pulled up to the penthouse apartment, Drake finally broke the silence. "Well, that was a disaster," he said, his voice low and even.

Evelyn turned to him, her expression neutral. "I thought we handled it well, considering..."

"Handled it well?" Drake's laughter was dry. "You think telling a room full of reporters that we met at a business meeting and fell in love is a good cover story?"

"It was better than telling them the truth," Evelyn shot back. "That we met at a bar and got married for convenience."

Drake's eyes narrowed. "Our marriage may have started as a contract, but I thought we agreed to present a united front in public."

"A united front?" Her voice rose. "You mean a facade? Because that's all this marriage is, Drake. A facade!."

"You're so ungrateful, Evelyn," Drake sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "I gave you everything: a luxurious life, a business, and a name. And this is how you repay me? By embarrassing me in front of the press?"

Evelyn's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her tone even. "I'm not ungrateful, I'm just tired of living a lie. And I'm tired of you treating me like a possession."

Drake snorted, his expression mocking. "A possession? It's barely a few days we're married and you're tired of living a lie? You're my wife, Evelyn. And you'll do as I say. After all, I'm the one who saved you from that dump of a bar and those pathetic customers who couldn't even tip properly. You're lucky I even bothered with you."

Evelyn's face went white with rage, her hands clenched into fists. "How dare you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "You have no idea what it was like to work hard every day, to struggle to make ends meet. You've never had to fight for anything in your life, have you?"

Drake shrugged, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Why fight when you can buy your way to the top? And that's exactly what I did. I bought you, Evelyn. And you'll do well to remember that."

Evelyn's eyes blazed with fury, her heart racing with anger. She knew Drake was trying to provoke her, but she wouldn't let him win.

Taking a deep breath, she parted her lips to speak, her voice cold and even. "I may have signed a contract with you, But I'll never be bought."

" It's your pathetic ego that makes me sick each time you play the victim. " Drake began with cold tone.

" You were not bought??, but here you are, standing before me after a sum of fifty million dollars was paid into your account just to be my bride!. Isn't that enough proof that I bought you?" He chided.

Evelyn's face became red with anger, and her eyes, blazing with fury. She opened her mouth to respond to Drake's harsh statement, but her cell phone rang, shrill and insistent.

Glaring at Drake, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I need to answer this," she spat, snatching the phone from the coffee table.

Drake's face darkened further, his eyes narrowing. " Ignore it," he growled.

She ignored him, answering the phone with a curt "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was calm and collected, a stark contrast to the chaos in the room. "Evelyn, it's Rachel from the press office. We need a statement from you and Drake regarding the press conference earlier today."

Evelyn's eyes locked onto Drake's, her gaze challenging. "We'll be right there," she said, her voice cold and even.

Drake's face twisted in anger, his eyes flashed with a warning. "Evelyn, don't-"

But she cut him off, her voice rising. "We'll give them a statement, all right. And it won't be the lie you want them to hear, Drake."

The phone slipped from her hand, crashing to the floor as she turned to face Drake, her eyes blazing with determination. Her words hung in the air, a challenge to Drake's control. He took a step closer, his eyes blazing with anger, but Evelyn didn't flinch.

"You'll regret this, Evelyn," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

"I'm not afraid of you," she began "I'm not afraid of the truth coming out." Her voice was stiff and her decision, final.

Drake's face twisted in rage, and for a moment, it seems like he might strike her. But then, his expression changed and a cold, calculating glint appeared in his eye.

"Fine," he said, with his voice dripping with venom. "If you want to play it that way, let's play. But you'll regret crossing me, Evelyn. I promise you that."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Evelyn standing alone in the ruined penthouse apartment, wondering what she's just unleashed.

*** *** ***

Evelyn sat on the edge of her bed, the phone still clutched in her hand as she stared blankly at the wall. She had just finished speaking with Rachel, the reporter, explaining that she and Drake would give a proper statement the following day. But as she hung up the phone, the weight of her situation crashed down on her.

She gazed down at her wedding ring, the diamond sparkling in the dim light of her room. It was a symbol of the hell she had willingly walked into, the shackles that bound her to Drake Langston.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought about the life she had left behind, the freedom she had sacrificed for this gilded cage. She had thought she was making a deal with the devil, but now she realized she had sold her soul.

A sob escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth with her hand, as if she could silence the despair that threatened to consume her. She felt like she was drowning, trapped in a sea of lies and manipulation.

"Why did I do this?" she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "What have I done?"

The tears flowed freely now, streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth, the wedding ring glinting like a cruel joke. She felt like she was staring into the abyss, with no escape from the darkness that had swallowed her whole.

The room blurred around her, and she collapsed onto the bed, her body shaking with sobs. She was trapped, and she didn't know if she had the strength to escape.

Her sobs slowly subsided, and she fell into a fitful sleep, her body exhausted from the emotional turmoil.

Just as she drifted off, the door to her room opened, and Drake entered, his expression softening as he saw her sleeping form. He approached the bed, his eyes scanning her face, and for a moment, his gaze lingered on the tear-stained cheeks.

But his phone rang, shrill and insistent, breaking the moment. He sighed and answered, his voice low and guarded.

"Mother," he said, his eyes never leaving Evelyn's face.

"Drama Queen " appeared on the caller ID, because he knew his mother's voice, cold and calculating, could turn warm and honey-sweet when she wanted something.

"Drake, darling, I saw the press conference," she cooed. "You stood up for your wife beautifully. I'm so proud of you."

Drake's eyes narrowed, his grip on the phone tightening. "What do you want, Mother?"

"Well, I was thinking... that reporter who kept asking those dreadful questions... perhaps it's time to investigate him. Find out what he's hiding."

Drake's face darkened. "I don't need your interference, Mother. I can handle it."

Susan's laughter was like silk, smooth and deadly. "Oh, darling, I'm just trying to help. And don't forget, you're your father's son. You can take what belongs to you now."

Drake's anger flared, and he ended the call, his eyes blazing with fury. He didn't need his mother's manipulation or her reminders of his father's legacy. He was his own man, and he would handle things his way.

He turned back to Evelyn, his expression softening as he gazed at her sleeping form. For a moment, he hesitated, then turned and left the room, leaving Evelyn to her dreams, unaware of the storm brewing around her.

** ** **

Jaxon Langston, Drake's father, sat in his lavish villa, "Blackwood Manor," in the picturesque town of Tuscany, Italy. He was engrossed in the press conference playing on the large screen in front of him, a proud smile spreading across his face as he watched his son, Drake, stand up for his wife, Evelyn.

Just as Jaxon was about to pour himself a glass of scotch, Scarlet, his mistress, descended the stairs, her expression a deep frown. She approached him with a sultry sway, her red hair cascading down her back like a fiery waterfall.

"Jaxon, darling," she purred, her voice laced with concern. "I don't like what I'm seeing here sincerely"

Jaxon raised an eyebrow, his eyes never leaving the screen. "What are you talking about, Scarlet?"

"How can you be blinded by Drake's actions," she spat, her voice venomous. "He's deceiving you, Jaxon. He's not the loyal son you think he is."

Jaxon's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing. "What are you insinuating, Scarlet?"

Scarlet's frown deepened, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'm telling you, Jaxon, Drake is hiding something. And that wife of his... she's not what she seems either. Their marriage is built on lies."

Jaxon's expression turned cold, his voice dripping with disdain. "Quit this act of jealousy, Scarlet. Drake's my son, and I trust him implicitly."

Scarlet's face twisted in frustration, but she knew better than to push Jaxon further. For now, she'd bide her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and reveal the truth about Drake and his wife.