Chapter 6 Learning The Rules

Ethan's POV

Madison's resistance got under my skin, but man, it also caught my interest. There I was chilling in the study with a glass of scotch trying to zero in on what I had to do. Teaching her to blend into my scene, to glide through without any slip-ups when people gave her the once-over, that was the game plan. But Madison? She was all fire-wild and uncontrolled, with a knack for stirring up chaos wherever she went.

Thinking this was gonna be a walk in the park? Nope, I knew better. And yet when the click-clack of her heels hit my ears as she strolled down the corridor, I couldn't help but ride a wave of excitement, like I was hovering on the brink of a wild weather blowout.

Madison stepped in, and , I blanked on the reason I'd called her over. Trust Madison to steal the spotlight just by showing up. Her intense eyes locked with mine in a silent dare before any words came out.

"I wanna know why you called me?" she asked, with her arms folded. She was being super sarcastic, which somehow made her even more intriguing.

I put down my drink and composed myself for a little bit. "We need to discuss your role in this our arrangement. Pretending to be my fiancée means you have to act the part."

Her lips twisted into such a smirk, and just like that, it became quite impossible not to look away. "I thought I was already doing that. Didn't I nail the clumsy-but-charming act on the red carpet the other night?" she asked with confidence.

I took a step in her direction shrinking the space between us, but didn't make contact. "That little act means nothing where I come from. These folks are like scavengers Madison. Show them you're weak, and they'll rip you to shreds."

She stared back, bold and unflinching even with me towering over her. "You saying I'm weak?" she challenged.

"That's not what I meant," I replied, my tone gentler than I aimed for. "But they'll think it, and that's something I just can't let slide."

Elise, an etiquette tutor, showed up at the apartment right on time. She had a spot-on, no-nonsense vibe just like the etiquette stuff she was ready to teach. I hung back a bit and observed as Madison went through her drills.

"Your posture's all wrong," Elise barked out giving Madison's shoulders a good shove. "Stand tall. Keep your head up."

Madison clenched her jaw but did what she was told tossing me a glance that said she'd get back at me later.

"This is just dumb," she grumbled trying to keep her voice down but not quite managing it.

Elise had a short reply. "To make it in high society, grace and sureness are a must. But at the moment you like you just prepared for a bar fight."

A laugh escaped me, and Madison shot me a stern look. Her resistance was strong, but her intensity drew my respect.

"This amuses you?" she shot back, her tone slicing the air.

"Nope," I stepped forward and said, "I reckon it's a must. Go ahead, hate me for it, but you'll be thanking me when you ain't the main scandal in tomorrow's news."

She shot me a sharp look. "I don't need your protection, okay."

I got real close dropping my tone. "Hey, this ain't about keeping you safe. It's about making it through. In the world I come from how folks see you counts for a lot."

The strain just kept building as we kept at the lessons. Seeing her battle with the subtle parts of giving a speech was tough. Not 'cause she lacked the skills – no way. It was her darn refusal to drop her tough act for two seconds to absorb the lesson.

"Elocution," Elise said, pacing in front of Madison. "Speak clearly, confidently. Every word you say needs to carry weight."

Rolling her eyes, Madison echoed the words she'd been handed. Though her tone was stable, but it edged with sarcasm in it.

"One more time," Elisabeth insisted.

With a groan and a side-eye to me, Madison muttered, "Do I really need to go through this?"

"Yes," I shot back with a touch of steel locking eyes with her. "Each and every word's gotta count, Maddie. Drop the ball on a phrase or let your tone slip, and you're handing them the bullets to shoot us down."

She was frustrated, yet her eyes blazed with unwavering resolve. She despised this situation but she had no plans to give up.

Tension peaked when they paused the lessons. A well-known socialite one of Elise's friends, dropped in without a heads-up. This woman was the exact type of person Madison was up against – composed, and her biting comments could wound.

"You seem to have chosen a little project," the guest remarked scanning Madison with clear scorn. "How charming."

Madison felt a sting and her fists tightened at her sides, but she kept quiet.

The woman turning to me, said , "Be cautious. Projects like ours tend to make you look bad ." My irritation surged quicker than I could hold it back. I moved in giving the woman a stern glare that made it clear I wasn't up for debating. "I'd prefer if you take off unless you've got something worthwhile to add."

Her grin kind of wobbled, and she threw out a sorry that didn't sound like she meant it much then she backed off.

Madison had this poker face on when she looked at me. "That wasn't necessary," she told me in a low tone.

I shot back, "It was."

That day, for the very first time, the blaze in her gaze chilled out and some other thing took over. I'm not gonna lie, putting a label on it wasn't something I felt prepared for.

When class wrapped up, I caught sight of Madison heading out. She kept her back straight even with all the tough stuff she's dealt with. She's a tough cookie, and, man, she's picking things up, despite pushing back.

I figured this whole deal between us was just gonna be a straight-up trade-off something simple. But catching a glimpse of her leaving, I'll admit I was starting to feel some kinda way I didn't see coming.

And, that freaked me out more than anything else.