Chapter 5 A Dance with the Devil

I had a bad feeling about this.

It started the second Damian left the penthouse. A slow, creeping sensation that curled around my ribs and settled low in my stomach, whispering one undeniable truth-

Whatever was happening tonight, it wasn't just a gala.

But I had no way to prove it.

And even if I did, what was I going to do? Refuse to go? Lock myself in my room and pretend I wasn't already tangled in Damian Blackwood's web?

No.

Because if I wanted the truth, I had to play the game.

The Dress & The Mask

An hour later, a black silk gown was delivered to my room.

It was stunning-off-the-shoulder, fitted to perfection, with a slit that ran dangerously high along my thigh. The kind of dress that made a statement without saying a word.

And I had no doubt in my mind that Damian had picked it himself.

The thought sent a strange shiver down my spine, but I ignored it. This wasn't a date. This wasn't real. I was going to this event as his fiancée because that's what the world expected.

Nothing more.

By the time I finished getting ready, a driver was already waiting for me downstairs.

And when I stepped outside, Damian was there.

Standing beside the sleek black car, dressed in a tailored tuxedo that fit him like sin, his sharp blue eyes unreadable as they flicked over me.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, finally, his lips quirked into something that wasn't quite a smirk but wasn't far from one either.

"You clean up well, Ms. Carter."

I raised an eyebrow, pretending that his stare didn't make my skin heat. "I could say the same about you, Mr. Blackwood."

His smirk deepened, but he said nothing.

Instead, he opened the car door. "Shall we?"

I hesitated. Just for a second.

Then, I slid into the seat, unknowingly stepping deeper into whatever trap he had set.

The Gala: A Game of Pretend

The event was held at a private estate just outside the city.

The kind of place where wealth dripped from the walls, where people sipped champagne like water and whispered secrets behind diamond-studded masks.

And the moment we stepped inside, every eye turned to us.

I felt it instantly-the weight of their curiosity, their speculation.

Damian Blackwood, Manhattan's most ruthless, untouchable bachelor... engaged?

It was a performance, and I had a role to play.

I forced a smile, leaning in slightly as Damian placed a hand on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd with effortless confidence.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I murmured under my breath.

His fingers pressed against the small of my back-a subtle warning.

"Smile, Alexis," he said smoothly. "People are watching."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but I did as he said, pasting on my best adoring fiancée expression as we moved deeper into the ballroom.

But even as I played the part, my mind was racing.

Because I still didn't know why we were here.

And then-I saw him.

A man standing near the grand staircase, dressed in a sharp navy suit, his dark gaze locked directly on Damian.

Lucas Sterling.

I knew his name before Damian even said it.

Damian's ex-best friend. His biggest rival.

And the only man who had ever truly challenged him.

The Rivalry & The Warning

The moment Lucas approached, I felt the tension coil between them.

"Blackwood," he said, voice smooth but edged with something darker. "You never miss a good party, do you?"

Damian's expression remained unreadable. "Some things never change."

Lucas's gaze flicked to me. "And you must be the famous fiancée."

I gave him a polite smile. "Alexis Carter."

He studied me for a moment, then turned back to Damian. "I have to say, this is unexpected. Engagement wasn't really your style."

Damian's lips twitched slightly. "People change."

Lucas's smile widened, but his eyes remained sharp. "Do they?"

Something unspoken passed between them.

Something I didn't understand.

Then, before I could question it, Lucas turned to me again.

"You seem smart," he said lightly. "So tell me, Alexis-what exactly did he promise you?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Was it power?" Lucas continued, swirling the drink in his hand. "Money? Or did he finally get sentimental and offer you the truth?"

My pulse stuttered.

Damian's hand tensed slightly against my waist. "That's enough, Lucas."

Lucas ignored him, his gaze locked on mine. Reading me. Measuring me.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, Ms. Carter," he said, voice quiet now. "You think you've made a deal with a businessman. But Damian Blackwood? He's never been just that."

My throat went dry.

And then, as if nothing had happened, Lucas smiled, lifting his glass in a mock toast.

"Enjoy your evening."

Then he walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

But his words lingered.

He's never been just that.

I turned to Damian, but his expression was already locked down, his mask firmly in place.

"What the hell was that about?" I demanded.

But before he could answer-

The lights flickered.

And then-they went out completely.

Gasps echoed through the ballroom, followed by the murmur of confused voices.

Then, just as the emergency lights kicked on, casting the room in a dim, eerie glow-

A single scream cut through the air.

A sharp, chilling sound that sent ice straight through my veins.

I turned toward the source, my pulse pounding-

And that's when I saw her.

A woman.

Sprawled on the marble floor, her dress stained dark red.

Blood pooled beneath her, glistening under the dim light.

Someone had just been murdered.

And then, before I could react, Damian grabbed my wrist.

"We need to go," he said, voice low, urgent.

But I barely heard him.

Because my gaze had locked onto something else.

Something far more terrifying.

Near the body, written in deep crimson streaks-

Was a name.

My name.