Chapter 5 Emilia pov

I didn't get much sleep.

Even in the silence of my new chamber-the wife's room, different from my husband's-the events of the night twisted in my mind like a slow-burning flame.

Celeste's mysterious caution. Damian's icy disinterest. The sensation that I had entered an unfamiliar environment.

I hardly had time to comprehend the shift when daylight came when my door was rocked by a forceful knock.

Not Damian.

Someone worse. A maid with a pallid face hovered in the doorway. "Mrs. Blackwood, Madam Victoria asks that you join her for breakfast in the garden."

I tensed up. I knew plenty about Damian's mother, even if I hadn't met her yet. Blackwood, Victoria, was brutal. Calculated. The empire's actual driving force.

She also wanted to see me.

I nodded while feeling nauseous. "I'll be there."

A Poisoned Word Breakfast Large, immaculate, and brimming with ancient money, the Blackwood estate was like something out of a dream. However, the garden?

It was something else. As though nature had been molded into submission, it spanned miles with immaculately maintained hedges and blooming roses.

Victoria Blackwood was waiting for me at a little circular table. In every aspect, she was just wonderful. Her white clothes were perfectly ironed, and her silver hair was braided into a flawless chignon.

She was elegant but sharp. I was scrutinized by her icy, observant eyes as though I were an object being studied under a microscope. I took a slow breath and moved ahead. "Good morning."

Victoria didn't get up or smile hospitably. All she did was point at the chair across the room. "Take a seat."

I obeyed, and the air between us crackled. I hardly noticed that a maid was pouring tea. Victoria took a careful drink from her cup. She put it down after that and got right to the subject.

"Marrying my son was a grave mistake on your part."

I blinked. The remarks struck like a blow to the head.

She observed me, anticipating a response. She went on when I remained silent.

"Emilia, you don't belong in this world," she stated with ease. "You are only here for a while. A stand-in. And it would be wise for you to keep that in mind."

The bitterness that rose in my throat was swallowed. "Talk to Damian about any issues you may be having in this marriage."

Victoria's mouth curled; was she amused or annoyed? I was unable to tell.

"Don't worry," she responded coolly, "Damian and I have already discussed this." I clenched my hands under the table.

"Why am I here, then?"

She gets penetrating eyes. "Because I want to confirm that you are aware of the rules." A chilly breeze blew through the garden, making the roses rustle.

Victoria said softly but cleverly as she leaned in a little. "You'll pretend to be the loyal wife. When necessary, you will remain mute. This family won't be embarrassed by you. And you will vanish when this arrangement is over."

Even though my heart was racing, I made myself look her in the eye. "Or what?"

She had a cold smile. "Or you'll be sorry."

A shiver went through my body. I could put up with Damian's aloofness. Even the secrets would be manageable for me.

But Blackwood, Victoria? She was more than just a strong woman. She posed a danger. And I had just found myself squarely in her sights.

Just as I was trying to process all that Damian's mother had said, The sound of my name made me turn.

"Emilia." Damian's face was unreadable as he stood at the garden's edge.

The air was immediately altered by his appearance. Victoria stood elegantly, her smile never faltering. "Oh, my son." She moved forward and touched his arm with a well-groomed hand. "I had only recently begun to know your wife."

Damian's jaw tensed a little when his eyes strayed to me.

I straightened my shoulders and stood up. "It was instructive."

Victoria laughed softly and amusedly. "I think it was, yes."

Perhaps irritated, Damian's fingers twitched at his sides. His voice was still silky, though. "I'm hoping there won't be any miscommunications between you two."

Victoria had a gleam in her eyes. "Oh, it won't be."

There was a tension-filled, unsaid exchange between them.

Victoria then looked back at me, her eyes piercing. "Dear, don't forget what I said."

Before floating off, she gave the air next to my cheek a mocking kiss of adoration.

I let out a slow breath as the things she had spoken weighed heavily on my bones.

Damian looked at me. "What did she say to you?"

I paused. Would it matter if I told him?

"I knew everything already."

His features flashed with something-approval? Laughter?

I was unable to tell. Then he turned and left without saying another word.

My heart was beating steadily, but my head was racing as I watched him leave.

One thing had been made apparent by Victoria Blackwood. This union was more than a contract.

It was a conflict. I was already losing, too. The Night That Made All the Difference Trying to get rid of the sensation of invisible shackles on my wrists, I wandered the estate for the remainder of the day.

Desperate for sleep, I went back to my room as night fell.

But there was never any sleep.

Rather, the sound of voices awoke me. Voices, low, muffled by the walls.

With my heart racing, I sat up. The room of Damian.

I slipped out of bed and pressed my ear to the door next to it.

An unfamiliar male voice replied, "You shouldn't have rushed it."

Damian's stern, icy voice came next. "There was nothing we could do. The circumstances are evolving."

A pause. Then-

"She is unable to discover."

My breath caught.

"She refuses," Damian stated bluntly. "As long as she doesn't move."

My stomach turned over. They were discussing me.

The floor was scraped by a chair. Damian, "She's only a civilian. If she-"

"She is my wife." Damian's tone was abrasive and decisive. "She will comply with expectations."

There was a tight stillness.

Then there were footsteps approaching.

I was filled with panic.

Just as my bedroom door snapped open, I scurried back to my bed.

With my eyes pressed tight as though I were still asleep, I fought to keep my breathing steady.

Quiet then-my wrist being brushed by fingertips I almost let out a gasp.

The touch was ghostly, just there, and then it was gone.

The door then shut once more.

I lay still.

My room had been occupied by Damian. Observing me.

And I had simply come too near to whatever he was concealing.