Chapter 5 One Bed, Two strangers

"This has to be a joke."

Tessy stared at the king-sized bed like it had personally insulted her.

One bed, Two pillows, Zero warning.

"I told them to set up a guest room," she snapped.

"I told them not to waste their time," Harley replied, already removing his cufflinks like this was completely normal.

"You can't seriously expect me to sleep next to you."

"I expect you to look married. And that starts here."

She stared at him, stunned. "You're unbelievable."

"You knew what you signed up for, Tessy."

"Did I? Because I'm starting to think I signed a deal with the devil in Armani."

Harley glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Better the devil that pays your debt."

Tessy opened her mouth to fire back-but stopped. Because the truth was, he wasn't wrong. And that infuriated her even more.

[Later That Night]

She curled up on the far edge of the bed, fully clothed and wide awake. She couldn't sleep-partly because Harley was inches away, and partly because she kept hearing her mother's voice in her head.

Never make deals when you're desperate, baby. That's how people lose more than money.

Harley, on the other hand, looked like a statue. Silent. Still. Unreachable.

Until..

"Do you always sleep like you're guarding a vault?" she whispered.

No answer.

Then:

"Yes."

[Morning Comes]

Harley was already gone when she woke up, leaving only the faint scent of cologne behind. She wandered into the kitchen to find a full breakfast spread and a quiet note in clean, expensive handwriting:

[You have a dress fitting at 10. Press dinner tonight. Wear something that makes you look like you chose me.]

She scoffed.

He acted like she was the one trying to keep up appearances. Like he wasn't the one with secrets locked behind perfect suits and cold eyes.

[Later That Day..]

Tessy found a room left unlocked.

Books. Photos. A framed newspaper clipping of a young Harley Gabriel standing beside a man who looked like a villain straight out of a courtroom drama.

"You shouldn't be in here."

She turned slowly. Harley stood in the doorway.

Tense. Watchful. Almost... vulnerable?

"I was just looking-"

"Don't."

His voice was low. Warning laced with something else. Something darker.

Tessy didn't press. Not now.

But she saw it.

There was a reason this man had built walls.

And now, she wanted to know what was buried behind them.

[Nightfall Again]

They lay in bed. Closer than before. Silent, but not strangers.

And just when she thought he'd already shut her out for the night, his voice cut through the dark:

"There's something you need to know."

She turned toward him. "What?"

But he didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he stared at the ceiling and said..

"They're going to test us soon. Harder than you expect."

A chill ran down her spine. "What do you mean?"

He finally looked at her. And this time, his expression wasn't cold it was dangerous.

"I didn't bring you into my world to play pretend, Tessy."

He paused.

"I brought you in... to survive it."