Chapter 5 ♡♡

The days went by pretty fast after the Roman incident. And I was getting engaged today.

Beside me was my mother surrounded by some guests I've never seen before. Since I didn't possess such a large number of friends most of them were my parents friends. And Laurel's business associates.

One would think Laurel got on his knee and slid the ring on my finger . But classic Laurel shoved it into my hand like some tissue and told me to put it on before the guests arrived. Romantic right ?

Today was also the day I was moving in with my fiancée. As the party continued my father had already had movers moving my stuff into Laurel's mansion.

I hadn't seen Laurel since morning when he gave me the ring. A stunning diamond ring featuring an impressive, eye-catching carat that radiates brilliance and elegance. Set in a sleek band, the diamond sparkles with exceptional clarity and cut, making it a bold symbol of luxury and timeless beauty.

It dug a hole on my finger. It looked like it was one of Queen Elizabeth's jewels. He did have some good taste on jewellery I'll give him that. Today I felt like royalty, I was never really an outdoorsy person like my sister. What I had on made me feel like a seductress.

A lush green silky dress clung to my body like a second skin, gliding over every curve with sensual precision. The fabric shimmered with each movement, hugging my waist, hips, and bust so tightly it felt like it was made just for me-soft, seductive, and effortlessly elegant.

Laurel walked from the staircase dressed in a black charcoal suit that fit like a sinful secret, tailored to perfection and revealing the sculpted strength beneath. Every sharp line and subtle stretch of the fabric traced his toned chest, broad shoulders, and tapered waist, leaving little to the imagination. The way he carried himself-confident, effortless-made my breath hitch and my pulse race, as if the very air between us had thickened with tension.

His eyes didn't leave mine and i didn't want to lose his either. I loved how he looked at me. He looked at me like I was the only one in the room-his gaze intense, unwavering, as if the world had fallen away and I was all that remained. In that moment, under the weight of his eyes, I felt seen, wanted, and utterly adored. A warm flutter rose in my chest, spreading through me like a secret only he knew how to unlock. I felt so good... like I was magic in his eyes.

He came up close and I couldn't help but swoon .He smelled like sandalwood-earthy, warm, and intoxicating. The scent wrapped around me, clinging to the air like a whispered promise. I couldn't drift off, couldn't think, not with him so close. As he neared me and greeted me, his voice low and smooth, the world seemed to still. My heart stuttered, caught between the pull of his presence and the dizzying heat curling beneath my skin.

I had to pull myself together-steady my breath, quiet the storm inside. I wasn't supposed to be attracted to him. We didn't like each other. That was the truth I kept repeating in my head like a mantra. The tension, the stolen glances, the way my body reacted to his-none of it was real. It was all an act... or at least, it was supposed to be.

When he held my waist, I felt so good-too good. Tingles danced down my spine, unexplainable and uncontrollable, igniting something I wasn't ready to name. He greeted the guests before us with ease, charm coating every word, even my parents fell into his practiced grace. Then he turned to me, and with a kiss on the cheek and a soft, "You look exquisitely beautiful," he left me breathless.

For a moment, I almost fell for it.

But as quickly as the warmth of his touch settled over me, it vanished-stolen away by someone who leaned in to whisper something in his ear, pulling him from my side. I watched him go, craving his touch again, and it unsettled me.

This wasn't normal. I scolded myself silently, cheeks tinged pink with a flush I couldn't suppress.

We looked like a couple in love-eyes locked, movements in sync-but we weren't. It was all a carefully crafted illusion. A façade. Yet somehow, my heart was starting to forget the difference.