Chapter 4 Let the Game Begin.

Eliara's POV

I didn't sleep that night, Jasail Lancaster's voice echoed in my mind like a haunting melody,

"Marry me."

Not whispered in passion, but offered like a weapon, a strategic alliance, promise of revenge served cold and sweet.

I rolled over in bed, the dim city lights spilling through my curtains. The weight of it all pressed against my chest, the betrayal, the public humiliation, the headlines still circulating online.

*CEO's Fiancée Dumped After Secret Affair with Adopted Sister Goes Viral.*

It wasn't just personal, It had become an entertainment.

And now Jasail wanted to marry me? The infamous Elder Brother? The semi outcast? Funny isn't it? But.....it was like being offered a chessboard where the pieces were blood-stained and rigged for war.

I wasn't sure if it was brilliant....or insane.

Naomi nearly spat out her mimosa when I told her,

"You're kidding? Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not," I said, stirring my tea slowly.

"You're telling me Alexander's brother, the one who disappeared for five years, who builds tech companies and ruins hedge funds for breakfast, proposed marriage as a revenge plot to you?"

I nodded.

Naomi blinked. "Girl, that is the most toxic, Shakespearean, beautifully diabolical thing I've ever heard."

"Is it bad that I'm actually considering it?"

She leaned in. "It's only bad if you are not, I mean it's gold just served to you.

I laughed, but deep down, the anxiety still gnawed at me. This wasn't just some rebound. This was an alliance with a man who oozed power like second skin. A man whose eyes held too many secrets and something else I couldn't place my hand on.

But wasn't that exactly what I needed? Yes it is.

Alexander had underestimated me, Serena had discarded me.

Now, I could become something else entirely, something dangerous.

Two days later, I called the number on the card.

Jasail answered after one ring.

"I was wondering how long it would take," he said.

"I haven't said yes." I smirked,

"No," he agreed. "But you're calling."

"I have questions."

"I'll answer every one."

"Why me?"

There was a pause. "Because you're the only one who's ever made him bleed."

That stopped me cold, I am surprised too,

Jasail continued, his voice low and careful. "Alexander's built his life on image, he needs people to adore him, envy him, fear him. But you? You didn't need him to become someone, you made him want to become someone for you. And when you left, he unraveled, that's a kind of power I respect."

My breath caught. "You've been watching?"

"I watch everything."

There was something about the way he said it. Like he saw not just actions, but motivations, weaknesses, fault lines.

"What do you get out of this?"

"A wife who can stand beside me, a public statement, and a chance to remind Alexander that everything he touches eventually turns to ash opposite of the gold he expects."

"And me?"

"You get freedom," he said. "Power, and a throne they thought they buried you under."

Our second meeting was in his penthouse.

It wasn't what I expected. The decor was sleek, almost minimal. Monochrome with splashes of deep navy and burnished brass. Like the man himself, cold on the surface, heat smoldering underneath.

He poured us wine, watching me over the rim of his glass.

"There will be rules," he said. "Lines we won't cross unless agreed upon."

"Like what?"

"No real intimacy unless you want it," he said bluntly. "No expectations beyond what we agree to in public. I won't touch you unless invited."

My cheeks burned, but I nodded. "What about your reputation?"

"My reputation is mystery. This will only feed the legend."

"And mine?"

He set his glass down. "We'll make you unstoppable."

I exhaled slowly. "What happens when they find out?"

His gaze darkened. "Then they'll know exactly how it feels to choke on regret."

The wedding was fast tracked.

Jasail made a few calls, and suddenly we had a private estate, a discreet officiant, and a designer dress rushed overnight.

Everything felt like a fever dream, expensive, orchestrated, a beautiful lie sewn into silk and diamond. But beneath the glamour, I felt......powerful, invisible even.

No more tears, no more begging for loyalty.

This time, I am the secret weapon.

Naomi helped with final touches, grinning the entire time.

"You're going to look them in the eye," she whispered, fastening my veil, "and make them beg to understand what happened."

"I'm scared."

"You should be," she said. "Because once this starts, there's no going back."

The ceremony was intimate, a handful of witnesses, no cameras, just Jasail, sharp as a blade in his tailored suit, and me, in ivory silk and calm rage.

His vows were brief.

"I vow to protect your secrets as if they were my own," he said. "To shield your name, to elevate your power, and to stand beside you until this war is over."

And mine?

"I vow to stop pretending I'm small," I said. "To stop apologizing for my strength. And to burn down every lie built in my name."

When he slipped the ring on my finger, I felt the past shatter beneath our feet.

We didn't kiss. We didn't need to.

We'd already made the first move.

Later that night, we shared a bottle of champagne on the rooftop of his penthouse. The skyline glittered below us like scattered diamonds.

Jasail sat beside me in silence, his jacket off, sleeves rolled.

"Do you regret it?" he asked.

"No," I said softly.

He looked at me then, eyes unreadable. "Good, because the next part gets dangerous."

I turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"We're not just playing dress up. They'll come for you, for both of us Serena will try to twist the narrative. Alexander will try to win you back, not because he loves you, but because he can't stand losing."

"I'm not afraid of them anymore."

"You should be," he said. "Because now you're not a victim, you're a threat, and threats get eliminated."

A shiver ran down my spine.

"Then we will hit them first," I said.

Jasail raised his glass, mirroring my smirk.

"To war?"

"To us."