The limousine slowed to a stop in front of the Voss family estate, its grand entrance lit like a royal palace. Flashes from paparazzi cameras already lit up the night like fireworks.
The door opened.
Dominic stepped out first, tall and powerful in his black-on-black suit, and then… he turned.
Held out a hand for me.
I stared at it for a moment the hand that threatened me, controlled me, terrified me.
I took it.
Because she had no choice.
And as he helped me down, pretending to be the gentleman he'd never been, she laughed silently.
Oh, what a show.
The cameras exploded in light.
"Dominic! Over here!"
"Is this your girlfriend?"
"She's stunning—what's her name?"
He placed a hand on the small of her back, possessive and polished, and whispered through clenched teeth:
"Smile."
She did.
A practiced, perfect, soulless smile.
But in her head?
If only they knew what a monster stood beside me.
If only I had the courage to scream the truth into the flashbulbs.
But for now, she walked the crimson carpet like she belonged there a beautiful lie wrapped around a shattered truth.
All eyes turned.
Gasps. Smiles. Whispers.
As Dominic led me into the glittering ballroom of the Voss estate, i felt like a porcelain doll shoved into a play i didn't audition for. The chandeliers sparkled above like stars — fake, distant, cold — and a string quartet filled the air with elegant lies.
My gown shimmered, the diamond ring caught the light, and Dominic kept one hand on my back not in affection, but control.
A woman approached stunning, graceful, and older. Her eyes sparkled with something far more genuine than most faces in the room.
"You must be Liana," the woman said, drawing her into a warm, unexpected embrace. "I'm Eleanor Voss. Dominic's mother."
My heart tensed. Dominic's mother?
"You're even more beautiful in person," Helena smiled, taking her hands. "It's a miracle, really. My son finally bringing someone home. We've waited years for this."
I opened my mouth but said nothing. There was nothing safe to say.
A flash of color and a younger girl with soft curls and a mischievous grin bounced over next.
"I'm Jane! Dominic's little sister."
"I've always wanted a sister-in-law who doesn't look like a robot."
I let out a genuine laugh short, breathless, surprised. Jane grinned harder.
An older man approached, walking with a cane and the weight of decades in his eyes. Everyone shifted when he entered the circle.
"Grandfather," Dominic greeted with a nod.
"So," the old man said, eyes sharp, landing on Liana, "this is the woman softening the edges of Dominic Voss?"
I didn't know what to say but gave him a warm, approving nod.
"Good. It's about time."
And just like that, the ice cracked just a little.
But not for long.
Across the ballroom, near the champagne table, stood a man "" holding a silver tray, in a waiter's uniform, frozen mid-step.
His eyes saw the one person that he had been searching for
A flicker of something real hope, shock, recognition.
His breath caught.
Like was about to explode.
He almost dropped the tray.
There she was across the room, standing beside the devil himself.
Liana.
Alive. Dressed like royalty. A diamond on her finger, her arm looped through Dominic Voss's like they were some kind of fairytale couple.
Micah froze
The way she looked like she belonged in that world…
What the hell happened?