Chapter 11:
The car ride was silent.
Elara sat beside Adrian, her hands folded tightly in her lap as the city lights blurred past the tinted windows. Her reflection stared back at her—calm on the outside, anxious beneath.
"Tonight," Adrian said at last, "you stay close to me."
She nodded. "I know."
But knowing didn't make it easier.
The moment the car stopped, the noise hit them.
Cameras flashed. Voices rose. Names were shouted.
"Mr. Blackwood!"
"Who is she?"
"Is the marriage real?"
Elara stiffened instinctively.
Adrian's hand moved without warning, settling lightly at her lower back. Not possessive—protective. The warmth of it grounded her more than she expected.
"Look forward," he murmured. "Don't rush."
They stepped into the light together.
Every eye turned to her.
She felt them measuring her—her dress, her posture, her worth.
Someone whispered loudly enough for her to hear, "She doesn't look like his type."
Another voice laughed. "Probably temporary."
Elara's breath caught.
Adrian heard it too.
He stopped walking.
The sudden pause drew attention. Cameras zoomed in.
Adrian turned slightly, his hand firm now as he faced her. His voice was calm, but it carried.
"Are you alright?"
The question wasn't for show.
Elara hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."
His gaze lingered a second longer—long enough for the world to notice.
Then, deliberately, he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"This is my wife," Adrian said evenly. "And she is exactly where she belongs."
The murmurs shifted.
Surprise. Curiosity. Speculation.
Elara's heart pounded. She hadn't expected that—not the words, not the certainty behind them.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was no kinder.
Eyes followed her. Conversations paused when she passed. She felt like an intruder in a world polished by power and wealth.
Then a woman stepped forward.
Elegant. Older. Sharp-eyed.
"So," she said coolly, looking Elara up and down. "This is the girl."
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Grandmother."
Evelyn Blackwood smiled thinly. "I expected… different."
Elara straightened before Adrian could respond. "I'm sorry to disappoint."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed slightly. "We'll see."
The words felt like a warning.
As the night wore on, Elara realized something unsettling.
This marriage wasn't just between two people.
It was a battlefield.
And she had just stepped into it unarmed.