Chapter 25

Alyssa’s heart was racing as she took in the breathtaking view of the city from the balcony. But she didn’t come here to admire the scenery. She needed to speak to Luther, clarify some things, and hopefully, she could keep their arrangement strictly professional.

“We need to talk, Luther,” Alyssa said, hoping that he could sense the seriousness in her tone.

“About what?” Luther asked, although his expression seemed to suggest that he already knew what she wanted to discuss.

“About us,” Alyssa replied, and she could feel the heat of a blush creep up her cheeks. “About the cuddles and kisses, is it really necessary?”

“If we want to make everyone believe that you’re Allisa, we have to,” Luther replied, still gazing out at the skyline.

“But you promised me,” Alyssa protested, remembering the agreement they made in his study a few days ago. “You said there won’t be kisses and touches.”

Luther sighed, finally turning to look at her. “Alyssa, I understand why you don’t want this, but you have to remember the stakes here. Once this ceremony and the wedding is over and done with, your father can send in an application and his position would be elevated and he would go from being a Lower Lord to a High Lord or even a Minister. All we have to do is get through all of this. Afterwards, we can do as we want”.

Alyssa bit her lip, trying to fight off the guilt of putting her family in this situation. She nodded slowly, conceding that Luther had a point.

“I understand,” Alyssa replied finally. “But we need to be careful, Luther. We can’t let things get in the way of our mission. We need to stay professional.”

“Of course, I agree with you. We need to keep things strictly business,” Luther replied with a small smile. Alyssa hoped that he meant it, but she wasn’t sure. The way he looked at her made her think otherwise.

The party continued, and Alyssa tried to focus on mingling with the other guests. However, she couldn’t help but sneak glances at Luther. Something about him made her heart race, and it wasn’t just the fact that he was physically attractive. There was a certain intensity in his gaze that made her feel vulnerable.

As the night went on, they danced together. Alyssa’s heart raced as he twirled her around the dance floor. She found it difficult to concentrate because all she could think about was the way his hand felt on her waist and the way his eyes locked onto hers. Despite her best efforts, she was enjoying herself more than she cared to admit.

Eventually, they found themselves alone again, standing exactly where they were before. Alyssa took a deep breath and decided that it was time to address the elephant in the room.

“Luther, listen,” Alyssa began, but she was interrupted by a faint beeping noise. Luther pulled out his phone, frowning as he read the text message.

“I’m sorry, Alyssa but I need to take this”.

She smiled. “It’s alright. I need to use the restroom too. Let’s meet at the balcony again”.

He nodded, still staring at his phone and walked away.

***###***

Alyssa returned from the restroom to find Luther talking to a group of men. She didn’t want to interrupt him, so she stood off to the side and waited. Luther eventually saw her and excused himself from the conversation.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, and Alyssa noticed the slight crease in his forehead.

“It’s nothing,” she replied, “I just needed a break.”

“Alright, let’s get you some water, then,” Luther said, and he signaled to a nearby waiter with a tray of drinks. He handed a glass of water to Alyssa and led her to the balcony again, far away from the noise of the party.

“Luther, can we talk about something?” Alyssa asked, setting her glass down on a nearby table.

“Of course, what’s on your mind?” Luther replied, giving her his full attention.

“When is Max coming back?”. A few days ago, in his study, she has felt incredibly nervous because of the preparations for the engagement ceremony so she had rushed to him and demanded for the book back do she could leave.

He had told her that he had left the book with Maxwell, another trusted guard of his who had gone back to his family and wouldn’t be back for a week. She had screamed at him for lying but he had called Paschal into the room who had told her that he had been the one to give the book to Maxwell instead of holding onto it himself and Luther had unknowingly authorized Maxwell’s vacation.

She had felt guilty for blowing up on him and she felt it would be unfair to make Maxwell cut his vacation short so she agreed to wait until he got back. Now she had to admit that she was slowly getting anxious again and needed reassurance that he would be back soon.

“In a few days. Calm down. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about. What you’re doing is going to be of good benefit to Allisa when she returns. I know it’s not easy for you but we don’t have much of a choice. We need to keep up this charade until Maxwell comes back and then we can figure out what to do”.

“What if he gets delayed and doesn’t return as soon as expected?”, Alyssa asked, feeling a wave of uncertainty rush over her.

Luther sighed heavily. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, we need to stay focused and keep up the act.”

“I just don’t want to lead you on, Luther,” Alyssa said, feeling guilty. “I don’t have feelings for you like that, and I don’t think I ever will”.

Luther’s eyes bore into hers, and Alyssa thought she saw a flicker of something that she couldn’t quite place.

“I know, Alyssa,” he said, his voice low. “But I have to admit…there’s something about you. Something that I can’t quite explain.”

Alyssa felt her cheeks grow hot as Luther leaned closer to her. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he stopped himself.

“I’m sorry,” Luther said, pulling back and rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward. Let’s just focus on the task at hand.”

Alyssa shook her head, feeling a knot form in her chest. “I just can’t do it, Luther. I can’t keep pretending to be someone else, and I can’t keep up with this fake engagement. It’s not fair to either of us.”

Luther’s expression softened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I understand, Alyssa. And I won’t force you to do something you’re not comfortable with. But please understand that the stakes are high. We need to make sure that everything goes according to plan.”

Alyssa nodded slowly, feeling a mix of emotions wash over her. She couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting everyone down, but at the same time, she knew she had to follow her own instincts.

The rest of the evening was a blur for Alyssa. She tried her best to focus on the party, but her mind was elsewhere. The thought of staying in this world forever, pretending to be someone she wasn’t, was not something she was willing to do.

Meanwhile, Luther was wrestling with his own emotions. He couldn’t get Alyssa out of his head. There was something about her that he couldn’t explain. He had a feeling that he was slowly falling in love with Alyssa, this Alyssa but he knew she would hear nothing of it. He had a devious plan brewing in his mind and though he knew it was wrong, but at this point, he really didn’t want to lose her. He planned to coax her into bed with him as hopefully get her pregnant. If she was with his child, then she had no choice but to stay with him and no one would refuse because she could be carrying the kingdom’s future king, his heir.

He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. He couldn’t do that to her. He didn’t want to hurt her, especially not now when she was still feeling lost and unsafe.

At that moment, his phone rang and the called ID on the interface read Maxwell.

“Maxwell”.

“Good evening, your Majesty and congratulations. I wanted to inform you that I would be returning to the capital in a few days to deliver the box I was given and to resume my duties”.

“There’s no need for that, Maxwell. You can stay and enjoy your vacation with your family. You deserve it”.

“I appreciate your kindness, your Majesty, but I was made to believe that the box needed to be returned immediately because it’s contents were of utmost importance”.

“They are and you are not permitted to open the box. Not that you can, anyway. I am in a great mood because if the joyous occasion so I will magnanimously grant you another week to spend and enjoy the company of your family”.

Maxwell seemed confused but he was elated at the news. “Thank you, your Majesty. I will call again”.

Luther grunted a response before ending the call. At least this way, he could keep Alyssa with him for a little longer.