Chapter 42 Branded

Chapter 42 Branded
Ivy

My heart felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest because of what Noah told us about the money, and I had to put on a pretty dress and pretend to be Zara even though I knew people were probably trying to hunt her down right now. I felt sick to my stomach while the maid fixed my hair, and I just kept thinking about Zara spending all that stolen money while I was here being scared for my life every single day. I looked in the mirror and I didn't see Ivy anymore, I just saw a girl who was trapped in a very dangerous game, and then the door opened and Lucian was standing there looking at me with those dark eyes that always made me feel like he could see right through my skin.

"You look like you're going to faint, Ivy," Lucian said, and he walked right into my room while the maid left the room, his boots making sound on the floor that made me shiver.

"I can't do this, Lucian, I really can't go out there and pretend everything is okay when Noah said those people are looking for me," I whispered, and my hands were shaking so bad I had to hide them in the folds of my long skirt.

"You have to do it because if you don't show up, Alistair will ask questions, and we aren't ready for him to know the truth yet," Lucian said, and he reached out like he wanted to touch my shoulder but then he stopped himself and just gripped the back of a chair instead.

"But what if they are there? What if the people Zara robbed are at this party?" I asked, and I felt a tear start to burn in my eye because I was just so tired of being afraid of shadows and people I didn't even know.

"I’ll be there, and I won’t let anyone touch you, I promise," he said, and his voice was real low and deep, and it made me feel a little bit better but not enough to stop the shaking.

"You're going to a fancy gala on your motorcycle?" I asked, trying to make a joke so I wouldn't cry, and he actually smiled a tiny bit, which was rare.

"I'll be in the shadows, where I belong, now go down there before my father comes looking for you," he said, and I nodded and took a deep breath.

I walked down the big stairs and Alistair was waiting at the bottom, looking very sharp in his suit but his face was so pale, and he coughed into a silk napkin before he held his arm out for me.

"You look beautiful, Zara, truly," Alistair said, and his voice was weak but he still sounded like a king who owned everything he looked at.

"Thank you, Alistair, are you feeling okay tonight?" I asked, and I tried to sound like a wife who cared, which wasn't hard because even though I was scared of him, I didn't want him to be hurt.

"I am fine, just a bit tired, but this event is important for our family, and I need you by my side," he said, and we walked to the big black car and the driver opened the door for us.

The party was in a giant building with lights that were too bright and mirrors everywhere, and as soon as we walked in, everyone stopped talking to look at us. I expected them to look at me like I was just a girl who was lucky to be married to a rich man, but they didn't, and their eyes were different tonight, like they were looking at someone who actually mattered.

"Alistair, you finally arrived!" a tall man with white hair said, walking over to us with a big smile, and I remembered he was Senator Vance because I saw him on the news sometimes.

"Senator, it is good to see you, you remember my wife, Zara?" Alistair said, and he put his hand on the small of my back and pushed me forward a little bit.

"Of course, of course, Alistair often speaks highly of your... insightful contributions, Mrs. Hale," the Senator said, and he didn't look away from me.

"I'm sure he's just being kind, Senator," I said, and I tried to smile but my face felt stiff.

"No, no, he told me that you had some very interesting thoughts on the new urban development project, he said you have a real mind for the details," the Senator said, and I felt my heart skip a beat because I never talked to Alistair about any projects like that.

"I just listen to what he says and try to learn," I said, looking at Alistair, but Alistair just smiled and took a drink from a waiter's tray.

"She's being modest, Senator, my wife has a way of seeing things that most people miss, and I've come to rely on her perspective quite a bit lately," Alistair said, and his voice was so proud that it made me feel really confused and a little bit sick.

"Well, we could use more people like you in the city, Mrs. Hale, maybe you should join our next committee meeting," a woman in a red dress said, and she leaned in like we were best friends.

"I would have to ask Alistair first," I said, and I felt like I was drowning in all these people who were suddenly treating me like I was a queen or a genius.

"Nonsense, Alistair said you make your own choices, he told us you were the one who suggested the shift in the offshore holdings last month," the woman said, and my blood went cold because that was the money Noah was talking about.

"I need to find the restroom, please excuse me," I said, and I didn't wait for them to answer because I had to get away before I gasped for air.

I walked fast through the crowd and found a quiet hallway where the walls were covered in dark wood, and I leaned against it and tried to breathe, but then I heard voices coming from around the corner.

"Are you sure about this, Senator? Alistair is putting a lot of weight behind her name," a man's voice said, and I froze because I knew they were talking about me.

"Alistair is no fool, even if he is dying, he wouldn't push her into the inner circle if she wasn't ready, he specifically asked for Zara’s opinion on the trade deal before he would even sign the papers," Senator Vance said, and I could hear the sound of ice clinking in a glass.

"It's strange, she's so young, but he claims she's the one who found the loophole in the accounts," the other man said, and I felt like the floor was falling away from under my feet.

"He's building her up, he's making sure everyone knows that if he's gone, she's the one we talk to, he's turning her into a power player right under our noses," the Senator said, and then I heard their footsteps moving away.

I stood there in the dark hallway and I felt a strange pressure in my chest, and it wasn't just fear anymore, it was something else that felt heavy and cold. Alistair wasn't just keeping me around because I looked like Zara, he was using me to build a reputation for a girl who wasn't even here, and he was teaching me how to be powerful without even telling me he was doing it. He was my husband but he was also like a mentor who was pushing me into a role I never wanted, and I realized that if I stayed "Zara" for much longer, I might never be able to find Ivy again.

I walked back out into the bright lights and I saw Alistair standing there, looking like a ghost but still acting like a king, and he looked at me and held out his hand like he was waiting for me to take my place.

"Are you feeling better, my dear?" he asked, and his eyes were so sharp and clever that I wondered if he knew exactly what I had just overheard.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said, and my voice sounded different even to my own ears.

"Good, because there are more people who want to meet the woman behind the Hale throne," he whispered, and as he led me back into the crowd.