Chapter 24 OPERATION BE A GOOD HUSBAND.

Chapter 24 OPERATION BE A GOOD HUSBAND.
Isabel's POV.

The sun was low, making the room look peaceful with a soft, golden light. It was a fake kind of peace. I sat in my room, trying to read papers about the documents Damien sent me, but the words wouldn’t stay still. They were useless compared to the huge, confusing mess in my head.

And the main reason for all of it was always Adrian. He was so quick to get what he wanted, so fast to get angry when he felt I wasn’t on his side. It made me so tired.

But the worst part wasn't the marriage anymore. It was Damien.

Just thinking his name made my heart jump with fear and a strange, sudden hope. Our arrangement were like a hot wire running under the floor of our lives, ready to cause a big fire if anyone stepped on it. Every time we looked at each other, every secret kiss we shared, felt like breaking a rule even though we were infact breaking the rules.

A  knock came at the door, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said, closing the book of numbers quickly.

It was Adrian. He didn't walk in with his usual loud, sure steps. He was careful, almost quiet and he looked like a man trying very hard to show he was totally in control. This was his new plan: to be the perfect husband.

“Isabel,” he said, his voice calmer than it had been in days. He walked over to the fireplace and stood next to it. He wasn’t demanding anything; he was just talking. “Sorry to break up your work.”

“It’s fine, Adrian,” I answered, trying to look relaxed. “The numbers are boring today. What is it? Did the ships come in?”

He smiled, a real smile this time. It was a good smile—kind and open. For a quick second, I felt that sharp stab of guilt again, remembering that he was a good man, trying hard. “No big news. It’s family stuff, actually. Good news, I think. Or at least, she means it to be good.”

He moved away from the fire and looked out the window, like he needed a minute to think. “I talked to your mother a little while ago. She called me, which she  never does. She said she hasn’t had us over for dinner since the marriage started, and she wants to make sure everything is going well.

A cold feeling started in my neck. My mother, Elara. If she was getting involved, it meant whatever was planned would be stiff, formal, and designed to make me feel small.

“She wants us to come to a small, private dinner at her house tonight,” Adrian continued, turning back to me. His face showed he was proud of this plan. “Just the three of us. You, me, and Damien. Since my parents wouldn’t be able to make it”

I felt the blood leave my face. Just the three of us.

“Tonight?” I asked, the word sounding weak and thin. The golden sunlight in the room suddenly felt too bright. 

“Yes, tonight. She wants us to look like the perfect couple, Isabel. And I think it’s right. I need to fix things with you after how I acted the other night. A quiet dinner with family is the best place to do that.”

He stepped closer and took my hand, holding it tight and warm. “Please, Isabel. Don’t say no. I already told her we’d be there. I’ve been trying to show I care about you and us. This dinner is part of that. It’s important that she sees we are together, especially since you know this marriage wasn’t supposed to happen.”

He let go of my hand and looked at me, begging with his eyes. “I have to do this, Isabel. I need it to go well. Please come.”

His simple need was a trap. I couldn’t say no to the dinner without crushing his attempt to be better. But saying yes meant walking right into a nightmare.

I looked at his hand over mine, and my mind instantly replaced it with the image of Damien’s hands from our last time together— the careful way he touched me. The difference was too much.

Mother will notice. She notices everything. Every small look, every short answer, every time I didn't hold still. She wouldn’t need proof; she would simply know that her daughter was hiding something. And having Damien there, across the table, his presence a silent reminder of what we had done, what we were planning to do... it was a terrible thought.

I tried to think fast. Watching Adrian, who now truly believed he was doing the right thing, trying to win me over. 

“I know why this matters to you, Adrian,” I finally said, my voice empty. I knew I couldn’t win this fight without giving away too much. “It’s just… my mother’s dinners are always so hard.”

“I know,” he agreed, giving my hand another squeeze. “But I’ll be right there. And Damien will be there too. We can keep the talk easy and safe. It’s only two hours, Isabel. We can handle two hours for the sake of peace.”

Two hours. Two hours of terrible pain, with the two  men in my life and the woman who taught me how to hide.

I remembered the look on Damien’s face—the soft, open feeling I had only seen when we were completely alone. How would he act? He was better at hiding his feelings than I was, but even he would struggle with the thought of Adrian’s sincere, new love for me. We were supposed to be just an arrangement , but now we had to act out a perfect lie instead.

“All right, Adrian,” I finally gave in, knowing there was no way out. “If it’s that important to you and your mother, we will go. What time?”

“Seven o’clock,” he said, smiling huge now. He leaned in and kissed my cheek quickly. “Thank you, Isabel. This is a big deal for me. I want to show everyone that I am serious about our marriage, and serious about you. I’ll send a message to tell Damien. I’m sure he’s busy with work right now.”

He left soon after, happy that he had fixed a problem.

I stood in the room for a long time, looking at the closed door. The gold light was mean now, making my sudden panic even worse. Seven o’clock. Two hours of pretending under the eyes of the people I cared about and feared the most.

I walked to my desk. I needed to see Damien, to warn him, to talk about our plan, to simply see him before we had to put on that show. But I couldn't risk sending a note now.

The panic grew. The dinner was going to happen. The only way to get through it was to be completely cold, and not say a single word about what was real. I felt the glass walls of my old life, the one I had just tried to escape, closing in on me again. The trap was set, and I was walking right into it. And Damien, my secret lover was coming with me.