Chapter 6 Chapter Five

Ara

I nearly slipped in the tub, not expecting the dramatic turn our make out session had taken.

“Wait in your room for Nina. She will take care of your dress and everything else." He told me in a detached voice that both confused and angered me at the same time.

Who was Nina?

He was already leaving before I could even respond.

“I'm not going." I said flatly.

He stopped mid-stride, but didn't turn.

Finally, he turned, and in a blur, was standing over me in the tub.

The tub

“Oh? You have no choice in the matter. The whole of New York knows we are together now, and they want to see you. If you want me to keep my own end of the bargain, you will be a good little fiancée and do as I tell you." The hardness in his voice forced me to swallow back my retort.

I needed my sisters safe and sound. If playing fiancée for this cold hearted billionaire would ensure they never suffered, then I guess it was a price I should be willing to pay.

“There is a punishment for silence, little lamb.” He warned, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I will do as you say." I said finally, my chest burning from the embarrassment of sitting naked in a bathtub that I was certain cost more than all the houses in our street put together.

“Good." He said before turning on his heels to leave.

I held my breath and watched him exit the bathroom before exhaling loudly.

I would play fiancée for as long as it would tazto convince him I was his, then I would run. He wouldn't see it coming.

I smiled to myself as I stepped out of the tub, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my shivering body.

But the smile fell from my face the moment I emerged from the bathroom. There was a mean faced woman standing in the bedroom, an irritated look plastered on her face.

“Is this how you plan to waste Mr. Thayne's time? By spending the whole evening in the shower?" She snapped, her lips curving in disappointment.

“Who are you?" I asked, hoping for some explanation as to why she was here. Wait, was she Nina?

Thayne had asked me to wait for her. Perhaps I'd spent too much time in the tub overthinking my miserable situation.

“I'm Mr. Thayne's penthouse caretaker, and his nanny when he was little. Now, get over here and sit your ass down so that I can make you look like a billionaire's wife-to-be.” She sounded motherly, but she clearly wasn't impressed.

I sat on the chair in front of the giant vanity for over an hour, and because the mirror was tall and I wasn't tall enough to see my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't tell what exactly Nina was doing and if I liked it.

After what felt like a lifetime later, she instructed me to rise on my feet. Because I'd been sitting for so long, I nearly crashed into the vanity when I tried to get on my feet.

“What a clumsy girl! What hole did he pick you up from?" I heard her ask under her breath.

I was about to give her a nice comeback when I caught my reflection in the mirror.

I looked nothing like the Ara Gabe had cheated on. My hair was swept into an intricate crown of midnight waves, each strand twisted and pinned with tiny crystal clips that caught the light like scattered diamonds—glittering, unforgiving, the kind of sparkle that screamed money and screamed it loud.

Loose tendrils framed my face, dusted with iridescent shimmer that made them glow like starlit silk, turning my usual messy curls into something regal, something that belonged on the arm of a man who owned half the skyline.

And the makeup—God, it was a weapon. Nina had painted my eyes in smoky shadows of gunmetal and silver, lined with a razor-thin wing that flicked up like a challenge, lashes so thick and feathered they brushed my brows when I blinked.

Glitter swept across my lids in a halo of crushed pearls, catching every flicker of the chandelier above, turning my gaze into a storm of ice and fire.

My cheeks were contoured sharp enough to cut glass, dusted with a highlighter that shimmered like fresh snow under moonlight, and my lips—plump, blood-red, glossed to a wet sheen that screamed kiss me or regret it.

I was a glittering lie, and for the first time, I almost believed I could pull this off.

“No time to admire yourself, here wear this." Nina said, dragging me away from the vanity and towards the bed.

When I saw the dress in her hands, I hesitated.

It was a black dress, but it was designed with an illusion that made it shimmer from midnight black to a dark royal blue, depending on the lighting.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that it was short, and too small!

“What is the matter with you? We're running out of time, girl." Nina hissed, pushing the dress into my arms. There wasn't much to hold, anyway. The dress was heavy, but short.

Perhaps it was just my nervousness and nothing else. I slipped on the dress, but it wouldn't get past my bust.

Was this a size 2?! Whoever bought the dress had obviously gotten my measurements wrong!

“It won't fit, Nina. I can't breathe!" I groaned, still trying to squeeze my way into the dress.

Nina grabbed hold of my arms and started tugging at the dress with all her might.

“No, Nina. My stomach will ruin the dress. I can't afford a replacement. Must I attend the party?"

“Shut up and stay still! And, it's a dinner party. You must accompany Mr. Thayne as his plus one." Her fingers nicked at my skin as she dragged the dress down my body in harsh motions.

By the time she finally got the dress to fit and zipped me up, my skin was red, and I was breathing like I'd run three miles in twenty minutes.

“I can't believe this. The dress doesn't even fit you, but there's nothing we can do about it." Nina murmured, eyeing me in the dress.

No. I couldn't wear this dress out. All it would take was one deep inhale and the seams would burst open.

If I turned the wrong way, my panties would be on display for all of New York to see. The neckline was another topic altogether.

If I moved too quickly, my nipples were sure to pop out of the neckline because my breasts had been pushed all the way to my neck.

“I can't wear this!" I cried.

“Why not?" Nina queried, shooting me that irritated look she'd been wearing when I first saw her.

“I. Can't. Breathe!" I could hardly say three words in a row without wincing. My ribs were on fire, and the dress was pressing lines into my stomach.

Nina absolutely ignored me and went to one corner of the room to fetch the pair of heels deposited on the nightstand. She must have kept it there upon stepping into the room.

“Wear this, and go outside the hallway to wait for Mr. Thayne.” She said in a stern voice.

"I will wait here for him. I'm his fiancée, is that not so? I should behave like one and sit pretty in my room to wait patiently for him.” I sounded too confident for a girl who was wearing a dress three sizes too small for her.

I heard Nina mutter something under her breath, but I didn't catch it. She dumped the heels on the floor beside my feet and went into the bathroom.

To wash off the hair gel and makeup from her hands, probably.

I nearly fell face flat on the marble tiles trying to wear the heels because the dress was too tight, and I couldn't bend to work the straps into place.

I waddled over to the bed so I could sit and lace the ropes, but upon sitting, I felt something vibrate underneath my ass.

What the hell? I sprang up from the bed at once and rolled my eyes when I realized it was Nina's phone.

I was just about to place it on a better spot when a text flashed on the screen.

I tossed a glance in the direction of the bathroom and bit my lip.

There was something about this that just felt off, like that text had something to do with me which was absurd because Nina was just meeting me for the first time this evening.

I considered the risk of Nina stepping out of the bathroom and catching me in the act, then grabbed the phone to read the message.

A wave of shock and anger came over me upon reading the message.

Maddie: How's the bitch breathing in the dress we picked for her? She has no idea what next will hit her. Make sure you finish the rest of the deal, Nina.