Gina’s breath hitched in her throat, her body stiffening with apprehension. This was not part of the plan. The wedding was supposed to be a means to an end, a way to secure her financial future, and nothing more.
“Liam, it’s too soon,” Isabelle said, her voice calm, her words a sharp rebuttal. “We talked about this.”
“But Isabelle, we’ve had time to get to know each other.” Liam countered, his tone pleading. “We’ve spent time together, and I’ve grown to love you.”
“You know that this is just a business arrangement, Liam,” Isabelle said, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness. “You don’t love me. You don’t even know me.”
“Don’t be silly, Isabelle,” Liam said, his voice laced with a hint of frustration, his eyes pleading. “I do know you. I love you. Let’s make this real. Let’s get married.”
“I’m not ready,” Isabelle said, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and fear. She looked at her mother, a silent plea for support, but Gina only met her gaze with a cold, calculating stare. “This is all moving too fast.”
Gina, feeling the power slipping from her grasp, forced a smile. “Oh, Liam, what a wonderful idea! It’s so good to see you making progress. You’re so right, Isabelle, Liam is a wonderful man.”
“It’s not the time.” Isabelle insisted, her brow furrowing, her gaze locked on Liam’s persistent smile. “I need some time to think.”
Liam’s smile faltered. He glanced at Gina, his eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. “Gina, I need to use the restroom,” he said, his voice a low murmur, his gaze fixed on her. “Could you tell me where it is?”
Gina, feeling a shiver of apprehension, rose to her feet. “Of course, Liam, it’s right down the hall, to the left.”
As Liam disappeared down the hallway, Gina’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of steely resolve. She leaned towards Isabelle, her voice a low whisper. “You’re easing into him, Isabelle. I can see it. He’s starting to get to you.”
“Of course he is.” Isabelle snapped, her voice laced with anger, her eyes flashing. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? To see me fall for him, to make this marriage real?”
“I’m working on something, Isabelle,” Gina said, her voice firm. “Don’t get too close to Liam. Not yet.”
“What are you planning, Gina?” Isabelle demanded, her eyes filled with suspicion. “What are you hiding?”
Gina only smiled, her eyes veiled, her gaze enigmatic. “Don’t worry, Isabelle,” she said, her voice calm, her words laced with a hint of threat. “Everything will be alright.”
Meanwhile, Liam, having finished his business in the bathroom, stood before the sink, his hands washed and drying. He listened, his senses alert, to the faint sounds of movement coming from the other side of the bathroom. Someone was there. Someone was hiding. His gaze darted around the room, his suspicion growing.
“Is someone there?” he asked, his voice low and menacing, his hand instinctively reaching for the small pocketknife he carried.
Liam’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the closed shower stall. “Come out,” he demanded, his voice cold and authoritative. “I know you’re there.”
Silence. Then, the faintest whisper of movement, a shuffling of feet, a rustle of fabric.
Liam, his senses on high alert, moved toward the shower stall, his hand hovering near the knife, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached for the shower curtain, its damp fabric whispering as he pulled it back.
The stall was empty.
Liam’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that echoed the rising tide of fear. He spun around, his eyes searching the room, his hand still clutching the knife, his muscles tense, his instincts screaming at him. He scanned the bathroom, his gaze lingering on the small window, the ventilation shaft, and the open medicine cabinet. He felt a chill run down his spine, a prickling sensation that warned of danger.
His eyes fell on the closed door. He moved toward it, his hand instinctively reaching for the handle. He pushed the door open, his gaze sweeping across the living room.
Gina sat on the sofa, a fixed smile plastered on her face, her voice a bright, cheerful contrast to the icy tension that filled the room. Isabelle sat beside her, her expression a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
“I was just admiring the view,” Gina said, her voice smooth, her words laced with a practiced air of innocence. “What a lovely day.” She turned to Liam, her smile widening. “Are you ready to leave?”
Liam, his gaze fixed on Gina, his suspicion growing, felt a surge of anger. He knew something was wrong, something was hidden, something was amiss. He felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest, a gut feeling that something sinister was lurking beneath the surface of their carefully constructed facade.
“Yes, I’m ready,” he said, his voice clipped, his words conveying a barely suppressed fury. “Isabelle, let’s go.”
Isabelle, surprised by Liam’s sudden decision to leave, was about to protest, but Liam silenced her with a look, his gaze intense, his expression unreadable. She rose to her feet, her shoulders slumped with a mixture of disappointment and resignation, her body stiff with a silent protest.
“We’ll see you soon, Gina,” Liam said, his voice cold, his words a sharp goodbye. He turned and walked toward the door, his stride determined, his movements conveying a sense of urgency. He opened the door, his hand hovering over the handle, his fingers clenching and unclenching. He glanced back at Gina, a brief, piercing look that promised retribution.
Isabelle followed him out, her gaze lingering on Gina, her expression filled with a mixture of confusion and concern. Their departure was swift, silent, and filled with unspoken tension.
The door closed behind them, shutting out the sound of their footsteps, their voices, their presence. The apartment fell silent, the air thick with the lingering scent of champagne and betrayal.
Gina watched them go, her smile fading as the door closed behind them, leaving her alone with the echoes of their footsteps and the unsettling realization that her carefully constructed web of deceit was beginning to unravel.
The apartment doorway remained open, a gaping wound in the wall, a silent invitation to the world beyond. Gina stood motionless, her body frozen, her gaze fixed on the closed door. She listened, her senses on high alert, for the sound of footsteps, for the whisper of movement, for the faintest echo of their return.
Then, she heard it. A soft, muffled sound, a faint rustle of fabric, a whisper of movement. It came from the hallway, from the direction of the bathroom, from the space where Liam had been just moments before.
Damien, his face contorted in a smirk of triumph, emerged from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. He stood in the hallway, a silhouette against the muted light of the apartment, his presence a dark omen in the aftermath of their carefully crafted deception.
He looked at Gina, his eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. “You see, Gina.” he said, his voice a low, seductive whisper, “I always win. Always.”