Page 54 of Illicit Games

I feel his gaze on my profile.

“Come closer, Iris,” he orders. “Unless you want to cause a scene in front of our friends.”

“I don’t care,” I angrily reply, despising his authoritative tone. “In fact, keep your hands to yourself for the rest of the night. Or I swear to God I will scream bloody murder.”

“You’re my fiancée.”

“Only for show.”

“The world doesn’t know that.”

I slowly face him and throw his words back at him. “It will sooner or later.”

His face hardens, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

The elevator door opens.

Without waiting for him, I exit with my head held high. He can hold my secrets over my head all he wants, but I will not bow down to him.

Before entering the bustling ballroom, I pull out my phone.

A text from Kian is waiting for me, making my pulse skip a beat.

SCARY REAPER: Are you okay, Rainbow?

My chest aches, full of longing as I wish he were here. Before I can reply to him, a shadow falls. I lock my phone, recognizing it’s Nathan.

“Shall we?” he asks.

I nod tightly. It’s not like I have much of a choice.

“You can at least smile, Iris,” he whispers against the shell of my ear. “Whether you hate it or not, you’re stuck with me until you fulfill your end of the bargain. I won’t keep you any longer than that.”

“Why should I believe you? You’ve only ever lied to me.”

“What have I lied about?”

“Why me?” I demand, despite knowing the truth. I want to hear about his grandfather’s will from him. “You could’ve picked any woman to marry you for convenience. Why are you hurting me?”

“I told you why.”

“To hurt Kian. Except it was a big gamble to take. No way you could’ve known for sure that he and I would end up together. You’re not God. Are you honestly telling me that’s the only reason you conned me for three years? I’m naïve, but I’m not stupid.”

With a straight face, he says, “It is.”

Irritation rises, but I simmer it down.

“Well, then, congratulations. You succeeded,” I lie, baiting him. “Because of what you told him, he has kicked me out of his life. So, let me go and find another girl.”

“I want you.”

“You’re too conniving for that to be the reason. Why doIneed to be your wife?” I squint my eyes, and accuse, “How many secrets are you hiding, Nathan?”

Something flashes in his eyes before vanishing just as quickly. In a cryptic and cold tone, he taunts, “Worry about your secret, not mine.”

A humorless laugh trickles out of me. I fight the urge to throttle him. To shake some sense into him. “You know what, let’s just get tonight over with.”

Chapter Fifteen