Chapter 11
I stood frozen, chest heaving, water dripping from every inch of me
The fabric of my dress clung to my body like a second skin, my soaked hair sticking to my neck, and all I could do was stare in disbelief as Layla clutched her wrist, putting on a dramatic scene like she’d just been tossed into the pool by a mob.
The staff rushed to her, their hands helping her out like she hadn’t orchestrated the entire thing.
My mouth was parted, but the words wouldn’t come.
“She’s jealous!” Layla wailed, loud enough for the cameras still stationed nearby to catch every syllable. “She saw me doing better, she couldn’t take it. she shoved me!”
The production crew began murmuring, some lifting their phones, others whispering to each other.
I felt the heat of a thousand stares pierce my skin, but I couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to make it worse. I didn’t know how.
And then I heard his voice.
“Should we check the cameras?”
Karl.
His voice was calm, like a warning wrapped in silk.
Every head turned, even Layla went still, her wide eyes catching sight of him as he strode toward us like he owned the ground beneath his feet.
His steps were slow and deliberate, like he was deciding whether to handle the situation with mercy or fire.
He had a jacket in one hand, and not once did he look at her.
He stopped in front of me and without saying a word, draped the jacket over my shoulders.
His fingers brushed the back of my neck as he adjusted it, lingering for a second too long, like he needed her to see it.
“I…maybe I slipped,” Layla said quickly, her voice pitching higher. “I didn’t mean to say she pushed me, I was startled, maybe it wasn’t her fault, we were both wet, the tiles…”
Karl didn’t even glance at her.
“Let’s go,” he said, his hand settling at the small of my back. The weight of it, the pressure of his touch, was enough to make me move
I followed him into the quiet hallway, my soaked footsteps slapping against the marble, the fabric of his jacket heavy around my shoulders. I clutched the jacket against my chest, glancing up at him multiple times, expecting,
his anger.
The doors closed behind us and the silence hit harder than the noise outside.
My heart was pounding, I didn’t know what to expect, acold remark? A cutting insult? Him deciding I’d already ruined everything!
“I didn’t mean to go outside. I just–1 started, voice shaking. “I saw the cameras, and the crew, and I got curious, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t know Layla would-”
“You’re meeting my mother” he said sharply
I blinked
He didn’t look at me as he pulled off his blazer and placed it neatly over the armrest.
“We’re having brunch with her in an hour. Go get changed.“.
“Your mother? “Today!” I said the words with wide eyes and confusion.
He poured a
ed a glass of water, took a slow sip, and finally looked at me.
“She’s expecting us for brunchs, wear something appropriate.”
Istood there for a second longer, waiting for the lecture, but it never came. Just his calm, steady silence. I swallowed hard, this was the point of everything he had been doing. I knew all the PR was so the media could carry the news of his sudden secret marriage, so his mother would believe
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Chapter 11
it and stop arranging marriages for him.
I wondered how on earth we
we would deal with things if she found out I was a fraud in any way.
I showered quickly, trying to forget how Layla’s voice still echoed in my head.
The way she smiled as she sank into the pool. How easily she flipped the narrative, a frown came on my face, it made absolutely no sense to me. how fast things were changing, first my ex becoming a big name in tech after being broke the whole of our relationship and Layla suddenly gaining a career as an actress, something fishy was going on.
I scrubbed my skin until it stung, then stepped out and reached for the dress laid out on the bed.
Ivory silk, backless and no doubt expensive.
I zipped it up with shaky hands, my fingers trembling.
When stepped out, Karl was standing by the window, his reflection sharp in the glass. He turned slightly, eyes scanning me once.
He didn’t compliment or say a word, just grabbed his keys and opened the door.
“Let’s go.
Kent was already waiting in the car, doors open, air conditioning humming softly. I slid into the backseat beside Karl, trying to keep my breathing steady.
The car ride was silent, every second dragged like an hour.
When we arrived, the mansion didn’t just scream wealth, it whispered old money.
Inside, everything sparkled. White marble floors with gold accents, chandeliers like floating stars.
The butler grected us before we knocked.
“This way, sir. She’s in the drawing room.”
I walked behind Karl, the hallway was too quiet, the scent of expensive candles too perfect.
We stepped into a wide room bathed in morning light, soft music playing from somewhere unseen.
She sat near the window, legs crossed, a porcelain teacup in her hand.
Karl didn’t speak at first. He walked me forward like I was being presented.
“Mom,” he said smoothly, “this is Ellen”
Her gaze landed on me like a judge studying a case file.
She didn’t smile or offer a hand, she raked her eyes all over me from my shoes to the neckline of my dress to my face and I remembered briefly meeting with her on the day I’d met Karl on the streets.
And then she spoke.
“So,” she said, setting her teacup down with a delicate clink, “how much is he paying you for this act?”
