part. He told her, before leaving for the event, that everything was going to happen before her eyes and that she had no choice. It wasn't just a simple eveni

with bursts of nervous laughter from those who had no idea what they were doing. Ariana stood there, on Rafael's arm, like prey in a golden cage. She had chosen a simple but elegant black dress, the kind that att

as they entered the room. Ariana felt a wave of heat invade her body, but it was not due to the heat of the room. No, it was the anticipation, the intensity of the moment. Each of these m

red these words, but loud enough for her to hear them, and his gaze, dark, cold, made her shiver. It was

r, but Ariana already knew. She knew this meeting was more than just an exchange of words. It was a test for her. They

but the unity seemed fragile, like a thread that stretched more and more, ready to break at any moment. The men's eyes sometimes shone with a special light, those of a man who has too much to lose. Small barbs slipped between the exchanges, suspicious glan

iful appearances of this marriage, there were much greater issues, power games that she could not

no doubt that he had a power that went far beyond what he said. He talked about contracts, territories,

his world? » The question was not innocent,

t he didn't look at her. He was waiting for a response. Ariana closed her eyes for a momen

t what seems like a promise can quickly become a betrayal. » She paused for a moment, adrenalin

ana felt that an invisible line had been crossed. She had just marked her territory, in a way that surprised ev

did not disappear

shattered by one too many words, one wrong gesture, one furtive glance. Everyone seemed to be hiding something. Rafael, in particular, had this distant air that betray

t just before the last partner put pen to paper, a man rushed into the

ut the tension in the room immediately rose. The whispers spread like wildfire. Rafael stood up sud

ple incident. Something much more serious was going on. She could feel Rafael's anger, a man used to controlling eve

rsing into the shadows, while Rafael remained alone in the center of the room, his gaze vacant,

e whispered, more to

contract fell through. » He approached her, his breath brushin