The Grand Illusion

16

Ethan

We moved toward the grand entrance of the venue, and my jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the place. The towering golden gates framed by ivy, the soft glow of fairy lights hanging from the trees, and the sound of a distant string quartet—it all screamed elegance. Inside, I could already see well-dressed guests milling around, glasses of champagne in hand.

I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach churn. My nerves were shot. My hands felt clammy, my heart raced, and I had the sudden, irrational urge to turn and run.

God, I was so nervous I felt like peeing and pooping at the same time. My stomach hurt so bad I thought I might actually keel over.

Riley, walking confidently beside me, must have noticed my panic because he reached over and grabbed my hand in his own. His grip was firm, warm, and grounding. I turned to look at him, wide-eyed, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Breathe,” he said softly, his voice steady. “You’ve got this.”

His words, paired with the gentle pressure of his hand, steadied me—just a little. I forced a smile despite the nervous tremble in my chest, remembering the plan. I was here to show Liam what he’d lost, not to melt into a puddle of stress on the marble floor.

As we approached the entrance, two bodyguards in perfectly tailored suits stepped forward, their stoic expressions making my stomach flip again.

“Invitation, please,” one of them said in a voice as flat as the stone pillars around us.

Right. The invitation. I nodded confidently and reached into my pocket, only to feel… nothing.

Oh no.

I patted my other pocket. Still nothing.

Panic started to set in. I checked my jacket pockets. Nothing there either.

Then it hit me.

The invitation. I’d left it on the couch when Luna, my cat, had jumped onto my lap demanding attention. My stomach dropped.

Riley’s calm demeanor faltered as he noticed my frantic movements. His questioning gaze bored into me, and I could almost hear the unspoken *What’s going on?*

I leaned in close, my voice barely above a whisper. “I forgot the invitation.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You *what?*”

“I forgot it,” I hissed, trying to keep my voice down so the guards wouldn’t hear. “It’s on the couch. At home. With Luna.”

Riley blinked, his expression shifting between disbelief and amusement. “You’re telling me we’re standing in front of the fanciest party in town, and you don’t have the invitation?”

I nodded, my face heating. “Pretty much, yeah.”

The guard cleared his throat, clearly growing impatient. “Sir, the invitation?”

I opened my mouth, fumbling for some kind of excuse, when Riley’s hand tightened around mine.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured, leaning closer. “I’ve got this.”

Before I could ask what he meant, Riley turned to the guards, his expression shifting into something entirely different. The easygoing neighbor I knew was gone. In his place stood a man exuding pure confidence, his posture relaxed but authoritative.

“My apologies,” he said smoothly, pulling something from his wallet. “I believe there’s been a mix-up, but here’s my identification. We’re on the guest list under Ethan Donovan.”

The guards exchanged a look before one of them checked a clipboard. I held my breath, watching Riley with a mix of awe and confusion.

“There you are, Mr. Donovan,” the guard said after a moment, stepping aside. “Enjoy the evening.”

I stared at Riley as we walked inside, my heart pounding in relief. “How did you…?”

He shrugged, slipping his wallet back into his pocket. “Let’s just say I’ve gotten good at thinking on my feet. Now, focus. We’re here for you, remember?”

As we stepped into the grand hall, the sheer opulence of the place hit me like a wave. The marble floors gleamed under crystal chandeliers, and every corner seemed to sparkle with gold accents. Guests moved in elegant clusters, their laughter blending with the music from a live orchestra.

I straightened my back, trying to channel some of Riley’s confidence.

“Deep breaths,” Riley said, his hand brushing my arm lightly. “You’re not here to blend in. You’re here to stand out.”

I nodded, gripping his hand tighter as we moved deeper into the crowd. Somewhere in this sea of sophistication was Liam, and I was determined to show him that I wasn’t the same heartbroken guy he’d left behind.

As we entered the luxurious room even more, my anxiety surged again. The space was even more extravagant than I’d imagined. The high ceilings were adorned with cascading crystal chandeliers, their soft golden light glinting off the polished marble floors. Each table was draped in rich velvet cloth, and the floral arrangements—white roses and orchids—were almost too perfect to be real.

Riley, ever the cool presence, nudged me lightly. “Relax. You’re not walking into battle.”

“Feels like I am,” I muttered.

We made our way to the check-in table tucked in a corner of the grand room. The attendant, a sharply dressed woman with an air of polite disinterest, glanced up at us.

“Name?”

“Ethan Donovan,” Riley said smoothly, before I could even open my mouth. His confidence was startling, and it earned a small, impressed glance from the woman as she scanned the guest list.

“Ah, table three,” she said, gesturing toward a cluster of elegantly arranged tables near the front of the room.

I glanced at Riley nervously as we walked over. “Table three? That sounds... prominent.”

Riley smirked. “You wanted to make a statement, didn’t you?”

“Not like this,” I hissed, but it was too late.

We reached table three, and my stomach dropped. Of course. It was the table right in front of the married couple, as if Liam had planned it to ensure I had the best view of his new life. I could imagine him, seated there, at the head of the room beside his new spouse, laughing and glowing with happiness. I could feel the disgust bubbling inside me.

I leaned closer to Riley, my voice low and bitter. “This is exactly the kind of petty move Liam would pull. He wants me to sit here and watch him play the perfect husband.”

Riley put a calming hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “Don’t let him get to you. That’s what he wants. Sit down, breathe, and remember—we’re here to show him what he’s missing.”

I gritted my teeth but nodded, following Riley’s lead as he pulled out a chair for me. I sat stiffly, trying to ignore the heat rising in my face. Riley took the seat beside me, his movements calm and deliberate.

Once we were seated, Riley’s hand found mine under the table. His fingers curled around mine, and he began to caress the back of my hand with his thumb.

I turned to him, wide-eyed. “What are you doing?” I whispered.

He grinned, leaning closer. “Selling the illusion, obviously.” His voice dropped into a low, seductive tone. “You’re my *boyfriend*, remember?”

I almost laughed at how much he was enjoying this, but I bit it back, shaking my head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Unbelievably convincing,” he corrected, winking at me.

I couldn’t help it—I snorted, quickly covering my mouth to stifle the sound. Riley chuckled softly, then leaned back and started spinning one of his ridiculous stories.

“So there I was,” he began, “stranded in the middle of a forest at midnight, no cell service, nothing but a flashlight and a protein bar.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “What were you even doing in the forest?”

“Photography gig,” he said nonchalantly. “I was trying to capture some rare nocturnal animals. Turns out, they don’t appreciate being photographed without consent.”

“Rare nocturnal animals?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine, it was a raccoon,” he admitted. “But it was *a very angry raccoon.*”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and he grinned triumphantly. “See? I knew I could get you to smile.”

“Barely,” I teased, shaking my head. “Your stories are ridiculous.”

“But effective,” he said with a smirk.

We were just starting to relax when I heard a voice call my name.

“Ethan?”

The sound sent a chill down my spine. I turned toward the source, and my heart sank.

Standing there, with a smug look plastered across his face, was Jonathan—my insufferable coworker and rival.