4. Five steps closer

"This is getting out of hand," I whispered, my voice trembling.

My mother nodded, her expression mirroring my fear. "We need to leave before this situation escalates even further."

But just as I started to gather my thoughts, there was a knock at the door—firm and commanding. My mother and I exchanged a worried glance before she cautiously peered through the peephole.

"It's them," she whispered, her voice laced with relief.

She opened the door to reveal two large men dressed in black suits—bodyguards, clearly sent by the Carlos family. Behind them, a sleek black car waited at the curb, its engine quietly idling. One of the bodyguards stepped forward, his expression stoic but respectful.

"Miss Veronica, Mrs. Carlisle," he said with a nod. "We’re here to escort you to the Carlos mansion. Please follow us."

I hesitated, looking back at my mother. She gave me a reassuring nod, urging me to move forward. Taking a deep breath, I slipped on my coat and stepped outside, my mother close behind me.

The crowd had gathered again, the paparazzi shouting more questions and the cameras continuing to flash. But the bodyguards formed a protective barrier around us, guiding us swiftly to the waiting car. I could feel the burning gaze of the crowd on me as I slid into the backseat, my mother joining me.

As soon as the doors closed, the car pulled away, leaving the chaos behind us. The drive to the Carlos mansion was silent, the tension between my mother and me thick as we processed what had just happened. I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was spiraling out of control, and there was no telling what awaited us at the mansion.

The moment we stepped into the Carlos mansion, I saw Ivan standing at the entrance. His tall, imposing figure, with his brown hair tousled by the wind, was almost surreal.

I couldn’t deny it—Ivan was the epitome of beauty, too handsome and famous to be the man I was married to. But it was all just a pretense.

The memory of waking up in his bed, naked beside him, flooded my mind again, and something within me churned. I hadn’t mentioned to anyone that we’d had a one-night stand or that he was my first.

As I climbed out of the car, followed by my mother, the bodyguards escorted us to the entrance of the mansion, flanking us as if they were afraid the wind might harm us.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Carlisle," Ivan said with a charming smile, taking my mother’s hand and kissing it lightly.

"Oh, you're a handsome young man indeed," my mom muttered, giving me a quick, meaningful look.

Ivan turned to me, and I felt my cheeks flush. "My wife, I knew you’d return to me," he said with a confident grin.

"You know all this isn't for real," I managed to say with an eye roll before forcing a smile at him. "So quit the act already."

My mother gave me a stern look, her eyes flickering with concern and I started to wonder what might be her gain in this. She knew, just as well as I did, that this situation was far from ordinary.

Ivan's piercing gaze never left mine, and for a moment, I wondered if he could sense the turmoil inside me. His hand slid down to my lower back as he guided me into the grand foyer of the Carlos mansion. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine, stirring memories I had tried to bury—the feel of his skin against mine, the intoxicating scent of his cologne, the way his lips had moved over mine in the dark of night.

As we entered the mansion, the grandeur of the place hit me again—marble floors, chandeliers sparkling overhead, and walls lined with priceless art. The opulence was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the simple life I had known before all this.

Ivan led us to a spacious sitting room, where we were greeted by his mother, Mrs. Carlos. The moment I laid eyes on her, a shiver ran down my spine. She was the very image of the wicked stepmother from a fantasy movie—her sharp features, perfectly coifed hair, and cold, calculating eyes seemed to hold nothing but disdain. Everything about her contrasted sharply with Ivan's warmth.

"My dear, welcome to my son's mansion," she said giving me a warm smile. "I'm glad you decided to accept to be my son's wife, just for the media," she laughed. "Let's be reminded, my son has his choice."

My gaze drifted to Ivan who stood next to his mother, my eyes caught hold of his peering deeply into mine. He has a smirk on his face one that reminded me of his shirtless features, he was almost like he knew me than I know myself and the fact that he had really explore me made my gut twisted into knot.

"Please, ensure that my daughter is safe here, she's all I have," my mother pleaded her voice quivered.

"If I'm going to do this then my mother will stay here with me," I said my voice rosed higher than normal. "She can't go back to our apartment, the press might come again."

Mrs Carlos opened her mouth to say something but Ivan words over shadow her's. "Of course, she can stay. She's my wife mother anyway."

I scoffed at Ivan behavior and the fact that he was acting all kind to my mother, made my heart churn.

"Mrs Carlisle, this is your home now," He smiled. "Parker, give her the best room in the mansion."

Mrs Carlos looked at her son and then at me, she's having the same look I had on my face at that moment without a word she stood up and went out of the living room.

Parker escorted my mom up the stairs to her supposed room leaving Ivan and I alone. I wanted to followed them but I was stopped by Ivan last words.

"You don't have to bother about your room, Veronica. You'll stay in mine," he said giving me the boylish smile that made my heart skip.