Chapter 5

The air in the lounge was thick with tension, and Emma could feel the weight of Ryan's gaze, a mixture of concern and curiosity. The playful atmosphere had evaporated, replaced by an undercurrent of hostility as Alexander Dumas stood before them, his presence a looming shadow. All the attention was now focused on her.

“We’ve never met; I will remember a bully like you, Emma fired back.” Ryan and the others began to laugh at Emma’s comebacks; Ryan specifically was pleased with how she handled the moment.

Alexander moved a step closer to Emma, amazed by her confidence to talk to him in such a manner. Point a finger to her, he replied, “Lady with the guts, eeh.”

Noticing the tension, Ryan moved closer and used his hand to block Alexander from pointing at Emma. 

“I think it’s time for you to go, Dumas. Ryan said, this time with a deep tone. and a strong face expressing he’s no longer welcome there.

“Interesting choice of company, Miller. You’ve really changed since I last saw you,” Alexander said, clapping his palms together.

“Well, see you later, Miller.” Alexander smirked, walking out of the bar.

Emma's eyes flicked between them, trying to absorb the tension. What was the connection between Ryan and Alexander? Why did Alexander seem to have an interest in her? She felt small and exposed under their scrutiny, yet something simmered beneath the surface—a sense of excitement mixed with fear.

Watching Alexander walk out of the bar, Ryan sighed, looking back at Emma. "Do you know Alexander Dumas?” Ryan asked with suspicion. 

“No, I have never even heard of him.” Emma replied, surprised by the thought of him knowing her; she had never met him before.

“Hmm,” Ryan sighed, putting his arm on his waist. “This is strange; I have never seen him rattle like this before.” He muttered loudly.

He turned to James and said, “Can you stop letting the Dumbass in here? He's really pissing me off.”

“Come on, bro, don’t let him get to you,” James responded with a mockery smile. “And besides, you know they pay me a shit sum of money. I know you’ve got beef with the Dumas clan, but I need to make some cash.”

Ryan wasn’t longer comfortable with the atmosphere; also observing Emma, she was feeling unease as a result of the event that transpired.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Ryan asked, observing how Emma nodded her head even before the question landed.

“Let’s go.” Ryan said, holding Emma’s hand as they walked out of the bar together.

Inside Ryan’s car, the unspoken tension was palpable. 'You okay?' Ryan finally asked, breaking the silence. His voice softened as he glanced at her.

“Just... what did he mean?” Emma replied, her heart still racing. “Does he know something about me?”

"I dunno," Ryan said, sounding fed up. "He's shady. Always trying to dig up dirt to get ahead.”

Emma turned to look at him, the sincerity in his eyes grounding her. “But what if he heard news about the contract marriage? What if he uses that against us?”

Emma’s stomach twisted. She had never heard of Alexander, but the way Ryan tensed at the mention of his name made her wonder if she was being dragged into something far bigger—and more dangerous—than she imagined.

Ryan’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “He won’t. I won’t let him. Ryan assured her, trying to maintain his ego. “I have a lot of enemies trying to bring me down, but let’s just stay focused on why we’re doing this.”

“Welcome to my world, Emma.” Ryan said with a big smile on his lips.”

“Right,” Emma murmured, but doubts nagged at her mind. What if this marriage wasn’t just a way to save Lukas? What if it drew her into a world she couldn’t escape?

Ryan parked in front of a tall, fancy building. Inside, the lobby was beautiful and quiet, a stark contrast to the busy streets. But Emma felt a sense of dread, like the walls were suffocating her.

Welcome to your new home.” Ryan said as they entered his luxurious mansion. Emma took some minutes to admire the size and luxury of the place; yes, she has seen beautiful homes, but not as lavish as this.

‘Holy guacamole!’ Emma muttered silently as she noticed the massive chandelier hanging above the entryway of the mansion. 

“Come on,” Ryan snapped her out of her thoughts, noticing her awe. “Let me show you around; you will need to start living here soon to make everything convincing.”

Leading the way, Ryan showed Emma around the living room and then up the stairs as h3 continued to talk.

“We need to solidify our partnership.” Emma felt her heart thud against her chest. “Partnership? What do you mean?”

“Just that, in order for our arrangement to be successful, we need to convince my grandfather and the board of directors that this is a legitimate union. That’s the only way for me to claim back my position as the CEO.” Ryan said with worry in his tone as he continued, “There are rumors about me; they think I’ve lost my edge since being fired.”

“Is this about the project Alexander was talking about?” Emma asked, taking a seat on the sofa. She sat on it, admiring how soft it felt as she pressed her hands towards it.

“Absolutely,” he said, turning to face her, his expression serious. “If we don’t prove this works, both our futures are at stake. I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for. And so will you.”

Emma’s hand trembled slightly as she held on to the stair rails, the weight of Ryan’s words bearing down on her. Despite feeling overwhelmed, she maintained her composure,and asked calmly; “What’s your plan?”

“Ok, so here is the play,” Ryan said. “I…” Just as Ryan was about to explain the plan he had in mind, Emma heard the sound of his phone buzzing from his pocket. Ryan glanced at his phone, his expression tightening instantly. His face paled as he read the message. 

‘No, no, no, not now. I am not ready for all this drama right now.’ he whispered loudly. Ryan's expression hardened as he glanced at his phone. “We need to leave. Now.” His voice was tight with urgency. He was not ready for Emma to be caught in his own mess.

“Go? Where?” Emma asked, her pulse racing.

“Now,” Ryan growled, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the stairs.

The heavy sound of footsteps echoed from outside the mansion, and before Emma could ask another question, the door swung open violently. The tension in Ryan’s grip tightened as the woman's voice pierced through the silence.

Emma's heart skipped a beat. She spun around, but was met with the woman's icy tone: “Ryan Miller, did you really think you could get rid of me?” 

Emma’s pulse raced. Whoever she was, her arrival promised chaos.