004

Lena's POV

Ethan’s jaw tightened as his gaze flicked to Ares’ arm wrapped around my waist. His knuckles turned white where he gripped the doorframe, nostrils flaring like a bull about to charge.

"Fiancée?" Ethan repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief.

I swallowed hard. The air was thick with inexplicable tension, and I could practically hear my heartbeat in my ears.

Ares, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered. He leaned against the doorway, his hold on me firm but casual, like he had all the time in the world to watch Ethan unravel.

"Yes," Ares said smoothly. "Is there a problem?"

Ethan’s furious eyes locked onto me. "You’re engaged to him?"

I hesitated. Lying had never been my strong suit, and right now, under Ethan’s piercing gaze, my throat felt like sandpaper.

Before I could formulate a response, Ares pulled me in closer until I was flush against his side. His body was warm, solid, and completely unfazed by the brewing tension in front of us.

"She didn’t want to wait any longer," Ares said casually, his voice rich with amusement. "Can you blame her?"

Ethan’s fists clenched. "Bullshit. You were planning to propose to me."

I stiffened.

Ares’ fingers slid down my arm, slow, deliberate. "And yet, here she is. With me."

Ethan let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You think I don’t see what this is? Some kind of sick revenge stunt because I—"

He stopped himself.

Because I caught you cheating? Go on, say it.

But he didn’t. He didn’t even look guilty.

Instead, he stepped forward, his body tense. "We need to talk, please Lena."

Ares didn’t move. If anything, his grip on me tightened.

"That’s not happening," Ares said coolly.

Ethan let out a sharp breath, his frustration radiating off him in waves. "Fine. Then I’ll talk, and you’ll listen."

His gaze drilled into me. "You’re making a mistake, Elena."

I bristled. "A mistake? Like the one you made in your office?"

His face twisted. "That was a misunderstanding."

I scoffed. "Misunderstanding?" My voice rose, fueled by the rage I’d been holding back since this whole mess started. "You were literally inside your assistant, Ethan!"

Silence stretched between us at my outburst.

Ares chuckled lowly beside me. "I have to say, I’m enjoying this."

Ethan shot him a murderous glare. "S

You should stay out of this Mr Ares"

Ares arched a brow. "I would, but I’m afraid you’re standing at my door, wasting my time, talking about my fiancée."

The possessiveness in his voice made me shudder.

Ethan turned back to me, eyes pleading now. "Elena, be serious. You don’t even know him enough to pull this kind of stunt."

I lifted my chin. "I know enough."

Ares smirked. "She knows how much I’m worth, for starters."

Ethan’s expression deadpanned with sheer fear. "So that’s what this is? A rebound for his money?"

I clenched my fists. "You don’t get to judge me, Ethan. You lost that right the moment you chose her."

For the first time, something flickered in his gaze. Something that almost looked like regret.

"Elena," he said softly, reaching for my hand. "I made a mistake."

Ares’ hand shot out, intercepting Ethan’s wrist before he could touch me.

The air turned electric.

Ares’ grip was casual, but the underlying warning was clear. "Careful," he murmured, voice deceptively light. "You wouldn’t want to start something you can’t finish. I'm still your boss even outside work"

Ethan wrenched his arm back, face twisted with frustration. "This isn’t over."

Ares smirked. "I think it is."

Ethan’s jaw worked furiously, but he said nothing else. He spun on his heel and stormed off, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

The moment he was gone, I exhaled sharply, my body finally relaxing.

Ares shut the door and turned to me, looking far too pleased with himself. "Well, that was fun."

I shot him a glare. "You enjoyed that way too much."

He shrugged. "I like winning."

I rolled my eyes and walked toward the couch, sinking into the soft cushions. My body felt drained, but my mind was still spinning.

Ethan’s words rattled around my brain. You don’t even know this guy.

He wasn’t wrong. I barely knew Ares Kincaid.

I glanced up at him. "Why did you really do this?"

His lips twitched. "I told you—"

"Yeah, yeah. Your grandfather’s inheritance," I cut in. "But you could’ve still picked anyone to fake this with. Why me?"

Ares walked over, hands in his pockets. "Because you needed saving as much as I needed a fiancée."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I hated that he wasn’t wrong.

Still, I narrowed my eyes. "That’s not the full story, is it?"

His expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his gaze. "What do you think?"

I studied him. Ares Kincaid was a mystery, one I wasn’t sure I wanted to solve.

But before I could press further, his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening slightly. Then, without a word, he handed the phone to me.

I frowned. "What—"

My breath caught when I saw the message.

Breaking News: Ares Kincaid is engaged!

And below that, a photo. A photo of me, in his arms. My heart slammed against my ribs. "Oh my God."

Ares smirked. "Welcome to the game, Elena"

The phone buzzed again. Another message popped up.

This time, it wasn’t from the media. It was from an unknown number.

You should’ve stayed out of this, Elena. You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into.

My blood ran cold. Ares saw my face pale. "What’s wrong?"

I handed him the phone, my hands slightly shaking.

His expression changed as he read the message. When he looked up, his eyes weren’t amused anymore. They were sharp. Calculating. Dangerous.

"Whoever sent this," I whispered, "knows me."

Ares’ jaw tightened. "Looks like this just got interesting."

I stared at the message again, my stomach twisting into knots. Whoever sent this wasn’t just being dramatic. There was a clear threat in those words, one that kind of put me on the edge.

Ares read the text again, his jaw tightening. Then, without hesitation, he pressed a button on his phone and made a call.

"Find out who sent this," he said curtly. There was a short response on the other end, and then he hung up.

I swallowed hard. "Who was that?"

"My security team," he replied smoothly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "They’ll track the number and find out who’s behind this."

I stared at him. "You have a security team?"

His lips curled in amusement. "I’m Ares Kincaid, sweetheart. Of course I do."

Right. Because he probably had enemies.

And apparently, so did I now.

I tried to shake off the growing unease in my chest. Maybe this was just someone messing with us. Maybe Ethan, bitter and vengeful, had sent the text to scare me.

Except... something about it felt personal.

I looked up at Ares, who was watching me with sharp eyes.

"Do you think Ethan sent this?" I asked.

Ares considered it. "He was angry, but this doesn’t seem like his style. He’s an entitled bastard, but not the kind to send anonymous threats. He prefers confrontation."

I swallowed. "So, who else would want to threaten me?"

He tapped against his fingers. "That’s what I intend to find out."

Ares wasn’t smiling anymore. The relaxed, arrogant man who had teased Ethan at the door was gone. In his place stood someone completely different—serious, dangerous, and absolutely in control.

He turned to me. "Until I figure out who’s behind this, you’re staying with me."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said. "It’s not safe for you to go home alone."

I crossed my arms. "And what makes you think I’d be safer with you?"

Ares smirked. "Because, sweetheart, no one dares to mess with me."

I hated how much sense that made.

Still, the idea of staying with him—

, living under the same roof as this enigmatic, arrogant billionaire—felt dangerous for a whole different reason.

But the text message flashed in my mind, and I knew I didn’t have much of a choice.

I sighed. "Fine. But this is temporary."

Ares chuckled. "Of course."

Something in his tone told me he wasn’t being entirely honest!