4

Raven

The next morning arrived with a whirlwind of nerves and tension. I stood in front of the mirror, dressed in my wedding gown, the fabric too tight, too suffocating for what I had planned. The silk flowed around me, delicate lace crawling up my arms like the chains of a life I’d left behind. Or should have left behind. But here I was, standing at the altar with Emerson again, going through the motions as if the betrayal hadn’t happened, as if I wasn’t already plotting his downfall.

The ceremony was a blur, words spoken but not truly heard. I kept my face neutral, my gaze fixed on the officiant, not daring to meet Emerson’s eyes. When it came time for the kiss, I hesitated, my heart beating faster than I wanted it to. The officiant looked at me expectantly, as did the guests, waiting for the traditional seal to our vows.

But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to let him kiss me. The thought of his lips on mine after everything made my stomach churn. I turned my face at the last second, allowing him to peck my cheek instead. There was a brief, awkward silence before the crowd erupted into polite applause, but I could feel Emerson’s confusion beside me.

Good. Let him wonder.

The reception that evening was even worse. The clinking of glasses, the endless smiles and congratulations—all of it felt wrong. My mind was elsewhere, already plotting my next moves. I smiled, greeted our guests, even made small talk with Marcus, my old mentor, who had always been supportive of my relationship with Emerson. He looked proud of me, and I felt a pang of guilt. He didn’t know about the lies, the betrayal. Not yet.

After what felt like hours, I couldn’t take it anymore. I excused myself and slipped away from the noise and the crowd, making my way back to my bedroom. The quiet of the hallway was a stark contrast to the lively reception below. I needed time to think, to breathe. The day had been too much, and I was on edge, knowing this was only the beginning.

As I reached my bedroom door, I heard movement behind me. I turned just in time to see Clark stepping out of his room across the hall. My heart gave an unexpected jolt as I saw him—shirtless, with his shirt casually slung over his shoulder. His abs were finely carved, the kind you’d expect to see on a Greek statue, and I caught myself staring before I could stop.

“Enjoying the view?” His voice was teasing, low and playful.

I snapped my gaze away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and irritation. “Put a shirt on, Clark.”

He chuckled softly, pulling the shirt from his shoulder but making no move to put it on. Instead, he took a few steps toward me, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were drooling.”

I clenched my jaw, the tension in my body rising. He was infuriatingly smug, like he knew exactly the effect he had on me. And maybe he did. His eyes raked over me, making my skin prickle with awareness, but I wasn’t about to let him know that. Not after the stunt he pulled last night.

“Stop playing games with me, Clark,” I warned, taking a step back, my voice cold and steady. “Stay away from me. You shouldn’t even be here in the first place.”

He tilted his head slightly, his smirk never fading. “Why shouldn’t I be here? It’s my cousin’s wedding. I’m family.”

“You and I both know you don’t care about this wedding,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest in a feeble attempt to create some distance between us. His proximity was unnerving, and the way he looked at me—like I was something to be toyed with—made my pulse race. “What are you really doing here, Clark?”

He finally pulled his shirt over his head but didn’t bother buttoning it. Instead, he stepped closer, too close, his voice low and intimate. “I have some business to handle here in town. I’ll be around for a few weeks. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, Raven. I promise you that.”

My breath caught in my throat as he closed the gap between us, his face only inches from mine. His eyes, dark and full of mischief, locked onto mine, and for a split second, I felt something stir deep inside me—something dangerous. His lips hovered just above mine, close enough to feel his breath against my skin, and my heart hammered in my chest.

“You can try to resist me,” he whispered, his voice a challenge, “but I wouldn’t bet on it.”

I shoved him away, anger flaring in my chest. “I’ll never let you have your way with me,” I hissed, my voice trembling with both fury and something else I didn’t want to name.

He chuckled softly, backing off with his hands raised in mock surrender. “We’ll see about that.”

With that, he turned and walked down the hallway, disappearing into his room. I stood there, my heart still racing, my hands trembling slightly. The nerve of him—thinking he could just walk into my life and play these games with me. As if everything wasn’t already complicated enough.

I slammed the door to my room and leaned against it, taking deep breaths to steady myself. This wasn’t part of the plan. Clark was supposed to be an irrelevant background figure, just another guest at the wedding, not this… distraction. His presence felt too calculated, like he knew something I didn’t. And the way he looked at me—it was as if he could see through all the layers I’d built around myself.

But I couldn’t let him get under my skin. I wouldn’t. I had bigger things to focus on—like Emerson and Lila. The betrayal still burned in the back of my mind, and every time I thought about them together, it was like a fresh wound reopening. I hadn’t forgotten why I was here, why I had agreed to this wedding despite everything.

Revenge.

I pushed Clark from my thoughts and focused on the bigger picture. Lila was still pretending to be my best friend, smiling at me as if she hadn’t already stabbed me in the back. Emerson was clueless, thinking that by marrying me, everything would go back to normal. Fools.

This time, I wasn’t the same naïve girl who had blindly trusted them. This time, I knew every move they were going to make before they even made it. And this time, I had the power to destroy them both.

But as I sat on the edge of the bed, replaying the day’s events in my mind, one thing lingered, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts: Clark. His presence wasn’t just a coincidence. It couldn’t be. There was something more to him, something I hadn’t yet figured out. His cryptic remarks, the way he looked at me—like he knew more than he was letting on.

I wouldn’t let myself fall for his games, but I also couldn’t ignore the fact that he might be a piece of the puzzle I hadn’t yet uncovered.

I lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as the weight of it all pressed down on me. This was just the beginning, and the real battle was only just starting. I would have my revenge, no matter the cost.

But Clark Stone… he was a complication I hadn’t anticipated.

And I hated complications.