chapter fifteen (Elara's pov)

After a while, Killian pressed his hand slightly on her back. A signal that they had answered enough questions.  "Elara and I are here to celebrate tonight. No further questions.” Killian announced.

Elara flashed them one more smile before Killian guided her away. While she was a bit nervous during the mini interview, Killian was just calm and collected. Like lying was second nature to him, she wasn't surprised by this.

The first part of the plan was done, it was time to look for the next. It didn't take long for Elara to spot her.

Ivy.

She was standing across the room with Aiden, talking to a wealthy older couple. Her expression was a carefully crafted one, her laugh was light and controlled. She looked composed and elegant but when her eyes landed on Elara, her lips pressed into a thin line and her face hardened.

Good.

Elara tapped Killian then tilted her head in the direction of ivy, he gave her a nod then they walked towards the couple.

“Ivy,” Elara purred, her voice dripping with sweetness. “It’s been a minute.”

She stiffened then turned, her grip on her champagne glass tightening. "Elara. What a surprise.”

Elara's smile widened as she leaned closer to Ivy. "You look… different. Oh, wait—I almost didn’t recognize you with all this makeup, is your skin that terrible or is age beginning to show?”

 A flicker of something flashed in her eyes—rage, embarrassment, maybe both. Perfect.

Aiden cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably beside her. "Killian. I don't think we've met officially." He extended a hand toward Killian.

Killian shook it firmly, his expression unreadable. "Aiden.”

Elara glanced at the couple Ivy had been talking to. “Oh, I hope she hasn’t been boring you too much. She tends to repeat the same stories over and over.”

Ivy’s expression darkened.

The wealthy woman chuckled, glancing between them. “So you two know each other?”

“Oh, we go way back,” Elara said. “Ivy was… quite the character back in the day.”

Ivy was still silent. Elara tilted her head, feigning concern. "Oh, Ivy, dear. You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?"

Elara could see the war raging inside ivy as she tried her best to hold herself so she didn't lash out in front of everyone that was watching.

Ivy’s jaw tightened, but before she could respond, Elara continued. “She always had a talent for making things look better than they actually were, you know? Lies and sugarcoating things that are actually bitter and ugly. It is a hideous talent but I admire it sometimes.

Aiden shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Ivy. The wealthy couple exchanged looks, clearly intrigued by the turn of events.

Ivy forced a smile. “Well, it’s always nice to see old friends.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say we were friends,” Elara said, tapping a finger against her lips. “Acquaintances, maybe. Rivals, definitely. Sisters? By circumstances.”

“Sisters?” The old man asked.

“Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it. Ivy is my sister but not by blood, my father got married to her mother.” Elara explained.

“Wait… I recognize you.” The woman said. “You're the girl whose sister stole her fiance all those years ago, right?”

Elara marvelled at how much she has healed to the point where the mention of the event they once broke her, now didn't do anything to her.

“Yes, I am.”

The old woman stared at Ivy and Aiden with a look of disgust on her face. “You should both be ashamed of yourselves. Utterly disgusting.” Turning to Elara. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that, sweet child. If I was the one, I would never tell anyone that I am related to such a person, blood or not.”

Killian chuckled, wrapping an arm around Elara’s waist. “That’s my fiancée for you. Always honest.”

Ivy’s mask finally cracked. With a stiff nod, she turned sharply and walked away, leaving Aiden behind, making him awkwardly follow after her.

Victory.

Elara excused herself and Killian from the couple and walked away with a victorious smile.

Elara let out a satisfied breath. “Well, that was fun.”

She turned to Killian, expecting a smirk, but instead, she found his eyes locked on her with something dark and unreadable in them. Something that made her heart rate pick up.

And then, suddenly, he leaned in.

Close. Too close.

His breath fanned over my ear. "You enjoyed that a little too much, didn’t you?"

Her heart skipped a bit. “What makes you say that?”

His fingers brushed lightly over her exposed back—a fleeting touch, a warning. "Because I'm certain that if you had the opportunity, you would be in my room celebrating your victory by moaning my name.”

Tingles exploded all over her body. She looked at him sharply, her eyes narrowing. "You’re playing with fire, Killian."

A slow, dangerous smirk grew on his face. "And you’re acting like you don’t want to get burnt."

Damn him.

“Did you enjoy this or not?” She snapped.

His hand tightened around her waist. “Oh, I enjoyed it, alright. But I'd rather be enjoying you.”

She opened her mouth to say something— anything that would help her gain the upper hand but before she could utter a word, a voice boomed from the stage.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the couple we’ve all been waiting for—Killian Hayes and his fiancée, Elara Beckett!"

The room erupted in applause, all eyes turned to them expectantly.

The room erupted in applause. Every eye turned to us.

Killian pulled her flush against him, his fingers coming up to thread on her hair. His other hand came under her chin and lifted her hand up.

The air between them sparked with newfound tension, the smell of his cologne was intoxicating Elara. The game they were playing didn't seem like a game anymore.

Before she could process what was happening, his lips were mere meters away from hers, then he whispered, “if we want to sell this lie… then we have to make it convincing.”

And then he kissed her.

Right there, in the middle of the gala, with dozens of eyes watching.

It was slow at first, teasing. But then his grip tightened, pulling her impossibly further into him and deepened the kiss. It sent a blazing fire through her veins.

When he finally pulled back, the room was silent. The cameras were flashing frantically.

Killian smirked, his breath fanning her lips. “I’d say that was convincing.”

Elara barely managed to find her voice. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Convincing.”

But the real question was—who exactly were they trying to convince?