Chapter Three
What did Arion just say?
Caitlin’s ears were still ringing. She wasn’t even sure whether she was still standing or had drifted off in her panic. My lover, he’d said—calmly, without a hint of humor. And now Harriet, an elegant woman who carried herself with the prestige of a seasoned socialite, was looking at her with sharp, probing eyes.
“Caitlin, nice to meet you,” Harriet said politely, though her gaze was far too calculating to be called warm. “Arion never mentioned your relationship. This is an... interesting surprise.”
Caitlin swallowed hard. She wanted to say something, anything—to explain that this was all a misunderstanding, that she was a nobody who had accidentally wandered into the wrong place. But Arion’s grip on her hand was firm, almost possessive. As if to say: Don’t mess this up.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Caitlin finally said, forcing a smile though her voice came out thin. “I apologize for being rude last night. I should’ve introduced myself properly.”
Harriet’s lips curved in a faint smile, but there was no softness in it. “No big deal. I wasn’t at the party anyway—I had more important matters to attend to,” she replied, then turned to her stepson. “Arion, can we talk for a moment? Just the two of us?”
Arion glanced at her but didn’t release Caitlin’s hand. “Whatever you need to say, Caitlin can hear it too.”
Caitlin’s heart skipped a beat.
Not only was she trapped in a lie, but now she was sinking even deeper. This wasn’t a simple misunderstanding anymore.
This was a storm.
Harriet’s brows lifted slightly, then she nodded. “All right. Let’s sit, then.”
The next few minutes unfolded like a slow-motion nightmare. Caitlin sat beside Arion on the couch, trying to appear composed as Harriet began firing questions—when had they met, how long they’d been together, and what their future plans were.
Caitlin waited, hoping Arion would answer—and he did. Smoothly. Too smoothly.
“Caitlin works hard and doesn’t socialize much. Last night was her first public appearance,” he said, his tone confident and unshaken. “I figured it was time she met you.”
Caitlin gave a tight smile. Inside, her thoughts were screaming: What are you doing, Arion McCallen?
Even more unsettling—why did a small part of her feel... touched by his defense?
“I just came to drop off some documents,” Harriet said at last, pulling a folder from her purse. “But I was thinking… perhaps we should have dinner on Sunday. The three of us. A more private conversation.”
Arion took the folder with a nod. “We’ll come.”
Harriet turned to Caitlin. “You’ll be joining us, of course?”
Caitlin hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Of course.”
When the door finally shut behind Harriet, silence fell over the apartment like a heavy blanket. Caitlin pulled her hand away from Arion’s grip—successfully this time. She stared at him, caught between disbelief and anger.
“Why did you do that?” she asked, her voice low. “You said I was your lover. You know that’s not true.”
Arion met her eyes for a long moment before replying, “Because Harriet needs to understand she doesn’t control me.”
Caitlin frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He walked to the window, staring out at the evening skyline. “She didn’t just come here to deliver documents. She came to assess how much power she still has over me.”
Caitlin moved closer, slowly. “She’s your stepmother.”
“She’s the ambitious woman my father married,” Arion replied with a hollow smile. “She never cared about me unless she saw a way to use me.”
A beat of silence passed. He leaned against the glass, his reflection cold and still.
“Harriet wants me to marry her best friend’s daughter,” he continued. “It’s all part of her scheme to tighten her grip on the family and the company. I refuse to play along.”
Caitlin stared at him. For the first time, she saw something beneath his composed exterior—a quiet defiance, a steel resolve.
“So you used me to dodge an arranged marriage?” she asked, her tone flat.
Arion turned to her. “If I say yes, will you be angry?”
She pressed her lips together. The answer wasn’t clear. All she knew was that she was now entangled in his family’s twisted drama.
“I just want to live my life,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Without Harriet. Without her schemes.”
Caitlin studied him, not with anger, but with a quiet curiosity.
“And your father?” she asked gently.
“He trusts I can handle myself. And I will prove him right.”
She exhaled slowly.
“Harriet can play many roles,” he murmured, “but she’s forgotten one thing—I’m not some rebellious teenager anymore. She’ll learn that soon enough.”
There was something in his voice—controlled fury wrapped in poise. Caitlin found herself watching him, strangely fascinated.
“So… what now?” she asked in a whisper.
Arion stepped closer, stopping just in front of her. “Now… we keep up the act. Until Harriet is fully convinced I’m not her pawn.”
Her heart raced. “And if I don’t want to?”
He smirked. “Then I’ll make you want to. If necessary, I’ll pay you handsomely.”
Caitlin stared at him. For a long time.
The offer stung. Her pride flinched. But the reality was, she needed the money. She’d wanted to quit her job for years, tired of being looked down on for what she did.
“If I accept your offer,” she said finally, “promise me one thing…”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
“Don’t fall in love with me.”
Arion held her gaze. “I won’t.”
She watched him, then let a slow, unreadable smile curl on her lips.
But just as silence began to settle between them—
Her phone vibrated. Once. Twice. Three times.
She picked it up, frowning. Unknown number.
A message popped up.
You don’t know who you're messing with. Stay away from Arion McCallen—while you still can.
Caitlin’s blood turned cold.