Author's Preface
[Irene]
The heavy chapel doors swing open to a chorus of artificial farewells.
Rain washes over the stone steps where my family gathers beneath a sea of black umbrellas.
My aunt dabs at the corners of her eyes with a lace handkerchief, her expression stiff.
Beside her, Mona keeps her arms tightly crossed, her jaw clenched in bitter frustration.
Uncle Arthur rests a heavy hand on my shoulder.
The tension in his posture is palpable as his eyes dart toward the Verin security detail lining the courtyard.
"Irene," he says, leaning in close so his voice doesn't carry over the rain.
His eyes are filled with genuine worry.
"Be careful in that house. I swear to you, I had no idea about the groom's identity until it was too late. I wouldn't have agreed to these terms if I'd known Victor was pulling a swap. I'm going to speak to Victor about this directly. In the meantime, if you need anything—anything at all—contact me immediately."
"Thank you, Uncle," I say softly, offering him a tight, reassuring nod before stepping away.
Leo steps past Arthur and pulls me into a brief, tight hug. "Please, just stay safe, Irene," he whispers against my shoulder. "Stay in touch."
"I will, Leo. Go back inside."
At the foot of the steps, a guard holds open the rear door of the lead black Rolls-Royce as Jude heads toward it.
He doesn't wait for me or offer a hand.
He steps into the car without a glance in my direction.
Another guard opens the door on my side.
I get in, and the door closes behind me, shutting out the damp air and my family.
The silence inside the car stretches between us.
Jude sits beside me, his hands resting on his knees, his attention fixed on the rain-streaked window ahead.
I keep my back straight and turn my attention to the coastal highway outside.
If he wants silence, I can give him silence.
[ *** ]
Thirty minutes later, the convoy turns off the main road and pulls through grand, wrought-iron gates guarded by armed men.
We ascend a long driveway lined with tall pines toward a secluded farmhouse nestled high above the ocean cliffs.
When the car comes to a complete halt in the stone courtyard, a guard opens Jude's door.
He steps out without sparing me a glance and heads straight for the front entrance, buttoning his charcoal jacket as he goes.
When my door opens, two armed guards and the head housekeeper are waiting outside.
"Welcome to the farmhouse, Mrs. Verin," the housekeeper says with a crisp, practiced bow of her head. "Allow me to show you to the main suite."
She guides me up a wide staircase to a massive bedroom suite on the second floor that has a grand fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sweeping back lawns.
My leather trunks have already been placed neatly beside the walk-in closet.
"Dinner will be served outside on the lawn under the heated pavilion at 6 PM sharp," the housekeeper informs me with a polite nod before stepping out.
I spend the next twenty minutes inspecting the room, taking in the dark velvet furnishings and stark decor.
[ *** ]
At 5:30 PM, I hear the bedroom door click open.
Jude walks in without acknowledging me.
I watch as he unbuttons his suit jacket, tosses it over an armchair, and heads for the wardrobe.
He changes his shirt, adjusts his cuffs, checks his watch, and walks back out.
I let my annoyance pass.
Coldness is nothing new to me, I know how to survive being treated like a ghost.
[ *** ]
By 6 PM, I walk down the stone stairs and head toward a candlelit dining table set up under a covered pavilion on the lawn.
Jude's family is already seated around the table, their voices low and relaxed.
Victor Verin looks up as I approach and gestures toward an empty place setting on the left side of the table. "Irene. Welcome. Please, sit and join us."
Once I take my seat, Victor speaks again, gesturing across the table. "You remember my eldest son, Cian, and his partner, Kate."
Cian gives me a brief, polite nod, his sharp eyes assessing me before Kate offers a gentle smile.
"And sitting beside Jude," Victor continues, gesturing subtly down the length of the table, "is Diane."
Diane sits close beside Jude, wearing an off-the-shoulder burgundy silk dress that hugs her frame.
She turns her head toward me, offering a sly smile as her eyes rake over my appearance.
"Nice to finally meet you, Irene," she murmurs softly.
[ *** ]
Dinner continues with everyone maintaining the same careful composure.
Fine china clinks against silver, and waiters move smoothly around the table.
I focus on my plate, using my utensils with steady hands and answering politely whenever Victor directs a question my way.
As I cut into my steak, my eyes catch a movement under the edge of the crisp white tablecloth.
Diane leans back casually in her chair, a soft smile on her lips as her right arm drops out of sight.
Through a slight gap in the cloth, I catch sight of her hand sliding slowly up Jude's thigh.
I keep my hand moving as Jude shifts slightly.
His eyes move across the table and settle on mine, as if he's waiting for a reaction.
I meet his gaze for a moment, then take another bite.
When I finish, I dab the corner of my mouth with my napkin, break eye contact with him, and deliberately turn my full attention back to Victor as if nothing has happened.
[ *** ]
After the dessert plates are cleared, I excuse myself and am escorted back to the bedroom.
Exhausted by the strain of the day, I unlace my formal dress, slip into a simple silk nightgown, turn off the lamps, and lie down on the massive bed.
Hours pass in total darkness.
The clock on the mantelpiece ticks steadily toward midnight, and I eventually accept that Jude has no intention of coming to the room tonight.
I am fast asleep when the heavy bedroom door suddenly swings open and the overhead lights flicker on with a harsh glare.
I sit up instantly, shielding my eyes against the sudden brightness.
Jude stands near the doorway, his jacket off, smelling faintly of liquor and cigar smoke.
Diane leans heavily against his side, one arm wrapped around his waist.
Her burgundy dress is slightly rumpled, her dark hair tumbling loose over her shoulders, and a cheeky, intoxicated smile plays across her lips.
"Oh," Diane slurs slightly, blinking lazily across the room at me. "Sorry... didn't mean to startle you, Irene. Do you mind sleeping in another room? Jude and I always sleep together."
I stare at the two of them.
Jude says nothing.
He doesn't pull away from her or contradict her.
I pull back the heavy duvet, step out of bed, and slip into my long silk robe.
I grab my slippers from the foot of the bed and walk straight past them without giving Jude so much as a glance.
A young attendant carrying a stack of fresh linens pauses at the end of the corridor when she sees me.
Her eyes widen. "Mrs. Verin? Is everything alright?"
"I need a different room for the night," I say, my voice steady. "Where can I sleep?"
The girl looks down the hallway toward the open door of the master suite, a quiet, sympathetic understanding dawning across her face. "Follow me, please."
She guides me toward a secondary wing of the farmhouse to a much smaller guest room.
It is immaculately clean, but simple compared to the master suite.
As she sets fresh sheets and a pillow on the bed, she pauses.
"I'm Tania, by the way," she says, smoothing the duvet. "I know it's none of my business... but you shouldn't take tonight personally."
I sit down on the edge of the mattress, pulling my robe tight around my shoulders. "What?"
"Miss Diane has been around Mr. Jude for a long time," Tania says, sitting on a small wooden chair near the desk. "It's not easy being brought into a house like this. If you need anything, I'm usually around this wing at night."
"Thank you, Tania. I really appreciate that. I think I'll try to get some sleep now."
"Of course. Goodnight, Mrs. Verin." She offers a comforting smile, gets up, and quietly closes the door behind her.
I slide beneath the cool sheets of the unfamiliar room.
The space is silent except for the rain against the window.
I stare at the dark ceiling, reminding myself that none of this should matter—this marriage is nothing more than a transaction, a way to get inside the Verins and find out who ordered my father's death.
Whatever games Jude and his family want to play, I'll survive them.
But once I'm alone in the dark, it's harder to hold everything together.
I miss dad.
I miss his voice, and I miss what home used to feel like before everything was taken from me.
A single tear slips down my cheek and sinks into the pillow.
I close my eyes, turn onto my side, and finally let sleep take over.
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