Thea’s heart pounded the moment they arrived.
A grand mansion stood before her, imposing and magnificent.
She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry.
In her entire life, this was the first time she’d ever set foot near a house so grand.
Her hands turned cold, and her legs went weak beneath her.
She couldn’t bring herself to step out of the car, feeling as though she had no business being in a place like this.
Beyond feeling out of place, she was terrified Dashiell’s grandfather might see straight through her disguise.
For all she knew, Saphira might be genuinely close with the old man.
If that were the case, wouldn’t he know exactly what Saphira looked like, how she spoke, everything about her?
Thea silently prayed everything would go smoothly until her role was finally over.
“Why aren’t you getting out?” The car door was already open, Dashiell waiting for her, but Thea still hadn’t moved.
“I… I’m just a little nervous meeting your grandfather, Dashiell.” Thea tucked her hair back, deciding a small dose of honesty was safer than raising more suspicion.
“You and my grandfather already get along well, so why the sudden act of nerves?”
Thea fell silent.
Of course, she’d already suspected Saphira had a good relationship with him.
Knowing that only made her more afraid.
“No need to act so sweet. My grandfather already knows exactly who you are, so there’s no point pretending otherwise. Honestly, this fake sweetness of yours is disgusting.”
Thea gave a faint smile.
The words were meant for Saphira, but they still stung.
She told herself she had no right to feel hurt, not when this whole situation was one she’d chosen to walk into.
He was only venting his frustration toward Saphira, nothing more, so she had no business taking it personally, even if his attitude toward her felt worlds apart from how he must treat Saphira normally.
“Get out, now.” Dashiell offered his hand.
“We need to look like a happy couple in front of my grandfather, and I’m warning you, don’t say anything that could work against me. I know exactly what kind of games you play, and this time, I expect you to actually cooperate.” He gave the warning because he refused to let Saphira say something careless in front of his grandfather.
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Thea placed her hand in his and stepped carefully out of the car, following him toward the mansion that looked utterly breathtaking to her.
She stole glances around her, aware this was likely her only chance to ever see a place this magnificent, but she knew better than to embarrass Dashiell, so she kept herself composed.
The heavy front doors swung open from inside.
Dashiell kept Thea’s hand in his as they stepped through together. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Welcome, young master,” a small army of household staff greeted them the moment they entered.
Their welcome wasn’t just for Dashiell, it extended to Thea as well.
Thea offered an awkward smile, dipping her head slightly toward the staff, even though she really had no need to, especially since Saphira was hardly the type to bow her head to household help.
“Where’s grandfather, is he already asleep?” Dashiell asked an elderly man standing nearby, his grandfather’s personal attendant.
“The old master has been waiting for you, young master. He’s quite eager to see you and the young mistress.”
“All right.” Dashiell pulled Thea along again, moving so fast that she struggled to keep pace with him.
With her much shorter legs, she practically had to jog to keep up with his long strides.
“Could you slow down a little? What if I trip and fall?”
“Tch. As my wife, you need to learn to keep up. What if I were taking you to meet an important business partner? Would you crawl along like a snail until they’d already left by the time we arrived?”
“What do you mean, meeting important business partners? You’re not seriously planning to bring me along to something like that, are you?”
“Don’t play dumb, Saphira. Your parents are business owners themselves, so small things like this should already be second nature to you!”
Thea swallowed hard again.
So she’d be expected to handle things like that too?
This was completely beyond anything she’d anticipated.
Saphira really should have warned her about responsibilities like this.
None of this had been part of the deal they’d struck.
It seemed like everything she had to manage kept growing heavier by the day.
She was starting to realize now that the wealthy lifestyle she’d once envied wasn’t actually suited to her at all.
She missed her simple, modest life.
She could hardly wait for this whole arrangement to be over; she already longed for her old life back.
A dignified looking elderly man stood waiting for the two of them.
His sharp gaze settled on Dashiell first.
“We’re here, Grandfather,” Dashiell greeted the old man, who had clearly been waiting impatiently.
“What took you so long, Dashiell? Didn’t I ask you to come earlier?”
“Sorry, Grandfather. We ran into a small delay on the way. We’re here now, so please don’t be upset anymore.”
“Saphira, I’m so glad you came to see me.” His gaze shifted to Thea now, warm and gentle.
Thea smiled, comforted by the softness in the old man’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Grandfather. It was my fault Dashiell was running late, so please don’t be upset with him.” Thea’s heart pounded so hard it felt like a drum, terrified the old man might somehow recognize her as an impostor. Read the latest chapters at g.com.
The elderly man studied her closely, an odd expression crossing his face, as though something felt wrong.
Thea lowered her head, her hands trembling again.
She was genuinely terrified of being caught.
Dashiell’s grandfather rose from his seat.
He walked toward Thea, and everything about the way he moved only deepened her fear.
He studied her with a serious, searching expression.
Something felt off to him, and he thought Saphira’s voice sounded slightly different than usual.
He stood right in front of Thea now.
Dashiell looked puzzled by his grandfather’s behavior, watching as Thea kept her head bowed, clearly frightened.
“What’s wrong, Grandfather? You’re the one who chose her for me, so why are you looking at her like that now?”
“It’s nothing. I just feel like Saphira seems a bit different tonight, somehow unfamiliar. You must not be taking good care of her, she doesn’t look quite herself.”
“What exactly are you trying to say, Grandfather?” Dashiell shot Thea a suspicious glance.
“It’s nothing at all, Dashiell. I just hope the two of you have a good, harmonious relationship as husband and wife.” Perhaps it was only his imagination, the old man thought; he supposed he was simply tired from waiting so long for them to arrive.
“I hope you’ll be a good wife to Dashiell, Saphira.”
“I’ll do my best, Grandfather.” Thea forced a smile, and once again the old man studied her with a faintly suspicious expression.
Did Saphira’s voice usually sound like this?
He couldn’t quite recall, but something about the voice he’d heard tonight struck him as unfamiliar.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Come, let’s have dinner together. I’ve already asked the staff to prepare both of your favorite dishes.”
“Grandfather, about this marriage…”
“Dashiell, there’s nothing left to discuss about your marriage. Love Saphira, and give me a few grandchildren so the two of you can grow closer. Come now, let’s eat before the food gets cold.” He left them there and made his way to the dining table.
Dashiell looked visibly irritated.
He had no desire whatsoever to have children with Saphira, even knowing now that she was still a virgin; she still wasn’t the woman he actually wanted.
Thea let out a slow breath of relief.
She was genuinely relieved the old man hadn’t seen through her disguise, though the fear that he might have noticed something still lingered beneath the surface.
It was far too dangerous, and she knew she couldn’t risk meeting the old man again; it simply wasn’t safe for her.
Everything would fall apart completely if Dashiell’s grandfather ever managed to uncover the truth behind her deception.