Chapter 3

As Elena sat down, she couldn't help but notice the elegance of the dining hall. The chandeliers sparkled above her, casting a warm glow on the polished table. She glanced at Elliot, who seemed engrossed in his work, his brow furrowed in concentration. Elliot handed over the tablet to his butler and the maids started to serve the dinner and they started to eat when Elliot said with a grin " You are looking breath taking in this dress" As Elena blushed at Elliot's compliment, she felt shy and awkward. The ambiance of the dining hall seemed to enhance the moment, Elena felt like Elliot was staring at her and to confirm she looked at him to really find him staring with some unknown in his eyes, was it lust or attraction she could not tell, she felt uneasy under his gaze

Elena's heart raced as she tried to decipher the intensity behind Elliot's gaze. Was it merely admiration or something deeper? She couldn't ignore the uneasiness that crept up her spine.

The elegant surroundings of the dining hall seemed to heighten the tension, casting a spell of uncertainty over the moment. As they continued to eat, Elena found herself stealing glances at Elliot, to find him staring at her, so she decided to tell him not to stare at her like this " Sir, please don't stare at me like this, it makes me feel uneasy" As soon as Elliot heard the sentence he laughed saying " Really? Fine if my stare makes you feel uneasy I will stop its just that you are too mesmerizing to not look at. I could not stop myself from staring at you." Elena blushed right away hearing his flirty comment and said shyly " Thanks." Elliot chuckled and they continued their dinner.

As the evening progressed, they finished their dinner and the maids started to clean up but while they were cleaning one of them stared Elena with the dirty look, Elena felt a bit scared why was she staring at her like that before she could ask her something Elliot called her out " Elena, come with me to my I must talk to you" Elena followed Elliot to his room, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension. As they entered the room, Elliot closed the door behind them, creating an atmosphere of privacy. Elena couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to talk about. Was it something important or just a casual conversation? Her mind raced with possibilities as she waited for Elliot to begin." I don't want to delay our wedding, so I have decided to go to the court and finish all the process of our marriage there."

Elena's heart skipped a beat as Elliot's words sank in. The mention of their wedding made her very sad, she always wanted to have a happy family but maybe that was not written in her destiny but just a temporary marriage to save herself from marrying an old beast. Then she thought if his family will come to their wedding so she asked " is your family also going to be there?" Elliot sighed and replied while taking his seat on the sofa " No. It will be just us in the court, I will inform them about our marriage later. As she heard Elliot's response, a wave of disappointment washed over her. She had always dreamed of a big, joyous wedding surrounded by many people. The thought of a quiet courthouse wedding felt underwhelming. However, she understood Elliot's reasons and knew that their marriage is going to be just for 2 years so she should never dream anything big with this Elliot, she was grateful for helping her out from her dreadful situation. She heard Elliot saying " Also, make sure no one understands that our marriage is temporary and our love is fake. I will make up a fake love story for my family to believe ok?"

Elena nodded and she agreed to his plan. She knew that their marriage was merely a means to an end, a way to escape her dire circumstances. She understood the importance of keeping up appearances, even if it meant fabricating a false love story for the world to see. Elena then asked " When are we going to the court tomorrow?" Elliot looked at her then replied " We have to get there within 11 in the morning so try to wake up early so that I can take you to a bridal shop to buy you a wedding gown begore going to the court."

The idea of fabricating a false love story for the world to see was daunting, but she understood the necessity of it. Tomorrow was a big day for them, not just because of the court appearance, but also because it marked the beginning of their journey as a married couple. Elena knew that finding the perfect wedding gown would be crucial in maintaining the illusion they were creating. She made a mental note to wake up early and prepare herself for the day ahead. Elena then bid goodnight to Elliot and headed to the room next to Elliot's to sleep, she was tired of running a lot in the evening from her family and guards of that old man.

The moment she closed her eyes she Elena drifted off into a deep slumber. The next morning the butler Andrew who has been working for Elliot since he was a child came into his room and opened the curtains the bright sunlight hit Elliot's face waking him up and the butler Andrew said with a big smile " Good morning young master, time to wake up", Elliot greeted him back with a small smile while stretching himself and went to take a shower. Then headed downstairs to have breakfast. The maids in the dining hall greeted him good morning and one of the maids named Sally asked if he would like to for them to serve him breakfast, Elliot replied " No, first go and wake up your mistress Elena and get her ready for breakfast." When Sally heard that her face turned sad and her smile faded and said " Sure Master." She looked at the head maid Carla who was standing with them to ask if she can wake their mistress up, and Carla nodded. As Sally walked towards Elena's room.

She knocked on the door As Sally knocked on the door and went in since the door was unlocked As Sally entered Elena's room, she found her still fast asleep. Sally gently shook Elena's shoulder, whispering her name softly. Slowly, Elena stirred and opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep. "Good morning, Mistress," Sally greeted with a fake warm smile. "Breakfast is ready, and Master Elliot is waiting for you in the dining hall. Elena groaned and reluctantly sat up in bed, still feeling the heaviness of sleep weighing her down. She couldn't help but notice the insincerity in this maid's smile, making her wonder what was really going on.

As she made her way to the bathroom which was attached to this room to freshen up Elena couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something was amiss with this maid because she remembered her glare last night in the dining hall, but she was not sure if she should ask her about it, but she tried to ignore the maid's strange behavior with her and went to the bathroom Elena splashed cold water on her face. However, the memory of that maid's piercing gaze haunted her thoughts. Was it just a figment of her imagination, or was there something more sinister at play?