The bride that never was
When her meticulously crafted marriage to Elijah Rossi shatters on her wedding night with a brutal revelation: "There is no us, Imogen. There never was." Imogen is abandoned by her husband and further faces an even crueler twist when her husband refuses a divorce. With the arrival of Isaac Rossi, Elijah's revenge-driven half brother, Imogen strikes a clandestine deal with her brother-in-law to navigate a dangerous game of deceit, seeking to outmaneuver her indifferent husband. As loyalties are tested, Imogen must decide which brother is right for her. The one she was made for or the one she burns for.
Champagne Problems 1
IMOGEN'S POV
The soft click of Elijah's shoes against the hardwood floor announced his return. He slid into his chair, his face a mask of practiced neutrality. His fork clinked against the china as he resumed eating, as if the world hadn't just been turned upside down.
I mirrored his actions, mechanically lifting my fork to my lips. The food tasted like ash in my mouth. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.
My hand trembled, and the fork slipped from my grasp. It clattered against the plate with a jarring noise that echoed through the dining room.
Elijah's eyes snapped up to meet mine. I held his gaze, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Aren't you going to mention it?" The words tumbled from my lips, barely above a whisper but sharp as knives in the stillness.
His fork paused midway to his mouth. A flicker of something - surprise? guilt? - passed across his face before it settled back into its impassive mask.