Plotting and Scheming

That man was nothing but a placeholder, someone Selena had picked to antagonise him. She couldn't possibly care for him, not truly.

Could she?

Nicholas sat motionless in his study, the dim light of the waning fire casting flickering shadows across the room.

His mind replayed the events of the banquet like a broken record. Selena's boldness, her declaration, her kiss with that man—it was a scene he couldn't erase, no matter how much he tried.

That man. Alex. The name alone brought a sour taste to his mouth. Nicholas clenched his jaw, the memory of that public display gnawing at his composure. The kiss wasn't real. It couldn't be. 

That man was nothing more than a placeholder, a pawn she had chosen to provoke him.

But... What if she did care for him?

The thought was a venomous whisper in his mind, one he quickly dismissed. Selena wouldn't lower herself to that. She was his. His betrothed, his responsibility.