The Ghost from his past

Chapter Nine: The Ghost from His Past

Eliana could feel the tension crackle in the air like a live wire.

She turned slowly to Adrian, watching his expression shift into something unreadable.

He was never caught off guard.

Never surprised.

But right now?

Right now, Adrian Blackwood looked like a man who had just seen a ghost.

And the ghost was standing right in front of them.

Cassandra Whitmore.

The ex-fiancée.

The woman Adrian was supposed to have married before their engagement ended in a scandal the media never fully uncovered.

Eliana had done her research—she had to. If she was going to fake being his wife, she needed to know his history. And Cassandra?

She was the one thing Adrian never talked about.

And now, here she was.

On their wedding night.

A Past That Wasn't Buried

Adrian's jaw clenched. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cassandra smiled, stepping inside like she belonged there. "That's how you greet me after all these years?"

Eliana narrowed her eyes. The way Cassandra looked at Adrian—**calm, confident, like she still had some claim over him—**sent a shiver down her spine.

Adrian stepped in front of Eliana, his body tense. "I asked you a question, Cassandra."

Cassandra sighed dramatically. "I saw the wedding on the news. Imagine my surprise when I find out that you—**the man who swore he'd never marry—**suddenly decided to settle down."

Her eyes flickered to Eliana, studying her carefully.

"And with her, no less."

Something in Cassandra's voice made Eliana's skin prickle.

Like she knew something Eliana didn't.

Eliana straightened her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. "Is there a reason you're here, Cassandra? Or do you just enjoy crashing weddings?"

Cassandra laughed, a soft, elegant sound that carried an edge of amusement. "Oh, darling, I'm not here to crash anything. I just thought I should congratulate you both."

Adrian's fists clenched. "Cut the act. What do you want?"

Cassandra's smirk widened.

Then—

She pulled a manila envelope from her designer purse and handed it to Adrian.

He didn't take it.

But Eliana did.

She flipped it open, eyes scanning the papers inside.

Her stomach twisted.

It was a contract.

A business deal.

Between Adrian and Cassandra.

A deal that had been made years ago.

One that was supposed to be buried.

And at the very bottom of the document—

A signature.

Adrian's signature.

The Deal That Changes Everything

Eliana's hands trembled as she closed the folder. "What is this?"

Cassandra tilted her head. "Oh, didn't he tell you?"

Eliana turned to Adrian, but his face was unreadable.

Cassandra continued, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

"Years ago, Adrian and I had an agreement. If either of us ever married someone else, the other had the right to call in a debt. A debt worth… let's just say, more than a few billion dollars."

Eliana's breath caught.

"You're lying," she whispered.

Cassandra shrugged. "Am I?"

She leaned in closer, her voice soft.

"You don't know everything about your husband, do you?"

Eliana turned to Adrian, her heart pounding. "Tell me she's lying."

Adrian was silent.

His silence was the answer.

Eliana's chest tightened. "You signed this?"

His jaw ticked. "It was a long time ago."

Cassandra smiled. "Doesn't matter. A contract is a contract. And now that you're married…" She trailed off, feigning sympathy. "Well, Adrian owes me."

Eliana could barely breathe.

"What does she want?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cassandra's eyes gleamed.

She reached out and traced her fingers along Adrian's tuxedo sleeve, making Eliana's stomach churn.

"I want what was promised to me."

Adrian yanked his arm away. "That deal was dead years ago."

Cassandra's smirk widened. "Then take me to court."

Adrian's eyes flashed with something dark.

Because they both knew—if this got out, if the media caught wind of this—his entire empire would be at risk.

And Cassandra knew it too.

She turned to Eliana.

"You're smart, Eliana. You know how these things work. This marriage isn't real, is it?"

Eliana froze.

A slow, knowing smile spread across Cassandra's lips.

"Oh, darling," she purred. "You really thought I wouldn't figure it out?"

Eliana's throat tightened.

Cassandra knew.

And if she knew—

She had the power to ruin everything.

A Marriage on the Edge of Collapse

Cassandra stepped back, adjusting her coat like she had all the time in the world.

"I'll give you two days to decide," she said airily. "Either Adrian honors his deal, or… I go public with everything."

Eliana's blood ran cold.

The scandal.

The lawsuits.

The empire Adrian had spent his life building—destroyed.

Adrian's entire body was rigid. "Get out."

Cassandra smirked, giving Eliana one last look before sauntering toward the door.

As she reached it, she paused, glancing back at Adrian.

"I almost feel sorry for her," she mused. "She doesn't even realize she's just another contract, does she?"

The door clicked shut behind her.

Silence.

Eliana stood there, her mind spinning.

She turned to Adrian, her voice unsteady. "Tell me she's wrong."

Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Eliana—"

"No." Her voice trembled, but she held her ground. "Tell me she's wrong. Tell me I'm not just another business deal to you."

His silence was deafening.

Eliana's chest ached.

Because she knew then—

Cassandra was right.

And the worst part?

Eliana had let herself believe—**even for a second—**that maybe, just maybe, this marriage was turning into something real.

But it was all a lie.

Just like Cassandra said.

Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

She turned away, her voice hollow.

"I want out.

Adrian's head snapped up. "Eliana—"

"I don't care what deal you made with her." She swallowed hard. "But I refuse to be part of it."

And with that, she grabbed her purse, pushing past him.

She needed air.

She needed to think.

And for the first time since this marriage began—

She wanted to run.

Because this wasn't just about Adrian's past anymore.

It was about the lie she had let herself believe.

And it was killing her.