The Devil In Disguise

By The Firelight

     The last of the guests had left, and the lively music and chatter of Jordan's masquerade ball had faded to an eerie silence. After everything that had happened, the group had agreed to stay the night together in the safety of Jordan's mansion. They had each changed into more comfortable clothing and now found themselves gathered in Jordan's living room, huddled on the floor by the fireplace. Blankets and pillows were strewn about as they settled in, the warmth of the fire wrapping around them.

Gianina sat close to Marcus, drawing comfort from his presence beside her. She knew they needed to hear everything—every unsettling detail of her encounter with the masked figure who had pretended to be Marcus. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, each of them tense, waiting for her to explain.

Rufus finally broke the silence, his gaze steady but concerned. "GG, we need to know what happened up there. What really happened?"

Gianina's heart thudded in her chest as she looked down at her hands, the memory of the masked figure's touch still fresh. She took a steadying breath, trying to find the words to explain. "I... I thought it was Marcus," she began softly, her eyes focused on the fire. "We were dancing, and everything about him felt like Marcus. He held me close, made me feel safe, and he knew how to get me to trust him."

Mary's eyes widened, and she exchanged an uneasy look with Jordan, who leaned in, listening intently. Marcus tensed beside her, his arm protectively around her shoulders as she continued, his expression darkening.

"I let him lead me upstairs. I didn't even think twice about it—I was so sure it was Marcus," she continued, her voice barely more than a whisper. "But once we got to the room... things changed."

The room was silent, everyone listening intently as she recalled the encounter, the memory of it still raw. She could feel her cheeks flush slightly, but she pushed past the embarrassment, knowing they needed to understand.

"When we got inside, he... he pushed me against the wall," Gianina said, her voice trembling. "It wasn't just a kiss. He made out with me, like he wanted... more. I thought it was Marcus, and I went along with it."

Mary gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with horror. Jordan reached over, placing a comforting hand on Gianina's arm. "Oh my God, GG..."

Gianina took another shaky breath, glancing at Marcus. She could feel the anger radiating from him, his jaw clenched as he listened. Across from her, Cal was watching her with an intense, dark gaze, his expression unreadable but filled with a fierce protectiveness that made her heart race. Marcus kisses her on the head glancing over at Cal angrily.

"It was only after we kissed that I realized something was wrong," she continued, her voice wavering. "He pulled away, and his voice changed. It was deeper, mocking... almost like he enjoyed the fact that I had believed he was Marcus."

Marcus's hand on her knee tightened, his face darkening with anger. "He was trying to manipulate you, make you feel safe just so he could rip that away."

Gianina nodded, her throat tightening as she remembered the way he had taunted her. "It was more than that. He made it feel personal like he wanted me to trust him, but at the same time, he wanted me to feel vulnerable. He... he was toying with me like he wanted something from me."