Just Once

Chapter 8- Zayden

The ride back to my apartment was silent, save for the low hum of the engine. Sofia Volkov-a woman who could slice someone in half with a single look-had just agreed to a fake dating scheme. It was absurd, almost laughable, and yet here we were.

An alliance with Sofia was a gamble, but it was a calculated one. If our enemy was as formidable as they seemed, then aligning ourselves, even in pretense, was our best shot at taking them down.

Still, I couldn't get the image of her panicked face out of my head. The way her hand had latched onto mine, pulling me into her ridiculous cover story, had been... unexpected. For someone as controlled and composed as Sofia, seeing her ruffled was a rare sight. I couldn't help but smirk at the memory.

The smirk faded when I thought about her father. Alex Volkov wasn't someone to be trifled with, even for someone like me. He had built his empire with the kind of ruthlessness that made my tactics look tame. If he'd seen us, if he even suspected that this arrangement was anything less than genuine, things could get messy fast.

By the time I reached my penthouse, Aurelian was already waiting for me, his expression unreadable as usual.

"Well?" he asked, leaning casually against the counter as I walked in.

"She agreed," I said, shrugging off my jacket and tossing it onto the back of a chair. "Fake dating. Public appearances. The works."

Aurelian raised an eyebrow. "Volkov Industries and Z Enterprises in an alliance? Never thought I'd see the day. And how exactly do you plan to sell this to the media?"

I poured myself a glass of scotch, letting the amber liquid swirl in the glass before taking a sip. "Simple. We're both attractive, successful, and single. The public will eat it up. Power couples are a PR goldmine."

Aurelian didn't look convinced. "And what happens when the Society-or whoever's behind this-figures out you're working together? They'll escalate. You know that, right?"

I set the glass down with a little more force than necessary. "Let them escalate. I'm not going to sit around waiting for them to pick us off one by one."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough. But you'd better watch your back, Zayden. Sofia Volkov isn't exactly known for playing nice. She's as likely to stab you in the back as she is to help you."

"Good thing I'm not known for playing nice either," I replied, a smirk tugging at my lips.

Aurelian sighed, shaking his head. "I'll start drafting a press release. When's your first 'date'?"

"Tomorrow," I said, draining the rest of my scotch. "We're making a public appearance at some charity gala she's hosting. It'll be the perfect opportunity to sell the story."

"Perfect," Aurelian muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just don't let her outsmart you. I don't feel like cleaning up that mess."

I didn't respond, but his words lingered as I prepared for bed.

The next evening, the charity gala was already in full swing by the time I arrived. The venue was everything you'd expect from Sofia Volkov: grand, elegant, and just ostentatious enough to remind everyone who was hosting.

I spotted her across the room almost immediately. She was standing near the bar, a champagne flute in hand, wearing a royal blue dress that made her look both untouchable and undeniably captivating. She saw me too, her expression neutral but her eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place.

"Zayden," she said when I approached, her tone polite but distant. "You're late."

"Fashionably so," I replied, offering her a charming smile.

Her lips twitched, but she didn't smile back. "Let's get this over with."

I offered her my arm, and she hesitated for the briefest moment before taking it. We moved through the crowd together, the perfect picture of a powerful couple. I could feel the eyes on us, the whispers starting as we passed.

As we reached the center of the room, she leaned in close, her voice low and sharp. "Try anything stupid, and I'll make sure you regret it."

I smirked, my hand resting lightly on her waist as I turned toward the photographers. "Relax, Petal. I'm just here to play my part."

The cameras flashed, and for a moment, it almost felt real. But as we posed for the perfect shot, I couldn't help but wonder: was this alliance the smartest move we'd ever made-or the beginning of our downfall?

One thing was certain: the game was far from over.