The Blackmail Bride

Chapter 31 Part 2

I keep waiting for a time to be able to take a leave from work even though I'm working from home. Does that make sense?

Traps

The awkward silence ensued.

And the two men stared each other down.

Mentally, I had always resolved to pull myself to play at his level. But every time, somehow... I always found myself in even more unchartered circumstances.

I watched the hard expression on Jace's face before I turned to the interviewer. Jun was easily so willing to fire the makeup artist at Jace's request. But for what? To get Jace to loosen up enough for this kind of questioning?

Zeke Garcia.

Jace whipped around to face me and only then did realize I said the name aloud. It was me who had broken the tense atmosphere. But the way my fiancée was looking at me, it was as if I had made him angrier now.

An insidious smile slid into the interviewer's face.

What did I do wrong?

"No, don't go home just yet." he said, "I'm sorry for the earlier questions. I agree, this was supposed to be an interview regarding your upcoming marriage... But I have been neglecting the Heiress of the Porter Family. Sorry for that."

Jace's hands clenched beside me. For a moment, I thought he looked a bit off-balance.

I gave my full attention to Jun and smiled politely.

"I didn't feel left out. I was actually enjoying Jace's story," my eyes took in Jace Black's face before sliding my hand over his clenched fist.

I was relieved when his fingers slid between my cold ones.

If only he didn't smirk the way he did, "You enjoyed my... story?"

My expression faltered just as Jace fixed his. He turned back to the interviewer. Stealthily, I tried to pull my hand off his. Jace tightened his hold.

What was this sudden feeling of wariness?

It felt like a had fallen into a trap.

"You still have questions, right?" Jace asked in casual charm, "Well, ask away now. Isla is still enjoying."

It wasn't my imagination. Not when I saw the interviewer draw back.

A forced smile was offered, "Just a few more. Tell me how the two of you met."

This was the question that I had prepared for. But when I opened my mouth, Jace had already beat me to it.

"Not too long ago. The first time we met was in front of a newly opened restaurant downtown and she had no idea who I was. Right, Isla?" Jace drawled out the words, watching me.

This wasn't our script. I froze. I literally froze as my heartbeat sped up.

Jace wasn't following the dramatic mess I was forced to memorize. This was our story. The real one. And if he was going to continue down the trail of events, the deed of my family would be exposed as to how we ended up engaged. Was this what he was going for all of a sudden?

Jun had turned my way, waiting for the continuation of the narrative.

I panicked. It wasn't supposed to be this way but with the stress of the morning and Jace throwing off the plan—it was triggering the irrational fear. My palm in Jace's hand started sweating. He noticed and smirked coldly.

"Well," Jun asked, "Was it true?"

My heart crashed against my ribcage as I prevented the fear from showing on my face.

I didn't mean to blurt out the words but it came out, "This isn't what we agreed on."

There was pleading in my tone as I looked up at Jace. Those eyes looked down at me like hardened metal.

And the worst scenario came to me. Was he planning to have them print that he was coerced? After going through the engagement and preparing for the wedding? How was I supposed to save the conversation if it went down that road?

What was he thinking?

Jun was becoming suspicious, "Agreed on? Don't tell me..."

I felt like my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth as I stared at Jace. I squeezed his hand only for him to continue to stare at me. my mind whirred and my head spun at the sped up pumping of blood. And I wasn't sure if I was imagining things but Jace was enjoying this.

Don't do this, Jace!

"You're right," Jace turned to Jun, "We did have a script prepared for this question. We even hired writers for our supposed love story..."

Just as I could feel tears start to brim in my eyes—

"...because Isla is still embarrassed that she didn't recognize me that first time. Actually, even the second time. Imagine an heiress not even recognizing people from the same hotel industry. And I knew exactly who she was at first glance." Jace was suddenly teasing as he laid back against the couch and took in my face, "See how red she is? Still embarrassed."

I felt like I'd died.

"Wait, back up. You didn't know Jace?" Jun looked at me as if I was some strange lifeform that had fallen into his studio.

Jace nudged me, a suddenly easy expression on his face. By some miracle, I was able to reply.

"No, I d-didn't."

I glanced at Jace, trying to comprehend what he was trying to accomplish with this.

Jun's whole face spelled disbelief, "That's... No, that's impossible."

Jace added to this by laughing.

He directed his words to me, "In danger of sounding self-centered and arrogant, that's what I thought too. Isla, you better admit to it now. Admit that you did know me those first two times we met."

It was difficult for me to process the question.

But that wasn't some playful banter he was going for. If I answered yes, it would also mean that I played a part for what Grandma had done. That I too, was a knowing party to this trap of a marriage and not some victim who took the fall with him.

"I really didn't know you then," I quietly recalled, "When we met the second time at the party, I was so surprised you knew me. And both times, I never thought I would be seeing you again so I didn't pay you much attention. Guys, marriage—you're the only one to..."

Jace's reaction to my words made me falter. No trace of that staged laughter to fool the audience. He was looking at me so seriously I didn't know what to say.

I wasn't lying. I'd been truthful about by non-involvement in the blackmail that landed the both of us in this mess. I'd told him before and there was no way I was changing that narrative if that was what he was expecting.

I tried to pull my hand from his grip again but Jace didn't let go. He turned back to Jun who was still eyeing me weirdly.

"The way you look at each other... makes me want to know everything about you now... So how did it happen? How did the two of you get together?"

Jace's eyes became veiled in his next answer, "Well, as she insists that she didn't know me back then, I made it my role to educate her about myself. And while at that, I'm educating myself about her too. A gruesome process if you ask me."

Finally, he voluntarily let go of my hand. It dawned me that unless he wanted to, I may never be able to escape his grasp.

And the rest of the conversation became a blur to me.