"PRINCESS!!!"
Casadin's voice echoed in disbelief just before the screen went dark, cut off mid-video call.
No doubt he'd lost signal mid-air.
He would be in the sky for nearly fifteen hours, flying back to New York from Dubai. And ever since she'd promised him a bribe, he hadn't stopped pestering her for it, demanding payment like a persistent debt collector.
The bribe, of course, wasn't something she had originally intended to give. It was just a spur-of-the-moment tactic to keep him from losing his temper and starting a long-distance fight with Hades over the phone.
It worked. Temporarily.
But now… she had to deliver.
What exactly does one give to someone like Casadin?
She hadn't figured it out… until earlier today, when she was about to take a bath.
If Casadin's thoughts were already shameless and unfiltered whenever it came to her, then why not give him something that would short-circuit that perverse little mind of his?
So she did something bold.
Bolder than she'd ever done in her life.
In the privacy of her luxurious ensuite bathroom, she lowered herself into her massive marble tub. Her skin glowed with steam and water, and with calculated poise, she positioned herself with her back to the camera, just enough to tease. The photo captured the delicate arch of her spine, stopping just above her tailbone, where her distinctive morning star birthmark adorned her right side. Her right breast, barely visible from the angle, peeked out just enough to tantalize. Her arms were raised, fingers tangled in her wet hair, lips curled into a sultry smirk.
Sensual. Artful. Sexy without crossing into vulgarity.
She took several shots, lighting, angles, subtle shifts of pose, until she got the perfect one.
She made sure that her face was mostly obscured, showing only the lips and that unmistakable smirk. Just in case it ever got leaked, strangers wouldn't be able to confirm her identity. And even if it did spread, it wasn't something that could ruin her, she looked like a muse painted in water and shadow.
She had never done anything like this.
Sure, she'd done some modeling back in France, school projects, a few minor magazine features, but nothing remotely like this. This wasn't for a camera or an audience. This wasn't a performance.
This was personal. Intimate.
And strangely enough… freeing.
Evadne had always been confident about her body. No matter how much she ate, she never seemed to gain weight. But confidence didn't mean comfort. She'd never taken anything remotely suggestive. Hell, she didn't even have social media. She didn't like the idea of being seen by strangers in that way, judged, sexualized, misinterpreted.
But Casadin?
With him, it was different.
Despite the chaos in his head and his often unholy thoughts about her, she never felt objectified. He was wicked, yes. Shameless. A little deranged.
But she trusted him.
Somehow, she just knew, if she ever sent him a full nude, he'd probably turn it into his phone's wallpaper… but never share it. Never even let someone else glimpse it. She knew, with a terrifying certainty, that Casadin would kill before letting someone disrespect her image.
So she sent the photo.
Attached with a playful caption,
"One million dollar shot. Bribe sent."
She made sure to send it right after their first video call ended, right before his plane took off, when he said signal would be lost in a few minutes.
The video call that followed after she hit send was short, explosive, and entirely satisfying.
"PRINCESS!!!"
His voice had cracked with shock, arousal, and wild disbelief… and then, static. Cut off. Gone.
She burst into laughter, head thrown back on her bed, imagining his reaction. Frustrated. Deliriously happy. Probably losing his goddamn mind thirty thousand feet in the air.
She could picture it now, Casadin gripping his phone like a lifeline, fuming at the loss of signal, probably pacing the aisle like a man possessed. A mix of rage and euphoria. She could practically feel the storm brewing inside him.
They would see each other again tomorrow.
First day back at school.
Casadin had already said he'd be coming straight from the airport.
Knowing he couldn't read any messages in-flight, she sent him one anyway, knowing he'd see it the moment he landed.
Evadne: I hope you slept well, Cas. See you in school later. I'm expecting my chocolates. 💋
And with that, Evadne slid her phone under her pillow, curled beneath her silk sheets, and drifted into sleep with a satisfied smile on her lips.
Tomorrow was a new day.
A new school.
And something told her… things were about to get very interesting.
Exactly at 7 a.m., Hades arrived at the Monteverde mansion to pick her up.
The bastard didn't even bother thanking her for what she'd done during their family dinner, where she played the perfect spoiled brat he constantly cursed in his head.
If it weren't for her theatrics, their parents would probably already be planning an engagement party for next month.
But at least, Evadne mused, he was still playing his role as her boyfriend in their elaborate lie.
"As soon as we get to school, send me a design for the engagement card. Something that screams you, but still looks like something Mom and Dad would know," she said coolly as the car started moving. "And starting today, send me daily greetings and updates. Morning and night."
Hades gave her a look. "Is that really necessary?"
Evadne turned her head toward him, one brow arching high.
"Do you even know your parents?" she asked, her tone sharp with sarcasm. "They may be fooled for now, but one of these days, especially Dad, he's going to realize something's off. That we're just pretending. What if he suddenly asks to see your phone? To read our messages? What the hell do you plan on showing him? An empty thread?"
She leaned back, her tone like ice. "If we're going to lie, then we might as well make it believable. So believable you could almost fool yourself. Because the key to a good lie, Hades…" her voice dipped low, "is in the details."
Hades stared at her, still trying to process everything she just said.
"You seemed to be very good at lying," he muttered, clearly intending it as an insult.
But Evadne only smirked, unbothered. "Our parents think I need protection. That I'm fragile. Unlike my late sister, Ceres."
Her voice dropped an octave. Cold. Quiet. Deadly.
"But I bloodied Casadin's nose with a single punch. You really think I need protection?"
Her gaze pinned him in place before she added, "Also, make sure you change Cieryl's contact name. Delete your conversations with her after every exchange. You already have 'Wife' in your contacts. Did you really need a 'Babe' too?"
Her tone dripped venom, subtle but precise.
"And change your wallpaper. I'm not saying you need to put my face on it," she said with a roll of her eyes, "but it sure as hell shouldn't be Cieryl's face either. Because if Dad happens to glance at your lock screen, that's the first thing he'll see."
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Casadin:
Sleep? Princess, what the hell is sleep? Can you eat it? Because I sure as hell didn't get any. I'll get you for this later. Your chocolates are ready 🥰
Evadne couldn't help but smile at the message, chuckling under her breath. She didn't even bother hiding the screen from Hades.
"You want me to delete all my messages with Cieryl, and yet here you are flirting with Casadin?" Hades asked bitterly.
Evadne met his glare with a look of bored defiance.
"Why? You think our parents are going to check my phone?" she shot back. "Between the two of us, who do you think is under the microscope?"
Hades had no comeback.
Because she was right.
If their parents ever got suspicious and decided to interrogate someone about the true state of their relationship, it would be Hades.
Not Evadne.
"Don't even think about stopping by Cieryl's house," she said flatly, now fully engrossed in her playful exchange with Casadin on her phone.
"She lives along the route. And I promised I'd pick her up. She's not even taking your seat. She'll be in the back," Hades said sharply, irritation rising.
Evadne shrugged without looking up. "Then I guess you'll just have to break that promise."
"Evadne!" Hades snapped, voice rising in frustration.
Evadne let out an exaggerated sigh, the sound dripping with the same kind of exhaustion one might have after dealing with a stubborn child.
"You know," she began, her tone light but her words razor-sharp, "with how many times Mom and Dad brag about your intelligence… honestly, I don't see it."
She said it as she looked at his side profile, not to insult him, but as if she were simply stating a disappointing fact.
Hades snapped his head toward her, disbelief etched across his features. "What are you implying? That I'm stupid?"
He couldn't believe it. It hadn't even been a full week since their 'relationship' began and here he was, already getting verbally gut-punched by his supposedly perfect girlfriend, before 8 a.m.
Evadne didn't flinch. "Not stupid," she said thoughtfully, "but you're definitely not the sharpest."
He scoffed.
"I already told you Dad has people watching us," she added, tilting her chin toward the rearview mirror.
Hades glanced instinctively.
His eyes widened when he noticed the black car following them at a discreet distance. He even had to do a double take, turning his head slightly as the realization hit him.
"Seriously?" she said, her voice laced with mock disbelief. "You actually thought Dad would just let you go after a few days of this little charade? You didn't even notice you were being followed? In your last life, you must've been a racehorse, because you sure as hell don't look around."
A grin tugged at Evadne's lips as she spotted a familiar street.
They were nearing the Clark residence.
"But anyway," she said nonchalantly, crossing one leg over the other, "you're the one driving. This is your car. Do whatever you want."
Then she shifted in her seat to face him slightly.
"But let me just say this," she murmured. "If Dad finds out that we're just pretending… and that you're still seeing Cieryl…"
Her features softened in a breath.
Her lashes fluttered. Her voice broke, suddenly softening, dripping with vulnerability.
"I thought you said… you and Cieryl were just friends?" she whispered, eyes shining as if on the verge of tears. "That's why I agreed to this. Because I wanted to know you better. I wanted to give us a chance."
She hiccuped, eyes dropping to her lap as she fought back imaginary tears.
"But I'm not the kind of girl who forces herself into someone's life, Hades," she whispered, lip trembling. "If you don't want me, if you don't want this, then let's end it. I don't want to be the third party in someone else's story."
She hiccupped softly.
And for a split second, Hades felt his stomach lurch. His chest clenched.
Because Evadne looked… wrecked. Like a woman realizing she had been cheated on. Betrayed by the one person she trusted most. Her lip quivered. Her eyes shone, tears balancing precariously on the brink.
She looked real.
And for a terrifying moment… he felt guilt.
But then, she smiled.
A slow, wicked smile.
Devious. Devastating.
"I can always throw you under the bus, Hades," she said sweetly, wiping away the perfectly timed tear that had fallen. "And I won't even think twice."
And then, she saw it.
Up ahead, just outside the gates of the Clark residence, Cieryl. Standing on the curb in her perfectly ironed uniform, smiling softly, patiently waiting.
Waiting for him.
Waiting for the man she thought she could trust.
"Your call," Evadne whispered like a dare, tapping the window button and rolling it down.
Hades gripped the steering wheel tighter. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror again. He could feel the pressure, like a noose tightening.
Cieryl waved. Her smile widened.
But as the car passed, without slowing, her smile crumbled. Her eyes widened in confusion. And then… heartbreak.
Shock turned to sorrow in a single blink.
And Hades saw all of it.
"Fuck!" Hades roared, slamming his fist against the steering wheel so hard the entire car jolted. He turned to her, eyes blazing. "How could you do this to her?! How could you be this cruel?!"
"She's never done anything to you," he growled. "She's always been kind. She just wants the two of you to get along!"
Evadne slowly turned her gaze to him, expression unimpressed.
"Oh, come on, Hades. Don't drag me into your blindness," she said coolly. "I can smell a wolf in sheep's clothing from miles away."
Her voice hardened.
"And don't you dare pin this on me. I told you, it was your call. You hurt your precious Cieryl, not me. So don't blame me because you didn't have the balls to stop."
She turned back to her phone, smirk tugging at her lips again as another message from Casadin came in.
Let Hades stew in his guilt.
She was done playing nice.