The ride to the Blackwell estate felt longer than it actually was. I sat stiffly in the back seat, my dress heavy on my body, my thoughts heavier. Adrian didn't speak. He didn't even glance in my direction. He stared out the window like the world outside was far more interesting than the woman he had just been forced to marry. Maybe it was. Anything was better than being tied to a stranger standing in for her missing sister.
When the car finally stopped, I looked up at the massive iron gates and felt my stomach twist. The estate was nothing like I expected. It wasn't a home. It was a fortress. Tall walls, sharp lines, dark windows, and guards positioned in places where they tried not to look obvious but failed miserably. Everything about this place screamed power, control, and secrets that were not meant to be uncovered.
Adrian stepped out without waiting for me. He moved like a man who never had to question whether people would follow him. And I did follow, because I had no idea what would happen if I didn't. A staff member opened the door for me, their expression unreadable, their posture stiff as if welcoming a new responsibility rather than a new bride.
Inside, the foyer was cold and enormous, with polished marble floors and chandeliers that probably cost more than my house. A line of staff stood waiting, all dressed in black, all quiet, all pretending not to stare at me.
"Mrs. Blackwell," one of them said politely.
The title felt wrong, heavy, and borrowed. I didn't correct her. I didn't have the right to.
Adrian walked ahead, not slowing down or looking back to see if I was keeping up. When he finally stopped in front of a large door, he opened it and stepped aside, his face expressionless.
"This will be your room," he said.
I blinked. "My room?"
"Yes."
My eyes flicked around the space. It was beautiful—modern furniture, glass walls, and a bed that looked untouched—but it didn't feel warm. It felt like a place designed for someone who wasn't meant to stay long.
"I thought…" I hesitated, unsure how to finish. "I thought we were supposed to share a room."
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
"This is not that kind of marriage. You will stay here. I will stay in my wing. We will not interfere with each other's lives unless necessary."
Necessary.
The word settled in my stomach like a stone.
He stepped inside the doorway, his gaze sharp enough to make my heart race.
"There are rules you need to follow," he said. "You will not leave the estate without notifying me first. You will not speak to the staff about Evelyn. You will not attempt to involve yourself in matters that do not concern you."
"Matters like what?" I whispered.
"Everything," he replied.
I swallowed hard and nodded, even though fear was twisting through me like a vine.
"And if I break one of your rules?"
His eyes held mine for a long moment, and I suddenly felt like I wasn't standing in a bedroom but on the edge of something dangerous.
"Then I will assume," he said quietly, "that you know more about your sister's disappearance than you claim."
"I don't know anything," I said quickly. "She didn't tell me anything."
He didn't believe me. I could see it clearly in the way his expression didn't move. But he didn't argue. He simply stepped back and folded his hands behind his back.
"There is a dinner tonight," he said. "My father and several board members will be attending. They expect to meet my wife."
Panic rose in my chest.
"I thought you wanted me to stay quiet."
"Tonight you will stand beside me and say nothing unless spoken to," he said. "It is important that no one suspects anything."
"Meaning no one can know Evelyn is gone," I said.
"Meaning no one can know you are not her," Adrian corrected sharply.
My breath froze in my throat.
He moved toward the door, then paused as if remembering something.
"A dress will be brought to you shortly. Be ready in two hours."
"Adrian," I said before I could stop myself.
He looked at me over his shoulder.
"If… when you find her… what are you going to do?"
His answer was simple and terrifying.
"That depends on what she did."
Then he left, closing the door behind him with a quiet finality that echoed louder than a slam.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, trying to steady my breathing. The room felt too big, the silence too sharp, the weight of everything too heavy to hold. I had married into a world I didn't understand, tied to a man who didn't want me, surrounded by people who would not hesitate to throw me under a bus if they learned the truth.
I looked at my reflection in the glass wall. Same face. Same eyes. Same girl who woke up that morning believing her life was normal.
But nothing was normal now.
Nothing was safe.
Nothing was mine.
I didn't know where Evelyn had gone, why she ran, or what she had done. But standing in the middle of that cold, unfamiliar room, one thing became painfully clear.
Whatever my sister was hiding…
I was trapped in the middle of it now.