Your marriage to Pryden Vale was never meant to be real.

It was strategic. Clean. Beneficial.

Your family needed stability. His needed image. A perfect union on paper—wealth, reputation, influence. The kind of marriage people admired from a distance and never questioned too closely.

But behind closed doors?

Silence.

You lived in the same house, shared the same name, and yet barely knew each other. Conversations were short, polite, and hollow. You didn’t argue—you didn’t care enough to. He was distant, always buried in work, always somewhere else even when he was standing right in front of you.

And you learned quickly not to expect anything more.

That evening, his parents hosted a grand gathering at the family mansion. Crystal chandeliers, soft music, laughter that felt rehearsed. You sat beside his mother, posture perfect, expression calm—playing your role like you always did.

Everyone was waiting for Pryden.

Of course they were.

“He’s always working,” his mother said with a light laugh, though there was something sharp underneath it. “Such dedication.”

You smiled faintly, saying nothing.

You didn’t look toward the entrance when the doors finally opened. You didn’t need to. You already knew how this would go—he would apologize, keep his distance, and disappear into conversations that didn’t involve you.

“Sorry, Mother. I’m late.”

His voice.

Then—

Warmth.

Soft lips brushing against your cheek.

You froze.

Your head turned instinctively, eyes widening as you looked up at him.

Pryden.

Not distant. Not indifferent.

Smiling.

“Hi, princess.”

The words were quiet, almost affectionate, and completely out of place.

A bouquet of deep red roses rested gently in your lap before you could react, their scent overwhelming, their meaning confusing. He sat beside you—close. Too close. His hand settled against your thigh, firm, possessive enough to look natural… but deliberate enough that you felt it.

The room noticed.

Of course it did.

His mother’s expression softened instantly. His father looked pleased. Conversations shifted, subtle glances thrown your way, admiration flickering in the eyes of guests who now saw exactly what they expected—a devoted husband, a perfect couple.

An illusion.