The coming weeks were a blur of activity, from signing a prenup, to Emily getting integrated into Adrain's life proper, even the crazy news headlines when the world realised who the bride Adrain married was; Emily Carter, his shadow of a personal assistant. The narrative was clear.' Adrian Sinclair always has a backup', contrary to what they believed, marrying Emily was seen as a truer love story and everyone ate it up. Emily was now his wife… At least to everyone but the newlyweds.
So it was no surprise when they were invited to a couple's retreat. A week of fun, connection building and enjoyment for NYC's elite. All the hottest items of the season would be here, meaning they could sell the image even more. What was good for the 'relationship' was good for business.
"We don't have time for this," Adrian spat, placing the brochure on that side of his table as Emily would put it. The section for things not worth handling, for his assistant to discard. But when that dynamic changed and she became more than an assistant — she would have to convince him to attend, not just handle it herself. Adrian didn't make it known, but his respect for her reached a new peak when she helped him save face.
"Adrain," she started "We need to attend this, the Liams will be there, after the engagement of their youngest who's about to become part of the family's empire… You realise we can close that deal at the retreat, right?"
Emily knew Adrain better than most, having attended to and watched him all these years, she knew just the right buttons to make him budge. And he did; "Get Lily to prepare everything then. We'll leave tomorrow_"
"I.. I can handle that," she interrupted.
"I can't have my wife doing such hard labour." he said with a beaming smile on his face, her heart skipped a couple beats before she realized what he meant.
"What do you think about that?" He asked eagerly, "Was it believable?"
"It was." Emily said, storming out of the office.
She'd done it again, taken something Adrian said a little too seriously. She knew better but each time she saw that ring on her finger, she felt she could be so much more. More than just his willing assistant, but someone he could see as a woman, his wife. Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a message from her Nate, her older brother;
Nate; Hey there lovebird, caught your worm yet?
Emily; No, not yet…
Nate; Well, I've got just the thing to cheer you up… A lil alone time, from Adrian that is. Come home this weekend, let's chill and think about our lives like we used to.
Emily; Ahh, I'll have to decline. Going on a retreat with Adrian from tomorrow, it'll last a week. Maybe I can slot you in for Thursday, in a month's time?
Nate: Booooo! Have fun regardless.
'I will.' Emily thought to herself, she was going to use this retreat as a means to make Adrian fall for her.
***
The retreat unfolded with awe inspiring beauty, each couple a carefully cast actor in a drama of wealth and excesses.The lodge was a marvel of timber and stone, its wooden decks overlooking a glacial lake that mirrored the sky flawlessly. Inside, firelight lapped at leather armchairs and the clink of crystal flutes punctuated murmured negotiations. Emily moved through the scene with practiced poise as Adrian's hand hovered at the small of her back, a touch too deliberate, she thought, to be entirely a performance.
They came here for a reason, so Emily knew the last thing Adrian would do was lose sight of his goal. And for this, his goal here sat just ahead. Emily and Adrian circled the Liams like hawks. Eleanor Liam, the family's steel-spined matriarch, held court by the grand piano, her laughter smooth and receptive. "Adrian," she purred, extending a jeweled hand. "How… quaint to see you playing the devoted husband." Her gaze slid to Emily, lingering on the modest diamond at her throat. "One does wonder what qualities secure such loyalty."
Adrian's smile didn't reach his eyes. "A rare blend of discretion and foresight, Eleanor. Traits your son might consider." The jab was calculated. He knew Eleanor couldn't work with anyone who couldn't bare fangs. This was their dance: parry and thrust, veiled threats masquerading as banter. Emily matched this with a compliment about the Liams' vineyard, steering the conversation toward merger talk. Adrian's thumb brushed her spine in approval. Or was it her imagination?
Nightfall brought a masquerade ball, the great halls alive with anticipation. Emily's emerald gown shimmered like snake scales as Adrian led her through a waltz, his grip firm. "You did good," he murmured, his breath grazing her ear.
"Learnt from the best," she said. "So the praise is yours."
His chuckle vibrated through her. "We should retire to our rooms soon, don't you think?"
The music swelled as Emily's pulse quickened. "Why so?"
His crow mask tilted, revealing a sliver of his gaze. "Would it be—"
A scream shattered the moment. Somewhere, glass met the floors. The orchestra faltered as guests craned toward the commotion. Adrian stiffened. "Stay close," he ordered, steering Emily through the crowd now buzzing with concern. Waiters whispered of a missing guest — a tech heiress, last seen arguing with her husband near the east wing. Emily's skin prickled. Earlier, she'd glimpsed a figure slipping into the forest, a shadow swallowed by pines.
By midnight, the incident was dismissed as melodrama — elites thrived on chaos, after all. But as Adrian and Emily ascended the oak staircase to their suite, the lodge seemed to hold its breath. Their corridor stretched empty as Adrian swiped the keycard. "Tomorrow, we'll—" The door swung open.
Copper hung thick in the air. Emily's gasp lodged in her throat.
There, splayed across their ivory duvet, lay Eleanor Liam. Her burgundy gown pooled like blood around her, one hand clutching a torn contract — the merger terms Adrian had drafted. Her eyes, wide and clouded, reflected the moon through parted curtains. A single word was carved into the headboard, rough and jagged: GREED.