"Hi... Nice to meet you. For the first time." Damian said extending his right hand towards Devon for a handshake, with a smile which could easily be mistaken for a grin.

Devon stood right there, visibly stunned. This right here was the man he had met at the bar - his fiancée's brother, of all people.

This was a man he had wished to never come across again, with those almost amused curved lips of his. A man whose presence he couldn't seem to resist.

Damian's chiseled features and piercing eyes sparkled with amusement as he smiled, his sharp jawline and perfectly sculpted lips making the gesture undeniably captivating

Heart racing, Devon could really do nothing but stand there and stare at him. He couldn't take this handshake, he wouldn't, for the fear of himself. He wasn't sure he could control himself if he eventually touched him.

But then, Anabelle was here. Standing right beside them, waiting for him to take her brothers handshake. He couldn't refuse it. Atleast not now, in the presence of the woman he would be getting married to soon.

He couldn't allow her to suspect a thing, and so, he took the handshake.

"Yeah... nice to meet you," he said, his voice trailing off as he struggled to recall the name, "sorry, what was it again?" He asked, attempting to brush off the sudden jolt of electricity he felt as Damian's hands touched his."

"Damian." Damian said smiling, seeing the effect of his touch on him.

"Damian..." Devon repeated, like a child trying to pronounce a new word he recently came across.

For a moment or two, the pair stood there, smiling at each other although Devon was faking his. Then managing to get his hand off Damian's grip, he withdrew his hand.

He returned to his wine while he turned to face another direction, pretending to be paying attention to whatever was happening there.

Noticing the atmosphere, Anabelle who was a bit lost asked a question.

"Uhh...You two know each other?"

"No!' they said in unison, their eyes locking as they turned to each other. Devon quickly averted his gaze, the brief moment of eye contact enough to make him uncomfortable.

That was weird. She thought. Why were these two acting strange all of a sudden.

"Ok, that was totally weird. Cause it seems like you two know each." She pressed further.

"Nah!!" Devon replied almost immediately. "Definitely not."

She looked at her brother who was currently sipping from a glass, and he just shrugged.

Well, boys... What do I know? She thought.

"Ok..." She replied, smiling cheerfully, not wanting to stretch the matter any further. Just then, Damian's phone vibrated.

"Sorry I have to take this. Excuse me." He said to his sister, then left, leaving her with Devon.

The both stood silently for a while, after Damian's departure. Then after some time, Devon spoke up, wanting to take his mind away from Damian.

"So... Anabelle." Devon started after a momentary sip from his glass. "Business or Politics?"

"Oh my God." She said almost laughing. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah." Devon replied, also smiling. "Yeah, it is."

"You gotta be kidding me.. and here I thought—" She continued.

"Chill out. For real." Devon cut in immediately. "It's not really that obvious, I just happen to have certain super powers."

Anabelle couldn't really help but laugh at Devon's last words.

Damn! This girl was insanely, beautiful. He thought again, smiling as she chuckled.

"So... which one is it?"

"Ok..." She started. "Well, I earned my BSc Hons in Business and Politics from Aston University, followed by an MBA from the EADA Business School in Barcelona."

"Wow, That's very impressive." Devon said genuinely, as even he had not expected such level of education from her.

"Thank you." She responded. "I am most honoured." she added with a curtsy.

Just then, Damian walked in.

"Sorry Anna, but I'll be leaving now." He said. "You know how it is." He added before proceeding to hug her.

"Here, for the birthday boy." He added, as he left a small box on Devon's palm. And with that, he left.

"You sure you're okay?" Anabelle asked again, sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I? I'm getting engaged to one of the most beautiful women in the city." He said, with a hint of pride and adoration in his voice.

Anabelle blushed, and the pair fell into a comfortable silence.

"Here, I got you something. Happy birthday." Anabelle said after sometime, unveiling a small box on one of her palms. Devon dropped his glass on the counter, then reached out for it.

"I do hope that the future CEO of Mercury Technologies, find my present appealing." Anabelle added, smiling as she handed over a small box to Devon.

"Ah! A gift for me?" Devon asked, feigning his surprise.

"Of, course." Anabelle said, "What do you take me for, a witch with no conscience?" she asked laughing.

Devon also laughed.

"Because our marriage is an arranged one, doesn't mean I won't get to know you better."

"Well, if that's the case. I also have a gift for you." Devon said.

Surprised, Anabelle turned around to face him. "For real?"

"Yes!" Devon replied, "The night is our night, so i shouldn't be the only one receiving presents."

"Oh!" Anabelle, exclaimed softly. "How thoughtful of you?"

Devon carefully brought out a delicate, thin necklace crafted from pure gold, its intricate design featuring a small, exquisite flower-shaped pendant that sparkled in the light.

"Can i?" He asked gesturing for her to turn so he can fix it for her.

"Oh, yes please." She said almost immediately as she turned around to back Devon, moving her her out of the way for him to effectively wear her the necklace.

Her skin.. her skin felt so delicate. Devon couldn't help but think as he wore her the necklace.

"There." He said.

She then turned around to face Devon, smiling as she did.

It almost felt real. Almost felt natural.

The girl in front of him was stunning, her beauty captivating. Damian, too, was a vision of handsomeness, his chiseled features accentuated by those alluring lips.

And before he knew it, he was already thinking of Damian, again. Then after some time, he heard Anabelle speak up.

"Come on. You don't have to pretend anymore." Anabelle said as she hit his shoulder.

"Sorry, what?" He said, as he returned to full consciousness.

"Yeah, you don't have to pretend anymore...

...after all, I know what happened."

"You don't have to pretend anymore, Devon... I already know what happened."

Those words sent an icy chill down Devon's spine, as if he had been poured cold water.

He had stood there, speechlessly. He reckoned. Not knowing whether to speak up and ask her to keep it a secret, or whether to remain silent, not saying anything at all.

At that time, he had been so engrossed in her beauty— possibly mystified by it, that he had stood there, staring at her like a naive fool who had just felt icy water on his face. Indeed, he was taken aback.

And as beads of sweats started to form on his forehead, the only response his brain could really come up with was... "Sorry, what?"

That was when she repeated it again.

"Yeah, you don't have to pretend anymore... after all, I already know what happened."

Devon couldn't help but reflect on that particular incident as he drove the black Mercedes-AMG he had also received as a birthday gift, through the night. And even now, he could still feel the efffects of those heart wrenching statements.

What did she mean by she knew what happened? Could it be that she knew about what had transpired between him and her brother. Devon had been lost in his own thoughts back then. She had left him in the state of speechlessness, with no way to defend himself.

It was events like this that made him develop hate for secrecy. He so much hated the ordeal.

Right there, at the ceremony. He felt like trapped rat when Anabelle mentioned that she knew about what happened out of the blue. It wasn't until he had questioned her— after almost giving himself out, that he had found out what truth she knew.

"I know you're well against the idea of getting married to me." She had said. "I also know you're being forced against your will."

She felt she had to say this at the time, seeing the way he was looking at her.

She felt this way because she had been home that night, with her family for an impromptu dinner arranged by both their parents and he was no where to be found.

She left smiling after saying all this to him of course, leaving him to drift away in his own thoughts. After the engagement ceremony she had left with her family, kissing him on both cheeks before she did.

It was during this period that he remembered the box he had received from Damian.

Filled with curiosity, Devon took off to his room, with the small box on one hand, leaving behind the glass of wine behind. On getting to the room, he took out another glass from the tray pan resting comfortably, on a table beside the large sofa there, and poured himself a reasonable portion of whiskey.

For a minute or two, he stood there contemplating whether to open the box or not, but after giving much thought to it he proceeded to open it up.

As he unwrapped the box, the familiar scent of Damian's cologne wafted up, transporting him back to memories he'd rather forget. And when he was done unwrapping it, he found a piece of paper in the box.

The paper inside was crisp, the address scribbled in hasty handwriting. Curious, he proceeded to open it.

Written on the piece of paper was an address— an address with a short note written below it:

Meet me at the above address, by 10pm or else...? I'll be waiting.

That was when he had hopped into his car, and drove out of the mansion.

"Meet me at the above address, by 10pm or else...?"

The words sent a shiver down his spine, a mix of anticipation and dread swirling in his stomach like a tempest. The weight of the message settling heavy in his chest, as he drove through the night, the dashboard

The clock on the dashboard glared at him, it's lights casting an eerie glow on his face as it's digital display taunted him with the relentless march of time.

9:47 pm.

Thirteen minutes left. He thought. His mind racing, he floored it, the engine's roar a stark contrast to the silence that had preceded it, devouring the distance.

The address on the piece of paper seemed to burn a hole in his pocket, it's cryptic message fueling his curiosity and anxiety. What did he mean by 'or else'?

Was this a threat or a warning? He pondered.

Surely, the answers to this questions awaited him at his destination.