Jenna’s POV
The spotlight hit Felix as he walked confidently toward the stage, his hand briefly squeezing mine before letting go. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched him stride across the room, every movement deliberate, every glance filled with authority. People were already beginning to whisper, eyes shifting between him and me.
As Felix took the microphone, the room quieted. His voice was smooth, commanding attention, every word calculated. "Good evening, everyone. I’m honored to be here tonight, surrounded by such esteemed guests." He paused, scanning the crowd with a smirk, before continuing. "I’d like to take a moment to introduce someone very special to me—my fiancée, Jenna."
The word fiancée felt like a punch to the gut. It echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls and hitting me from all sides. I could feel every eye in the room on me, assessing, judging, and whispering. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
But it was.
Felix gestured toward me with a proud smile, beckoning me forward. My legs felt like they weighed a ton, but I forced myself to walk toward him, feeling as if I were moving in slow motion. Each step I took toward that stage felt like another step away from who I really was.
As I reached Felix’s side, he took my hand and raised it in the air as if we had just won some grand prize. Applause erupted around the room, but it felt distant, muffled, like I was underwater. The only thing I could hear was the thundering of my own heartbeat.
"Jenna and I have exciting plans for the future," Felix continued, his grip tightening around my hand. "Together, we’ll be unstoppable."
The crowd clapped, but I couldn’t focus on any of it. All I could think about was how wrong this felt. How had my life spiraled into this? From Aiden's betrayal to being paraded around like some trophy in Felix's game. Was this really my future?
I glanced out at the crowd, and then I saw him—Aiden. His eyes were locked on me, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his gaze. Anger? Regret? Jealousy? I couldn’t tell. But seeing him, standing there with Clara by his side, made everything feel even more surreal.
Felix’s arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer to him as if staking his claim. “I know many of you will have questions about our future plans,” Felix said, his voice filled with that same confident arrogance I was becoming all too familiar with. “But for now, we’re simply enjoying the moment, and I’m the luckiest man to have Jenna by my side.”
The room erupted into applause again, but I felt trapped in Felix’s embrace, like I was suffocating in the lie we were selling. I couldn’t stay silent anymore. This facade was crumbling from the inside, and every second I spent next to Felix made it harder to breathe.
As the applause died down and Felix turned his attention to the crowd again, I leaned in closer to him, lowering my voice so only he could hear.
“What are you really trying to prove, Felix? This isn’t about me or Aiden. This is about your ego. You don’t own me.”
He looked down at me, his smirk never fading. “I don’t need to prove anything, Jenna. I’m just showing everyone what they already know—I get what I want.”
The words chilled me, and in that moment, I realized just how dangerous Felix really was. He wasn’t just playing a game. This was his life. And I was caught in the middle, a pawn in whatever power move he was making.
But I wasn’t going to let him control me any longer.
As the event continued around us, I made a decision. I was going to find a way out of this, away from Felix, away from Aiden’s betrayal. I wasn’t going to let my life be dictated by someone else’s whims any longer.
As I stood there, still feeling the weight of Felix's arm around my waist, a man in a sharp suit approached us. His expression was composed, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes as he looked at me. He must have been one of Felix’s business partners, judging by the way Felix’s smirk widened at his arrival.
"Felix," the man greeted with a handshake, his voice smooth and professional. "It’s good to see you." Then, his gaze shifted to me, lingering for a moment. "And this must be the fiancée I've heard so much about."
I tried to keep my face neutral, but my stomach churned. The way he said fiancée made my skin crawl. I forced a smile, even though I felt far from happy. "Yes," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "I'm Jenna."
"Ah, Jenna," he said with a polite smile, though I sensed something hidden behind it. "Felix is a lucky man." His tone made it clear he was observing every detail, like I was part of a transaction, something to be evaluated.
Felix’s grip tightened slightly on my waist as he leaned in. "Indeed I am," he said, his voice dripping with that familiar arrogance. "She’s everything I could ask for and more."
I swallowed hard, feeling more like a showpiece with every passing second. The man’s eyes flickered between us, clearly interested in whatever dynamics were playing out here, but polite enough not to pry too much.
"We’ve got some big plans together," Felix continued, his voice full of pride, as if he was talking about some grand business deal and not a fake engagement. "Jenna’s going to be a key part of everything moving forward."
"Interesting," the man said, nodding. "Well, it’s always good to see powerful partnerships. I look forward to seeing what you two accomplish together." His smile was tight, professional, but I could tell he was making mental notes of everything.
Felix chuckled, looking down at me with that same infuriating smirk. "Oh, we’ll be quite the power couple, won’t we, darling?"
I forced another smile, though inside, my mind was racing. I didn’t want to be part of whatever plan Felix had for his empire. I didn’t want to be trapped in this role he’d created for me, especially not with everyone watching, everyone believing his lies.
"Absolutely," I said, though my voice was quieter than I intended.
The man seemed satisfied with the exchange, offering another handshake to Felix before excusing himself. As he walked away, I finally exhaled, feeling the tension drain from my body, only to have it return the moment Felix leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"See how easy it is, Jenna? They all believe what I tell them. And now, they’ll believe we’re inseparable."
His words made my skin crawl, but I kept my composure, determined not to let him see how much he was getting to me. I couldn’t show weakness, not here, not now.
"That doesn’t make it true, Felix," I whispered back, keeping my voice low but firm. "You may have everyone else fooled, but you can’t control me forever."
Felix’s smirk didn’t waver, but his eyes darkened slightly, a dangerous glint flashing behind them. "We’ll see about that," he said quietly, his voice laced with challenge.
And at that moment, I knew I had to be careful. Felix wasn’t just playing games anymore—this was his life, and he was ready to win at any cost. But I wasn’t going to let him use me to achieve that victory.