Chapter 14 - The Sink and the Serpent
Annalise froze.
The moment hung in slow, unbearable suspension.
The warm golden lights above blurred into a halo around Caden Valtore as he stood, hand extended toward her like a prince from a twisted fairytale. Her heart slammed against her ribcage as his smirk curled higher—playful, wicked, and impossibly smug.
"I can't let my future wife suffer," he repeated, his voice like velvet laced with thorns. "So I'll do you the honor."
What?! her mind screamed.
She stared at him, wide-eyed. Her fingers trembled as she lifted her hand, placing it hesitantly into his much larger one. It vanished instantly, swallowed in the heat of his palm.
Heat.
That shocked her.
Vampires were supposed to be cold. Weren't they? Yet Caden's touch was warm—deceptively human, intoxicatingly real. She didn't dare say a word. Not even when she felt the entire table watching in stunned silence.
Dragnok Valtore—Caden's imposing father—tilted his head in disbelief, his brows furrowed, eyes widening as his son took Annalise's hand and led her away with effortless dominance.
The hallway was too quiet.
Each step echoed across the opulent marble floor as Caden walked beside her like he owned the air they breathed. Annalise tried not to stagger under the weight of the moment—of the gazes, the danger, the man gripping her hand like a leash.
When he stopped in front of the lavish women's restroom, she barely had time to gather her thoughts.
Caden pushed the door open with his other hand and guided her in.
The door clicked shut.
Annalise swallowed.
Oh God. What had she done?
This wasn't the plan. She'd only wanted an excuse—to think, to breathe, to escape the pressure. Not to be dragged into a private space with the vampire she was trying to avoid!.
She turned slowly, pulse pounding.
Caden stood with one hand still in his pocket, the other adjusting the cuff of his jacket. His eyes glittered with dry amusement as they met hers.
"Relax," he said, voice low. "I don't bite unless asked."
A flicker of a smirk.
Annalise blinked.
Then blurted, without thinking, "I don't want to get married."
Silence.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
Oh no. Did I just say that out loud?
Her heart stopped as she watched him.
Caden didn't even flinch.
He reached for the tissue box on the counter, pulled one out, and walked toward her with slow, deliberate steps. The scent of cedarwood and dark musk swirled around her as he closed the space between them.
"I know," he said simply.
She stared.
"You... what?"
He dabbed the wine stain on her dress with the tissue, completely unfazed. "I said, I know. You think I can't see it written all over your pretty face? You'd rather drink bleach than be tied to me."
He leaned in, his voice a soft rasp against her ear.
"But here's the thing, doll. I feel exactly the same."
Annalise stiffened.
He tossed the tissue into the golden bin and straightened to his full height, towering over her. Then, his gaze dropped—raking down her body and slowly back up.
"You're breathtaking," he said casually. "But not the kind of woman I want beside me forever."
She blinked, unsure if that was an insult or a compliment.
Caden slipped his hands back into his pockets, tilting his head slightly.
"You're human," he added with a little shrug. "And I'm a vampire. A night creature. We're from different worlds, sweetheart. I'd outlive you, outlove you, outdo you in every way."
She swallowed.
It should have stung, but it didn't. She didn't want this marriage either. So why did his words still hit her like a cold splash of water?
"But you..."
He stepped closer.
"You will do."
Her breath caught.
"For now."
He moved past her, toward the mirror, fixing a button on his jacket with smooth fingers.
"We're getting married," he said casually, like announcing a dinner reservation. "But it'll be fake. Just for twelve months. Then we part ways. You go back to whatever fantasy world your father pulled you from, and I go back to mine."
Annalise turned to him, stunned.
"What?"
"You heard me right. A contract marriage. One year. No emotional entanglements, no messy expectations. Just appearances. And then, poof, you're free."
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
He wasn't done.
"Because," he continued smoothly, "I already love someone else. And unlike you, she would live longer . A vampiress, stunning and strong. She'll live beside me without aging, without fading."
He turned to face her fully now.
"So let's not lie to ourselves, Annalise. We both want out. But for now, we play the game."
He walked toward the door.
"The contract should reach you by tomorrow. Read it, sign it, and don't try to play coy. I've already decided."
She stood frozen.
And then—just before stepping out—he looked back, eyes glowing like twin embers.
"You're mine. For twelve months. Whether you like it or not but make sure to not fall in love with me"
The door shut behind him.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her hands trembled.
A thousand thoughts screamed through her mind. Her mission. Her family. Her lie. His presence.
Her heart was still racing when she emerged minutes later.
The restaurant fell into silence.
Everyone turned as Caden walked casually back to the long table, his stride unhurried, his smirk firmly in place.
He reached his seat, paused, and looked straight at Constencia.
"I've made my choice," he said, voice carrying to every corner of the room. "I will marry her."
Gasps.
Alessandra blinked rapidly, Wendy went pale, and Mella nearly choked on her wine.
But Constencia—Caden's grandmother—smiled like she'd just won a bet.
And somewhere behind her calm facade, Annalise's world tilted off its axis.
Because she had just been claimed by the very man she's being sent to kill.