"Christiana, you've been quiet."
Favour's voice was light, teasing, but there was an edge to it—an edge I hadn't quite noticed before. She slid into the chair across from me, her eyes gleaming with an almost mischievous glint as she studied me. I didn't want to believe it, but the more I looked at her, the more I felt something was off.
I lowered my cup of tea, the porcelain clinking softly against the saucer. "I've been thinking."
Favour raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About everything," I replied, my tone carefully controlled. "About the wedding, the deal, the way things are going between us."
Her smile faltered, just for a second, but I saw it. The mask she wore—so perfect, so poised—was slipping. It was subtle, but enough to make me pause. Favour wasn't as innocent as she liked to appear.
"What are you really after, Favour?" I asked before I could stop myself. The question hung in the air, thick with meaning.
Her eyes widened slightly, as if taken aback by the bluntness of my words. Then she composed herself, effortlessly. "What do you mean, sis? I'm just here for you, like always."
I nodded slowly, but something about the way she said it didn't sit right with me. Favour had never been one for subtlety, and I knew her well enough to understand that she was hiding something. I had always trusted her, but now I wasn't so sure.
There had been moments—small moments—where I caught her looking at Alexander with more than the usual indifference. A glance here, a shift in her posture there. She wasn't fooling me, though I wished I could dismiss it as my imagination. But deep down, I knew. Favour had always been ambitious, but I hadn't anticipated how far she was willing to go.
"You've been spending a lot of time with Alexander, haven't you?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual.
She stiffened, her lips pressing together for just a moment before she smiled again, though it didn't reach her eyes. "He's your husband now, Christiana. What do you expect? It's only natural for me to get to know him better."
I watched her carefully. She was lying, but I couldn't figure out why. I had seen the way she'd interacted with him at the reception, the laughter that didn't seem forced. Favour had always had a way with people, but her rapport with Alexander seemed... too easy. Too natural.
"Favour," I said slowly, leaning forward, "I'm not blind. What are you trying to do?"
Her eyes flared with annoyance, and she stood abruptly, pacing a few steps away before turning back to face me. "You're imagining things. You always do this, Christiana. You make things more complicated than they need to be. Alexander and I are just getting along. Nothing more."
I almost believed her. Almost. But there was something in the air now, a tension that hadn't been there before. The way her eyes lingered on me, like she was calculating something. The smile on her face didn't reach her eyes.
I put my teacup down with a slight clink. "I don't trust you, Favour. Not anymore."
Her face froze, the mask slipping fully for the first time. There was no anger, no defensive snap—just a cold, calculating look that made my stomach tighten. For a split second, I saw it. A glimpse of something darker behind those eyes.
"Trust is overrated," she said softly, her voice laced with something I couldn't place. "But you're right about one thing: I have plans. But they're my own. You shouldn't worry about them."
"Plans?" I repeated, my heart racing. "What kind of plans, Favour?"
She smiled, a cold, knowing smile. "You'll see."
I watched her retreat toward the door, but before she left, she turned back, her eyes narrowing. "But you'd better be careful, Christiana. Some things are more fragile than you think."
The door clicked shut behind her, and I sat there, my mind whirling. The room felt colder, somehow. Her words had left a knot in my stomach, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't telling me everything.
What was she planning? Why was she so interested in Alexander? I couldn't ignore it any longer. Something was off. Favour had always been... ambitious, yes, but this was different. I couldn't tell if she was after power, wealth, or something deeper. And I didn't know if I could trust her anymore.
I tried to push the thought aside, but it clung to me, like a shadow. The tension between us had been building for days now. Little things—things I had dismissed at first—were starting to come together. The way she seemed to get along so easily with Alexander. The way her smiles lingered a moment too long. I couldn't ignore it any longer.
A knock at the door broke me from my thoughts. I looked up, startled, and Alexander stepped in before I could answer.
"You look like you're a million miles away," he said with that dry, detached smile I had become so familiar with.
"Just thinking," I replied, straightening up.
Alexander glanced at me with an unreadable expression before stepping closer. "About?"
I hesitated. Should I tell him about Favour's behavior? Would he even care? He had been distant with me ever since the wedding, and now, as much as I wanted to lean on him, I felt more alone than ever.
"About everything," I said finally, my voice tight. "About how strange everything has been. About how people aren't what they seem."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but unwilling to push further. "We're all hiding something, Christiana. You know that, don't you?"
I swallowed, the words I had meant to say caught in my throat. Was he referring to Favour, or was he talking about himself? The coldness in his voice reminded me that I wasn't the only one with secrets.
"You don't trust me, do you?" I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself.
Alexander paused, his gaze sharpening. "I don't trust anyone," he replied, his voice low. "Not in this world."
His words sent a chill down my spine, and I couldn't help but feel that everything was spiraling, and I was helpless to stop it. Favour's manipulations, Alexander's coldness—it was all part of something bigger. Something I wasn't ready to face.
Before I could respond, the doorbell rang, sharp and insistent.
"I'll get it," I said, turning away from Alexander, needing a moment to gather my thoughts. But as I walked to the door, my heart thudded in my chest, the nagging feeling that something was wrong growing stronger.
I opened the door—and froze.
Standing there, looking as calm and confident as ever, was Favour. But this time, she wasn't alone.
Behind her stood someone I never expected to see: Victor Langston.
A chill ran through me. What were they doing here together?
And more importantly—what was going on behind my back?