Chapter 4 - PLAYING THE PART
The morning sun broke through the heavy crimson drapes of the master suite, casting long, dusty beams of light
across the rich mahogany floor. I woke up on the massive four-poster bed, still wearing the silk slip of my wedding
dress. Adrian was already awake, sitting at the writing desk by the window.
He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark trousers, his dark hair damp from the shower. The silicone
mask lay on the desk beside him like a discarded face, a grim reminder of the double life we were now leading.
“Your family will arrive in two hours,” Adrian said without looking back. His voice was calm, but there was
an underlying tension. “My butler, Thomas, has already set the dining room. He is the only one in this house who
knows my true identity. He was my father’s loyal assistant, and he helped me build this fortress.”
“How does this work?” I asked, sitting up and pushing my hair out of my face. “How do you play an eighty-
year-old man at a dining table? Up close, won't they notice the mask?”
Adrian turned to face me, a faint, confident smile playing on his lips. “The mask is medical-grade silicone,
custom-molded to my facial structure. It moves when I speak, and the adhesive is heat-resistant. Combined with the
wire-rimmed glasses, a slightly bent posture, and a dim dining room with heavy curtains drawn, the illusion is
flawless. Besides, greedy people see only what they want to see. Marcus and your father don't see a face; they see a
walking bank vault.”
An hour later, I was dressed in a sophisticated, conservative emerald-green dress. I stood in the grand foyer,
watching Adrian transform. It was a fascinating, almost haunting process. He meticulously applied the adhesive,
pressing the artificial skin to his face, aligning the wrinkles around his eyes, and blending the edges at his collar. He
put on the gray wig, the spectacles, and the black leather gloves to hide his young hands.
In minutes, the powerful, dangerous young man vanished. In his place stood Alden Vale—frail, stoic, and
seemingly balance-challenged, leaning heavily on his silver cane.
At noon, the heavy brass door knockers echoed through the mansion. Thomas opened the door, admitting my
mother, father, and Marcus.
They walked in, their eyes scanning the luxurious marble foyer with predatory hunger. Marcus looked
particularly eager, adjusting his designer watch and smoothing down his tailored suit jacket.
“Evelyn! Darling!” my mother cried, rushing forward to hug me. Her embrace was performative, her eyes
doting over my shoulder to assess the grand staircase. “You look absolutely radiant. Marriage suits you!”
“Thank you, Mother,” I said, keeping my voice soft and obedient.
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My father stepped forward, offering a stiff, formal nod to Adrian. “Mr. Vale. Thank you for hosting us. We
are deeply grateful for your generous support of our family during this... transitional period.”
Adrian—as Alden Vale—let out a dry, rattling cough that made my mother flinch slightly. He nodded slowly,
gesturing with his cane toward the dining room. “Come. The food is cold, and my patience is short.”
His voice was a perfect, raspy wheeze. If I hadn't seen him peel his face off the night before, I would have
been entirely fooled.
We sat at the long mahogany dining table. The curtains were drawn, and the only illumination came from a
low-hanging crystal chandelier, casting heavy shadows across the room.
Marcus didn't waste any time. As soon as the first course was served, he leaned forward, his smile greasy.
“Mr. Vale, I wanted to personally thank you for the ten-million-dollar advance. It has already done wonders to
stabilize our cash flow. In fact, it has allowed us to look toward the future. We have an incredible opportunity—a
new bidding war for the downtown harbor redevelopment. We just need a minor secondary investment of five
million to secure the bidding rights.”
I watched Marcus, my heart beating fast. This was exactly what Adrian and I had discussed.
Adrian slowly cut his meat, his gloved hands moving with deliberate, shaky slowness. He didn't speak for a
long, agonizing minute. The tension in the room was palpable; my father was sweating, and Marcus’s smile was
beginning to freeze.
“Five million,” Adrian rasped, his voice cutting through the silence. “A hefty sum for a company that was
facing bankruptcy forty-eight hours ago. What collateral do you offer this time, Marcus?”
“The harbor project itself!” Marcus said quickly. “The returns are guaranteed. We have... internal
connections with the city planning commission. The contract is as good as ours.”
Internal connections. I knew exactly what that meant. It meant bribes.
I looked at Adrian, giving him a barely perceptible nod. I had found the offshore routing numbers for those
exact bribes the night before.
Adrian slowly raised his piercing blue eyes behind his spectacles. “I am a businessman, Marcus. I do not
invest in 'guarantees.' I invest in control. I will provide the five million. But in return, I want the physical deeds to
your Hillside Development site. And I want Evelyn to be appointed as the primary financial liaison for the harbor
bid. She will oversee the distribution of the funds.”
Marcus blinked, clearly taken aback. My father frowned. “Evelyn? But Mr. Vale, Evelyn has no experience
in corporate finance. She is... well, she is a homemaker.”
“She is my wife,” Adrian rasped, his voice suddenly dropping into a dangerous, icy register that made my
father shudder. “And she will represent my interests. If you want the five million, those are my terms. Otherwise, I
can always call in the ten-million-dollar default on Monday morning.”
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The threat was clear, sharp, and absolute.
Marcus looked at my father, panic flashing in his eyes. He couldn't afford a default. He had already spent a
portion of the advance paying off his personal gambling debts.
“Of course, Mr. Vale,” Marcus said, swallowing hard and forcing a smile. “Evelyn would be... delighted to
help. We would love to have her on board.”
I looked down at my plate, hiding the fierce, triumphant smile that threatened to break across my face.
The trap was set. Marcus had just handed me the keys to his own destruction.
May you like
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