Page 5 of Her Possessive Dominant Fake Husband

I watched Claire's reaction closely, expecting to see her crack under the pressure. But she just smiled, genuinely, as if this chaos were something she could manage with a few kind words and that disarming warmth of hers. It annoyed me more than I cared to admit. Part of the plan or not, it grated that she fit in so seamlessly.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Claire said, her sincerity irritatingly real.

Mother beamed at her as if she'd already won some secret contest. I wondered how long Claire's innocence could last before my family sucked it dry. I kept my silence, inspecting my glass of champagne as if searching for micro cracks, watching as Claire began her delicate navigation in my world.

"She's lovely, Alexander," Mother whispered, her voice loud enough to register with half the guests. I felt a strange tightening in my chest, like admiration knotting up with resentment.

It didn't help that Claire was noticing everything. The way my tone shifted from clipped to merely authoritative around my family. How even in command, I showed them more deference than anyone else. I felt her eyes on me, noting the changes, and I despised how observant she was.

Before I could reclaim control of the situation, Allison appeared. Her timing, as always, was impeccable… and infuriating.

"Hello, Alexander," she said, voice smooth as poisoned honey. "Isn't this a surprise?"

"Allison," I said, flatly, though my pulse quickened.

"And this must be...?" Her gaze flicked over Claire, dismissive, her smile thin and sharp.

"His wife," Claire said, the confidence in her voice a pleasant shock. She extended a hand, and I saw Allison hesitate before taking it, her grip probably crushing.

"I'm… an old family friend," Allison said, with enough insinuation to fuel a year's worth of gossip.

"I thought you were James’s girlfriend." Claire’s tone made it clear that she was not going to let Allison manipulate her into thinking she’s not my brother’s girlfriend.

Allison’s gaze flickered to mine, and I saw her shock before she shut down. "I'm both, darling."

"I don’t know why you’d choose him over Alexander." Claire leaned into me, and my heart did a backflip that was neither expected nor acceptable. “I guess James must have some unseen appeal.” Her dismissive – though bright – tone had me curious if she was actually being kind or backhanded. The girl was a mystery.

I expected Claire to falter under Allison's glare, but she didn't. Instead, she challenged her in a way that had Allison off-balance, and clearly feeling an edge of competition she didn’t stand a chance of winning.

For a second, I almost admired Claire’s resilience. I should've known better than to underestimate the girl who'd turned my life upside down by accepting my insane – though calculated - proposal.

Then, like a viper in the grass, my brother slithered over, whispering something to Allison that wiped the false, self-satisfied smirk off her face. Her reaction was visceral—pale, stricken. She shot me a look filled with fury and disbelief before making a dramatic exit.

I watched them go, my satisfaction twisting into something darker. The fact that Claire hadn't even needed to try—my brother's involvement, Allison's devastation—left me raw and unsettled.

"What just happened?" Claire asked, her tone light but probing. She watched me with an expression that bordered on concern.

I emptied my glass, refusing to meet her eyes. The crystal sang a brittle note as I set it down too hard. "No questions."

She stared at me. "I can’t very well be the perfect wifey if I’m out of the loop, Alexander." The way she said my name sent a jolt below my belt, and I almost groaned at her effect on me.

Instead of responding, I simply stared her down until she squirmed under my gaze.

The reception continued, but the earlier buzz had faded into white noise. I was aware of Claire beside me, absorbing everything, processing the dynamics with more understandingthan I'd credited her for. She acted the part of the concerned wife so convincingly it left me breathless.

As the night dragged on, I kept to my role, introducing Claire to extended family, flashing the smile I'd perfected over years of deflection. All the while, my thoughts spun like a rogue planet, caught in an orbit of old wounds and new complications.

I realized, with a jolt of discomfort, that I couldn't anticipate how this would unfold. No matter how much I planned, Claire seemed to have a way of doing the unexpected. She was supposed to be a pawn, a means to an end, yet she influenced the game more than I wanted to admit.

When she left my side the very few times she did, I watched her. Saw her trail a fingertip across a piano no one sat at as if she might sit down and play. Instead, her wistful expression was broken by someone stepping in to speak to her. And I just watched.

We left the reception with a tense silence between us, the echo of family madness trailing behind us like an unwanted guest. James and Allison had vanished, their absence a less of a relief and more a concern. I drove with clenched focus, Claire's presence more potent than I'd prepared for. Each stolen glance revealed a girl at ease with unpredictability, as if she thrived on it.

"Well," she said finally, breaking the stillness. "That was interesting."

I nodded, gripping the wheel like it was the only thing I had control over.

"I take it your family has... history?"

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