I woke up the next day with the first rays of the sun, unable to sleep properly. The thoughts of my new life kept me up almost all night, and I finally fell asleep at around four in the morning, only to wake up two hours ago.

Now that I was going to finally take the first important step in my fake marriage, it scared me. What if we would be caught lying by the others? What if something goes wrong, and Florian denies to keep his end of the deal? What if... I actually start to develop feelings for André?

No, that wouldn't happen. I shook my head at the intrusive thought that hadn't left my mind since last night, and stood up. Immersing myself in work was the only thing that could keep me distracted from my silly thoughts.

After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower, I sat on my table and set to work. The final list of designs had come out two days ago, and we were supposed to add some more minute details to make the outfits more flawless.

Since this was the first time Panache would present cottagecore and academia themes, everyone was tense and on edge. We had to do our very best and change the company's image to a versatile player. The party was set for nine in the evening, so that left me with a lot of time. And I would use every spare minute for my work, since work was my first passion.

Late in the afternoon, Lily called, demanding that I get inside the car and come over as soon as possible. Even though I protested that it was only three p.m., she wouldn't listen at all. Sighing heavily, I donned a pair of denims with my loose white shirt, and asked Clara to put my dress in the car.

I came down after she was done, only to find André sitting on the kitchen island, munching on something. We both froze, and matched each other's pensive mood. This was a big day for the both of us, a big decision none of us was ready for, but had to take anyway. Even though I could understand André, did he have an equally open mind for me as well?

"Where are you going?" He asked me, his voice still an empty shell.

"To Lily's. She offered to get me ready for the night. You will have to come there to pick me up," I replied, keeping my tone the same as his. Emotionless. Hollow.

He gazed at me for a moment, probably feeling irritated by the extra work. Then, he eventually said, "Alright. Tell her to do a good job."

I clenched my jaw, feeling the subtle diss in his words. He wanted me to know that he didn't approve of my style, and that he wasn't expecting much out of me. I didn't show my ire, but I wanted to choke him until I drilled some sense in him.

Wanting to scream at him, I closed my hands in fists. "I will."

My answer was simple, yet conveyed my nonchalance perfectly. His brows furrowed at my reply, as if he was waiting for me to contradict his statement and argue with him. He was in for a ride, if he thought he had already figured me out. And, he would definitely regret saying that to me. Tonight, I would make sure to make his jaw drop from wonder. I would make sure he burns in the fire of guilt.

Departing from the house, I told my driver the address to Lily's place, and relaxed in my seat. It was a full thirty minutes ride from here, and I had enough time to finally face my devils and  overthink everything. Even if it gave me anxiety, even if it terrified me, my brain just couldn't stop. It was ruthless, ceaseless, endless.

As I reached the destination, I found out that Lily lived in a mansion as well. Of course, she did. The daughter of a famous businessman wouldn't live in anything less opulent.

The guards instantly allowed us inside as they had been waiting for me. The car traveled on a cobbled path similar to André's place, and stopped in front of a rather bright house. The outer walls of the house were painted a cool shade of blue, with the windows painted in a darker hue of the same color.

The whole ambience radiated warmth, unlike André's house that radiated elegance and serenity. This house reminded me of the sea waves and the lightness of the beach, and I instantly felt better.

The front door opened even before I could ring the bell, and Lily stepped out, panting. "Finally, you came! I've been waiting all day!"

I raised my eyebrows at her over excited self. Smiling, I said, "You'll have to hold yourself there, or else someone would think its your engagement."

She rolled her eyes, while pulling me inside by my hand. "Somebody has to act excited, since the main character is always so annoyingly calm and collected. How do you even live your life like that?"

Her outrageous tone elicited a sudden short laugh out of me. "I just don't like to create a fuss over everything. Yes, I'm happy and excited, but there's no need for me to jump all over the place, right?"

I walked further inside the house, and noticed the warmth flowed in here as well. There were three couches in the living room, all in different colors. Colorful knitted rugs were thrown over them, and there were two armchairs on the sides. Potted plants were scattered all over the place, and it might look like a mess, but I could tell that everything had been carefully planned.

"Do you like my house?" Lily asked with a twinkle in her eye, and I nodded.

"Yes, it's much better than the one I'm staying at. It totally suits your aura, I can tell this is your house."

She laughed at that. "Wow, this is new. I never thought you would like such a colorful place."

"That's because I'm unpredictable like that."

Keeping the jokes aside, I  took the dress out and laid it in front of Lily to inspect. Needless to say, she was beyond ecstatic to see what I'd picked out, and was almost in denial. She couldn't believe I'd actually picked such a risky dress, but her excitement increased tenfold, and she got even more impatient to start getting ready now.

Minutes later, a group of ladies entered Lily's room. I turned to her in confusion, when told me they were the stylists.

"Did you think I could handle something of such a huge scale by myself? They're gonna make you into a diva, just trust me."

I nodded and let them do their job. The first hour passed by in styling my hair, which was tied into an elaborate bun with strands of my ashy blonde hair framing my face. My bangs were a little curled as well, and the end result made me look like some princess from a period drama. Nevertheless, I liked the new look.

Finally, after two more hours of the excruciating session of applying make up, I was allowed to slip on the dress. During the three hour process, and a small snacks break, all I wondered about was how all talented and great these models were for enduring so much everyday. Had I been in their shoes, I would have quit this life already.

I slipped into the dress with the help of the stylists, while Lily looked on. The dress was black in color, and the top had spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. The silk black material hugged my skin till the waist, and from there, it widened into a skirt, made of tulle. The skirt itself was layered, and the delicate black tulle fell on each other like dominoes, giving it a proper princess vibes.

I had worn brand new black pencil heels along with it, and as I looked into the mirror, I couldn't recognize myself. My dainty body surprisingly looked beautiful in that expensive gown, but I couldn't hear anything that came out of the mouth of the stylists or Lily. I was too busy wondering if he would look at me like they were staring. Would he change his mind about me not being stylish, then?

There was no time to think about it, because just then, someone came inside and informed us about André's arrival. He was here, and I suddenly panicked. Would he look at me like I was a bother, or would he put on a show for Lily's eyes?

As Lily pushed me out of the door and towards the stairs, I walked with my heart in my throat. She thought my nervousness to see him was cute, but I knew better.

But as I stood at the top of the stairs, and saw André standing at the bottom, looking at me like he'd seen me for the first time, I felt my throat dry up. Not a word was said between us, and even Lily had shut up, but the tension in the air said everything.

Clad in a white shirt and a black waistcoat, with a matching tie and coat, André looked better than ever. This was the first time I was seeing him in proper formal attire, and I regretted wanting to see him like this. Tall and broad he stood, with his silver hair tied back. His intense gaze locked intently on me, and slowly moved up and down, just like he had done the first time we met.

But this time, it was different. I couldn't explain how, but I could feel it. I felt the heat increasing in the room as I descended slowly. Step by step, I got closer to him. Step by step, my heart beat faster than before.

Step by step, I felt like I was digging my own grave. Maybe, I was, but in that moment, I didn't really care.

All I cared about, was the spark that had lit between us. It was the only thing keeping me alive.

♣︎ ♣︎ ♣︎