Emerald St. Clair's POV

It had been six days since the last time I saw Al-Farsi. I checked my phone for probably the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. There was no phone call from him.

These past few days, his calls have become very seldom. Yesterday he did call me before I went to bed, but we only talked for a couple of minutes before he said goodbye and that he needed to finish his work.

I get it. He was not a normal man. He has a country to run, and he needs to weigh his every decision because one fatal mistake could cost him and his country. I was aware of the burden placed on his shoulder, but...

I miss the bastard.

I sighed deeply, checking my phone again but still no message from him. I didn't know what kind of spell he put me under since we started pretending to be a couple, and I hate to admit that his black magic was working on me. I was tempted to call him, but I was afraid that I might be a hindrance to his work. So, I settled in, waiting for his call.

"I am excited about our date..." I muttered in my silent living room.

In the past, when I didn't have work, I usually sought the company of my sisters and bonded with them. But now, I was not in the mood to do that. So, I chose to stay in my penthouse and slouch.

Besides, my sisters were probably busy with their new husbands, and since I was the only one who was single, I would just feel out of place when the topic goes to love, having a family, and all those shit things I am not interested in knowing.

My elevator door suddenly opened. I sat up from the sofa.

My eyes widened when I saw my unexpected visitor. "Granddad!"

"Hello, lassie."

"What are you doing here?"

His forehead creased in my direction. "Can't I visit my granddaughter?"

I wanted to roll my eyes. Of course, we both know that this was not a social visit. This cunning man was planning something against me. Maybe he was going to build up his pawn in the game we were having.

Oh, I know how to play your game, gran. I smiled pleasantly in his direction. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Yes, thank you."

I went to the kitchen to get coffee for us. Thankfully, my housekeeper brewed some before she left to restock the pantry.

I went back to the living room with two coffees. I placed them on the center table, where I found Daniel sitting comfortably on the sofa.

"What brings you here, Granddad?" I asked straight away.

Cold green eyes smiled in my direction. "You aren't happy to see me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. We both know that this is not a social visit. Today is Saturday, and everyone knows that you religiously spend your weekends at your fortress in the Hamptons. So, let's cut the chase."

He permitted himself to smile slightly. "Such harsh words for Granddad, lass."

"What do you want from me?" I inquired, titling my eyebrows.

I sighed deeply, taking the coffee cup from the table and sipping for a moment before answering. "It's about that lad, Ryker."

I fucking knew it.

"What about him?" I asked nonchalantly, staring straight into his eyes.

"I heard that he invited you to be his date tonight for his parent's wedding anniversary."

Of course, he heard about that. Hell, he must be the one who planned this thing. I shouldn't be surprised. As far as Daniel St. Clair was concerned, he was now making his moves to have me married, and it didn't stop his sly manipulation, even though I had already introduced my boyfriend.

"Granddad..." there was an unmistakable warning in my voice.

Daniel shook his head. "Hear me out, lass. Why don't you give the man a chance to know you better? He is a good man."

I stared at him in disbelief. "But I already have a boyfriend. I don't want to have a misunderstanding with Khalil because of this man."

"Don't get me wrong, Emerald," my grandfather stared at me straight in the eyes with his infamous, calculating green eyes. "I do like that young king. He is such a nice boy, but right now, I don't think he's the best guy for you. I heard that he's quite busy running his country and his upcoming coronation. That's why he's not in town."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at him. Sometimes it makes me wonder what kind of devilish connection Daniel St. Clair has to get such information. "Are you suggesting that I should give Ryker a chance to get to know me while dating Khalil? Do you want the New York society to dub me a two-timing bitch?"

Granddad looked horrified at my words. "No! I am not saying that, lass."

I shrugged nonchalantly at him. To be honest, I didn't give a damn about what other people said about me, but Daniel didn't know that, and I didn't have any plans to tell him that. "That's what I will look like in society."

He exhaled a loud breath. "It doesn't have to be that way, my child. People aren't aware yet that you and Khalil are dating, so it will not harm you if you accompany Ryker to his parent's anniversary tonight."

I sighed deeply. He wasn't giving up, was he? I looked at my grandfather warily. "Can you be honest with me, Gran?"

"What is it, lass?"

"What makes you think that you need to find me a husband, like my sisters?" I asked curiously, eyeing him sharply. "Do you think I couldn't find a husband of my own?"

"No! Of course, not!" he answered almost immediately.

I titled my eyebrow. "So why?"

"Because I know the perfect man for you when I see him," he said after a moment with a private smile lurking in the depth of his cold and cunning eyes.

I was speechless for a moment. Suddenly, I felt tired of playing this kind of cat-and-mouse game with him. I need to plan my move while playing against a sly man like him. He was dead set on trapping me into marriage with the man of his choosing. I need to outsmart him, unlike my clueless sisters.

"So," I heard him say, "are you going to the Creed's anniversary party tonight?"

He sounded hopeful that I would agree. But not yet. I still have my chance to dodge this party coming my way. With a tight smile answered him. "I am afraid that I have nothing to wear to this party. You see, Granddad, I did not shop for a dress for this event."

He gave me a triumphant smile that made my heart sink in my stomach. "Leave it to me, lassie." He fished out his mobile phone from his pocket and dialed someone. "It's me, Daniel..." Granddad looked at me goading smirk. "...Can you send serval evening dresses from a few different designer houses from my Hamptons estate? My granddaughter, Emerald, needs a gown tonight. Yes, put it on my tab. Thank you." I stared at him in disbelief. "Problem solved, Emerald, lass."

I was lost for words. Of course, not having a suitable dress to wear to a party was not a problem for him. Hell, he could call every high-end clothing brand he could think of, and they were willing to send him everything he needed.

That was why I wanted to beat myself for giving him such a lame excuse. Maybe I should have broken my leg or something.

"Shall we, lass?"

I blinked at him. "Where to?"

"Hamptons," he said simply, standing from the sofa as he looked at me expectantly. "I believed that the Creeds will have the party at their estate in the Hamptons. I think you should come with me right now."

"But..." I knew when I was already beaten. I wistfully looked down at my message-free mobile phone; still no calls from him. So, what choice did I have but to attend this party that Granddad was pushing me to go to? "All right. I will just get my things from my room."

"Perfect!" Daniel beamed at me. There was a victorious expression on his face that he was trying so hard to hide from me. But I saw it anyway.

Moments later, I found myself riding beside my grandfather in his soundproof helicopter, going to his Hamptons estate. Daniel St. Clair hates traffic. That was why he preferred to travel by air. It only took us a couple of minutes for his helicopter to land on the private helipad in his estate.

I did have a sumptuous lunch with Granddad, prepared by his chef. After our lunch, the dresses he ordered finally arrived. There were perks of being Daniel's granddaughter sometimes. In such a short time, the fashion houses managed to send items here. Each item was such a beautiful piece.

And then, I found myself being dolled up in my room. I would wear the Versace figure-hugging black evening dress with a plunging neckline and Medusa gold hardware on the strap to give an accent to the dress. The people would also get a good glimpse of my skin on my back since it has an open back.

The makeup artist opted to put my hair in a tight, sleek, high ponytail with hair extensions to have the impression that I have hair down to my waist. I also wore my mother's emerald and diamond necklace and earrings.

Around seven in the evening, the maid informed me that Ryker Creed had finally arrived. As I was putting the finishing touches on, I went out of my room with my gold clutch and black stilettos.

I found him waiting for me at the receiving area, wearing a three-piece tuxedo. I have to admit as I slowly descended the grand staircase that he's a handsome man.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I apologized once I reached him.

"No worries," he answered with a curve of his mouth. "Thank you for accepting my offer."

I smiled at him slightly. "A last-minute decision, though, with Granddad's persuasion."

"Then, I guess I need to thank Daniel."

I smiled again while taking a deep breath. Suddenly, it felt like my dress was too tight on me. "Maybe you should do that since I am pretty sure I would not have come if he hadn't urged me this morning."

He eyed me from head to toe. His lips curved with a smile. "Did I mention that you look so beautiful tonight?"

Was he flirting with me? "Thanks."

"Shall we?" He offered his arm in my direction. It took me some time before taking the offered arm. Once we walked out of the mansion, there was a sense of panic that formed inside me. Why do I feel like I would get in trouble for going to this party?

And then, there was a cobalt-eyed Arab guy with a disapproving look that flashed inside my head. I shook my head. There's no need to feel guilty about this since he didn't call me even once today. That was why I didn't have the chance to tell him about this party.

Silence filled the car on the way to their family estate here in the Hamptons. I suddenly felt trapped inside Ryker's sleek sports car. It only took us a couple of minutes to drive to the magnificent mansion, not very far from Granddad's home.

I was aware of the way my heart was pounding in my chest when I slid out of the car with the help of my unwanted date. As usual, he offered his arm in my direction and I took it as he led me inside the house.

I saw familiar faces. As expected, the elite members of the New York society were present for the wedding anniversary of Ryker's parents. I offered a small smile to the acquaintances I knew. They were probably curious why I was in the arms of this man.

"Come," I heard Ryker saying with a smile in the depth of his blue eyes. "Let me introduce you to my parents and siblings."

All of a sudden, I felt nervous about it. What if they got the wrong idea about us? Before I had the chance to dwell on my inner thoughts, I noticed that we were approaching a group of people chatting merrily with one another.

"Hey!" Ryker said by way of greeting.

Several pairs of blue eyes drew in our direction. Two girls and three guys in total. I offered a smile while gripping Ryker's arm tightly. He looked down at me with a reassuring smile as he squeezed my hand affectionately. I stared back at the curious people who were busy looking at us with undisguised interest.

"People, this is Emerald St. Clair, my date," he said, introducing me. "Emerald, meet my siblings--"

Before he could continue his introduction, the two girls, probably still in their teenage years, squealed while jumping in their places.

"I am Poppy," one of the girls wearing a black evening gown beamed at me eagerly. Her blue eyes sparkled with delight. "O.M.G! I know you! I always see your photographs in high-end fashion magazines. I want to become a model like you. Nice to meet you."

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you too."

"I am Magnolia. But you can call me Lia for short," the other girl inserted with a giggle. "I am the youngest of the family. Nice to meet you, Emerald. Are you my brother's girlfriend?"

I shot a look at her brother, who just gave me an amused look while shrugging casually. I raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Lia..." one of the blue-eyed brothers warned their little sister sternly, "Behave."

She stuck out her tongue in her brother's direction. The man just shook his head in resignation, and then the girls excused themselves when they saw their friends who had arrived and decided to greet them.

Ryker cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. My sisters often behave like wild banshees sometimes. Anyway, meet my younger brothers, Kelan, Levin, and Elian."

"I am Kelan," the man who could be mistaken as Ryker's twin said with a smile. There was a bad-boy aura about him that I perceived.

"Levin. Nice to meet you," he offered his hand for a handshake. This man's blue eyes were gentle, unlike Kelan and Ryker, who have this mischievous glint in their eyes.

"Elian," the last one said simply. This guy was quiet and reserved.

I shook their hands briefly while still studying the brothers silently. They were all handsome fellows. That's why women at the party can't keep throwing glances in their direction. Who would blame them for trying to snatch the attention of one of these brothers?

"Where's Storm?" Ryker asked, looking around.

Levin gestured toward the back with his thumb. "Talking to Mom and Dad with his fiancée."

We all looked at the path Levin indicated, and I saw a striking couple chatting with a middle-aged couple. But what arrested my gaze was the fact that I saw how Kelan's eyes darkened at the sight of his brother and his fiancée.

Was that jealousy that I saw in his eyes?

He just realized that I was staring at him when he glanced in my direction. He blanked his expression and offered me a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Come, I will introduce you to our parents and our older brother and his fiancée," Ryker informed him excusing us from his brothers as we approached his parents. "Mom. Dad," he said to get the attention of his parents.

They all looked in our direction with surprised expressions on their faces, including his brother and his fiancée. As if they couldn't believe that Ryker brought a date to this party.

"This is Emerald, my date," he said breezily. "Emerald, my parents, Magnus and Constance. And this is my older brother Storm and his fiancée Autumn."

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am, Sir," I extended my hand in their direction. "Emerald St. Clair. Happy anniversary."

"Thank you, dear," Ryker's mother answered, but instead of shaking my hand, she wrapped her arms around me, which startled me for a moment. I never expected that.

Next, I meet his brother and his fiancée. Storm Creed seems to be an intimidating man, while the woman in his arms seems to be wife material. I glanced back to Ryker's other brothers not far from us, and I noticed that Kelan was still looking at Autumn with such intensity when he thought that no one was looking.

"Why don't you assist your date to the buffet table, Ryker?" I heard his mom say gently. "You don't want to starve Emerald, right?"

Ryker looked down at me with a curve of his lip. "Let's go and get you some food before my mom scolds me more."

I gave him a short nod and followed him to the buffet table to get some food. In reality, I am not hungry, but for appearance's sake, I would get some food. I scanned the table for what I would like to eat tonight when unfamiliar food caught my attention.

"What are these?" I asked him, pointing to a golden brown cylinder thing that was arranged beautifully a the huge platter.

Ryker suddenly laughed. I gave him a questioning look. "Those are Lumpia. Elian's Filipina housekeeper, Marikit, makes them. You should try them. They are delicious. They are a family staple food here."

He put five Lumpia on his plate and got some other food to fill his plate. Reluctantly, I placed two on my plate as well as other familiar foods before sitting at the table with Ryker.

Surprisingly, the Lumpia were delicious. Crunchy on the outside and savory inside with ground meat and some chopped vegetables. Ryker even gave me some of his Lumpia when he noticed that I finished eating mine.

I didn't expect that I would enjoy this party. The Creed family seem to be nice people and they are easy to talk to. I knew they must be wondering what my real relationship with Ryker was, but no one dared to ask apart from his younger sister Ginger when we first arrived. I thought that his parents were aware of me as their son's reluctant bride-to-be. But from what I saw, they don't have any idea about the engagement, and Ryker here only introduced me as his 'date' and nothing more.

I found myself as one of the last remaining visitors lingering in their mansion. Most of the guests had already left the private affair moments ago. I was sitting in the huge living room talking with the Creed family, mostly with his mom.

"I am really glad to meet you, dear," Constance announced with a smile on her face. "I hope we can meet again soon. I like you for my son."

"Don't scare her, Mom," Ryker retorted dryly, sitting next to me.

His mother glared at him darkly before focusing her attention back on me. "Let's have coffee sometime if you are not busy with your work."

I smiled back at her. She seems to be a very nice woman. "I would love that, Mrs. Creed."

"Constance. Please call me, Constance."

I gave her a shy smile. "All right, Constance."

"Mom," Elian inserted, sitting on the long sofa across from us. "Mari texted me. She reminded me about the payment for the Lumpia that she made for this party. She even threatened to lock me out of my own house if I forgot to bring the money."

That made Constance laugh. "Yes, Of course." She looked at her husband. "Do you have some cash with you, dearest? We need to pay Marikit for her Lumpia."

A fond smile fitted on the ruthless face of the Creed patriarch. "I think I have some in my wallet upstairs."

"I need to go," Autumn announced, standing from her chair. "It's already late. I need to go back to the city."

"Take care, dear." Mrs. Creed said to her future daughter-in-law. She looked around as if looking for someone. "Where is Storm?"

"There is an emergency in Italy. He needs to fly immediately to oversee the problem. I thought he informed you about this before leaving," Autumn answered in a monotone.

Mrs. Creed sighed deeply, shaking her head. "That boy. He has always been a workaholic, just like his father. Please bear with him, will you, Autumn dear?"

"Of course," the woman replied, kissing the older woman's cheek.

"You're leaving? Come, let me give you a lift." Kelan suddenly spoke, standing from his seat.

His mother blinked at him. "I thought you were going to stay for the night?"

Kelan shrugged casually. "Change of plans."

"All right," the matriarch said. "Drive carefully, will you?"

"I will, Mom." He kissed his mother's cheeks. "Shall we leave now?"

Autumn reluctantly nodded and walked beside him as they went out of the mansion. There was something about these two that I perceived. A few moments later, Ryker also decides to leave. I said goodbye to his parents and his siblings before going out of the house with him.

"Thanks for tonight," he said as we drove back to Granddad's estate.

I looked at him from the shotgun seat. "I enjoyed meeting your family."

"Sorry if my mom scared you back there."

I shook my head. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." Silence filled the car after that. It didn't take long to reach the St. Clair estate. I went out of his car the moment he pulled onto the pavement. "I can manage from here. Thanks for the ride."

He smiled at me. "See you around, Emerald."

"Bye." I watched him drive away from the road. When I was about to ring the doorbell of the gate, my phone sounded. I didn't bother to look at the name of the caller before sliding my finger on the screen. "Hello?"

"So where have you been tonight, habibti? Did you have fun?" The voice on the other end was dangerously low and very calm, that made me shiver down my spine.

Oh, shit...