Bound By Vows, Sealed In Love

Iris strode in with her head high, her composure unshaken. "While I was downstairs, Miss Watson stormed over, shouting that you were going to ruin me and my friend. I figured I'd come see how you planned to make good on that threat."

A heavy silence swept over the room, tension buzzing beneath the surface. Every face reflected a storm of feelings, but not a soul dared to speak first.

Most people in the room belonged to Caiden's inner circle. They had seen firsthand how he had always put his wife first, but not one of them had forgotten that vicious, public fight the couple had dragged everyone into a year back, without the slightest hint of restraint.

Right now, nobody could tell what Caiden was really thinking.

His old love and the new woman stood right before him. Which side would he pick?

If he chose to protect Iris and called out Ariana, that could only mean he was still hung up on his wife. On the other hand, if he stood up for Ariana...

Nobody had the chance to finish that thought, because Caiden let out an easy laugh, his tone laced with a careless humor. "She's still young, just running her mouth. Iris, you're a remarkable doctor who saves lives every day. Don't bother arguing with someone like her."

Ariana's grin stretched even wider at his words.

Everyone picked up on it—Caiden took Ariana's side.

Then Caiden continued, "Iris, don't let her ruin the evening. Come on, join us. Take it as my way of making things right."

He was actually smoothing things over for his mistress by offering an apology to his wife. The air was thick with unspoken meaning, and Melody looked ready to explode.

She tugged Iris toward the sofa. "Of course, let's all get in on the fun!"

No doubt, they could manage whatever came their way.

"So, what's the plan? Dice? Cards? Maybe something a little wilder? Caiden, I can't imagine you inviting us all here just to drink. That would be a letdown!"

Within Caiden's group, there was a man who went by Damian Stanley.

Glancing between Caiden and Iris, Damian was convinced that Caiden's invitation was to put Iris in her place.

What else could possibly explain Caiden's so-called apology, especially when he was making Iris stay and witness every affectionate glance he sent his mistress?

Damian, never truly part of Caiden's trusted circle, decided that now was his chance to stand out and maybe earn some favor.

He leaned in with a smirk. "How about we spice things up with a new game? I call it 'The Yes Game.' It's easy. Whoever's in the hot seat can only answer with 'yes.' If you can't manage, that's three drinks for you. Everyone gets three turns to ask."

His eyes darted to Caiden, clearly looking for approval. "What do you say?"

Caiden didn't bother to hide his indifference. With a lazy stretch, he replied, "Sure, let's do it."

Damian's attention snapped to Iris. "Ready to play? I heard you married Caiden because his mother insisted. Is that true?"

A hush swept through the gathering. Ariana let out a laugh, covering her mouth, while several others exchanged knowing looks and stifled grins.

Caiden's friend, Maverick Singh, looked ready to step in, but not knowing Caiden's intentions, he held back and watched.

Across from them, Iris stayed perfectly calm. "Yes."

"Over the last two years, Wells Group's stock value has skyrocketed. You keep clinging to Caiden, even showing up when he goes out drinking, terrified he might walk out on you. Is it because you can't let go of the status and money the Wells family brings?"

"Yes."

"From what I've heard, after you lost your parents, your family's fortune was torn apart by greedy relatives, leaving you no better off than a bar girl here. Isn't that right?"

At that, Melody shot up from her seat, face flushed with anger, but Iris caught her wrist and held her back.

Damian's gaze stayed fixed on Iris, half sneering, half curious. Iris even managed a gentle smile. "Yes."

Melody, unable to keep her frustration bottled up, seethed in silence. What kind of twisted game was this? It was just a setup to embarrass Iris.

She turned to Caiden, silently demanding he put a stop to this, but he sat there, cool and unreadable. The shadows in the room seemed to swallow his expression, leaving no clue as to whether he was upset or amused.

Despair crept into Melody's heart. What good was a husband who let his wife be treated this way?

Damian, clearly pleased with himself, turned to Caiden. "Your wife surely knows how to play this game."

Caiden flicked the bit of ash from his trousers, showing no sign of a response.

Meanwhile, Ariana, seated right beside him, felt the change in the room. Whatever laughter she had left her in a heartbeat, and she shrank back, suddenly unwilling to meet anyone's eyes.

"I believe it's my turn," Iris said, her tone steady. "Mr. Stanley, you lost twenty million at a casino last year, then quietly replaced the money by siphoning company funds. Is that right?"

Color drained from Damian's face. "You—"

"The rules are simple. You can only say 'yes.' If you can't, you should drink three glasses of wine instead." Iris flashed a cool smile.

Every eye in the room landed on Damian. He realized refusing would only push him further to the sidelines of Caiden's world. Jaw clenched, he muttered, "Yes."

"There was that college student you dated. She got pregnant, but you told her to get rid of it and blocked her after the procedure. She blew the whistle online, and you lost a handful of your top clients. Is that right?"

"You're spouting nonsense!" Damian sprang up, outrage on his face.

Caiden's voice sliced through the tension. "Stick to the rules."

Humiliated, Damian froze. He stood rigid as his face went from red to ghostly white. "Yes."

"When that blew up in your face, you ran to a certain big shot for help. He's a gay, and you did what you had to do. That's how you landed yourself in the proctology department. Is that right?" Iris added.

Laughter broke out across the room.

Damian stared at Iris in disbelief. He could not understand how she uncovered these secrets. Rage boiled over. "You'd better shut your mouth!"

He lunged for a wine bottle, raising it as if to strike. For a split second, everyone froze. The next instant, Caiden kicked the coffee table out of the way, sending glass everywhere as Damian crashed against the wall and slid to the floor.

The shock in the room was absolute.

Caiden stretched out, then let his leg drop back to the floor before sinking into the sofa. He sneered, "Did I admit you were my friend? You sure know how to flatter yourself. Pulling stunts like that in front of me—what do you think you're doing? Get out of my sight."

On the floor, Damian barely managed a groan, pain etched across his face. Maverick gave a small nod, and two men hauled Damian away without a second thought.

After tonight, any chance Damian had at becoming part of Caiden's inner circle was gone for good. The Stanley family wouldn't recover in Slidrora anytime soon.

Silence hung in the air until Melody, peeking out from behind Iris, grumbled, "Unbelievable! Sometimes, he drives you crazy, but then, he turns around and does something like that and you can't help but be impressed."

For Iris, this was nothing remarkable. She recalled the time Caiden had handled four men with barely a scratch while carrying her in his arms.

Nobody dared to break the quiet after that. Ariana shrank back into a corner, clearly rattled by Caiden's outburst. The others kept their distance.

Caiden flicked his lighter, drew in a breath of smoke, and said, "Let's keep going. I'll take this round." His gaze lingered on Iris through the haze. "It's your turn."

Iris's throat felt dry. She scanned the drinks, avoiding the showy cocktails, and reached for a simple white glass. One sip told her it was sweet, not too strong—just enough to take the edge off.

Caiden didn't take his eyes off her as she cradled the glass, her posture straight and dignified, a rare contrast in a room filled with excess.

Breaking the quiet, Iris spoke up. "You begged me to marry you, didn't you?"

That caught everyone by surprise. A few jaws dropped, and Melody got so excited she finished her drink in one go.

Caiden let out a low laugh. "Yes."

Iris leaned in, voice steady. "You keep dragging out the marriage because you still want to hold on to me. Isn't that the truth?"

Not long ago, Damian had thrown out accusations, claiming she trapped Caiden into marriage and wouldn't walk away from his fortune. Now she wanted everyone to hear the truth straight from Caiden's lips. Even if it was only part of their game, she pushed him to admit that he was the one who wanted this, that he was the one who wouldn't let her go.

Caiden's smile turned more enigmatic as he tipped his head in her direction. "Yes."

Ariana could barely contain herself, stamping her heel against the floor as irritation flashed across her face. In her eyes, Iris was shameless, trying to twist reality into some sort of victory.

Without missing a beat, Iris delivered her third question. "You cheated on me, didn't you?"