Chapter 4

▫️Christian's POV...

As the car moved smoothly down the road, I couldn’t believe the others had ditched me for a party, leaving me alone with this girl—Stella. After about 15 minutes, she had the audacity to fall asleep. Who does that? She is going to a stranger’s house, and instead of paying attention to the route, she slept.  Unbelievable.

When we finally arrived at the mansion, I called her name to wake her up. "Stella," I said firmly, but there was no response. I tried again, louder this time. Still nothing. Annoyed, I tapped her shoulder, but she remained unmoved. After a few more failed attempts, I resorted to the last option: I picked her up and carried her inside.

Her head rested on my shoulder as I walked through the grand halls to the guest room on the third floor where she’d be staying with us. I laid her down on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and removed her shoes.

After few hours, I came back to check her but she is still sleeping. As I stared at her peaceful face, I couldn’t help but scoff, "Four hours of sleep, seriously? How can someone be so carefree?" With that, I headed to my own room.

---

▫️Stella's POV...

I woke up with a pounding headache and heavy eyes. I never feel good after sleeping; it always leaves me worse.These are just symptoms of pre-depression or whatever the doctor called it.

I could still hear the doctor’s voice in my head from months ago. You need therapy, Stella. It could make a difference.

But therapy wasn’t cheap, and I wasn’t swimming in cash. Spending money on a stranger to talk about my problems felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Blinking, I looked around. This wasn’t my room. The grand furniture and unfamiliar walls screamed luxury—this had to be the mafia's mansion.

I stepped out of the room, glancing around the hallway. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I called out.

A voice answered from the room opposite to mine. "You’re awake." Christian said casually.

I walked toward the door, muttering, "No, I’m sleepwalking." But as I pushed the door open, I froze. His room was a masterpiece in black—sleek, luxurious, and imposing.

I tried to step inside, but Christian’s stern voice stopped me. "Wait." He walked over, removed my hand from the door, and looked me straight in the eyes with a serious expression. "Rule number one: You’re not allowed to enter my room. Not even to touch the door."

I raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "Okay, I’m not dying to be in there anyway."

Christian shut the door behind him and walked ahead. I followed like a curious puppy.

"Listen carefully," he said in a low, authoritative tone. "This is your room. You’ll stay here. You’re not allowed to lock the door, even at night. This is Ava’s room, Liam’s room, MJ’s room, and Nick’s room. This is my office—don’t even think about going in there. That’s the bar, the swimming area, and the living room. Stay on this floor, do whatever you want, but do not go downstairs. Understood?"

I nodded, unimpressed. "Yeah, sure. Now, can you give me some food? I’m starving."

He led me to the kitchen "Suit yourself," he said flatly.

I grabbed some food, heated it, and started eating at the dining table. Christian sat across from me, watching me with a cold, unreadable gaze.

"If you violate any rules," he said with a smirk, "I’ll make sure you regret it."

I ignored his warning, finishing my meal in silence. After a while, he added, "Why do you sleep and eat so much? Are you a pig or something?"

I stifled a laugh. "That's bcoz of some health issue. " I muttered under my breath.

---

Later in the Evening

The others arrived, filling the room with energy. Nick clapped Christian on the shoulder and grinned. "Guess who was waiting for you at the party?"

Liam smirked. "Was it Mary?"

MJ chuckled. "She misses you badly, Chris. So… how exactly is she planning to make you the happiest man alive?"

Christian said, "All of you can just fuck off. I won't mind."

The group erupted into laughter while Christian rolled his eyes.

---

After dinner, Ava took me to her room. She handed me some clothes that would fit and helped me arrange them in my room. She even gave me a few novels to keep me entertained.

As we worked, I asked, "Ava, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said, smiling kindly.

"Why me? I mean, why did you all choose me for this ridiculous fake-girlfriend act?"

Ava laughed softly. "It’s a long story. Chris needed a name, and he saw me reading your book. So, he used your name, and then we found you."

"Oh," I said, still trying to process the absurdity of it all.

Later, we joined the others in the living room. Nick leaned back on the couch and grinned. "So, Stella, let me tell you: in four days, you’ll meet your in-laws—Christian’s parents. Act properly."

My jaw dropped. "Oh!"

Nick smirked. "Yeah, you’re a new couple, so here’s some info. Chris is 26. His birthday is on May 22. He has three dogs—Terror, Onyx, and Venom. Got it?"

I nodded, overwhelmed.

Nick continued, "Liam, MJ, and I are adopted kids. Chris wanted siblings, so his parents adopted us. Ava is the daughter of their late friend and has been living here since she was two."

I stared at him in disbelief. "This is ..weird."

"Welcome to our world," MJ said with a wink.