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CHAPTER FOUR OF TWENTY

❝ DEVIL IN DISGUISE ❞

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"...EROS?" (Name) asked, in a suspicious tone. She raised her brows at the button-eyed man known as Eros. Something about him seemed off entirely. He gave off a sinister and hallowed vibe but masked it with smiles and pet names. Like a devil in disguise.

Eros simply put on another love-filled smile, folding his large hands neatly together. He looked like an angel. Then she remembered. The Devil wasn't a little red man with a pair of horns and a tail; he could be beautiful...because he was a fallen angel and used to be God's favourite. Much like the enigmatic Eros that stood in front of her.

The raven-haired man placed some gloves over his hands and opened the oven, pulling out a freshly-cooked dish of (favourite meal). Her mouth dared to water at how amazing the dish looked and smelt. Eric couldn't cook as if his life depended on it...his go-to was ordering takeaway until the next food shop.

"Hell's Bells..." (Name) uttered, eyes ogling the dish itself, "That looks...wonderful. It's literally perfect...".

Eros smiled at her, placing the dish onto the marble-patterned countertop. "I only strive for perfection when it comes to my darling wife~," he said. His words were silk-smooth and dripped from his mouth like honey.

Had her fight-or-flight instinct not been triggered, (Name) would've basked in the attention that Eros was handing her on a silver platter. He was worshipping her as if she were a goddess; a divine, omnipotent being that people were in awe of. Eros served (favourite meal) onto two plates. (Name) followed behind him, as a dog would to a bone.

She followed the button-eyed man into the elaborate dining room. The floors were decked with the same mahogany floorboards and the walls were painted a dark brown, matching the darker brown skirting boards. There was a long, intricate mahogany-coloured dining table with about twelve dining chairs pushed up against the table.

The table legs dug into the vintage-looking red carpet with a myriad of patterns sewn into it. Overhead was a small chandelier, lit up brightly, illuminating the room. Eros placed one dish gingerly at the head of the table, next to an empty glass. He placed the second dish opposite the chair next to the head of the table, next to a glass of red wine, which had an alluring scent.

It smelt just like the fruity wine that Eric had a fancy for, which he'd gotten specially imported from France for their wedding. Eros gave her a keen smile, beckoning her to follow him. He untucked the chair at the head of the table, allowing (Name) to sit on it before pushing it into the table, giving her the right amount of distance from the table as she liked.

He then sat at the chair on the right-hand side of the table, second from the head of the table. He pushed the chair under the table, smiling lovingly at her. His smile was sweet, yet it had undertones of something sinister. (Name) had noticed three silhouette paintings of three different women; one woman with long hair with 2 feathers in her hair, the second with her hair drawn into a tight bun and the third's hair free-flowing in pinned curls.

"Well, tuck in," he beckoned, "I poured my heart and soul into this dish~".

The resemblance he bore to Eric was uncanny. It was almost terrifying. Eric, however, usually wore a pair of brown, thick-rimmed glasses with circular lenses and took to wearing hoodies and trousers, unlike Eros' glamorous, well-kept appearance. His style resembled that of the late 1950s/early 1960s.

(Name) took her fork and began to eat the delicious meal and brought the forkful of food to her lips. She let out an unhinged moan of delight the split second the food landed on her tastebuds. Her face heated up in embarrassment. "Sorry..." she awkwardly apologised, swallowing her food, "It's just...this is the best food I've ever tasted!".

Eros smiled happily at her comment. "I only want the best for my darling wife~" Eros responded. His voice even had Eric's familiar Welsh accent drawled into it. It settled her only a small bit. Not that she'd ever admit that to her husband's seemingly perfect doppelganger, "Do you need anything, my dear?".

"I'm really, really thirst," (Name) casually admitted between mouthfuls of chewed-up food. She swallowed her food awkwardly, wiping her mouth with the napkin that her knife and fork had once rested on.

Eros let out a peal of bell-like, soft laughter. He gestured his hand to the ceiling. (Name)'s eyes pricked up to the ceiling to see the chandelier floating down towards her, with several containers of drinks attached, including some expensive-looking alcoholic drinks that she'd seen being served at the publishing parties of Eric's successful novels.

"Do you have any (favourite drink)?" (Name) asked. Eros merely smiled, as a container of (favourite drink) appeared in front of her, attached to the chandelier.

(Name)'s hand outstretched to pull the small lever attached to the container and the liquid spilt into her glass. She began to gulp down the drink as Eros took their plates away, placing a two-tiered cake in front of (Name). The cake had pink icing with ten pink candles on top. Orange icing materialised on the cake, spelling out a message in perfect, neat cursive.

Welcome Home, (Name).

(Name) eyed the double-looped 'O' in the second letter in the word 'home'. Something didn't feel right. "Home?" (Name) parrotted, raising an eyebrow.

Eros smiled, standing loyally beside (Name). "I've been waiting for you, my love," he said, foregoing the usual usage of pet name, "Things just...weren't the same without you here, my darling,".

(Name) smiled awkwardly, poking her index finger into the pink icing, bringing her finger to her lip. Her tastebuds practically exploded at the sweetest sensation of the pale pink icing. "So...what do you want to do?" Eros asked, "We could play a game? I understand you like hide and seek?".

(Name)'s mind recalled her playing hide and seek with her niece(s)/nephew(s). "I suppose," (Name) mused, "What are you suggesting, button boy?".

Ero's cheeks heated up at the usage of her pet name. He smiled sweetly. "How about...hide and seek...in the rain?" Eros simply suggested, folding his hands neatly. "What rain?" (Name) asked, through a mouthful of cake, icing smeared across her face.

There was a sudden clap of thunder and rain began to pour down from the skies. She could've sworn to see a peculiar hand-shaped lightning bolt. She pushed the thought out of her mind immediately. "That sounds...great," (Name) awkwardly responded, "But...you hate mud...or well Eric does...".

Eros let out a chuckle. "I love mud," Eros corrected, using his napkin to wipe the pink icing from (Name)'s cheeks. His button eyes cast a glance towards (Name)'s bandaged palm, "Besides that. I have a nice antiseptic lotion for that hand of yours...silly thing~".

"How'd you know about..." (Name) wondered, cradling her injured hand with her free hand, almost protecting it from the red herring of a man, "Nevermind...I'd like to go to bed now...".

Eros smiled, helping her up. "Of course, darling~" he crooned, guiding her towards the towering staircase that led to the upper floor, walking beside (Name) as they ascended to the upper floor of the apartment, "I can take you to our room-".

(Name) froze. "Our?" she repeated. Eros nodded, "Ignore that...it's just...I thought you'd want to sleep in your study...you- I mean Eric always does...".

Eros let out another chuckle. "Shouldn't a husband share a bed with his wife?" Eros asked rhetorically, a small peal of laughter evident in his tone, "After all, don't most husbands?".

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EROS' LONG HAND TURNED THE ROUND DOORKNOB, revealing their shared bedroom. It was so much more...extravagant compared to the one she had back home. She felt Eros' hand grace the small of her back, but she ignored it. The room's walls were painted a pale yellow, instead of the morbid off-white, and the floorboards were made of birch wood.

There was a white-painted dresser pushed against the wall, nearby the fireplace which was alive with dancing hues of oranges, reds and yellows. Her bookshelf was alive with vintage copies of all the books she had and desired to buy, pressed against the wall near the door and the four-poster bed had a lace sheet draped atop the four posters.

The fairy lights were attached to the posters, whilst the sheets were made of white silk. The rug on the floor was made of faux fur. (Name) walked towards the bed, hands roaming over the luxurious silk, before lifting up the covers and climbing into bed. She felt the mattress dip as Eros had climbed into the other side of the bed, shoes discarded.

He looked into her eyes with his own, motionless onyx-coloured buttons. He smiled at her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. There wasn't too much of a gap between them, an arm's length at most. She felt slightly drowsy when he placed her injured palm onto his own. He undid the bandages and applied a lotion. The antiseptic lotion...stung a bit, which made her scrunch her nose, but it was for a good cause.

She fell asleep, into a void of dreams. But, she heard Eros' silky-smooth voice whisper in her ear: "See you soon...".