Damien's words hung in the air like smoke "I'm not letting you go."
Lena couldn't speak. Couldn't move. Every emotion she'd been suppressing since the day she signed that contract was now tangled in her chest. Confusion. Hope. Fear.
What did it mean? That their marriage was becoming real? That he cared? Or was this just another calculated move by a man who had built walls even emotions couldn't climb?
Before she could ask, Damien turned away.
"I have to meet with Harold," he said, his voice steadier now. "But I didn't want to leave before saying that."
And just like that, the moment was over
An Hour Later – Blackwood Mansion
The Blackwood estate was a palace of stone and silence. Damien sat opposite his father in a room that reeked of polished wealth and cold judgment.
Harold Blackwood poured himself a drink but didn't offer one to his son.
"The board is still watching you," he said without preamble. "They're not convinced about the marriage. You're slipping."
Damien didn't flinch. "They saw the gala photos. The rumors have stopped."
"For now." Harold took a slow sip. "But they'll dig deeper. They always do. I warned you, Damien. A fake marriage isn't enough. You need to control the narrative."
Damien's jaw clenched. "I am."
"No, you're surviving. There's a difference."
Silence stretched between them. Then Harold leaned forward, setting down his glass.
"She's changing you," he said quietly. "That girl. Lena."
Damien stiffened. "You don't know anything about her."
"I know she's dangerous. And I know you're too blind to see it."
"What exactly do you think she's done?"
Harold's eyes narrowed. "It's not what she's done. It's what she could do. That's always been the threat."
Damien stood, barely containing his temper. "You never liked anyone who didn't fit your idea of power."
"No," Harold said, rising as well. "I never liked anyone who threatened it. There's a difference."
Back at the Penthouse – Midnight
Lena sat curled up on the sofa, a blanket around her shoulders, the city lights glowing beyond the glass windows. She hadn't heard from Damien in hours. Her mind was a mess of what-ifs.
Had he changed his mind?
Was this some game he played drawing her in only to push her away again?
She didn't hear the door open at first. But then there he was damaged, tired, but somehow… softer.
"Hey," he said.
Lena stood quickly. "You're back."
He nodded. "Sorry I was gone so long."
"You don't owe me an explanation," she said automatically, but her voice betrayed her. She wanted an explanation. She wanted him to care enough to offer one.
Damien didn't move for a moment. Then, slowly, he stepped closer.
"I went to see my father," he said. "It didn't go well."
Lena tilted her head. "What did he say?"
He hesitated, then: "That you're dangerous. That you'll ruin me."
Lena laughed softly, but it wasn't from humor. "And do you believe that?"
Damien studied her, his gaze intense. "No. But I believe I'm already ruined. You just make it easier to live with."
Her breath caught.
He took her hand then tentatively, as though unsure whether he had the right and led her to the couch. They sat close, their knees brushing.
"I'm tired of lying," he said. "To the board. To my father. To myself."
Lena's heart pounded. "So what are you saying?"
Damien looked at her like she was both the question and the answer.
"I'm saying I don't want this to be fake anymore."
She stared at him, unsure whether to feel joy or terror. "But we have a contract. A timeline. An end date."
He touched her cheek. "What if we tear it up?"
The words struck like lightning.
"You don't mean that," she whispered.
"I do. I didn't think I was capable of this of feeling anything again but you're changing that. You've already changed it."
Lena's throat tightened. "Damien, you don't just walk away from a lifetime of being ice. You don't melt overnight."
"No," he said, leaning closer, "but someone can start the thaw."
And then, for the second time in two days, he kissed her. But this time, it wasn't desperate or confusing. It was clear. Honest. Intentional.
Lena kissed him back, pouring into that moment every ounce of emotion she'd buried. Her doubts. Her loneliness. Her silent hopes.
When they pulled apart, Damien rested his forehead against hers.
"We'll go slow," he said. "We don't have to figure everything out tonight. But I'm not pretending anymore."
Lena nodded, heart fluttering. "Me neither."
The Next Morning A New Beginning
Lena awoke to sunlight streaming through the windows and the faint smell of coffee. She wrapped a robe around herself and walked to the kitchen.
Damien stood there, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up, stirring coffee like it was something he did every morning. For a second, it felt… normal.
"Morning," he said without looking up.
"Morning," she echoed.
He handed her a mug. Their fingers brushed.
"So…" she began, unsure of how to address the new tension between them. "What happens now?"
Damien leaned against the counter. "We go to work. We pretend, like we always do. Only now, some of it might not be pretend."
She smiled despite herself. "That sounds like a terrible plan."
He grinned. "It's the best I've got."
Before she could respond, his phone buzzed on the counter. He checked it, and immediately, the lightness in his eyes dimmed.
"What is it?" she asked.
He handed her the phone.
On the screen was a photo grainy, zoomed in, but unmistakable.
It was a shot of them kissing last night. Through the penthouse window.
Below it: "CEO's Secret Lover? Private Moment Caught on Camera"
Lena's blood ran cold. "Someone was watching us?"
Damien nodded grimly. "Looks like it's starting."
She stared at him. "Starting? What's starting?"
"The price of being real," he said.
And Lena knew, as the warmth of that morning drained away, that their biggest challenge wasn't falling for each other it was surviving it.
The photo spread like wildfire.
By the time Damien and Lena arrived at Blackwood Enterprises later that morning, the atmosphere was electric with tension. Employees glanced up from their desks only to drop their eyes again, whispers trailing in their wake. Some looked impressed. Others amused. But a few particularly the board members looked furious.
Tessa met them at the elevator, her usual calm expression replaced with tight-lipped concern.
"The board has called for an emergency meeting," she said under her breath. "Ten minutes. They're not happy."
Damien merely nodded. "Let them talk."
Tessa's gaze flicked to Lena. "They're going to make her a target."
Lena stepped forward, her voice calm despite the fear twisting in her gut. "Then let them try."
Boardroom – 10:30 AM
Twelve pairs of eyes stared down at them from the long, mahogany table. At the head sat Harold Blackwood, the picture of composed menace. His cold gaze flicked from Damien to Lena and then back again.
"Well," he began, voice smooth and deadly, "congratulations. You've made headlines again."
Damien folded his arms. "It was a private moment. Leaked illegally."
"That's not the point," another board member snapped. "The point is the instability. You're leading this company into scandal again."
Lena remained quiet, though every nerve in her body screamed at her to leave. This wasn't her world. These weren't her people. They were wolves, and she was the outsider they were sharpening their teeth on.
"Your wife," Harold said, drawing out the word with disdain, "has become a liability."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "She's not the one being discussed in the tabloids. I am."
"But she's the reason for it," Harold hissed.
Lena finally spoke. "With all due respect, I'm not responsible for your son being human."
A tense silence followed. Even Damien looked surprised.
Harold's lips curved into a cold smile. "Humanity doesn't run companies. Power does."
"And power means nothing if you have to destroy your family to keep it," Damien replied sharply.
The board murmured among themselves, some clearly unsettled. But Harold only stared at his son.
"If you want to protect her," he said slowly, "you'll have to make a choice."
Damien stiffened. "What choice?"
Harold rose to his feet. "Annul the marriage. Publicly. Or step down as CEO. The board will not tolerate another scandal."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
Lena felt the air leave her lungs. Just like that, it was all unraveling.
Damien didn't respond. He didn't look at her. And that silence was louder than any argument.
Back at the Penthouse – Afternoon
Neither of them spoke in the car. The driver took the hint and kept the radio off.
When they stepped into the penthouse, Damien walked straight to the bar and poured himself a drink. He didn't offer one to her.
"Say something," Lena said finally, her voice breaking.
Damien stared out the window, jaw clenched. "They backed me into a corner."
"You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "But you didn't defend us. You let them tear into me, and you said nothing!"
"I was protecting you," he said sharply, turning to face her.
"By staying silent?" she demanded. "By not denying their lies?"
He exhaled, struggling to contain the storm inside him. "They would have twisted anything I said. Every word would've been used against you. Against us."
Lena stared at him, heart cracking open. "And what now, Damien? Do you do what they say? End this?"
His eyes darkened. "If I step down, they'll come after you anyway. If I stay and keep the marriage, they'll try to discredit both of us. There's no easy way out."
"I don't want a way out!" she cried. "I want to fight. For once, I want someone to look at me and say I'm worth fighting for!"
Damien stepped toward her. "You are."
"Then prove it!"
He froze, breathing hard. Then, softly, "I don't know how."
Silence fell again, heavier than before.
Lena shook her head slowly. "Then maybe your father's right. Maybe I am dangerous. Because I'm making you feel things you don't know how to deal with."
Damien looked at her, his voice hoarse. "Don't say that."
"Why?" she asked. "Because it's true?"
He stepped closer, his hand reaching for hers. "Because I don't want to lose you."
Lena's voice trembled. "Then don't."
Meanwhile – Downtown Café
A phone rang in a dark corner of a quiet café. A woman in a crimson coat answered, her voice low and calculating.
"It's done," she said. "The photo worked."
"Good," came the reply on the other end. Male. Dangerous. "Now it's time for Phase Two."
"What about the girl?" the woman asked.
There was a pause. Then, "Break them from the inside."
The call ended.
Back at the Penthouse – Evening
Later that night, Damien found Lena standing on the balcony, her arms folded against the chill.
"I don't want you to be a pawn in their game," he said softly.
She didn't turn around. "Then stop playing by their rules."
Damien stepped beside her. "I made a decision."
She glanced at him. "What kind of decision?"
He looked her straight in the eye. "I'm not stepping down. And I'm not annulling the marriage. Let them come. Let them try."
Lena's heart clenched. "You're really going to fight this?"
He nodded. "I told you I'm done pretending. I meant it."
Then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small envelope.
"What's this?" she asked.
He handed it to her. "Proof that you were investigated by my father's people. They dug into your past. Found things I'm sure they plan to use."
Lena's hands trembled as she opened it. Her eyes scanned the first page, and then she froze.
Damien saw her expression change.
"What is it?" he asked.
She looked up at him, pale. "They found my father."
Damien stiffened. "I thought he was—"
"I thought he was gone," she whispered. "But he's alive. And he's in prison