Serena Blake sat alone in her tiny apartment, the silence pressing down on her like a weight. Her adoptive father's unexpected visit had left her shaken. She had returned to New York under the radar, never intending to reconnect with the so-called Blake family. Yet now, they wanted her back?
Her father, Henry Blake, had always been cold. One simple word summed up their relationship: business, not family.
She spotted his phone on the coffee table. He must've left it behind. Out of habit, she grabbed it and rushed downstairs—only to stop short near the curb.
"I don't get it, Mr. Blake," his assistant said. "Why are we taking Serena back in? After that scandal, she's practically poison."
Henry's voice was calm, calculating. "She used to catch Damien Cross's eye. Now that he's in New York, I intend to send her to him again."
The assistant blinked. "Didn't she humiliate him years ago? And let's be honest, she's not as striking as she used to be. Why would he want her now?"
Henry gave a slow, cruel smile. "Men never forget the woman who got away. Even if he doesn't want her for love, he'll want her for revenge."
Serena's stomach turned.
That was the plan? Hand her back to the same man who had once nearly destroyed her?
Her hands trembled as she slowly returned upstairs. Her body felt numb, but her mind was reeling.
She had always been the outsider in the Blake family. An orphan taken in for appearance's sake—never love. Henry had tried to pawn her off to a powerful businessman once before. She escaped then, barely. And now he was trying again.
No. Never again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.
She hadn't even eaten since last night, but instinct kicked in. She opened the door cautiously—only to see him.
Damien Cross.
The man who had haunted her for years. The man who, last night, she thought she'd escaped for good.
She froze. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Damien didn't say a word. He stepped forward, lifted her effortlessly off her feet, and carried her straight to a black SUV idling at the curb.
"Let me go!" Serena kicked and struggled, her voice rising. "You can't just—this is kidnapping!"
But the car doors shut with a thud, sealing her in. Soundproofed. Useless to scream.
"Quiet," Damien said coolly, eyes narrowed. His voice had the weight of ice and thunder combined.
"You're insane," she hissed, backing away from him. "You drugged me and—what the hell do you want now?"
Damien sighed and leaned closer, so close she could feel the chill in his words. "I didn't drug you. I was drugged."
Serena blinked. "So I was just the unlucky collateral damage?"
He didn't flinch. "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And now you need to take responsibility."
Her jaw dropped. "You're unbelievable."
"I'm serious," he said. "Marry me."
She stared at him, genuinely stunned. "You're out of your mind. I don't even know you. You show up, ruin my life, and now you want me to marry you?"
Damien's tone turned businesslike. "It benefits us both. My family's pressing me to settle down. Yours is trying to sell you off again. We make this marriage official, and both sides back off."
Serena frowned. "You want a fake marriage?"
"No. A real one. Legal. No room for interference."
She laughed, bitter. "So I'm supposed to trust the man who practically abducted me?"
"I'm giving you a way out," Damien said calmly. "Once we're married, no one can touch you—not your father, not your past. In exchange, I get to shut my family up."
Serena leaned back in her seat, the silence growing heavy. As crazy as it was… he had a point.
Her adoptive father was ready to throw her to the wolves—again.
And Damien, for all his cold detachment, was offering her protection… in his own twisted way.
"Fine," she said after a long pause. "But this is business. No strings, no expectations."
Damien's lips curved into something almost like a smirk. "Marriage is always business, Serena. I just happen to negotiate well."