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Chapter One: The Prince of Marble Towers
Damian Blackwood was twenty-five and already the master of everything he touched. His father had left him not just a fortune but a legacy—rows of marble towers that gleamed against the skyline, cars that purred like jungle cats, and a reputation that made the business world tremble at the mention of his name. Yet, despite the wealth and the adoration, Damian was restless. Power was intoxicating, but it also left an emptiness that champagne, parties, and women eager to please could not fill.
At first glance, Damian looked untouchable—tall, sculpted jaw, dark hair that fell carelessly yet perfectly in place. His eyes were a sharp steel gray, the kind that held people in place until he decided to release them. People obeyed him out of both fear and fascination. But behind those cold eyes lived a man who had grown tired of predictable games.
One afternoon, while escaping a dull luncheon crowded with hollow laughter and the clink of crystal glasses, Damian strolled into the gardens of his family's estate. That was when he saw her.
She was young, far too young for the world he inhabited. Her dress was simple, her laughter unpolished and free. She moved with an innocence that made the entire world feel less suffocating. She was no society debutante, no polished diamond from his circle. She was… different.
Damian paused, watching her chase a butterfly that darted just out of her reach. Something stirred within him—something he hadn't felt in years. It was not desire in its usual, hungry form. It was curiosity. It was the quiet pull of something pure against the heaviness of his own life.
"Who are you?" his voice carried, smooth and commanding.
The girl turned, startled. Her wide eyes met his, and for a moment she looked as though she had stumbled upon a creature from another world. She clutched the hem of her dress nervously but said nothing.
Damian's lips curved into the faintest smirk. For the first time in years, he felt the thrill of unpredictability.
This, he thought, could change everything.