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Judged at First Sight
Last Updated:
2025-04-16 22:03:52
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CHAPTER 13ROSE'S POVI descended the staircase slowly, smoothing my dress nervously as I approached the dining room. My mind was still reeling from earlier, my encounter with Evelyn Sterling a blur of sharp words and icy stares.As I reached the bottom step, hushed whispers floated toward me from the partially open door.“You have to trust me on this, Mother,” Damien said, his voice low and firm. “I love her.”My heart skipped a beat.What?For a split second, something warm and unfamiliar rushed through me. Then reality crashed in like a tidal wave.No, no, no. He’s lying, Rose. It’s just for the deal. Stop being ridiculous.I shook my head, pushing away the ridiculous thought as I adjusted my dress one last time and stepped into the dining room.Damien and Evelyn immediately turned to look at me. Evelyn’s sharp eyes scanned me critically, while Damien gave me a small, reassuring smile.“There you are,” Evelyn said, her tone neutral but her gaze anything but.“Good morning,” I said
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CHAPTER 14ROSE'S POV“Honestly, Damien,” she began, lounging back in her chair dramatically, “how are you still this uptight? What happened to the brother who used to sneak out of family dinners with me and bribe the chef to send us cake in the garden?”Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. “That brother grew up and learned how to manage his money instead of squandering it on frivolous things, like you.”“Frivolous?” Diana gasped, clutching her chest in mock outrage. “I am a Sterling, Damien. Everything I do is art, not frivolity.”The sudden image of Diana dramatically arguing her way through a fashion boutique popped into my head, and I couldn’t stop the laugh that burst out of me.“You think it’s funny?” Diana asked, swiveling to face me with an exaggerated pout.“Uh—” I began, but before I could explain, Evelyn cleared her throat.The sound was subtle, yet sharp as a knife. It cut through my amusement instantly, and I snapped my mouth shut, feeling like a child caught misbehavin
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CHAPTER 15DAMIEN'S POVMy mother had finally returned to the Bahamas, leaving me to clean up the mess she’d left behind in the form of Rose’s barely concealed nervousness.My phone buzzed on the desk, snapping me out of my thoughts. I answered without looking at the caller ID. “Damien Sterling.”“Mr. Sterling, it’s me—Jacobs.”The tone of hesitation in his voice was already grating on my nerves. “You’re late,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “I expected your report hours ago.”“I understand, sir, but—”“Don’t start with ‘but,’ Jacobs.” My tone was clipped, every syllable sharpened to a point. “It’s been almost one month. One month, and you still haven’t found anything? Not one goddamn clue?”“Mr. Sterling, with all due respect, this isn’t a straightforward case. The trail went cold years ago. We’ve interviewed everyone who knew her, retraced her steps, even—”“Excuses.” My voice was icy, cold enough to freeze whatever pathetic justification he was about to offer. “That’s all I hear
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CHAPTER 16ROSE'S POVMy phone buzzed incessantly on the coffee table, the vibrations like a persistent mosquito refusing to leave me alone. I groaned, glancing at the screen from my spot on the couch. The group chat with my colleagues had lit up like a Christmas tree, messages popping up faster than I could read them.Why aren’t you picking up, Rose?Seriously, are you ghosting us now?Are you really with Damien Sterling? THE Damien Sterling?We need DETAILS.I sighed, running a hand through my hair. For the past month, I’d been dodging their calls and ignoring their texts. I hadn’t intended to shut them out completely, but explaining my current situation felt impossible.How could I even begin to tell them that I was living in Damien Sterling’s mansion, pretending to be his fiancée, while trying not to implode under the weight of his world?The phone buzzed again.“Fine,” I muttered, picking it up and answering the call. “Hello?”“Finally!” Karen’s voice shrieked through the speaker
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CHAPTER 17ROSE'S POVI couldn’t sleep. Damien’s words from earlier kept replaying in my head, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. “Trophy wife.” Was that all he saw me as? A placeholder, a decoration? My chest tightened just thinking about it. He was such a jerk, and yet, here I was, stuck in his world.I groaned into my pillow, trying to push the thoughts away, but they wouldn’t leave me alone.And then, as if the universe decided to add to my misery, the light in my room suddenly cut off.“What the…” I sat up in bed, squinting into the darkness. The room was pitch black, and for a moment, my heart raced. Was there a power outage? Or… something worse?I reached for my phone, only to remember I hadn’t plugged it in earlier. When I pressed the power button, the screen lit up briefly, showing a pathetic 2% battery life.“Damn it,” I muttered, tossing it back onto the nightstand. This was why I hated technology. I’d never been the type to be glued to my phone—well, except when I was wor
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CHAPTER 18ROSE'S POVI froze, realizing how close we were. My heart raced, partly from the storm, partly from... well, him.I pulled back quickly, brushing my hair out of my face. "Don’t," I said, more to myself than to him.He chuckled, the sound deep and infuriating. "You’re the one who jumped into my arms, Rose. I’m just standing here.""Whatever," I said, shaking my head. "Are you still planning to go outside?""Yeah.. I’m not the one who’s terrified of the dark," he said, his tone maddeningly calm."I am not terrified of the dark," I retorted, narrowing my eyes."Really?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt. "Then why are you holding that flashlight like it’s a lifeline?"I glared at him. "I’m just being practical.""Uh-huh." He crossed his arms, studying me. "So, tell me, can you actually sleep in the dark alone?""Of course, I can," I said, lifting my chin. "What do you take me for?"His gaze was steady, unblinking, and the silence stretched between us. Finally, I sighed, thr
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CHAPTER 19DAMIEN'S POVThe morning sunlight poured in through the windows, casting soft beams across the bed. I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the light. Turning my head slightly, I froze when I saw Rose lying beside me, still sound asleep.Her hair was a mess, splayed out across the pillow like a chaotic halo, and her lips were parted slightly as she breathed softly. There was something about the way the light hit her face, highlighting her delicate features, that made me forget to breathe for a second.Beautiful.The thought came unbidden, catching me off guard. I shook my head, scowling at myself.Stop staring at her, Damien. She’s just... Rose. Nothing more.But my gaze lingered, traveling over the curve of her neck, the way the sheet had slipped down to her shoulder, revealing smooth skin. My jaw tightened as I felt a familiar heat pool low in my stomach.“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, glancing down at myself.Great. Just what I needed—a hard-on first thing
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CHAPTER 20DAMIEN'S POVThe drive to meet Adrian was quiet, but my mind wasn’t.What the hell is wrong with me? Why does her smile stick with me like that? She’s just Rose. Nothing more.I pulled up to the sleek, glass-front building where Adrian’s office was located, forcing those thoughts to the back of my mind. I had bigger problems to deal with.Adrian was already waiting when I arrived, sitting at the long conference table with a folder in front of him. He stood up as I entered, offering a sly smile.“Damien,” he said smoothly. “I was starting to think you’d never show.”I sat down across from him, keeping my expression neutral. “Let’s just get this over with.”Adrian chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “You always did have a way with words.”I ignored his jab, glancing at the folder on the table. “So? What’s the deal?”He slid the folder toward me, tapping it with his finger. “The same as before. You sign this, and we finalize the merger. It’s a win-win for both of us.”I opene
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CHAPTER 51 ROSE'S POV The next morning came with silence stretching through the house, a kind of stillness I hadn’t felt in days. Now that Damien’s mother was gone, I could finally exhale. The tension she brought into every room had disappeared with her. I shook off the lingering stress and turned my attention back to my laptop, where my research still waited for me. I’d been at it all morning—scrolling through articles on undercover journalism, jotting down notes, and piecing things together. I couldn’t just sit here pretending to play house. My work, my passion—it still lived inside me, whether or not I was tied to Damien in this bizarre arrangement. Sometime around midday, my phone buzzed beside me. Seraphina’s name lit up the screen. Can we talk? I let out a sharp breath and gripped my phone a little tighter than necessary. No need. If it’s important, just text it. I didn’t wait for her to reply. I just flipped the phone over and focused back on the screen, refusing to let
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CHAPTER 50 ROSE'S POV I froze. My pulse quickened, but I wasn’t surprised. I had already known. Damien had told me, that Lily had been trafficked. I let out a slow breath, my fingers hovering over the keyboard before I forced myself to type: Me: I know. The response came almost immediately, my screen lighting up again before I could even set the phone down. Seraphina: Oh? Getting some balls now? What happened? That man finally letting himself fuck you? I inhaled sharply, my chest tightening as my eyes stayed locked on the screen. Seraphina: Tsk. You must feel so special. Like you’re different. But you’re not. He’ll discard you when he’s done. Just like he does with everyone else. My grip on the phone tightened, my fingers pressing hard against the edges as a slow, uncomfortable heat spread through my chest. I didn’t respond, knowing that anything I said would only give her what she wanted. It wasn’t that I lacked a response. I had plenty. I just refused to give her the satis
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CHAPTER 49 ROSE'S POV I barely took two steps into the sitting room before Damien’s mother lifted her eyes from her tea, her stare landing on me with an intensity that made my stomach tighten. "I hated whatever it was you two were doing last night," she said, her voice calm, but the underlying irritation was impossible to miss. She raised her cup, took a slow sip, then added, "Could’ve kept it down, don’t you think?” My body went rigid. Heat crept up my neck, burning my skin as mortification settled deep in my chest. Oh. My. God. The heat spread, traveling down my neck, pooling in my chest, then sinking all the way to my toes, making it impossible to stand still. I opened my mouth, closed it again, then finally stammered, "I—I’m sorry. I didn’t think—” She waved a hand, brushing it off. "Not my concern. Just saying." Another slow sip. "Walls aren’t as thick as you think.” I wanted the ground to swallow me. Muttering another apology, I spun around and hurried straight to the ki
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CHAPTER 48 DAMIEN'S POV “I don’t give a damn about Lily,” I said, my voice firm. “I want you, Rose.” She shook her head, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. “This wasn’t the plan, Damien.” “Screw the plan.” Her lips parted slightly, her breathing unsteady. I closed the distance between us, trailing my fingers along her jaw. “You’re pushing me away because you’re scared,” I murmured, my voice dropping lower. “But it’s too late for that, Rose.” She didn’t say a word. Not a single breath of protest, just stood there frozen, locked in place. And I sure as hell wasn’t letting her go. She was trying to run again. I could see it in the tension of her shoulders, in the way her hands curled into fists. She refused to meet my eyes, her whole body rigid, every muscle coiled tight, ready to flee. But not this time. “Don’t complicate things,” she whispered softly, her voice almost pleading. “Complicating things?” I scoffed, tightening my grip on her wrist. “The only thing complicated is
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CHAPTER 47 DAMIEN'S POV I woke up feeling… off. A dull, persistent ache throbbed at the back of my head, the kind you get after one too many drinks—or a restless night. I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling heavily before forcing myself to get out of bed. The sheets still carried Rose’s scent, a soft, lingering reminder that she had been there. Once dressed, I made my way downstairs, rolling my shoulders in an attempt to shake off the heavy tension weighing me down. I found Rose in the kitchen, her back turned to me. A soft smile crept onto my lips as I stepped inside. "Morning, sweetheart.” She didn’t answer. Not once did she look at me. Instead, she stared at the plate in front of her, fingers tightening around its edges like she needed something solid to hold onto. My brows knitted together. "Rose?” Still, she said nothing. Then, finally, she turned around, and her eyes were red-rimmed and weary. The sight of her like that was a gut punch. "What’s wrong?" I stepped forwa
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CHAPTER 46 ROSE'S POV I froze. His breathing slowed, turning deep and steady. Seconds stretched into minutes, and eventually, I realized—he’d fallen asleep. I sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Damien…" No response. I lay there for what felt like hours, trapped beneath the warmth of his body, my mind too restless to shut down. Then, sometime in the middle of the night, I felt it. A slow, steady pressure against my thigh. At first, I thought it was an accident—just movement in his sleep. But then his hips rolled. Pressing against me. A low hum escaped his throat. I stiffened. "Damien…?" He didn’t answer. His grip on me tightened, and then, slowly, deliberately, his hips moved again. My breath hitched. "Damien, wake up—" "Mmh…" His lips ghosted over my neck, his breath warm and uneven against my skin. His movements grew more desperate, his body pressing into mine like he couldn’t help himself. Heat bloomed in my chest. "Damien—" A sleepy, broken hum. "Mmh… don’t go…”
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CHAPTER 45 ROSE'S POV I sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead, my fingers idly running along the rim of my glass. My thoughts had been circling the same problem all day, relentless and inescapable. Lily. Damien. And me—falling for the man my sister loved first. This was wrong… wasn’t it? It had to be. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, to push it away, but reality wouldn’t let me. Lately, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. We’d been fucking too much. Every touch, every kiss, and every moment with him had me slipping further, it was like I was losing myself in him. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to stop. I sighed, rubbing my temples. The sharp chime of the doorbell cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I frowned, glancing at the clock. Who the hell would be here at this hour? Smoothing down my dress, I pushed myself off the couch and made my way toward the door. Damien’s mother. Again. She stood on the doorstep, wrapped in an expensive coat, her lips pressed
