Chapter 5

Nia sat on the edge of the small bed in the cramped room she’d been renting, her hands gripping the thin blanket like it was the only thing holding her together. Tears blurred her vision, but she forced them back. She had no one to lean on now, no family to take her in, no friends she could trust.

A sudden knock on the door startled her. She wiped at her eyes quickly, taking a shaky breath before opening it.

Standing there was Damien Aldridge. The billionaire. The man she’d spent that terrible night with, though she hadn’t seen his face back then. Now, in the light of day, he was almost too beautiful to look at: tall and broad-shouldered in a tailored black suit that fit him like it had been made for his powerful frame. His hair was dark and perfectly tousled, his gray eyes sharp and unreadable as they took her in.

“Who… who are you?” she stammered, her voice trembling.

His lips curved into a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m the man from that night, Nia,” he said, his voice low and smooth, each word wrapped in authority. “The one who woke up beside you.”

Her breath caught. “You… you found me?”

He stepped forward, his presence filling the tiny room. “Yes,” he said simply. “I had to.”

She swallowed, backing away until she bumped into the edge of the bed. “Why?” she whispered.

He let out a breath, his gaze locked on hers. “My family has a tradition. The woman I sleep with… she becomes my wife.”

Nia stared at him, her mouth falling open. “What?” she breathed.

He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body. “I’ve investigated everything, Nia. I know what happened to you. I know you were drugged, that your so-called best friend framed you, and your husband… your ex-husband… turned his back on you without a second thought.”

His words cut her like a knife, but there was no pity in his eyes—only a fierce determination. “I don’t expect you to forgive me for that night,” he continued. “But I can give you something your ex-husband took from you. My name. My protection.”

She clenched her fists at her sides. “You’re talking about marriage,” she said, her voice tight.

“Yes,” he said, his voice firm. “I’m offering you marriage, Nia.”

She laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in the small room. “Marriage? To a man I barely know? Because of some… family tradition?”

Damien’s eyes narrowed, a muscle ticking in his strong jaw. “I’m not offering this because of duty alone,” he said. “I want to make things right for you. And if we’re both honest… you need someone who can protect you now. Someone who can give you back everything that was stolen from you.”

She turned away, tears pricking her eyes. “You don’t understand. My heart is shattered. I’ve been humiliated, abandoned… everything is gone.”

His hand came up, brushing her hair back gently. “I know,” he said softly, his voice a caress. “And that’s why I’m here. Let me help you rebuild. Let me be the man who stands beside you when no one else will.”

She looked up at him then, searching his eyes. There was no softness in them—only an unwavering promise. A man who always got what he wanted. A man who was offering her an escape.

“And what do you get out of this?” she asked, her voice cracking.

His lips curved, the hint of a smirk playing there. “I get you,” he said simply. “A woman who didn’t deserve what happened to her. A woman who deserves to rise again.”

She flinched at his intensity. “I don’t even know you,” she said. “How can I trust you?”

“You don’t have to trust me right now,” he said. “Just know that I’m offering you something no one else will. A chance to start over. A chance to stand tall in front of the people who tried to destroy you.”

Nia closed her eyes. Images flashed through her mind: her husband’s fury, her best friend’s betrayal, the pitying stares of neighbors as she was thrown into the street. She felt raw, broken, but something in Damien’s voice sparked a tiny flame in her chest.

Bitterness. Rage. And the desperate need to claw back her pride.

“Marriage…” she whispered, tasting the word. “You want to marry me so you can follow your family’s rules. And I… I want to marry you because I’ve lost everything.”

He reached out, his hand cupping her cheek. “Not everything,” he said, his touch firm and grounding. “You haven’t lost yourself, Nia. And if you say yes… I’ll make sure no one ever tries to take anything from you again.”

His fingers brushed her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked at him—really looked. The fierce power in his eyes, the confident set of his shoulders, the way he seemed so unshakable. She felt her breath catch, her heart thudding in her chest.

“All right,” she said finally, her voice shaking but strong. “I’ll marry you.”

His lips twitched, just the barest hint of triumph in his eyes. “Good,” he said, his voice low and rough. “We’ll do this properly. You’ll have my name, my protection… and my world at your feet.”

She lifted her chin. “But this isn’t love,” she said. “This is convenience. Bitterness.”

He nodded once, his eyes darkening. “Yes. Bitterness… but also opportunity.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “Then I’ll take it,” she said. “I’ll marry you. And I’ll make sure the people who tore me down see me rise again.”

A slow smile spread across Damien’s face, dangerous and confident. “That’s my girl,” he said softly.

He took her hand then, his touch warm and sure. “Pack your things,” he said. “You’re coming with me. We’ll make the arrangements in secret. No one will know… until I’m ready to reveal it.”

Nia nodded, her mind whirling. She didn’t trust him—how could she? But in his offer, she saw a way to stand again. A way to take back the dignity that had been stolen from her.

As she packed the few belongings she had, Damien stood back and watched her. There was something in his gaze she couldn’t name—something that made her pulse jump in her throat.

When she turned to him, her suitcase in hand, he stepped forward and took it from her, his muscles flexing effortlessly. “From now on,” he said, his voice like velvet and steel, “you’re mine, Nia. And no one will ever hurt you again.”

She swallowed hard, letting him lead her out of the room. Her heart still ached, but in that moment, she realized she’d stopped feeling like a victim. For the first time since that night, she felt a glimmer of power.

It wasn’t love. Not yet. But it was something. And she would take it.