Hope

Ethan froze, disbelief rendering him completely silent as his mind struggled to process what he had just heard. Had the living Yama truly asked him to marry him? The words felt impossible absurd and unreal like something his broken mind had invented to escape the pain. He stared at Damien desperately, waiting for him to correct himself, to reveal that it was nothing more than a cruel joke. But Damien said nothing. His expression remained calm, composed, and terrifyingly serious, offering Ethan no escape from the reality of what had just been said.

And suddenly, Ethan laughed.

The sound was weak and unsteady, bordering on hysteria, and the movement sent sharp pain shooting through his ribs. Still, he couldn’t stop. The absurdity of the situation overwhelmed him completely. This man the most feared businessman in the country, the living Yama himself was standing in front of him, proposing marriage as if it were nothing more than a simple transaction.

“You…” Ethan breathed between broken laughter, his voice trembling. “You want to marry me?”

Damien did not react. Not even a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

It was then that Ethan’s laughter began to die, the sound fading into nothing as cold realization took its place. Damien wasn’t joking. He wasn’t smiling or mocking him, nor was he impatient or irritated. He was serious. Completely and utterly serious. The truth of it sent cold fear crawling down Ethan’s spine, tightening around his chest until it became difficult to breathe.

Ethan shook his head immediately, panic rising within him. “No… no, that’s…” His voice cracked under the weight of his fear and confusion. “I can’t.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he repeated the single word, “you Can’t?” His voice was calm, but it carried quiet pressure, forcing Ethan to confront the weight of his refusal.

Ethan swallowed hard, his fingers curling into fists against the cold concrete floor as though anchoring himself. “I’m not gay,” he said quickly, instinctively, the words leaving his mouth like a shield he hoped would protect him from whatever this was.

Silence followed.

Damien simply stared at him, his gaze unreadable, as though Ethan had said something insignificant. There was no surprise, no anger or disappointment, to suggest Ethan’s answer had affected him at all. For the first time, Ethan felt completely exposed. Not because of his injuries or the humiliation of his imprisonment, but because this man was looking at him as though his refusal didn’t matter.

Then, slowly, Damien smirked.

“I’m not interested in you,” he said calmly.

The words struck Ethan with unexpected force. Relief came first, immediate and instinctive. But it was quickly followed by humiliation, sharp and bitter. Damien took a slow step forward, his polished shoes echoing softly against the concrete floor, his presence alone enough to make the air feel heavier.

“Do not misunderstand,” Damien continued, his voice cold and precise. “This marriage is not about attraction.”

“It is about utility.”

Ethan’s breathing grew uneven under the weight of those words. Damien crouched slightly, bringing himself closer to Ethan’s level, his composure unshaken, his authority absolute.

“You have something I need,” Damien said.

Ethan frowned weakly, confusion mixing with exhaustion and pain. “I have nothing,” he replied hoarsely.

Damien’s smirk deepened, his cold eyes never leaving Ethan’s face.

“You have your name.”

You are Ethan Vale,” Damien continued. “The legitimate son of the Vale family.”

The words felt like knives twisting into old wounds.

“That name still holds power,” Damien said quietly. “Power your uncle was so desperate to steal that he framed you for murder.”

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“How”

Damien raised a hand slightly, silencing him without touching him.

“I know everything,” Damien said.

The confidence in his voice left no room for doubt.

“I know Stanley Vale betrayed you. I know your brother helped him. And I know exactly how they destroyed your life.”

Ethan’s chest tightened painfully as he said “It doesn't still explain why you want to get married to me”. 

Well it's Because,” Damien said, standing tall, his body radiating hatred, he continued “Your uncle Stanley has wronged me and I need your help to make him pay as you are the key for my Revenge “.

The key?” Ethan whispered, disbelief and fear clashing inside him.

“Yes,” Damien said simply. “You are the heir to the Vale legacy. Your blood, your name, your influence all of it matters. You exist in the perfect position to help me dismantle the Hale empire. And in exchange… you survive. You leave this prison alive. Perhaps even stronger than before.”

Ethan’s body shook. Fear made his mind race, but exhaustion and powerlessness made his body still. “You… you want me to… help you… destroy my own family?”. 

Damien chuckled “Family,you say?, the same people that put you here and left you abandoned?”, his eyebrows raised as he looked at Ethan in amusement. The words hit Damien like a dagger in the chest but it was the truth.

Damien’s gaze lingered on him a moment longer. “Think carefully, Ethan Vale, Time is not on your side.”He did not wait for a response.

As far as Damien was concerned, the offer had been made. Whether Ethan accepted or refused was simply a matter of time.

Damien turned and began walking toward the door, his polished shoes echoing against the cold concrete floor.The door opened, Ethan's breathing grew uneven as panic and desperation clawed at his chest. He knew what awaited him if Damien walked out of that door and never returned. More beatings, humiliation and endless suffering in this hell disguised as a prison.His lips parted.

“I accept.”Damien stopped,His cold eyes fell on Ethan once more, I’ll marry you,” Ethan repeated, now understanding that anything was better than the hell hole he was in now, even making a deal with the devil.