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Chapter 5: The Public Announcement
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2025-03-23 23:21:27The next morning met Isla at the well-furnished bedroom Damien had ushered her into the previous night.
She blinked her eyes slowly on the bed, adjusting to the light glow as the events of the previous day came rushing back, she sat up abruptly, the weight of her decision passed down her chest like a stone. Yesterday, she had arrived here as Isla Carter, a betrayed and bitter divorcee desperate for revenge. Today, she woke up as Isla Blackwood, wife to perhaps the most ruthless and wealthiest man in the city. A stranger. A billionaire whose motive she still couldn't grasp. The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Damian standing in the doorway, his tall, imposing figure framed by the light of the room. His presence seemed to fill the room, the air growing heavier as his gaze met hers. Isla felt exposed and vulnerable and quietly pulled the sheet tighter around her. For a moment, Damien said nothing, he simply watched, his expression unreadable. Then he stepped inside, holding out an elegant black gown. "You should get dressed," he muttered coolly. "We have a meeting." Isla's face was instantly filled with lines making her hesitate as she collected the gown. Suspicion was in the tone of her voice when she asked, "With who?" Damien smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes before he nodded once to say, "The press.” ~~~ At about 2p.m, Damien and Isla stepped out of his black Limousine; cameras flashed with a speed that almost blinded their eyes, capturing every angle. Isla was still trying to get used to this when she felt Damien’s hand sliding into her own. She bit her lip. Her fingers felt like dried sticks in his own, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he dug further into them, making her hold her breath. Why was he being too romantic? “Smile,” Damien murmured, his lips barely moving as he leaned closer. “Let’s give them a show.” A show? She doubted her skills as an actress but what could she do? This was all part of what she signed. Isla forced herself to take a deep breath, her chest tightening as she lifted her chin and curved her lips into a small, controlled smile. She could feel the weight of hundreds of eyes on her, the whispers and murmurs growing louder as they approached the red carpet. "Damien Blackwood… married?!" "Isn't this Nate Hayes's ex-wife?" "Mr. Blackwood! Why are you with Mr. Hates ex-wife?" The questions came rapid-fire, but Damien didn’t stop to answer. He kept moving, his grip on Isla’s hand firm. She could feel the tension in his posture, the way he exuded control even amid chaos. ~~~ Meanwhile, across town, Nate was in the middle of one of his company's quarterly board meetings when the vibration from his smartphone interrupted him. He ignored it at first, focusing on the meeting, but the vibration refused to stop. Finally, with an irritated sigh, he excused himself into the hallway, and Vanessa followed behind. His new wife, Vanessa, also a member of the board and who was seated right next to him, shot him a questioning look. “What’s going on?” Vanessa asked, her brow furrowed as Nate pulled out his phone. The moment he unlocked his phone, his face went pale. The first photograph that appeared was his ex-wife, Isla, standing beside Damien Blackwood, her hand resting on his arm. Nate’s stomach dropped as he zoomed in, his heart pounding in his chest. There is no mistake, that was Isla, and she was with him. "Holy hell!" He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Vanessa leaned in, her eyes widened as she took in the image. "No way,” she said, her voice tingling with disbelief. “There’s no way she moved on that fast. She was at my house just a few days ago. She didn’t look… married.” Nate wiped the sweat from his temple before zooming the picture just to be double sure. But there was no mistake. Nate wiped a hand over his face, his mind racing. “What the hell is she doing with him?” he muttered, more to himself than to Vanessa. ~~~ Back at the event, the chaos showed no signs of slowing down. A bold reporter managed to push through the crowd, shoving a microphone toward Damien. "Mr. Blackwood, is this marriage real? Why are you with Nate Hayes' ex-wife?" She demanded, her voice cutting through the silence. The room seemed to hold its breath as all eyes turned on Damien. Damien glanced at Isla, who was trying hard not to look hit by the question, before turning back to the reporters. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around Isla's waist and pulled her close. Before she could react, his lips were on hers. “Hun!” Everyone gasped. Isla’s body went stiff on instinct and her eyes went wide. She could not help but play along however his lips sent a weird sensation through her, making her respond to the kiss in a way that felt dangerously real. At this point, the cameras were not flashing, they were exploding, a few people even clapped while the others watched through their opened mouths. And just like that, the world had registered her as Damien Blackwood’s wife. ~~~ Hours later, back at Damien's penthouse, Isla barely waited a second for the door to close before spinning around to face him. “Why did you kiss me?” she demanded with a mix of anger and confusion. Damien loosened his tie, looking as unbothered as ever. “You’ll have to get used to it,” he said, his voice low and steady. “This is just the beginning.” Isla stared at him, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t just a game. It was his game. And she had stepped onto the board with a man who never lost.
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The bedroom door slammed behind Isla with satisfying force. She pressed her back against it as if the solid wood could shield her from the memory of Damien's lips on hers. Her fingers rose instinctively to trace her mouth—still warm from his kiss. “No.” She shoved away from the door, pacing the length of the extravagant bedroom like a caged panther. The room was a masterpiece of cold elegance—all steel grays and icy blues, the furniture so pristine it might never have been touched. Just like its owner. “It was all for the cameras. Just for the damned cameras. It meant absolutely nothing!” She kept repeating to herself like someone fighting a powerful spell. But her traitorous body remembered too well: the firm pressure of his mouth, the possessive grip of his hands at her waist, the way her pulse had stuttered when he had pulled her close. “Gosh! Things were going too fast.” She was still thinking when a sudden knock on the door sounded, cutting off her spiral thoughts. “Wh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 7: Unwritten Rules
Ever since Isla had signed a contract with Damien, she had become familiar with a new kind of freedom. A life that was the complete opposite of the one she shared with Nate. Back then, she had been a full-time housewife, but there had always been something to do. She would run the errands for his grandparents, do the shopping, oversee the house maintenance, and even scrub the damn floors herself. In Damien’s world, that life was nonexistent. Isla felt like a ghost in the big house with its numerous staff. There was even a time she had attempted to cook just to remind herself of the life she once lived but one of the maids, Amelia, had stopped her with a look so grave it was as though she had attempted to commit a crime. "Mr. Blackwood doesn’t like his wife working." It was perhaps after that particular encounter that the realization came upon her like a heavy cloak. If she stayed like this doing nothing, she would suffocate. The boredom would destroy her before the contract ev
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Since the red carpet announcement, Isla's phone hadn't stopped ringing—calls from her parents, her sister Sophia, and everyone trying to reach her. But she couldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had no words to explain. How could she tell them she had been essentially kidnapped by her ex-husband's billionaire rival? That he had offered the perfect revenge in exchange for marriage? They would think she had lost her mind. So she kept ignoring them, buying time to plan.Saturday morning brought a rude shock. Right after breakfast, a security guard burst in. "Your family is at the gate ma’am.”For a paralyzing moment, Isla stood frozen, panic turning her limbs to stone. Damien was home. This couldn't be happening."Tell them I'll be out in a minute," she managed to whisper, the words sticking in her dry throat.Minutes later, Isla finally summoned the courage to step out of the house. From a distance, she spotted her father, Robert Carter, standing firm at t
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The stylists were done and left a moment ago. Now Isla stood alone in her room gazing into her reflection in the mirror to see their finished work.They had transformed her into a goddess.The deep emerald necklace on her neck shone under the light. The glow of her face intimidated her. The dress they had selected was impeccable: a velvet gown whose off-shoulder cut exposed the smooth, shiny lines of her collarbones.“Great job,” She whispered.This is what being the wife of Damien Blackwood meant. It was nothing like before when she was just a glorified maid bound to the kitchen.Now she was someone stronger. Someone who belonged in this world of power and ruthless ambition. Someone who was not allowed to be vulnerable. But was she?She hummed, not allowing herself to pursue the thought further. “It was almost time for the party.”~~~Isla stepped out about five minutes later, moving with careful control, the sound of her heels steady against the glittery floor. Something switched
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Days later, Isla was sitting alone in the office of her new boutique, her manicured fingers eagerly skimming over the contract papers spread before her. From what she was seeing, her business proposal had won multiple grants, zero-interest loans, and exclusive sponsorships. One after another, the contracts bore the names of the high-profile investors and elite brands that had endorsed her. This was the kind of win she ordinarily would have spent years trying and failing to get the attention of, but like magic, it was lying freely on her palms.“Wait…is this for real?”Her expression hardened slightly as she queried herself. It was true that she had worked tirelessly for this, she had poured every element of her ambition into this dream business for some time now.But even so… this came way too easy.“Too convenient.”Just like that? Her brows knitted as she leaned back into the chair in contemplation. The rhythmic tapping of her finger against the desk echoed softly as she tried to
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“Ugh God!” half-sleepy, with a half-repetitive beeping from her phone stirring her awake the next morning.With a sluggish roll of her hands, she picked up the phone and sat up slowly before finally lifting it to see a train of new notifications waiting on her screen.She blinked, letting her vision adjust to the light before swiping further."Isla Carter’s Success: Talent or Just Another Rich Man’s Wife?"That was the title of the main headline people were tagging her to. Her pictures with both Nate and Damien were placed side by side,, and under the main post, over a hundred thousand people had commented in less than three hours.A cold feeling ran down her spine, as her face started to get dark with foreboding. She swallowed, forcing herself to scroll further down.The main post she found beneath the pictures was worse;It painted her as nothing more than a former secretary who had merely married her way into success, someone whose achievements were not the result of talent but of
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Vanessa woke up feeling victorious. She stretched and yawned luxuriously. Today was yet another day to watch Isla Carter getting dragged through the filth of public scorn. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed wearing a smirk. And guess the best part of it all? Vanessa hadn’t even lifted a finger; it was someone else from the sky who had taken it upon himself to do the dirty work. With some effort, she pushed herself up and wanted to rearrange a pillow when a glow from her phone caught her attention. She paused with brows lifted. “More news, perhaps?” Another wave of disgrace for Isla? Well, she certainly wasn’t complaining. Vanessa picked up the phone with a quick flick of her wrist, bringing it closer, prepared to relish every detail. But the moment the words on the screen greeted her face her smirk died an instant death. It was like a dagger straight to the throat. She blinked, then blinked again, as a sudden fever began to descend on her, The headlines weren't ab
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“We’re expected at the Blackwood estate for dinner,” This was the cold, impassive tone that Damien had used to suddenly inform Isla that they would be visiting his family by the evening of the same day. Isla blinked, momentarily stunned. The same Damien who never spoke of his family? He wants “her,” his fake contract wife, to go see them tonight. What could have happened?She studied him carefully, searching his face for any indication of what this meant to him. But his face remained as it usually was… carved in stone. Then as if sensing the silent question in her eyes, he made a dismissive gesture to add, “It’s just a formality. Nothing else.” But Isla was far from believing that. ~~~ The evening of the dinner arrived, and Isla found herself marveling with glowing eyes as their car approached the grand structure. Old money, prestige class, history; It all loomed in the twilight. Yet, despite the awe-inspiring sight a growing anxiety was disturbing her gut. Soon she will be f
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His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 37: Just a Kiss
Damien’s lips crushed against Isla’s own hungrily, as she opened up her mouth to receive his tongue even deeper.His hands circled the curve of her waist. And slowly he guided, until the back of her knees started to meet the edge of the bed.While all these were happening, Isla’s mind was screaming for clarity and the use of common sense, but her body, on the contrary, was trembling from the confusion of wanting something she knew she shouldn’t.She didn’t understand how it had all happened so fast, his sudden rough pull that had taken her by surprise.And now, like somebody under a spell, she was pulling him closer, her lips answering his own like they were following something lost.Her heartbeat was growing louder by the second. Deep down, she knew this wasn’t right. It wasn’t smart. It wasn’t part of the deal.And yet…She couldn't stop herself, let alone Damien.The backs of her legs gave in, and she fell gently onto the bed. Damien followed without a word, mounting her as he d
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 36: No One Came
Damien was busy in his office on the afternoon of the following day. So busy that he couldn't even look at the clock, and he didn’t actually need to. For Damien, time has always been measured by performance, in deals closed and stocks rising. That was how he had built this empire in the first place. His head was still bowed in this manner when he noticed that his phone was ringing with an incoming call. Damien's brows pulled together with the slightest annoyance. He let out a vague, irritated sound before finally dragging his arm over to grab the phone. Flashing on the screen was the contact ID of his friend Collins. A knowing huff escaped him. “What now…” He muttered under his breath, more to himself than to the man calling, tapping the green icon without much enthusiasm. But before he could get a single word out, Collins’s voice urgently blared through the receiver, his tone heavy with a worry that was not typical of him at all. “Hey man, check your phone. You’re trending… and i
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 35: A Healthy Dose of Nostalgia
It has been two weeks now since Caden returned to the city. And with Isla having him around, it was like reliving the good old days over again.Caden appeared to have brought with him that part of her life that had not been touched by the mess and the chaos that now defined the rhythms of her new life.It gave her the life before Damien, before Vanessa, before Nate. Before all of them.She found herself remembering the times when Caden used to yank her out of her overfilled schedule with a cup of coffee and a smirk, telling her she was way too brilliant to be this boring.How he would make her laugh no matter how bad her day was going or was.They had been close. Too close, maybe.There was even a point when she once dared to hope that the flutter in her chest whenever he was around her meant something more.But funny enough, it was Caden himself who had insisted that they remained just friends. And somehow, it felt like those old, meaningful, fun years had been folded into seconds.
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 34: The Woman Who waited
The guest wing of the Damien's mansion was exceptionally quiet on this morning. Damien himself had since left for work and as for Isla, she was still up-stairs locked up as was usual with her nowadays, particularly with exchange that had happened yesterday between herself and Damien.However, somewhere in corner of the same room, sitted perfectly on the edge of a chaise with her back straight and one leg elegantly crossed was Isabella.Her phone was held gently to her ear as he seemed to talking to someone via call.But the tone she was speaking with was suspiciously low, edged with something like dark motive.“Yes,” She whispered first and then stopped to pause.Her eyes glancing around the room briefly, and expertly as if to be sure she was alone.And indeed there was no one else around.This realization made her shoulders drop more relaxedly.When she spoke again, her tone sounded a little firmer and yet a little quicker,“He’s starting to crack trust me… much easier than I thou
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 33: No One Win
Nate didn't say a word the moment he and Vanessa got home from the gala later that night, and on entry, he just held the door open.Vanessa followed right after, her face tightly composed in a way that only made the storm behind her eyes more obvious. Her spine was stiff and her arms both crossed.The door shut with a dull thud behind them.Vanessa exhaled sharply and began pacing the expansive living room. Nate had stopped just a few steps from the door. His hands were deep in his pockets, his posture rigid but calm too calm. A few seconds after this, Vanessa suddenly lost whatever cool she had been trying to keep, she spun around abruptly, her voice ringing out like thunder,"What the hell was that back there, Nate?"She asked with her arms flying out wildly, "I mean... Did you begin by messaging her a few days back? Now you're trying to get her attention right where I was? Or wait a second…”She paused with a finger touching her temple.“Do you still love her? Is that it? Or
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 32: The Breaking Point
The silence between them became tighter, Damien’s dark eyes continued to narrow slightly as the tension between them doubled in heat.Neither of them looked away. Their gazes clashed, as the seconds dragged by to the point that even the extra large sitting room appeared to be getting smaller around them.Finally, Damien’s voice brought an end to the silence, the tone of it, low and accusing."Are you playing with me?"He said and moved closer, one deliberate step at a time, "You told me you had a meeting,” Damien continued.“Was this meeting of yours Caden Blake?”At the mention of the name, Isla blinked once, her lashes brushing her cheek, and then she let out a short, bitter scoff. Her arms looked like they were going stiff at her sides.“Wait. Did you just say meeting?” She asked with raised brows.“That’s your problem? A meeting? The same one I wasn’t even properly informed about?”She hadn’t even finished when Damien’s voice snapped with impatience, cutting her off with a shar
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 31: What the Hell Happened Tonight?
Caden’s lips twitched after Damien bounced his handshake, holding the other man’s gaze steady, his eyes quiet but alert. The heated moment was soon interrupted when the Damien's step sister, the ever cheerful Clarissa who was also in the event breezed completely unaware of the faceoff. “Oh! There you two are!” she exclaimed light heartedly, her attention flitting between the tense men. “Hi Damien!” she added with a quick hug to her stepbrother who barely hugged her back before her eyes brightened further at the sight of Isla. “You’re looking gorgeous issy!” she gushed, looping an arm through Isla’s own without hesitation. “Come, I want to introduce you to someone, he’s crazy about fashion and French cheese.” Isla blinked, a little thrown off but allowed herself to be led, casting a last glance over her shoulder as Clarissa chattered away. Damien waited only for about two seconds before his face returned to Caden. The sharpness in his eyes remained, but his voice was
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 30: The Gala Gambit
Isabella was literally glued to Damien's side as they arrived at the venue of the Blake Group’s much-anticipated gala later that night.Damien's attention seemed to be elsewhere, despite being right beside her. His eyes were vague and distant.And when they finally got into the main hall, his eyes swept the entirety of the large room the moment they were past the door.He looked searching, he looked calculating.It was obvious he wasn’t here just to sip wine or listen to some bland, repetitive music. Neither was he here to schmooze or pose for staged photos. Not really.As far as Damien was concerned, this was his definition of strategy.The organizers of this event, ”The Blake Group,” were no ordinary conglomerate. It was a machine of influence. Philanthropy was only a scratch on the surface of what they were actually about. Beneath it ran an even deeper stream of power: talking about quiet funding for political campaigns, backdoor partnerships with foreign stakeholders, and now,
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 29: Brand New, Familiar Fire
A week had passed now since Damien and Isla's heated exchange and in the days that came by, neither of them had brought it up.Not once. But that did not mean that things had remained the same between them. The exact opposite had happened.Like before, when they had once crossed lines and silently stepped back this time, the retreat wasn’t colored with the tension of attraction but the quiet hostility of emotional distance. It was Isla, especially, who started to draw this line.The leisurely meals she used to cook once in a while had immediately stopped.The waiting up she once did for him whenever he was delayed at work was gone, too. Now, the kitchen belonged fully to the maids again, just the way Damien supposedly preferred it. A contract of convenience right? Nothing more.And Isla stuck to this role with a new stony discipline. Her movements were triangular now; wake. Dress. Work. Return. Sleep. Repeat. No glances nor greetings.At first, Damien acted like he didn’t notice
