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CHAPTER 16: FIRST TENSION

Author: M. Crown
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-26 16:44:22

I closed the front door gently behind me, leaning against it for just a moment. My heart was still racing from seeing Caleb. I hadn’t realized how late it was until I noticed Damien’s car already parked outside.

When I turned, he was there in the living room, pulling at his tie, his dark eyes immediately finding me.

“Where were you?” His voice wasn’t sharp, but it carried enough weight to make my stomach turn.

I froze. A thousand answers ran through my head, colliding and scattering before I could grab one. Should I tell him? Should I admit I had gone to see Caleb? But no—no, I couldn’t. Caleb is the one piece of my life I can’t risk. He’s mine, my safe place. Handing Damien that knowledge would be like giving him a loaded gun that could go off at any moment.

So I forced myself to shrug. “Out.”

Damien tilted his head slightly, like he was studying me. “Out where?”

The question felt like a spotlight. My chest tightened, heat creeping up my neck. If I tell him, he’ll want more details.
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  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 22: ECHOES OF THE PAST

    The next morning, I tried to act normal. Really, I did.But it was impossible to forget the way Damien’s lips had pressed against mine last night or the way my entire body had caught fire when he pulled me close.So I did the only logical thing: I buried myself in my coffee, refusing to meet his eyes across the breakfast table.“Good morning, Mrs. Blackwood,” Damien said, his voice smooth and annoyingly calm. As if nothing had happened. As if I hadn’t practically melted against him last night.I muttered something that sounded like “morning”, at least to me, and reached for the cream, determined not to look at him. Big mistake. Because the second I did glance up, his lips curved into that infuriating smirk.“Relax,” he drawled. “I don’t bite… unless provoked.”Heat rushed to my face so fast I nearly choked on my coffee. He was teasing me on purpose.“You’re insufferable,” I snapped, glaring at my cup.“And yet…” His chair scraped slightly as he leaned closer, his voice dropping low en

  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 21: FIRST KISS

    The ride back felt endless. Damien sat beside me, his phone glowing in his hand, his expression unreadable as he fired off clipped words to whoever was unlucky enough to be on the other end. I kept my eyes fixed on the city lights flashing past the tinted windows. Anything to distract myself from the mess in my chest. The night had been… too much. The glittering auction, the eyes on me, the way Damien’s hand had tightened over mine when his mother’s portrait appeared. And then me, bidding like a lunatic because I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else taking it. My heart still hadn’t settled. Every time I thought of it, I wanted to kick myself. “Half a million,” Damien said suddenly, ending his call. His voice cut through the silence like a knife. I stiffened. “Here it comes.” He turned his head, one brow raised. “Here what comes?” “The lecture. The part where you tell me I’m reckless and stupid for throwing around money like—” “Like a Blackwood?” he interrupted. I blinked.

  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 20: THE AUCTION

    I stared at Damien across the breakfast table, his words still echoing.“A charity auction,” he’d said casually, as if announcing the weather.Apparently, his family had founded it years ago, and it ran annually to raise funds for orphanages across the country. Tonight, it was my turn to make my public debut as Mrs. Blackwood.Of course. Because surviving one dinner wasn’t enough.By the time we arrived at the grand hall, I was already regretting my life choices. The place glittered like something out of a movie, chandeliers dripping crystals, violins playing softly in the background, and waiters moving like clockwork with trays of champagne.Damien walked beside me, composed and magnetic in his tailored suit. He looked like he belonged to this world, and me? I felt like a kid sneaking into an adult party.“Relax,” he murmured, his hand brushing the small of my back. It wasn’t much, just a light touch, but it sent my nerves scattering.“Remember, tonight we’re perfect. And you...... h

  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 19: LIMITED EDITION COOKING

    The ride home felt like torture. Damien stayed glued to his phone, speaking in clipped tones to whoever was on the other end, his jaw hard and unreadable. I sat rigid in my seat, staring out the tinted window, pretending that the city lights were fascinating. My heart still hadn’t slowed down, and every few seconds I caught myself about to touch my lips, as if they might still carry the ghost of something that never happened.By the time we got back to the penthouse, the silence was deafening. Damien tossed his jacket onto the couch, loosened his tie, and went straight to the liquor cabinet. I hovered by the door, my heels pinching my feet, unsure whether to speak or just disappear into my room.He poured himself a glass of whiskey, took a long sip, then finally glanced at me. His face was cool, detached, as if nothing had happened in that car.“Go change,” he said flatly. “You look uncomfortable.”I blinked. That was it? After all that? After almost—“Is that all you’re going to say?

  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 18: THE DINNER TEST

    I stood in front of the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time, smoothing down the sleek black dress I had chosen. My closet was overflowing now, thanks to Damien’s card but somehow, with all those options, I still couldn’t decide what made me look like the wife of a billionaire CEO. I looked… nice and presentable. But was that enough?Damien leaned casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching me. “It’s boring,” he said finally, his tone flat. “Elegant, yes. But too boring.”I turned, narrowing my eyes. “Boring? You make it sound like I’m going to war.”He smirked. “You are. A different kind of war. Business dinners are battlefields, Cara. People judge with their eyes before they even hear you speak.”I swallowed down the sudden nerves bubbling in my chest. “Well, this is what I’m wearing. Take it or leave it.”His gaze lingered on me, sharp, assessing. For a moment, I thought he might actually smile, but instead, he just muttered, “Fine. At least your face saves t

  • LOVE UNDER CONTRACT    CHAPTER 17: THE PRICE OF HONESTY

    I paced the living room after Damien walked out last night, every step echoing the argument in my head. The fight kept replaying in loops and each time, I heard my own sharp tone, my defensive words, the way I practically pushed him into anger.Deep down, I knew it was my fault. He hadn’t accused me of anything outright; he had only asked where I’d been. But instead of answering, I panicked and built walls around myself. My inner voice whispered the truth I didn’t want to face, that I had gone too far. I was too defensive, too afraid he’d somehow discover Caleb. But what if I had ruined things before they’d even had a chance to be better?Damien didn’t come home that night. His absence very visible to me. I kept glancing at the door, half expecting it to open, but morning came and the silence remained. By dawn, guilt had already settled heavily in my chest.I decided I would make things right.The next morning, I went into the kitchen, determined to cook breakfast. It felt strange, a

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