Chapter 4

The ride from the ballroom to Damien’s penthouse was silent except for the steady hum of the car’s engine.

I sat with my hands clasped in my lap, still trying to process the fact that ten minutes ago, I’d been publicly engaged to Ethan’s older brother.

And he hadn’t even asked if I’d say yes — he’d just told the press.

Damien leaned back against the leather seat, looking as calm as if he’d just concluded a business meeting. His phone was in his hand, his thumbs moving quickly over the screen.

“Was it necessary to humiliate them in front of everyone?” I asked finally, my voice sharper than I intended.

“Yes,” he said simply, not looking up.

I turned to him, my frustration boiling. “You could have told me before you announced we were getting married in front of the world.”

That made him pause. His gaze lifted, steady and unreadable. “If I’d given you time to think, you might have said no.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

He smirked faintly. “It’s supposed to make you realize that hesitation is a luxury you can’t afford right now.”

I looked away, out the tinted window. The city lights blurred past, each one a reminder that my life was no longer my own.

The elevator to his penthouse was private, silent except for the soft mechanical hum.

When the doors opened, I stepped into a space so pristine it could’ve been photographed for a luxury magazine — floor-to-ceiling windows framing the skyline, dark marble floors, sleek furniture in shades of black and gray.

It was beautiful.

It was cold.

Just like him.

Damien walked toward the kitchen island and set his phone down. “Sit.”

I didn’t move. “I’m not a dog, Damien.”

One brow arched. “Then don’t make me repeat myself.”

Reluctantly, I crossed the room and sat at one of the high stools. He poured himself a drink — whiskey, neat — and set the glass down without offering me one.

“Here’s how this will work,” he began, his tone all business. “We marry as soon as possible. Public appearances together — dinners, charity events, business functions. We act like the perfect couple in front of the cameras.”

I folded my arms. “And in private?”

“In private,” he said, meeting my gaze, “we stay out of each other’s way. This is not a real marriage. There are no… expectations.”

Something in my chest tightened — relief, maybe, or disappointment I didn’t want to name. “And after the year is up?”

“We file for divorce. You get a settlement. Your father’s company will be stable, your name will be cleared, and Ethan will be—” His lips curved in a dark smile. “—finished.”

I studied him, trying to read the truth beneath his perfectly controlled exterior. “And why do I get the feeling you’ve been planning this for a while?”

His smirk didn’t falter. “Because you’re smarter than my brother.”

We went over the finer points for nearly an hour — what the media would be told, the prenup, the schedule of events he’d already started arranging.

By the time he finished, my head was spinning.

When I stood to leave, he surprised me by stepping into my path. “Clara.”

I looked up, startled by the way my name sounded on his lips — softer, almost careful.

“Once we do this,” he said, “there’s no going back. You’ll be in my world. My rules. And if you can’t handle that, you should walk away now.”

I swallowed hard. “And if I do walk away?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Then I can’t protect you from Ethan.”

The air between us was thick, charged with something I couldn’t quite define.

Finally, I nodded. “Fine. I’ll play your game.”

His smile was slow, deliberate. “Good. Because I don’t lose.”

And for the first time, I realized I wasn’t sure whether I’d just made a deal with my savior… or my downfall.