CHAPTER 5

Harper

The fake marriage ceremony was small and private, just enough for the media circus. I wore a simple white dress. Damian looked devastating in his suit. Lily, Damian’s daughter held my hand during the short vows, her small fingers trusting.

I felt like the worst person alive.

Afterward, at the private dinner, Damian was quiet.. Something had shifted since last night. He watched me like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

We returned to the penthouse. Lily had fallen asleep in the car, carried off by her nanny. The moment the door closed, Damian poured two drinks.

“We need to talk,” he said.

My stomach tightened. “About what?”

He set a folder on the table. My mother’s name was on them. “These are the files you’ve been looking for. I had them pulled.”

I reached for them, but he held them back.

“First, tell me the truth, Harper. Did you come here to destroy me?”

The air went still. I thought of my mother’s tear-stained face, her final words: They killed me slowly, baby. Don’t let them do it to you.

“I came for justice,” I said carefully.

Damian’s eyes were unreadable. “Justice… or revenge?”

He slid the folder toward me. On top was a police report I’d never seen. My mother’s death, ruled suicide. But there were notes in the margin.

Possible foul play. Blackwood connection suspected.

My hands shook.

Damian stepped closer. “I didn’t know. But someone in my family did. And now they’re using you against me.”

I looked up at him, tears burning. “What are you saying?”

His voice dropped, rough and intense. “I’m saying we might be on the same side, Harper. But if you’re lying to me, if this is still just about destroying the Blackwoods, then tell me now.”

He cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“Because I’m starting to care about you. And I don’t know if I can survive another betrayal.”

My heart pounded. The truth sat on my tongue, heavy and terrifying.

I opened my mouth to answer.

“Damian, I….”

But I stopped. The words would not come out easy. I pulled back from his hand gently and looked down at the folder again.

Damian waited. He poured more drink into his glass and sat on the couch. “Go on. Say it. I saw how you looked at Lily today during the ceremony. You held her hand like you really cared. Was that part of the act too?”

I sat down across from him. My voice came out soft. “No. Lily is sweet. She whispered to me during the vows that she was happy I was there. She said I looked pretty like a princess. How can I not feel bad? She thinks this marriage is real. She does not know it is all for show.”

He nodded slowly. “She has been through enough. After her mother died, she stopped smiling for a long time. Today at dinner she asked if we could all watch a movie together tomorrow. What did you tell her?”

“I told her yes,” I said. “I could not say no to her big eyes. But Damian, this is getting complicated. At the dinner after the ceremony, you were so quiet. I thought maybe you changed your mind about everything.”

Damian took a sip and looked at me. “I was thinking. Last night after we… Well, after we were together, I got that message. It made me wonder about you. About us. I pulled these files for you because I want honesty now. No more secrets. Tell me about the letter they mentioned. Do you know what it is?”

I shook my head. “What letter? I have looked for information about my mom for years. She always said the Blackwoods took her company in a bad deal. She lost money, friends, everything. She told me they did not care who they hurt. But a letter? I do not know about that.”

He leaned forward. “Someone in my family knows more. The note in the police report talks about possible foul play. It was not just business. Maybe someone made it look like suicide. If that is true, I want to find out too. But I need to know your real plan. Did you take the job at my company to spy? To bring us all down?”

I felt tears in my eyes. “At first, yes. I wanted revenge. My mom spent her last years sick and broken because of what happened. She made me promise to find the truth. I thought all Blackwoods were the same. Cold and cruel. But then I met you in the garden. You were kind that night. You listened to me. And Lily… she is not like the others.”

Damian’s face softened. “I am tired of the family games too. My mother wants power. Ethan wants to prove himself. They fight me on everything. This fake marriage was supposed to fix the scandal and protect Lily. But now it feels like more. When you stood up to my mother, I saw strength in you. Real strength. Not everyone can do that.”

I wiped my eyes. “She scared me. She said I would end up like my mom. Broken and gone. Do you think she knows the truth about what happened back then?”

“Maybe,” he replied. “She knows many secrets. But I am not her. I lost my wife and I know pain. I do not want more pain for Lily or for you. Harper, look at me. If we work together, we can find the real story. The files are yours now. Read them. But tell me, is there any part of you that wants this to be real? Even a small part?”

I held the folder tight. “I do not know. When we kissed on the balcony, it felt real. When Lily held my hand today, it felt real. But I am scared. What if I trust you and you hurt me like they hurt my mom? What if this is another Blackwood trick?”

Damian stood up and came to sit beside me. “It is not a trick. I am starting to care, like I said. I see how hard you try with Lily. She laughed when you fixed her hair before the ceremony. She told the nanny you were nice. That means a lot. I have not seen her this open with anyone since her mom.”

I looked at him. “She asked me if I would be her mommy for real. I told her we would take it one day at a time. But inside I felt terrible. I am lying to a little girl. And now these files… they change things. If someone in your family really did something bad to my mom, then maybe we do have the same enemy.”

He touched my hand. “Yes. We might. But no more hiding. Tomorrow after the press conference, we look at everything together. No secrets. Can you promise me that?”

I nodded slowly. “I can try. But Damian, if I find out your family really caused her death, I do not know if I can stay. Even for Lily.”

“I understand,” he said quietly. “But give us a chance first. Last night when you slept in my arms, I felt peace for the first time in years. Do not take that away yet.”

But the truth still sat heavy in my chest. I opened my mouth to answer.

“Damian, I….”