LOGINAdrian POV “What? She’s Grandpa’s granddaughter-in-law?” I muttered, staring between Ariana and Uncle Damian. I tried to tell myself that Grandpa had misunderstood something. There had to be an explanation. Maybe Damian had brought her here for some other reason. But then I remembered what Uncle Damian had said earlier in the hallway. She’s my wife. The words echoed in my head, and suddenly everything fell into place. So he hadn't been protecting her for some other reason. Ariana was actually his wife. But how? How did Ariana even know my uncle? They had never been introduced to the family. I had never seen her at a single family event, yet here she was, standing beside him as though she had always belonged there. My jaw tightened. I had always believed Uncle Damian wasn't married. So when did this happen? How had Ariana suddenly become his wife without anyone knowing? There had been no wedding announcement, no celebration, nothing in the news. A marriage like this couldn't h
Ariana Pov I stared at him for a moment. The way he said it made it sound as if our marriage were real. I didn't even have time to process the thought before I quickly pushed the thought away. I turned my gaze back to Adrian. He suddenly burst into laughter, placing a hand over his stomach as he laughed. “Whatever game you’re playing, Uncle Damian, stop it,” he shook his head, still looking at me. “You’re just protecting her, and I get it. But you can’t seriously date someone like Ariana. With the kind of reputation she has, she doesn’t deserve you.” He turned his gaze toward me. I immediately looked away, embarrassment washing over me. My head lowered as my fingers tightened around the edge of my dress. He was right, anyway. Damian and I came from completely different worlds. He belonged to a powerful family, while I was just a woman trying to build a life for herself from nothing. What could someone like him possibly see in someone like me? “She’s definitely not the kind o
Ariana Pov I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn’t noticed him. Then I lowered my head, hoping he wouldn’t see me. My mind returned to what had happened earlier, but before I could think about it for too long, I heard a familiar voice. “Uncle Damian.” I raised my head, wondering who had suddenly come to see Damian at the hospital this late. My eyes widened when I saw who was standing in front of him. Adrian. He extended his hand toward Damian. “It’s nice to see you, Uncle Damian. I heard what happened with Grandpa. Is everything okay?” Damian shook his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. “Oh, it’s fine, nephew. Nothing to worry about.” My gaze darted between them as realization slowly sank in. Why was Adrian calling Damian his uncle? Adrian had never told me he was part of the Cole family. He had never mentioned that his family was one of the richest and most powerful families in the city. And now I was standing there, staring at Damian…the man I had agreed to become a contrac
Ariana Pov Damian’s mother suddenly swung toward me, her face twisted with panic. Before I could react, she grabbed my arm tightly.“What did you do to my father?” she demanded, her voice breaking. “He was fine before he ate that cake!”My eyes widened.“I—I didn’t do anything,” I stammered, tears filling my eyes. “I swear, I don’t know what happened to him.”“What did you put in that cake?” she snapped, her fingers tightening around my arm.“I didn’t put anything in it!” I cried. “I swear, I would never hurt him.”Tears slipped down my cheeks as I glanced toward Grandpa Harrington who was still motionless in Damian’s arms.“I only brought the cake because it was his birthday.” I didn't mean for all of this to happen.“Enough.”Damian’s voice cut through the room.Before I could say anything, he stepped forward and pulled me out of his mother’s grip, moving me behind him.I stumbled back a step, my heart pounding.Damian stood between us, his expression hard.“Ariana is carrying the
Ariana Pov The Cole family heirloom on my finger caught my attention. I slowly turned the ring, watching the diamond catch the light. My fingers continued to fidget with it. A strange feeling settled in my chest. Why did I suddenly feel so nervous about meeting Damian’s family? I was still staring at the ring when a knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” I said. The maid stepped inside. “Mrs. Cole, Mr. Cole asked me to inform you that he’s already waiting for you.” “I’ll be down shortly.” She turned to leave, but another maid appeared carrying a large, beautifully decorated cake. “Mrs. Cole, the delivery man brought this for you a few minutes ago.” My face brightened. “Oh, thank you.” I carefully took the cake from her. With my purse over my shoulder and the cake held securely in my hands, I made my way downstairs. When I stepped outside, Damian was already standing beside the car, one hand tucked into his pocket, his expression impatient. His eyes settled on me. “What took you so
Ariana Pov The bedroom door swung open just as I reached for my towel to cover my body.Damian walked in.I froze.For one terrifying second, I stood frozen, completely exposed before him, immediately grabbed my white shirt and pressed it against my body.Damian suddenly turned his back, one hand covering his eyes.“Oh.” His voice tightened. “I didn’t mean to barge in on you. The door wasn’t locked.”“You should have knocked before coming in.” I quickly pulled the shirt over my head. “That’s how privacy works. You don’t just walk into my bedroom because you own the whole house.”“Are you going to lecture me about privacy now?” he shot back. “You were the one who left the door unlocked while you were taking a shower.”“Why didn’t you shut the door?”“So it’s my fault now?”I buttoned my shirt and glared at him.“You walked in without knocking. You can turn around now, you jackass.”Silence.Then Damian slowly turned around.His eyes fixed on me, giving nothing away.“What did you just







