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Marry Me Instead

last update publish date: 2026-09-25 17:39:23

I should have walked away.

Instead, another camera flashed, and Damien Blackwood held the car door open like he already knew what I would choose.

“Five seconds, Elena.”

“I don’t take orders from Blackwoods anymore.”

“Good. Then consider it advice.”

Voices grew louder behind me.

“Elena! Did Adrian cheat?”

“Is the wedding cancelled?”

“Who is Damien Blackwood to you?”

That last question made my stomach drop.

I climbed into the car.

Damien followed.

The door shut, and the shouting disappeared.

Silence.

For the first time since finding Adrian with Sabrina, nobody was asking me to forgive anyone.

I looked at Damien.

“Why were you at my wedding?”

“My father invited me.”

“Adrian didn’t?”

“My brother would rather choke.”

Despite myself, I almost smiled.

My phone vibrated.

MOM.

I ignored it.

Then Adrian called.

Decline.

A message appeared.

Where are you?

Another followed.

Come back before you make this worse.

I laughed bitterly.

Damien glanced at me.

“What?”

“He thinks I’m the one making things worse.”

“He thinks you’ll return.”

My head snapped toward him.

“How would you know?”

“Because Adrian has never understood the difference between being loved and being entitled to someone.”

I stared at him.

That sounded personal.

“You really hate your brother.”

“Hate requires more energy than I give him.”

My phone vibrated again.

If you walk away, your mother’s company goes down with you.

My chest tightened.

Damien’s eyes dropped to the screen.

I turned it facedown.

“Don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

“No. I was wondering how long it would take him to threaten you with the company.”

I went still.

“You expected this?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Because your marriage was never just a marriage.”

The car suddenly felt too small.

“What do you know about Hart Industries?”

“Enough.”

“I hate that answer.”

“You’ll hate several things I say tonight.”

“Tonight?”

Damien leaned back.

“You’re not going home.”

I stared at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Your mother will pressure you to save the merger. Adrian will apologize until apologies stop working. Then he’ll threaten you.”

“You don’t know my family.”

“No?”

His gaze met mine.

“Your mother called before you made it out of the hotel. Adrian has already threatened Hart Industries.”

I said nothing.

“And you’re sitting here wondering whether walking away makes you selfish.”

That hit.

Hard.

“Stop pretending you know me.”

Damien’s expression softened.

“I know enough.”

There it was again.

That strange certainty.

Before I could question him, the car entered an underground garage.

“Where are we?”

“My building.”

“No.”

“Elena—”

“I am not going to your apartment.”

“Penthouse.”

I glared at him.

“Thank you. That completely changes things.”

He smiled.

Actually smiled.

It transformed his face.

And for one dangerous second, I understood why women whispered about Damien Blackwood.

Then the smile disappeared.

“You need privacy. Upstairs, nobody gets to you unless I allow it.”

“I don’t need protecting.”

“Maybe not.”

The elevator doors opened.

“But you do need options.”

His penthouse looked exactly like him.

Expensive.

Dark.

Controlled.

I remained near the door.

“What options?”

Damien removed his jacket and walked toward a desk.

A black folder was waiting there.

My uneasiness returned.

“What is that?”

“An alternative.”

“To what?”

“Going back to Adrian.”

“I already ended things.”

“You did. But Adrian doesn’t believe you.”

“That’s his problem.”

“Tomorrow morning, it becomes yours.”

I folded my arms.

“Explain.”

“The Blackwood board meets at ten. Once the failed wedding becomes public, both families will look for a way to repair the merger.”

“And?”

“They’ll decide the easiest solution is you.”

Anger burned through me.

“I’m not marrying Adrian.”

“I know.”

“Then why are we discussing this?”

Damien handed me the folder.

I opened it.

My breath stopped.

At the top were two names.

DAMIEN BLACKWOOD

and

ELENA HART

Underneath them:

MARRIAGE AGREEMENT

I looked up.

“What the hell is this?”

“My proposal.”

I laughed.

He didn’t.

“You’re serious?”

“Completely.”

“I caught your brother cheating less than two hours ago.”

“I know.”

The calmness of his answer irritated me.

“And your response is to propose?”

“My response is to give you another option.”

“You expect me to marry my ex-fiancé’s brother?”

“I expect you to read before deciding.”

I nearly threw the folder at him.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“So I’ve been told.”

I looked down.

Twelve months.

Separate finances.

Separate bedrooms.

No interference with my career.

Public appearances when necessary.

At the end of twelve months, either party could walk away.

“What do you get?”

“Something my family desperately doesn’t want me to have.”

“And I get?”

“Your life back.”

“I don’t need a husband for that.”

“No.”

Damien moved closer.

“But imagine Adrian’s face when the woman he thought would always forgive him becomes his brother’s wife.”

My heartbeat stumbled.

Cruel.

Petty.

Absolutely insane.

And after today?

A tiny part of me loved it.

Damien must have seen something change in my face.

His voice dropped.

“Marry me, Elena.”

I stared at him.

Then my eyes fell back to the agreement.

And I saw the date.

My blood ran cold.

It had been prepared three days ago.

Three days before I caught Adrian cheating.

Three days before my wedding collapsed.

I slowly raised my eyes to Damien.

“You already planned to marry me.”

He said nothing.

“Before I ever became available.”

This time, Damien’s silence was answer enough.

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