chapter 6

Chapter Six: Rules of the Marriage

Elena couldn't take her eyes off the photograph. Adrian stood beside her father with a familiar smile on his face, one that suddenly looked completely different now that she knew there had been a connection between them long before Adrian had entered her life.

She had spent three years believing she knew him.

Three years of trusting him, loving him, and imagining that one day they would build a life together. Yet the photograph suggested that there was an entire part of his life he had deliberately kept hidden from her.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

Damian took the photograph from her hands and placed it on the table.

"My people found it this morning."

"Where?"

"In an abandoned warehouse that belonged to your father."

Elena stared at him.

"And Adrian was there?"

"Not recently. The photograph was taken several years ago."

"Then how could he know my father?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

Elena shook her head, refusing to accept what she was hearing.

"There must be another explanation."

"Perhaps."

"You don't believe that."

"I believe that people rarely stand beside each other for photographs without knowing why."

She looked away, trying to gather her thoughts. Adrian had always told her that he had never met her father before their relationship became serious. He had even complained about how difficult Victor could be whenever Elena mentioned their marriage.

Had all of that been a lie?

Damian watched her carefully.

"You don't have to figure everything out tonight."

"I need to."

"No."

She looked at him sharply.

"You don't get to tell me what I need."

"You're right."

His calm response only frustrated her further.

"Then stop treating me like I'm incapable of handling the truth."

"I'm not."

Damian stepped closer.

"I'm trying to keep you from making decisions while you're emotional."

"I am emotional because my entire life has turned into a lie."

For the first time, the coldness in Damian's expression softened.

"I know."

Those two words caught her off guard.

He didn't sound like the ruthless man everyone described. For a brief moment, he sounded like someone who understood exactly what it felt like to discover that the people you trusted had hidden the truth from you.

Elena lowered her voice.

"Did you ever trust anyone?"

Damian's expression changed again.

"Once."

"What happened?"

"He gave me a reason not to do it twice."

She didn't ask for more.

Something in his eyes told her the subject was closed.

Damian picked up the contract from the table.

"Since you're officially my wife now, there are a few rules you need to understand."

Elena sighed.

"Of course there are."

"First, you never leave the estate alone."

"Fine."

"Second, if you receive a call or message from anyone you don't recognize, you tell me."

She nodded reluctantly.

"Third, don't enter the west wing."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not an explanation."

"It's the rule."

She stared at him.

"And the fourth?"

Damian's voice became quieter.

"Never lie to me."

Elena held his gaze.

"Then don't lie to me either."

He didn't answer immediately.

Finally, he said, "Agreed."

She wasn't sure whether she believed him.

Before she could say anything else, her phone began ringing.

Elena looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

She hesitated.

Damian's expression changed the moment he saw it.

"Don't answer."

Her heart began beating faster.

The phone continued ringing.

"I want to know who it is."

"So do I."

The call ended.

A second later, a message appeared.

Elena opened it before Damian could stop her.

Her face went pale.

There was only one sentence.

You should never have married him.

She looked at Damian.

"How did they know?"

His jaw tightened as he took the phone from her hand.

Another message appeared.

This time, there was a photograph attached.

Elena stared at it in horror.

It showed her standing beside Damian at the mansion gate earlier that morning.

Someone had been watching them.

And whoever it was had been close enough to photograph them without either of them noticing.

Damian's eyes turned dangerously cold.

He immediately called one of his men.

"Lock down the estate."

He ended the call and looked at Elena.

She had never seen him like this before.

"What are you going to do?"

His gaze remained fixed on the photograph.

"Find out who took it."

"And if you find them?"

Damian looked at her.

"Then they'll tell me why they're afraid of my wife."

The word wife sounded strangely different this time.

And Elena couldn't explain why her heart reacted to it.