Carmela Blake never imagined her life would spiral into chaos. Once a rising fashion designer, her dreams crumble when her family faces financial ruin. To save them, she agrees to a loveless marriage with Damion Blackwood, a billionaire CEO whose icy exterior hides dangerous secrets. To the world, their marriage is a perfect union of power and wealth. But behind closed doors, it’s a battlefield of clashing wills, unresolved passions, and painful betrayals. Carmela soon discovers Damion’s true motives—he’s using their marriage to settle a score from the past
View MoreThe Blackwood estate felt heavier than usual, its towering walls holding a tension that seeped into the very air. Carmela wasn’t sure if it was because of everything that had happened with Adrian, or if she was simply more attuned to the unspoken weight Damion carried on his shoulders.But today, there was something else.Something she couldn’t quite place.She adjusted the hem of her dress as she sat on the plush sofa in the grand sitting room, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the fabric. She had been told her parents were coming to visit, but she hadn’t expected to feel this uneasy about it.The large double doors opened, and her mother walked in first, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She was dressed impeccably, as always, her hair pinned back in an elegant updo, her face set in an expression of quiet scrutiny as her eyes swept across the lavish surroundings.Her father followed behind, moving with a more hesitant gait.Carmela stood up, smoothing out her dress as she
The ride back to Blackwood Estate was heavy with silence.Carmela sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her fingers curled into her lap, her pulse still erratic from what had happened. The weight of the phone in Damion’s pocket felt like a bomb waiting to detonate.She stole a glance at him.His face was unreadable, his grip on the steering wheel firm, knuckles slightly tense. But she could see the storm brewing beneath the surface. It wasn’t just anger—it was something colder. More calculated.Damion wasn’t the type to react impulsively.No, he would wait. Plan. Strike when the moment was right.And that terrified her more than if he had simply exploded in rage.She exhaled softly. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”His jaw flexed, but he didn’t look at her. “Would you?”Carmela hesitated before shaking her head. “No.”Silence stretched between them.Her mind raced with everything she had seen in that room—the bribery, the way Adrian had so casually secured his position, as if
Carmela’s heart pounded violently against her ribs as she locked eyes with Elena.The smirk on the other woman’s lips was calculating, her eyes sharp as they flickered toward the phone Carmela had hastily hidden behind her back.For a second, neither of them spoke.Then, Elena took a slow step forward, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. “What exactly are you doing here, Carmela?” Her voice was sweet—too sweet—laced with mock amusement.Carmela forced herself to straighten, tightening her grip on her phone. “I was just passing by.”Elena arched a perfectly sculpted brow. “Passing by? Or eavesdropping?”Carmela swallowed, trying to keep her expression neutral. “Why would I be eavesdropping?”Elena’s smirk widened. “That’s what I’d like to know.” She tilted her head, studying Carmela carefully. “You looked awfully startled just now. Almost as if you heard something you shouldn’t have.”Carmela’s pulse was frantic, but she forced herself to hold Elena’s gaze. “I don’t k
The next morning, the tension inside Blackwood Enterprises was palpable. The air felt thick with unspoken anticipation, the kind that preceded a storm.Damion sat at the head of the long, polished mahogany table in the boardroom, his expression unreadable, his gray eyes sharp and assessing as he observed the men seated before him. The room was filled with members of the executive board, their postures stiff, their gazes darting toward each other, avoiding his.Everyone knew what was coming.It was time for the vote.At the far end of the table, Adrian leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. He twirled a silver pen between his fingers, a small, amused smirk playing on his lips. It was a silent taunt, a declaration that this was his moment and he intended to savor every second of it.Damion’s second assistant, Victor, stood by the door, his stance rigid, his lips pressed into a thin line. He, too, knew what was about to happen, but like Damion, he gave nothing away.The chairman o
The room was quiet except for the soft rustling of fabric. The steam from the bath still lingered in the air, wrapping around them like a hazy cocoon.Carmela sat at the edge of the bed, wrapped in a plush towel, her damp hair falling over her shoulders. Her body still tingled from the warmth of the bath, from Damion’s touch, from everything that had happened in the past few hours.And now, as she sat there, watching him move through the room with quiet efficiency, she felt something shift inside her.Damion stood by the closet, his back to her, pulling out clothes with practiced ease. He was still shirtless, his muscles flexing slightly as he reached for a neatly folded silk nightgown.Carmela bit her lip. It felt… strange.Not the intimacy. Not even the fact that he was dressing her.But the care in his actions.The quiet way he moved. The way he didn’t rush, didn’t treat her like an obligation, but rather something to be handled gently.It made her chest ache.Finally, he turned, w
The bathroom was dimly lit, steam rising from the marble tub as warm water filled the air with a soft mist. The scent of fresh cedarwood and something faintly citrus—Damion’s signature scent—lingered in the space, wrapping around Carmela like an invisible touch.Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her throat.She hadn’t even recovered from what had happened in the car. Every inch of her body was still humming, sore in ways that made her hyper-aware of him, of them.And now, he wanted her to bathe with him?She swallowed, standing in the doorway, fingers clutching the edge of her robe. She wasn’t sure if she was nervous, shy, or simply terrified that she wouldn’t be able to walk for the next few days if she let this happen.Damion stood at the sink, his shirt already discarded, his back to her. His muscles tensed as he turned on the faucet, testing the water temperature.Without looking at her, he spoke.“Come here.”Carmela’s fingers curled tighter around the fabric of her
The car was silent, save for the sound of their breathing, still heavy, still uneven. The windows were fogged, the cool night air outside a stark contrast to the heat that lingered between them.Carmela lay beneath him, her body still pressed against the leather seat, her fingers tracing mindless patterns along Damion’s back. Her skin tingled with the remnants of his touch, her heartbeat gradually steadying, though the aftershocks of what had just happened still pulsed through her veins.She felt different.Not just physically, but entirely.Like something had shifted between them, something deep, something irreversible.Damion hadn’t moved much, his forehead resting lightly against hers, his breaths coming out slow and controlled. His body was still warm against hers, his weight grounding her in a way that made her feel safe, wanted.His fingers brushed against her side, a barely-there touch, as if he was still trying to commit her to memory. His eyes, stormy and unreadable, watched
The car was filled with the scent of heated skin, the soft hum of breathing mingling with the rhythmic patter of rain against the windows. The world outside was blurred, distant, as if it didn’t exist—only the warmth between them, only the sensation of bodies pressed close, of whispered breaths and tangled limbs.Carmela’s pulse thrummed wildly beneath her skin, every nerve in her body awake, alive, aching. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession as Damion’s lips trailed along the sensitive curve of her neck, slow and deliberate, as though savoring the way she trembled beneath him.His hands were everywhere—gliding along her waist, teasing over her bare skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively, desperately.“Damion…” Her voice was barely above a whisper, breathless, wanting.His lips hovered over hers, his gray eyes dark and intense, filled with something raw, something possessive. His fingers traced down the line of
The air inside the car was heavy—thick with tension, frustration, and something unspoken.Damion sat rigid in the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw was locked, his eyes dark and stormy as he stared straight ahead, barely blinking.Carmela could see it—the barely restrained rage coursing through him, the way his chest rose and fell unevenly, the way his fingers flexed as if he were one wrong word away from losing it completely.She swallowed, shifting slightly in her seat. “Damion.”No response.Her pulse quickened. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she was afraid of what was going on inside his head. Adrian had struck a nerve, more than she had ever seen before.She reached out, placing her hand gently over his on the wheel. “Damion, talk to me.”He didn’t move.Didn’t even glance at her.The silence stretched, suffocating, pressing against her chest.Carmela exhaled softly. She had seen him like this before—when he was shutting down,
“Lily, stop joking. The guy I had a one-night stand with, can’t possibly be my groom.” Carmela Blake paced her bedroom, the soft fabric of her wedding dress swishing with each nervous step. Her phone was pressed to her ear, and her best friend’s panicked tone did little to soothe her nerves. “Carmela, I’m fucking serious!” Lily’s voice was sharp. “You, think about it for me; tall, gray eyes, ridiculously rich and insanely hot. That’s Damion Blackwood from head to bottom. How many men like that do you think exist?” Carmela’s stomach flipped, knowing what her best friend was saying was true. “It’s just a coincidence,” she said weakly, though her voice wavered. “I mean, I didn’t even get his name that night, so…” “Exactly! You didn’t get his name, and now you’re marrying a guy who fits perfectly to the description. Now, tell me if that’s not suspicious.” Carmela stopped pacing, her fingers in between her teeth’s, she sank onto the edge of her bed, her gaze drifting to the glitterin...
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