Chapter 6

Damien’s Pov

“Damien…” Elena whispered, her voice shaky.

I kept my hand on her waist, feeling the heat through her dress. Her gray eyes locked on mine, wide and conflicted. The air between us felt thick enough to choke on.

“Tell me,” I said quietly. “How far are you willing to go?”

She didn’t pull away. Instead, her fingers curled into my shirt. “This is dangerous. We both know that.”

“Dangerous is my middle name,” I replied, stepping closer until our bodies almost touched. “But right now, I need the board to believe we’re real. Adrian’s already moving. If they think this is fake, I lose everything.”

Elena let out a short breath. “And what about me? What do I get if I play along tonight?”

“Whatever you want,” I said. “Name it. Money. Power. Protection. I’ll give it to you.”

Her lips curved into a small, bitter smile. “You think everything has a price, don’t you?”

“Everything does,” I answered, brushing my thumb along her jaw. “Even us.”

She closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, something had shifted. “Fine. But this doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“I don’t need your trust yet,” I murmured. “Just your cooperation.”

I leaned in slowly, giving her time to stop me. She didn’t. My lips brushed hers—soft at first, testing. Then she kissed me back, hard and angry, like she was fighting herself as much as me. Electricity shot through me. This felt too real. Too familiar.

We broke apart, both breathing heavier.

“Was that convincing enough?” she asked, voice husky.

“For the cameras outside? Maybe,” I said. “But we need to be better inside these walls. Staff talk. Adrian pays them well.”

Elena stepped back and crossed her arms. “So what now? We sleep in the same bed? Pretend we can’t keep our hands off each other?”

I smirked. “The guest wing has a big bed. But if you’re worried, I can stay on my side.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about what this is doing to my head.”

“Join the club,” I muttered, walking to the kitchen island and pouring two glasses of whiskey. I slid one to her. “You said your family lost everything three years ago. Tell me more about that.”

Elena took the glass but didn’t drink. “Why? So you can dig for more proof I’m lying?”

“Because I want to know who I married,” I said simply. “Even if it’s fake.”

She stared at me for a long moment. “My father trusted the wrong people. Big deals went south. He lost the company, then his life. Stress, they said. Heart attack. But I know it was more than that.”

I nodded slowly. “The Hart scandal. I’ve heard the name.”

Her eyes flashed. “Of course you have. You were right in the middle of it.”

“I was set up, Elena,” I said firmly. “Someone wanted me to take the fall. I’ve been trying to prove it ever since. Your father wasn’t the only one who lost.”

She laughed coldly. “Poor billionaire. Must have been so hard for you.”

“Don’t do that,” I warned, stepping closer again. “Don’t paint me as the monster when you don’t know the full story.”

“Then tell me the full story,” she challenged, lifting her chin. “Why did you disappear on S right when everything exploded?”

I froze. “I didn’t disappear. She did. One night she was there, talking about her fears, her father, everything. Next morning—gone. Same night your family fell apart. You really expect me to believe that’s coincidence?”

Elena looked away. “I told you. I’m not her.”

“Bullshit,” I said softly. “You tense up every time I say her name. You look at me the same way she did—like you see the real me under all this.”

She took a sip of whiskey, her hand trembling slightly. “Even if I was her, what would it change? You still destroyed my world.”

“I didn’t,” I insisted, grabbing her hand. “But I can help rebuild it. If you let me.”

For a second, her walls cracked. Her fingers tightened around mine. “You don’t know what you’re offering, Damien.”

“I know exactly what I’m offering,” I replied. “Stay with me. Help me fight Adrian. And when this is over, if you still want to walk away, I won’t stop you.”

She searched my face. “You’re lying. You don’t let things go that easily.”

I smiled faintly. “Maybe not. Especially not you.”

We stood there in silence for a minute. Then she spoke again. “Tomorrow we meet your grandfather’s lawyer again. I need to know what I’m walking into with Victor.”

“He’s sharp,” I said. “He’ll test us. But he likes you already. He thinks you’re good for me.”

“Does he know this is fake?” she asked.

“No one does except us,” I answered. “And it has to stay that way.”

Elena nodded. “One more thing. Your stepmother, Cassandra. I don’t trust her. The way she looked at me earlier…”

“She’s trouble,” I admitted. “She wants Adrian in charge. Easier to manipulate. Stay away from her when I’m not around.”

“Great. More enemies,” she muttered.

I pulled her closer again. “You’re not alone in this anymore. That’s what the ring on your finger means.”

She glanced down at the diamond I’d slipped on her finger yesterday. “It’s just a prop.”

“For now,” I said.

Her eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw real fear mixed with something warmer. “Damien… if we do this, really do this, lines are going to blur. I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“Neither do I,” I confessed. “But I’m willing to try. Are you?”

Before she could answer, my phone rang on the counter. Adrian’s name flashed on the screen.

I answered on speaker. “What do you want?”

“Enjoying your little fake wife?” Adrian’s voice dripped with amusement. “Cute performance at the restaurant. But I have something you’ll want to see. Pictures of Elena meeting with someone interesting this afternoon. Someone from your past.”

Elena’s face went pale.

“What pictures?” I demanded.

“Come to the family house tomorrow morning,” Adrian said smoothly. “Or I show them to the board. Your choice, cousin.”

He hung up.

I turned to Elena. “What did you do today?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. Too quickly. “I met Talia, my friend. That’s all.”

But her eyes told a different story.

I stepped back, jaw tight. “Elena. If you’re playing me—”

“I’m not,” she cut in. “But if Adrian has pictures, someone’s setting us up.”

The room felt colder suddenly.

I pulled her against me again, voice low. “Then we face it together. Starting now. No more secrets.”

She nodded, but I could feel her heart racing against my chest.

As we stood there, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: She knows more than she’s telling you. Ask about Lucas Hart’s hidden files.

I deleted it fast, but the damage was done. My suspicion grew.

“Everything okay?” Elena asked, noticing my expression.

“Yeah,” I lied, kissing her forehead. “Just Adrian being Adrian.”