MasukEmma woke up the next morning with an unfamiliar feeling.Peace.For the first time since she had entered Damien’s mansion, she didn’t feel like she was waiting for something terrible to happen.She stretched beneath the covers and looked toward the window.Sunlight filled the room.She smiled.Then she remembered Adrian.Damien’s cousin.She had only met him briefly the previous day, but there had been something about him she couldn’t quite understand.He had been polite.Friendly, even.Yet his eyes had seemed strangely observant.As though he was studying everyone around him.Emma pushed the thought aside.She had more important things to worry about.She got out of bed and prepared for the day.When she entered the dining room, Damien was already there.He looked up from his phone.“Good morning.”“Good morning.”Emma sat beside him.Damien looked at her for a moment.“You slept well?”“Yes.”“Good.”Emma smiled.“You?”“Not much.”“Why?”“Work.”She frowned.“You work too much.”
The restaurant had become quiet.Sophia sat across from Emma, maintaining the gentle smile she had practiced before leaving home.She had expected the conversation to be difficult.Instead, Emma had been surprisingly open.That made Sophia’s plan easier.And somehow, more uncomfortable.Emma wasn’t the cruel person Sophia had convinced herself she was.She wasn’t arrogant.She wasn’t trying to steal Damien.At least, not deliberately.She simply seemed happy.And that was exactly what Sophia couldn’t accept.Sophia took a sip of water.“So…” she began casually. “How is everything at the mansion?”Emma smiled.“Good.”“Are you comfortable there now?”“Yes.”Sophia nodded.“What about Damien?”Emma’s smile changed slightly.“He is good to me.”Sophia noticed the change immediately.There was something in Emma’s voice.Something soft.Something genuine.“You really like him.”Emma looked down.“I didn’t say that.”“You didn’t have to.”Emma laughed quietly.Sophia smiled with her.But in
The dinner was over.But Sophia couldn’t stop thinking about Damien.She had gone to the Blackwood mansion expecting to find a man she would never want.Instead, she had discovered someone completely different.He was quiet.Reserved.Serious.But he wasn’t cruel.And the way he treated Emma had been impossible to ignore.Sophia stood in front of the mirror that night, removing her earrings one at a time.Her mind kept returning to the terrace.The short conversation she had shared with Damien.The way he had spoken without arrogance.The way he had calmly admitted that people often misunderstood his silence.She had expected to be afraid of him.She wasn’t.That realization frightened her more than the rumors ever had.A knock sounded.Sophia turned.“Come in.”Vivian entered.She closed the door behind her.“You haven’t gone to sleep.”“I can’t.”Vivian walked toward her.“You’re thinking about Damien.”Sophia looked at her reflection.“Yes.”“What did you learn tonight?”Sophia was
The dining room suddenly felt smaller.Sophia sat across from Emma, trying her best to remain composed.She had imagined this moment countless times.She had imagined Damien being cold.She had imagined Emma looking uncomfortable.She had even imagined Damien barely paying attention to her.But she hadn’t imagined this.Emma looked comfortable beside him.And Damien seemed completely at ease with her.Sophia lowered her eyes to her plate.She couldn’t let anyone see how much it bothered her.Vivian, sitting nearby, noticed immediately.“Relax,” she murmured.Sophia glanced at her.“I’m relaxed.”“You don’t look relaxed.”Sophia forced a smile.“I’m fine.”Richard raised his glass.“Thank you all for coming tonight. It’s been a long time since we’ve had everyone together.”Everyone raised their glasses.Sophia followed.“To family.”“To family,” they echoed.Sophia took a small sip.Her eyes moved toward Damien again.He was listening to Richard.He looked calm.Sophia studied him care
“Tonight, I’m going to find out if Damien Blackwood is really the man I was afraid to marry.”Sophia stared at herself in the mirror.The words sounded different when she said them aloud.A few weeks ago, the thought of meeting Damien had filled her with fear.Now, it filled her with curiosity.She had spent days hearing things about him.Not from strangers this time.From people who had seen him with Emma.He wasn’t the monster everyone had described.At least, not with Emma.That was what Sophia couldn’t understand.How could a man who was supposedly cold and heartless look at Emma with such patience?Why had he stayed beside her when she was injured?Why did Emma seem so comfortable around him?Those questions had been disturbing Sophia more than she wanted to admit.She picked up the invitation from the dressing table.The dinner was tonight.She had already decided what she would wear.A dark red dress hung neatly on the wardrobe door.It was elegant without being too revealing.
Sophia couldn’t stop thinking about Damien. It was strange. She had never even met the man properly before the marriage. She had only heard stories. Cold. Ruthless. Unforgiving. A man who rarely smiled. A man who had never been interested in love. A man who expected people to obey him. Those were the things her friends had told her when they heard about the marriage proposal. At first, Sophia had been excited. A billionaire husband. The Blackwood family. A life of luxury. It sounded perfect. Then her friends had started talking. “You know what people say about Damien Blackwood?” “He’s terrifying.” “I heard he once fired an entire team because one person made a mistake.” “My cousin’s friend worked for his company. She said he barely speaks to anyone.” “Imagine being married to a man like that.” “He’s handsome, but what’s the point if he has no heart?” Those words had slowly destroyed Sophia’s excitement. She had become afraid. She didn’t want to spend the rest







