Chapter 4: The Contract Wife

Elena looked at Damien's fingers clutched tightly around her hand.

After that, she set her eyes upon him.

“Our fake marriage became real?”

Damien's face was still very serious.

I wasn't referring to that.

"Then explain it."

Once he had taken his thumb across the back of her hand, he had let her go.

The threat alters things: If someone knows you're a part of my life, then they know that you're protected by Blackwood security; if they think you're going to be my wife, then you are.

Elena's hand went into the lap.

To say that with the same tone you voice the phrase.To say that with the tone you say the word.

Damien's jaw tightened.

“As soon as someone came into your bedroom, it became your problem.”

She had no answer.

The image of that white rose sitting on her pillow wouldn't leave her mind.

There was someone that had been in her house.

Her bags and belongings had been touched by someone.

There has been someone close to harming her.

And that she didn't even know.

Elena swallowed.

“Where is it we are going?”

"My house."

"No."

"Elena."

"I said no."

Damien took a look at her.

“You've fallen for that word, haven't you?”

Perhaps because you are telling me what to do all the time.

"Fine."

He leaned back.

If you could not stay at home, where would you like to travel?

"My father's house."

"Already compromised."

"Chloe's."

"Your best friend?"

Elena nodded.

"Absolutely not."

Her eyes narrowed.

"You don't get to decide that."

“Anyone who has a connection to you can turn into a target.”

Where can I go then?

She was being looked at by Damien.

"My house."

Elena locked her gaze on him.

"You're enjoying this."

"Not remotely."

You seem like you're having fun.

I always look like this.

Elena managed to nearly smile, in spite of herself.

Almost.

Then she recalled her threat.

The smile disappeared.

"One night."

Damien shook his.

"One night?"

Until further information comes to hand.

"Fine."

"And I sleep in a different room.

"Of course."

"Nor do you go in my room.

Don't do anything unless you are in danger.

“Can handle danger.”

“You were almost followed yesterday.”

That was something I did as well.

"By screaming."

Elena's mouth gaped.

"I did not scream."

"You screamed."

There was a man who was grabbing me!

He was released when you shrieked.

"Exactly. It worked."

Damien's lips twitched.

Elena said to him, "There you are.

"Don't laugh."

"I didn't."

"You almost did."

"You're very observant."

She distantly rolled her eyes.

This is already a mistake that I am sorry for.

"You haven't even signed the contract."

"Exactly."

Blackwood Mansion was quite unlike what Elena had envisioned.

The gates were opened before the arrival of the SUV.

The driveway was long, the hedges perfectly cut and the stone mansion a huge structure with tall trees surrounding it.

Elena gazed out the window.

"This is a house?"

“What?” It is a gaze that looks at her, said Damien,

"Yes."

To me it's like a museum.

"It's comfortable."

She looked at him.

I don't like your idea of comfortable.

The car stopped.

Damien was the first to come out.

Elena followed.

Before they arrived at the front doors they opened.

A middle-aged woman wearing a nice dress, in a dark uniform.

"Mr. Blackwood."

"Mrs. Bennett."

Her gaze zeroed in on Elena.

For a split second her face lit up.

Then she smiled.

"Miss Hart."

Elena hesitated.

"You know me?"

"Everyone knows you."

That certainly didn't put my mind at ease.

Damien walked inside.

Elena followed.

The hall through which they entered was very large.

There was a large staircase that curved to the upper level. Paintings adorned the walls, among them some of the old Blackwood family portraits.

Elena stopped.

She had one portrait that she was drawn to.

A young couple were standing side by side.

Damien's parents.

From old newspaper pictures, she knew them.

The woman was a female who had Damien's eyes in her.

Elena stared.

Damien noticed.

"That's my mother."

There his voice sounded different.

Softer.

Elena fixed her gaze on him.

I've never seen a picture this large," I said.

He was called upon by my grandfather.”

She spun around to the painting again.

"She was beautiful."

"She was."

They went into silence.

Elena glanced at Damien, however.

He was gazing at the portrait like it was the only thing in the room.

For the first time she realized that this tragedy was not his family's.

It had shaped him.

There have been 25 years of unanswered questions.

The past 25 years of thinking that the man she loved was the cause of all her problems.

That may have been why he was so adamant about finding out what really had happened.

"Damien."

He looked at her.

"I'm sorry."

When he saw it, he made a grimace.

"Don't."

Elena frowned.

"I was just—"

Don't cry for me.

"I'm not."

"Good."

He walked away.

Elena followed.

She didn't understand why he was bothering her.

Maybe she spied some tender flesh beneath the billionaire's meat suit.

Then he had quickly covered it up.

She had a room on the 2nd floor.

Elena was standing in front of the door.

This is bigger than my home!

Damien leaned against the other wall.

"You'll survive."

She eyed him suspiciously.

Just why do I feel like I'm enjoying myself finding out how rich you are?

“As you're making funny faces.”

"I am not."

"You just did one."

She held her hands in front of her.

"Leave."

"Goodnight, Elena."

He turned.

"Damien."

He stopped.

She hesitated.

"Thank you."

He peeked around his shoulder.

"For what?"

“So that I can find my dad.”

His expression softened.

"You're welcome."

He walked away.

She could see him heading off into the corridor.

She then slammed the door shut.

She leaned against it, and breathed out.

This was ridiculous.

She was living in Damien Blackwood's mansion.

The hater of her family.

The man who had proposed to her will not even have been known to her for twenty-four hours before her fiancé had left her alone.

The husband she was to marry.

But, concurrently, that was not the strangest thing.

What was most bizarre was she was starting to feel comfortable with him.

Elena shook her head.

"No."

She wasn't going to think in that way.

She went to the bed.

Then stopped.

A white rose was on the pillow.

Her heart stopped.

She didn't move.

All of a sudden the room was really cold.

It must have been placed there by someone.

But how?

She stepped backward.

"Damien!"

The door sprang open very rapidly.

He went out to the hall.

"What happened?"

Elena replied, "Here is the bed.

His eyes seemed to take on a stone-like expression.

He came into the room.

"Stay behind me."

"That's another rose."

"I can see that."

“From where?”

Damien picked up his cell phone.

No one comes in to this room without my say-so.

"Then how—"

"Exactly."

He made a call.

Lock east wing.

A man with a voice at the end of the telephone.

Damien was looking at a rose.

"Now."

He ended the call.

Elena hugged herself.

A break-in has been committed in your home.

"Apparently."

"How?"

I'm going to see.

She looked at him.

Perhaps it would be better if I didn't stay here.

Damien turned his head to her.

"You're staying."

"Damien—"

When someone can get in the house, it is not going to make you safe when you move out because.

His gaze turned towards the flower.

"They are trying to scare you.

Elena's tone of voice became quieter.

"It's working."

There was a change in Damien's expression.

He walked up to her, stood before her.

"Look at me."

She did.

"You're safe."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm here."

Her breath caught.

Her mother.

Elena's mother died when she was 6 years old.

It was a picture she'd never seen before.

Didn't know that the four had ever met.

But it was not that that frightened her.

Around her mother's face there was red ink all around.

Under the photo, a handwritten message was written.

SHE WAS THE FIRST BRIDE WASN'T SHE?

Elina's fingers started to shake.

She looked up.

Damien was staring at her.

What's that mean?

He was expressionless.

"I don't know."

Elena turned the photo over.Elena turned over the picture.

One last sentence was written on the back.

Her heart stopped.

When travelling, ask ELENA WHY HER MOTHER REALLY DIED.