All Chapters of Love Under Contract : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Elena’s P.O.V.The crystal chandeliers of the Sterling Manor threw fractured gold light across three hundred of Chicago’s most powerful elites. Diamonds glittered against designer silk, champagne flutes clinked in a rhythmic symphony, and the velvet air was thick with the scent of expensive cigars and heavy, suffocating perfume.Tonight was supposed to be the crowning achievement of my life.I stood near the grand mahogany balcony on the second floor, resting my manicured hands against the smooth marble railing as I looked down at the packed ballroom. At twenty-two, I had spent the last three grueling years keeping my late father’s logistics empire—the Vance Shipping Group—from falling apart after his sudden death. I had built the deep-sea trade routes, secured the trust contracts, and fended off every corporate vulture in the city.And tonight, I was supposed to secure my future by marrying the man I loved."You look like a lonely queen on a fragile throne, dear sister," a silky, dri

Elena’s P.O.V. The air in the private penthouse room froze, thick, heavy, and suffocating. The velvet box felt like a living, breathing creature between us, the uncut black diamond capturing the amber light like a drop of liquid midnight. Damian didn't take his eyes off me. His gaze was a slow, searing heat that scorched every nerve ending in my body. He stood so close I could feel the rhythmic, heavy thud of his pulse, the faint, intoxicating scent of dark leather, vintage scotch, and expensive cedarwood wrapping around me like an unspoken velvet chain. "Well, little bird?" Damian murmured, his low baritone vibrating against my collarbone and sending a wave of electric goosebumps down my arms. "Are you going to take my ring, or are you going to walk back out into the freezing storm and let Julian Sterling drag your name through the mud?" My throat felt dry as dust. I forced myself to hold his gaze, though my heart was hammering violently against my ribs. "A six-month marriage,

Elena’s P.O.V.His breath felt like a white-hot flame against my lips, searing into my skin, burning away every last trace of sanity I had left.For a terrifying, exhilarating second, the rest of the universe ceased to exist. The thrumming bass of The Black Rose vibrating violently through the floorboards far below, the lashing rain screaming against the glass like tortured souls, the cataclysmic, beautiful destruction of Julian’s life—it all dissolved into meaningless static. There was only Damian. His chest, solid as forged steel, pressing ruthlessly against my breasts. His hand, warm, massive, and terrifyingly heavy, anchored at the small of my back like an inescapable iron clamp that trapped me against his towering frame.My pulse surged, a wild, erratic rhythm hammering against my ribs so loudly I was certain he could feel it through his tailored suit. I stared up into those stormy grey eyes, searching for a trace of smug, calculated victory.Instead, I found an abyss. A raw, dar