Chapter 5 A Dangerous Offer

• The silence between them stretched for days.
• After the night in the forbidden room, Damian had barely spoken to Elena. He didn’t need to. The tension in the air was punishment enough. She felt it every time his cold gaze brushed over her, every time his footsteps echoed down the marble hall.
• Meals became unbearable. He sat at the head of the table, reading documents, never looking at her, while she picked at her food in silence.
• But his silence was not mercy,it was a warning. And Elena knew it. She knew the kind of man she was dealing with.
• ***
• The morning sunlight streamed reluctantly through the tall windows of the Blackwood mansion, slanting across the cold marble floors. Elena stood at the edge of the balcony, her eyes fixed on the wrought-iron gates below.
• A car had pulled up quietly, not one of Damian’s sleek black sedans. The driver’s door opened, and out stepped a figure that made Elena’s breath catch.
• Lucas Reed.
• Her childhood friend. Her anchor from another life,before the Blackwoods, before this prison of a marriage. He looked older now, sharper in a well-fitted blazer, but his warm brown eyes still carried the same boy who once shielded her from playground bullies.
• “Lucas,” she whispered under her breath, gripping the railing.
• ***
• They met in the gardens, a rare place where the world seemed to soften a little, around the edges. The scent of roses clung to the air, masking the heaviness inside her chest.
• “Elena,” Lucas said, striding forward. His hand gripped hers firmly, his voice hoarse. “I came as soon as I heard.”
• She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. “You shouldn’t be here. Damian—”
• “Damian doesn’t own you.” His words were fierce, too loud for comfort. His gaze roamed over her pale face, the faint shadows beneath her eyes. “Look at you. You’re breaking. You don’t belong in this nightmare.”
• Her throat tightened. “It’s not that simple.”
• “It is.” He caught her shoulders, pulling her closer, his voice urgent. “Come with me. I can get you out tonight. You don’t have to stay chained to him, Elena.” “ You'll heal. I'll take good care of you. Let's create a new world together,darling” He said genuinely.
• For a moment, temptation shimmered in the air. She remembered nights when Lucas had promised her a future of laughter, of freedom. But those dreams had died the moment Damian’s cold ring slid onto her finger.
• Elena shook her head slowly, eyes burning. “I can’t. My family…my father’s debts, the contracts…it’s all tied to this marriage. If I run, they’ll be destroyed.”
• Lucas’s jaw tightened, frustration spilling through his eyes. “So you’ll sacrifice yourself for them? Let him tear you apart piece by piece?” “ Can't you see he's a monster, Elena?”
• Her silence was enough.
• Neither of them noticed the figure standing just beyond the hedges.
• Damian.
• He had come back early. His black suit blended with the shadows, his presence nearly invisible. But his eyes were icy as he watched every move, every desperate plea Lucas whispered to his wife.
• Jealousy ignited deep in his chest, coiling like a serpent. Lucas’s hand lingering on Elena’s shoulder, his voice dripping with affection;each detail stabbed deeper than he expected.
• He said nothing. He only watched. And listened.
• Later that evening, the Blackwoods hosted a dinner—a dazzling event filled with chandeliers, silk gowns, and crystal glasses clinking in shallow laughter. Elena wore a dress chosen by Damian’s assistant, a pale silver gown that glittered under the light but felt like armor too heavy for her frame.
• She walked into the hall beside Damian, her hand resting lightly in his arm, though the distance between them was oceans wide.
• Every head turned as they entered. Money had its own gravity; the Blackwoods pulled everyone into their orbit.
• “Ah, Selena Voss,” a voice purred from across the room.
• Elena stiffened before she even saw her. And then Selena appeared, radiant in a deep crimson gown that clung to her curves like sin itself. She was the kind of woman who turned heads effortlessly, and she knew it.
• “Darling,” Selena cooed, sweeping toward them. Her eyes flicked to Elena with thinly veiled disdain, before locking onto Damian.
• Without hesitation, she reached out and brushed her manicured hand along his sleeve, fingers lingering just long enough to sting.
• “Damian, it’s been too long,” she purred.
• Elena’s heart clenched, but she forced herself to stand tall.
• “Selena,” Damian replied smoothly, his lips curving into the faintest smirk. His tone was casual, but his eyes flicked sideways, just long enough to meet Elena’s burning stare.
• Selena leaned closer, her perfume intoxicating. “Tell me, how’s married life treating you?” She let the words drip with mockery, as though Elena weren’t even standing there.
• Elena swallowed the humiliation, fire rising in her veins. She was seconds away from snapping back when Damian suddenly leaned down.
• And kissed Selena.
• Right there!,in front of everyone.
• It wasn’t a long kiss, but deliberate;his lips brushing Selena’s cheek, lingering at the corner of her mouth. The entire hall seemed to freeze. Conversations faltered. Glasses stilled mid-air.
• Elena felt her body go numb, the sound of her own pulse roaring in her ears. She wanted to scream, to tear the smug expression off Selena’s face, but her voice stuck in her throat.
• Selena’s triumphant smirk spread like wildfire across her face. She tilted her head, eyes locking with Elena’s. “Oh, how sweet. Don’t worry, Mrs. Blackwood. Some things never truly fade.”
• Elena’s hands trembled as she curled them into fists at her sides. Damian didn’t even glance at her,his arm remained casually around Selena’s waist as though Elena were invisible.
• But inside, Elena’s fury boiled. Humiliation was nothing new, but this cut deeper. This was war—Selena’s mockery, Damian’s cruelty, the entire room’s pity-laced stares.
• Her lips parted, her voice a whisper but sharp as a blade.
• “If this is war, Damian…” Her gaze locked onto him, unwavering despite the tears pricking her eyes.
• “…then I won’t lose.”