CHAPTER 1-THE STRANGER IN BLACK
2036 Words
Three days after I signed the contract, I learned one thing about being married to Damien Blackwood.
You could be someone’s wife without anyone knowing.
No wedding.
No flowers.
No photographs.
No congratulations.
Not even a ring.
Just a black folder locked inside my drawer and a signature that had changed my entire life.
Our marriage was a secret.
At least, for now.
I stood in front of the mirror inside my bedroom, staring at my reflection.
I looked exactly the same.
Same long hair.
Same tired eyes.
Same face that had cried herself to sleep every night since that terrible evening.
But somehow, I didn't feel like Elena anymore.
My fingers touched the empty space on my ring finger.
There was supposed to be a wedding ring there.
Instead, there was nothing.
“Miss Elena?”
I turned toward the door.
My mother stood there, holding a cup of coffee.
“Breakfast na,” she said softly.
“I’m not hungry, Mom.”
She sighed and entered anyway.
“You barely ate yesterday.”
“I’m fine.”
She placed the cup on my bedside table.
Neither of us mentioned Damien.
Neither of us mentioned the contract.
Neither of us mentioned the fact that I was technically already married.
Because the agreement was clear.
Our marriage would remain private.
For the sake of his reputation.
For the sake of my family.
And, according to Damien, until he decided otherwise.
I hated that last part.
“Mom,” I finally whispered.
She looked at me.
“Did Dad really settle everything?”
She nodded.
“The debt is gone.”
I closed my eyes.
Gone.
Thirty million pesos.
Gone just like that.
And all it cost was me.
“I should be happy,” I whispered.
My mother reached for my hand.
“You saved us.”
“No,” I corrected quietly.
“I sold myself.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Elena…”
I looked away.
“I don't want to talk about it.”
She didn't force me.
Maybe because she knew that if she did, I would break.
Again.
After she left, I opened my drawer.
The black folder was still there.
I stared at it for several seconds before pulling it out.
I opened the contract.
There it was.
My signature.
Elena Rivera.
Underneath it was his.
Damien Blackwood.
Two names.
One contract.
One year.
I closed my eyes.
Then suddenly, my phone vibrated.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown Number.
My heartbeat immediately changed.
I answered cautiously.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a familiar voice.
“Get dressed.”
I froze.
Damien.
“What?”
“I'll pick you up in thirty minutes.”
“Excuse me?”
“You have somewhere to be.”
“I have classes.”
“You're skipping them.”
My eyebrows furrowed.
“You don't get to tell me what to do.”
A pause.
Then his voice became colder.
“You signed a contract with me, Elena.”
My jaw tightened.
“I remember.”
“Good.”
The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
“Unbelievable.”
Thirty minutes later, I walked outside wearing a simple black dress, heels, and a jacket.
I didn't know where we were going.
I didn't even know why I agreed to go.
Maybe because I had learned one thing about Damien.
When he said something, he expected it to happen.
A black SUV was waiting outside.
The rear window lowered.
Damien looked at me.
Black suit.
White shirt.
No tie.
His sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing his forearms.
I hated that I noticed.
His face remained unreadable.
“Get in.”
I opened the door.
“You could at least tell me where we're going.”
“You'll find out.”
“That's becoming your favorite answer.”
He glanced at me.
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you give too few answers.”
His lips almost curved.
Almost.
Then he looked away.
The car started moving.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
I stared outside the window.
The city passed by in a blur.
Then I noticed where we were heading.
“Blackwood Tower?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you're going to meet someone.”
“Who?”
Damien looked at me.
“My grandmother.”
I nearly choked.
“What?”
“My grandmother.”
“You're introducing me to your grandmother?”
“No.”
I frowned.
“Then why am I meeting her?”
His gaze returned to the road.
“Because she already knows about you.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
“Answer it,” I said.
“I don't take orders.”
“Fine.”
He answered.
“Speak.”
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
Even from where I sat, I could hear the irritation.
“Damien, are you bringing the girl?”
His expression darkened.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
The call ended.
I stared at him.
“What girl?”
He finally looked at me.
“You.”
My stomach twisted.
“Who is she?”
“My grandmother.”
“And why does she know about me?”
His eyes stayed on mine.
“Because she was the one who demanded I get married.”
I stopped breathing for a second.
“What?”
Damien said nothing.
I stared at him.
“You never told me that.”
“You never asked.”
“I shouldn't have to ask!”
He looked almost amused.
“You're learning.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I crossed my arms and looked out the window.
The car eventually stopped in front of Blackwood Tower.
The building was enormous.
Glass walls.
Private security.
People in expensive suits walking in and out.
I suddenly felt painfully aware of how ordinary I was.
Damien stepped out first.
Then he opened my door.
I hesitated.
“Come.”
I stepped out.
The moment we entered the lobby, conversations slowly died.
People looked at Damien.
Then at me.
Whispers began.
“Is that him?”
“Damien Blackwood?”
“Who's the girl?”
“She's beautiful.”
“Is she his girlfriend?”
I lowered my head.
Damien didn't seem bothered.
He simply placed his hand lightly against the small of my back.
I froze.
“Relax,” he whispered.
“I am relaxed.”
“You're shaking.”
“Because everyone is staring.”
“They're always staring.”
We stepped into the elevator.
The doors closed.
I immediately moved away from him.
His eyebrow lifted.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're avoiding me.”
“I'm trying to breathe.”
“Why?”
“Because you make everything complicated.”
He stared at me.
Then the elevator dinged.
The doors opened.
We stepped into a private floor.
A woman was waiting.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Older, but with an unmistakable authority.
She looked at Damien first.
Then at me.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then she smiled.
“So this is Elena Rivera.”
I swallowed.
“Hello.”
She walked toward me.
Instead of greeting me, she grabbed my hand.
Her eyes immediately went to my ring finger.
Empty.
Her smile disappeared.
“You didn't give her the ring.”
Damien's expression remained calm.
“It's unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary?”
Her voice sharpened.
“You've always been a stubborn boy.”
“Grandmother.”
She looked at me again.
“Does he treat you well?”
I didn't know what to say.
Before I could answer, Damien spoke.
“We have an agreement.”
His grandmother's eyes flashed.
“Agreement?”
She looked between us.
Then she laughed softly.
“Poor girl.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
She leaned closer.
“You still don't know what you married into, do you?”
Damien's expression changed.
“Enough.”
His grandmother ignored him.
“You think Damien chose you because of your family's debt?”
I froze.
“Isn't that the reason?”
She smiled.
“No.”
Damien stepped forward.
“Grandmother.”
But she continued.
“Your family was only the excuse.”
My heart began pounding.
“What does that mean?”
Damien grabbed his grandmother's attention with a cold stare.
“That is enough.”
She sighed.
“Fine.”
Then she turned toward me.
“But sooner or later, Elena, you will learn why he chose you.”
My throat tightened.
I looked at Damien.
His face was unreadable.
But for the first time since meeting him, I saw something behind his eyes.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For me.
Before I could ask another question, his grandmother walked away.
I turned toward him.
“What does she mean?”
“Forget it.”
“No.”
“It's not important.”
“You're lying.”
He stopped.
His eyes met mine.
“You should learn when not to ask questions.”
“And you should learn that I'm not going to spend a year being treated like a prisoner.”
Something shifted in his expression.
“You're not a prisoner.”
“Then what am I?”
He stared at me.
“My wife.”
The word hit harder than it should have.
I looked away.
“Not publicly.”
“Not yet.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward the window.
I followed him.
Below us, hundreds of people moved through the city.
Then his phone rang again.
This time, he answered immediately.
“What?”
His assistant's voice sounded urgent.
“Sir, the media has started asking questions.”
“About what?”
A pause.
“About your engagement.”
Damien went completely still.
I stared at him.
“Engagement?”
His assistant continued.
“They're saying you've been secretly seeing someone. The rumors are spreading fast.”
Damien closed his eyes for a second.
Then he looked at me.
I couldn't breathe.
“Do we deny it?” the assistant asked.
Damien remained silent.
I whispered, “You said our marriage was a secret.”
“I know.”
“Then deny it.”
His eyes stayed on mine.
He ended the call.
I stepped closer.
“Damien.”
He didn't respond.
“Tell them it's false.”
He finally looked at me.
“No.”
My heart dropped.
“What?”
He walked toward me slowly.
“If I deny the engagement, they'll investigate.”
“And?”
“And eventually, they'll find you.”
I stared at him.
“Then what are you going to do?”
He stopped directly in front of me.
His voice dropped.
“I'm going to let them believe I'm engaged.”
I frowned.
“To whom?”
His eyes remained fixed on mine.
“You.”
My breath caught.
“You can't.”
“I can.”
“But you said—”
“I said our marriage stays secret.”
He leaned slightly closer.
“I never said our engagement would.”
Before I could answer, the doors opened.
A group of reporters rushed into the private floor.
Cameras flashed.
Questions exploded around us.
“Damien! Is it true you're engaged?”
“Who is the woman?”
“Is she here?”
“Are you finally getting married?”
I stepped backward instinctively.
Damien reached for my hand.
His fingers closed around mine.
Firm.
Warm.
Possessive.
Then he pulled me beside him.
Every camera turned toward us.
The room erupted in flashes.
Damien looked at the reporters with his usual cold expression.
Then he lifted our intertwined hands.
And smiled.
It was the first real smile I had ever seen from him.
“Allow me to introduce you,” he said calmly.
“This is Elena Rivera.”
My heart stopped.
He looked at me.
“My fiancée.”
The reporters erupted.
And somewhere among the flashing cameras, I suddenly realized something terrifying.
Damien hadn't just exposed me.
He had just changed the rules of our marriage.
And I had no idea why.
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