A CONTRACT MARRIAGE

Chapter 7-A Contract Marriage Proposal

-Back to the Present-

The dining room fell silent. Gwynne froze mid-step, her fork clattering against the plate. Every eye was on Damien as he stood, his gaze unwavering, voice firm:

“I’ve made my decision. I will marry Gwynne.”

Gwynne’s shock was mirrored by Mr. Chase, who leaned back in his chair, alarmed. “Damien… this is not how I meant for you to settle your future. You can’t just—marry someone without her willingness!”

Gwynne swallowed hard, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay composed. “Sir… I’m here for your offer, not for… a marriage proposal.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly, his jaw set. “Grandpa, if it isn’t Gwynne, I won’t marry anyone.”

The words hit Gwynne like a physical blow. Her mind raced. Is he… playing some little game? Is this his way of pushing me out of the Cole Mansion?

She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Her chest tightened as she rose abruptly from the table. “I… I can’t—” Her voice cracked, and she spun on her heel, fleeing from the dining room.

Damien’s calm facade cracked. Without a word, he followed her out into the garden, where the cool evening air did little to calm the storm between them. Gwynne stood by the fountain, her hands trembling as tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

Gwynne had barely made it a few steps into the garden before she stopped, turning to face Damien with tears brimming in her eyes. Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt.

“You’re… what are you doing?!” she finally cried, her voice sharp with anger and hurt. “Are you forcing this? Is this some game to get me out of the mansion?”

“You… you think I came here just for money, don’t you?!” she spat, her hands shaking. “That I’m some gold digger trying to take advantage of your family!”

Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt. He let her words hit him, though his expression was unreadable.

“I’m… I’m not the woman you think I am!” Gwynne continued, stepping back as if to shield herself. “I have my reasons… my own life… and I’m here for your grandfather’s offer, not some marriage proposal!”

Damien’s voice finally broke the silence, low but resolute. “Then prove it to me,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes dark with determination. “Marry me. But it will be a contract marriage.”

Gwynne blinked in shock. “A contract… marriage?!”

“Listen,” Damien said quickly, urgency creeping into his tone. “I’m not asking this because I want to control you… I’m asking because I want to protect my grandfather’s will. I’m scared, Gwynne… I almost lost him last week.”

Her tears faltered, confusion flickering in her eyes.

“When Grandpa collapsed,” Damien continued, voice tightening with emotion, “it was after our argument about my marriage. He ended up in the hospital. That’s when you… met him on the street, wearing that hospital gown. He was still searching for a perfect woman for me, even though he wasn’t feeling well. I… I panicked. I thought I could lose him too soon. He’s all I have left — he’s my only family since my parents died in the accident.”

Gwynne’s hands clenched at her sides. “You… you’re asking me to marry you because you’re afraid of losing him?!”

Damien’s expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. “I’m asking because I need someone I can trust to help protect him… and because I trust you. That’s all. You’re not a gold digger, Gwynne. I know your heart is not for money. I… I just need you to prove it to me — that you’re real, that you care, that you understand why this matters to me.”

Gwynne looked down, her chest heaving, her mind spinning from the confession. “You… you really think I would… I mean…” Her voice faltered, overwhelmed by the intensity of his words.

Damien reached out, gently lifting her chin so she would meet his gaze. “Marry me… for the contract, for Grandpa, for me. And then we can figure everything else out.”

The garden was quiet, save for their heavy breaths. Gwynne’s anger and humiliation mingled with something else — a strange, reluctant understanding of the fear and love driving Damien’s boldness.

She stepped back slightly, tears falling freely. “I… I don’t know if I can trust you yet,” she whispered, but for the first time, she felt the weight of his honesty.

Damien didn’t press further. He simply nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. “Then prove it… not for me, not for anyone else — prove it for yourself and for him. That’s all I’m asking.”

After the tense garden confrontation, Gwynne tried to collect herself. Her mind raced with questions, but one thought made her stomach knot the most: What will his family think?

She imagined the whispers, the judgmental glances, the assumptions they would make. She hadn’t come here to marry anyone. She was here for her studies — for her future. How could she explain a sudden engagement to strangers, especially when it involved the heir of the Cole family?

Her voice trembled as she finally spoke, almost to herself. “What am I supposed to tell them? That I’m marrying someone I just met? They’ll think I’m—”

Damien interrupted softly but firmly, stepping closer. “Then don’t tell them that. Tell them the truth. You’re here to work for the Cole family.”

Gwynne blinked in surprise. “Work for…? But that doesn’t explain… the marriage.”

“Doesn’t have to,” Damien said, his tone matter-of-fact. “You’re taking a position here, helping with my grandfather’s work. That’s enough. Let everyone else fill in the rest. No one needs to know the details right now.”

Gwynne hesitated, weighing her options. “So… I just say I’m working for you?”

“Yes,” Damien replied, his gaze steady. “It’s the truth. You came here for a reason. Everything else… they don’t need to know.”

The night was quiet, but sleep refused to come. Gwynne lay on the edge of her bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts spinning. Her hands clenched the bedsheet as her mind replayed everything from the dinner, the garden argument, and Damien’s unexpected proposal.

What should I do? she murmured to herself. “It’s like… a betrayal to Mr. Chase. He offered me this work first… and now, I’m supposed to… work for Damien instead?”

A pang of guilt stabbed her chest. She wanted to help Mr. Chase, to honor his offer, and yet a strange sense of responsibility for him lingered — a desire not to disappoint or leave him unprotected.

Her thoughts tangled with confusion, doubt, and unease. I don’t even know if I can…

Just then, a soft knock echoed at her door. Startled, she sat up.

“Gwynne… may I come in?” Damien’s calm, measured voice carried through the door.

She hesitated, then nodded silently. He stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him.

“I… I wanted to apologize,” Damien began, his eyes sincere. “I didn’t mean to pressure you tonight. That wasn’t my intention.”

Gwynne remained quiet, listening, her heart still pounding.

“I’m giving you time,” Damien continued. “Take as long as you need. If you decide yes… I want to meet you in the garden tomorrow morning to go over the terms and conditions of our contract. But if you decide no… just tell me the truth. I’ll respect your choice and explain everything to my grandfather myself. No one will force you.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle between them. “I don’t want to make this harder than it already is. You’ll have your choice. That’s all I’m asking right now.”

Gwynne’s hands tightened around her knees. His words were gentle, but her mind was still a whirlwind of worry, responsibility, and conflicting emotions. She nodded slightly, murmuring, “I… I need to think.”

Damien gave the faintest nod, a mixture of understanding and determination in his eyes. Without another word, he left, closing the door softly, leaving Gwynne alone with her racing thoughts and the weight of a decision she wasn’t ready to make.

The room was silent once more, but Gwynne couldn’t sleep. Her mind wandered between loyalty to Mr. Chase, curiosity about Damien, and the heavy uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring.