Married to My Cold-Hearted CEO

Episode 3: The First Scandal

Aria woke up to the sound of her phone exploding with notifications.

She sat up on the enormous couch, her neck stiff, and opened one of the messages. Her stomach dropped.

"Breaking: Damian Blackwood’s Secret Wife is Actress Aria Sinclair!"

Photos from last night were everywhere — her stepping out of the car, Damian’s hand possessively on her waist as they entered the mansion. The headlines were ruthless.

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A sharp knock sounded on the door before it swung open. Damian walked in already dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, looking infuriatingly handsome and composed.

"Get dressed," he ordered. "We have a press conference in one hour."

Aria stood up, still in yesterday’s clothes. "You planned this, didn’t you? Leaking the news so fast?"

Damian’s lips curved into that dangerous smirk. "I don’t do things halfway. The sooner the world knows you’re mine, the better."

Mine. The word sent an unwanted shiver down her spine.

Forty minutes later, Aria stood beside him in front of dozens of flashing cameras wearing a stunning white designer dress he had prepared for her. She looked every bit the elegant actress, but inside she was screaming.

When a reporter asked, "Is this a love marriage or a business arrangement?" Damian surprised everyone by pulling Aria close and answering smoothly:

"She’s the only woman who has ever managed to intrigue me."

Then he kissed her.

It wasn’t soft. It was possessive, deep, and breathtaking — exactly what the cameras wanted. Aria’s mind went blank. For a few dangerous seconds, she kissed him back.

When he finally pulled away, his eyes were darker than before.

Back in the car, the silence was suffocating.

"You didn’t have to do that," Aria whispered, touching her swollen lips.

Damian stared out the window. "It’s part of the act."

But his clenched jaw told a different story.

That night, as Aria tried to sleep on the couch again, the bedroom door opened. Damian stood there in nothing but black silk pajama pants, his muscular torso on full display.

"Enough of this nonsense," he said roughly. "Come to bed."

Aria’s heart hammered. "I told you—"

"It’s a big bed," he cut her off. "I won’t touch you unless you want me to."

She hesitated… then slowly walked over and lay down on the far edge of the massive bed.

Just as she started to relax, Damian’s low voice came in the darkness:

"By the way… your ex-boyfriend has been sending me messages. He says he has proof that our marriage is fake."

Aria’s blood ran cold.

She turned to face him. "What?"

Damian rolled over, his face inches from hers, eyes burning with intensity.

"Choose wisely, Aria. Because if this contract breaks… I won’t be the only one who suffers."