Married to the billionaire

Chapter 6

Elena slammed her apartment door shut, her chest heaving like she had just run a marathon. She dropped her bag on the floor, the weight of the signed contract still burning her hands even though it wasn’t there anymore.

Her head was spinning.

Move in tomorrow.

She pressed her back against the door and slid down until she was sitting on the cold floor. Her knees pulled to her chest, her trembling hands covering her face.

“What have I done?” she whispered into the empty room.

Her phone buzzed. It was Maya. Her best friend.

Elena hesitated, then answered.

“Elena?” Maya’s voice was cheerful at first, but it quickly shifted when she heard Elena’s shaky breathing. “What happened? Are you crying?”

Elena bit her lip. She couldn’t tell her. Not about Damian. Not about the contract.

“Maya,” she whispered, voice cracking. “What will I do… what will I do?”

“Elena, talk to me,” Maya urged. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at the hospital? Is it about your mom?”

Fresh tears filled Elena’s eyes. “It’s everything. I… I feel like I’m trapped.”

Maya sighed. “Then walk away from whatever’s trapping you. You always give too much of yourself, Elena. Stop sacrificing everything.”

If only it was that easy.

“I can’t,” Elena whispered. Her voice broke. “This time I can’t.”

She hung up before Maya could press further.

Silence fell again. Heavy. Crushing.

Her eyes wandered around the apartment. The peeling paint. The tiny couch with stuffing poking out. The bills piled on the table. It wasn’t much, but it was hers.

And now even this would be taken away.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her spiral.

She frowned, standing up. “Who—”

Before she could finish, the door swung open. Two men in dark suits stepped inside without waiting for permission.

Her blood ran cold. “Excuse me? What do you think you’re doing?”

The taller one gave her a polite but firm look. “We’re here on Mr. Black’s orders.”

Elena’s stomach dropped. “Damian…”

The other man didn’t waste time. He moved to her closet, pulling out clothes and tossing them into a suitcase.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Elena shouted, rushing to grab her things back. “Stop it! You can’t just—”

The taller one held up a hand. “Miss Elena, please cooperate. This will go faster if you don’t resist.”

Her eyes burned. “This is my home! You can’t just pack up my life like it’s nothing!”

Neither man flinched. They continued. Methodical. Efficient. Like they’d done this before.

Elena’s chest heaved as she grabbed her phone, dialing Damian furiously.

He answered on the first ring. “Elena.”

Her voice shook with anger. “What the hell is going on? Your men are in my apartment packing my things!”

“Good,” Damian said smoothly, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “You’ll be ready by morning then.”

Her jaw clenched. “You had no right! This wasn’t part of the deal!”

A low chuckle. “Everything is part of the deal when you’re mine.”

Her fists balled. “I’m not some possession you can move around like furniture!”

For a moment, silence crackled through the line. Then his voice dropped, colder, sharper. “You signed the contract, Elena. That makes you my wife. Start acting like it.”

Her breath caught.

“Don’t fight me on this,” Damian continued. “I’m giving you more than you’ve ever had. Security. Power. Respect. A life you’ve never even imagined. All I ask is obedience.”

Elena’s throat tightened. “And what if I don’t obey?”

His answer came instantly. “Then I’ll make you.”

Her heart pounded.

“Elena,” he added softly, his tone dangerous now, “this is only the beginning.”

The line went dead.

Her phone slipped from her trembling hand as tears blurred her vision. Around her, her world was being dismantled, suitcase by suitcase.

By morning, her old life would be gone.

And she would be walking straight into the lion’s den.