Chapter 14
Elena’s POV
The rest of the evening passed in a controlled blur. After the confrontation and the public kiss, Damien kept me close.
His hand stayed at my back as we moved through the remaining conversations. Guests who had watched the earlier scene now looked at us with softer expressions. The earlier judgments about my appearance seemed to fade beneath the weight of what they had just witnessed.
I smiled when required. I answered questions with quiet politeness. I played the role of the composed wife. Yet beneath the surface, my thoughts remained unsettled. The woman’s words still echoed.
The sudden defense from Damien, followed by the deliberate kiss, left a strange tension in my chest. It had been necessary for the image. I knew that. But the warmth of his mouth and th
