Chapter Two
1375 Words
Damien pov
The car rolled to a stop in front of the Voss mansion, the tires crunching softly against the gravel before going still. For a moment, nothing moved. The night air felt quiet, almost watchful, as if the house itself was waiting.
Inside the car, I sat without shifting. My fingers rested lightly on the handle of my cane, tapping it once against my palm before going still again. My face showed no emotion. Calm. Controlled. Almost detached. But the slight tightening of my jaw betrayed me.
So this is where she lives.
The word wife felt strange in my mind. Heavy. Unfamiliar. Like something forced into my life where it did not belong. I had not chosen this. A contract had. A signature on paper by my family
A woman I had never seen.
A woman I had never spoken to.
Waiting behind those doors.
My fingers tightened slightly around the cane.
Even if she is waiting… this marriage won’t last.
My expression darkened almost invisibly.
Because my heart already belongs to someone else.
The memory came without warning.
The highway at night. The cold wind rushed past. The sudden flash of headlights coming straight at me.
“I tried to press the brake…” I murmured under my breath, my voice low. “But it failed.”
The impact came again in my mind loud and violent. Metal crushing. Glass shattering. My car spinning out of control, turning over again and again before slamming into stillness.
Blood ran down my face. Warm. Blinding.
“I was shouting for help…”
My fingers tightened.
Then she appeared.
A girl.
She came out of nowhere, pulling me from the wreck with shaking hands. Her voice was urgent as she called for help, refusing to leave me there.
Through the pain and fading vision, I saw her.
A birthmark.
Right on her chest.
And then
Darkness.
I exhaled slowly, pushing the memory away as the present returned.
Five years.
Five years of hiding from the world. Letting everyone believe I was dead. The fire had burned everything, leaving nothing behind but ash.
But I survived.
I came back.
Stronger.
Smarter.
And still pretending.
“It’s a pleasure seeing you again in Los Angeles, Mr Damien Ashford.”
The memory shifted. Mr Cole stood in front of me, older now, his hair touched with grey.
“It’s been a long time, Mr Cole,” l replied calmly.
Mr Cole chuckled softly. “Long enough for age to catch up with me.”
Then he paused.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“…wait… can you see me?”
I stepped forward and pulled him into a brief hug.
“My vision came back,” I said quietly.
Mr Cole froze in shock, but I pulled away almost immediately, my expression turning serious again.
“But this stays between us.”
His voice dropped lower.
“No one must know.”
Mr Cole nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.” my expression hardened.
“My uncle Victor has spent five years trying to take everything from me,” I said. “I won’t give him the chance.”
I paused.
“More importantly… the girl.”
My grip tightened.
“Have you found her?”
Mr Cole hesitated. “I’m sorry, sir… not yet.”
I looked away slightly.
“Keep searching,” I said.
His voice carried quiet weight.
“That day… she didn’t just save my life.”
A pause.
“She became the only one my heart recognizes.”
The memory faded.
Back to the present.
Back to a marriage I did not want.
The car door opened, breaking the silence.
“Sir,” his assistant said softly, extending a hand.
I stepped out without hesitation. My polished shoes touched the gravel, the sound sharp and steady beneath my feet. I stood straight, composed, every movement deliberate.
There was no hesitation in me.
No uncertainty.
I adjusted my cuff lightly, then lifted my chin toward the mansion.
Let’s see what kind of woman agrees to marry a blind man like me.
I walked forward, my steps even are controlled. Though I held a cane, I did not move like a man who needed help. I moved with awareness, guided by sound, by presence, by something deeper than sight.
When I reached the door, I raised my hand and pressed the doorbell without pause.
The door opened.
And I stepped in.
I entered calmly, without hesitation. My presence settled into the room immediately, heavy and commanding. I didn’t rush. I didn’t look around. I simply stood there.
Carina’s brows pulled together as she stared at me.
This… is Damien Ashford?
I didn’t look weak.
I didn’t look broken.
My shoulders were relaxed but firm. My face is calm, controlled. Too controlled.
Carina slowly pushed herself up, wincing as her injured hand brushed the floor again.
A sharp breath escaped her lips.
She swallowed the pain quickly and forced herself to stand halfway, her eyes never leaving me.
I don't move like someone who can’t see.
“So this is the Voss family,” I said.
My voice was low and steady, carrying across the room without effort.
Vivian stepped forward smoothly, her smile already in place.Good afternoon Mr Damien Ashford I hope you are here for your wife.
“Yes,” I replied without turning. “I am here for Petra Voss. I believe we have a marriage agreement.”
Petra stepped forward immediately, curiosity lighting her expression. Her gaze moved over me slowly, from my polished shoes to the cane in his hand, then back to his face.
Without warning, she waved her hand in front of my eyes.
Once.
Twice.
No reaction.
Her lips parted, then curled into amusement.
“Oh my God… you’re really blind.”
She laughed, sharp and careless.
“Who the hell is going to marry you? Because it’s definitely not me.”
The room fell silent.
My head turned slightly toward her voice.
“Miss Petra,” I said calmly, “are you refusing the agreement?”
“Of course not,” Vivian cut in quickly, stepping forward before Petra could speak.
Her smile stayed in place, but her eyes flickered.
She turned suddenly and grabbed Carina’s arm.
Hard.
Carina gasped softly as pain shot through her burned hand. Her body jerked from the grip, her fingers tightening instinctively.
“I have two daughters,” Vivian said smoothly. “You will simply be marrying Carina instead.”
Before Carina could react, she was pushed forward.
Her knees hit the floor with a dull thud.
Pain shot through her body as her injured hand struck the ground again. This time she couldn’t hold it back a sharp breath escaped her lips.
My head tilted slightly.
I still went.
Listening.
“…why do I feel like I’ve seen this face before?” I said slowly in my mind.
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes lifted to him.
The thought lingered for a second before she pushed it away, shaking her head slightly.
“I never agreed to this,” she said.
Her voice was unsteady but clear.
“Nobody wants you here,” Petra snapped immediately, folding her arms. “You’ve been leeching off us long enough. It’s time you start paying your dues.”
Carina’s fingers pressed against the floor.
Then slowly
She stood up.
Ignoring the pain.
Her eyes locked onto Petra’s.
“Leeching?” she repeated quietly.
A pause.
Then
“This house… everything you have… was paid for by my mother.” Your mother quadrupled my mother's money and sold all my mother's property. She married my father just for money and not love.
Silence dropped again.
Heavier this time.
Petra’s face twisted with anger. Her hand lifted without hesitation.
“How dare you speak to my mother like that!”
Her hand came down
But it never landed.
I caught it mid-air.
My grip was firm. Unmoving.
“That’s enough.”
My voice didn’t rise.
It didn’t need to.
Petra froze, her eyes widening.
“You… yo
u can see?” she stammered.
“I thought you were blind!”
I released her slowly, his expression unchanged.
Yes I am blind but I sense movement
- Writer
