Married by deception

THE WARNING

Elena stared at the message on her phone.

Ask Damian about the night he first saw you.

For several seconds, she couldn't move.

The words from the previous messages were already unsettling, but this one was different.

It was specific.

Too specific.

Whoever was sending these messages knew about the charity event six years ago.

They knew Damian had been there.

And somehow, they knew Elena didn't remember him.

She looked toward the corridor where Damian had disappeared with Marcus.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

Her phone vibrated again.

Another message.

You should know what kind of man you're marrying.

Elena immediately typed a response.

Who are you?

She waited.

Nothing.

She tried again.

What happened that night?

The message showed as delivered.

No reply.

"Elena."

She spun around.

Damian was standing at the end of the corridor.

His expression was hard.

"What are you doing?"

She held up her phone.

"Waiting for someone to tell me the truth."

His eyes dropped to the screen.

"Did they message you again?"

"Yes."

He walked toward her.

"What did they say?"

She handed him the phone.

Damian read the message.

His jaw tightened.

For the first time, Elena saw something close to anger in his eyes.

Not the controlled irritation he usually showed during business meetings.

Real anger.

"Whoever is doing this knows too much," he said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Damian returned the phone.

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"My office."

"I thought you had a security problem."

"I do."

"Then shouldn't you be dealing with it?"

"I am."

He looked directly at her.

"And you're part of the problem now."

Elena's eyebrows rose.

"Excuse me?"

"Not because of anything you've done."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Whoever is behind this knows you're connected to me."

Elena folded her arms.

"Maybe if you'd actually tell me what's going on, I could protect myself."

Damian's expression tightened.

"I don't want you involved."

"Too late."

She stepped closer.

"I'm marrying you."

His eyes held hers.

"That's exactly why I'm worried."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Marcus approached.

"Mr. Blackwood."

Damian turned.

"What did you find?"

"The security footage from the executive floor has been erased."

Elena's stomach dropped.

"Erased?"

Marcus nodded.

"Someone accessed the system remotely."

Damian's voice became colder.

"Can you recover it?"

"We're trying."

"Try harder."

Marcus nodded and walked away.

Elena watched him leave.

"This isn't normal."

"No."

"Have you had problems like this before?"

Damian didn't answer.

She looked at him.

"Damian."

"Not like this."

"Then why are you acting like you already know who might be behind it?"

His gaze shifted toward the windows.

"Because I have a few possibilities."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you yet."

Elena laughed without humor.

"Of course."

She turned away.

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Keeping secrets."

Damian caught her wrist gently before she could walk away.

She looked down at his hand.

He released her immediately.

"You're right."

Elena looked back at him.

His voice was quieter now.

"I've kept things from you."

"Why?"

"Because I thought I could handle them myself."

"And now?"

"Now I'm not so sure."

That admission surprised her.

Damian Blackwood didn't seem like a man who ever admitted uncertainty.

Elena studied him.

"What happened six years ago?"

His expression changed.

"Elena—"

"You said you'd tell me eventually."

"I will."

"When?"

"When I know you're safe."

She shook her head.

"That's not good enough."

He stepped closer.

"You're asking questions about something that happened before we knew each other."

"Then why does everyone keep acting like it has something to do with me?"

Damian didn't answer.

And that silence told Elena more than his words had.

"It does."

He looked at her.

"What?"

"It has something to do with me."

Damian exhaled slowly.

"There are things about that night that you don't remember."

Elena's heart beat faster.

"What things?"

Before he could answer, Marcus returned.

"Sir."

Damian turned.

"The security team found something."

"What?"

"A file was accessed from the old company archive."

Damian's face changed.

"Which file?"

Marcus glanced at Elena.

"The charity event records."

Silence.

Elena stared at Damian.

His eyes met hers.

Now she knew.

Whatever had happened six years ago, Damian hadn't forgotten it.

And someone was determined to make sure she remembered it too.

"Show me," Damian said.

Marcus hesitated.

"There's one problem."

"What?"

"The file was accessed using your credentials."

Damian went completely still.

"My credentials?"

"Yes."

Elena looked between them.

"Could someone have stolen your password?"

"Possibly."

Marcus shook his head.

"We checked. There was no unauthorized login from outside the building."

Damian's expression darkened.

"Then someone inside this company accessed it."

"That's what it looks like."

Elena's phone buzzed.

She looked down.

Another message.

I warned you.

Then another appeared.

The closer you get to Damian, the more you'll regret it.

Her blood ran cold.

She showed Damian.

He stared at the screen.

Then he looked at Marcus.

"Get security to check every person who had access to the archive."

"Already doing it."

"And Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"Nobody leaves this building until I say so."

Marcus nodded.

"Understood."

He left.

Elena turned toward Damian.

"What happens now?"

"We find out who is doing this."

"And the charity event?"

Damian looked at her.

"You still want to know?"

"More than ever."

He was silent for several seconds.

Then he walked toward his desk.

"Six years ago, my grandfather took me to the Sterling Foundation charity event."

"I know."

"I wasn't supposed to stay long."

"But you did."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Damian looked at her.

"Because I saw you."

Elena swallowed.

"What were you doing?"

"Arguing with someone."

She frowned.

"You already told me that."

"There was more."

"What?"

"You were upset."

"I don't remember being upset."

"You don't remember a lot of that night."

She stared at him.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Damian."

"I saw you leave the ballroom."

"And?"

"I followed you."

Elena's eyes widened.

"You followed me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I thought something was wrong."

She waited.

"What happened?"

Damian looked away.

"You don't need to know tonight."

Elena's frustration returned.

"You can't keep saying that."

"I can if it's for your safety."

"That's not your decision."

He looked at her.

"You're right."

His voice softened.

"It isn't."

Elena wasn't expecting that.

Damian walked around the desk and stopped in front of her.

"But I need you to trust me."

She gave him a skeptical look.

"Trust is difficult when you keep lying."

"I haven't lied to you."

"You've withheld things."

"There's a difference."

"Not when I'm the person being kept in the dark."

Damian looked at her for a long moment.

Then his phone rang.

He answered.

"What?"

His expression changed.

"What do you mean?"

He listened.

"Send it to my office."

He ended the call.

Elena immediately asked, "What happened?"

Damian looked at her.

"The security team recovered part of the deleted file."

"And?"

His eyes remained on hers.

"There was a photograph."

"What photograph?"

"From that night."

Elena's heart began pounding.

"Of me?"

Damian didn't answer immediately.

"Of both of us."

Elena froze.

"Both of us?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't I remember seeing you?"

"I don't know."

"Where is the photograph?"

"It's being sent here."

Elena stepped closer.

"I want to see it."

Damian hesitated.

"Elena—"

"I want to see it."

He nodded.

A few