THE 365-DAY CONTRACT BRIDE

THE FIRST FIGHT

Chapter 4: The First Fight

I woke up alone.

The bed was huge. Empty on his side. Cold.

"Damian?" I called out.

No answer.

I went downstairs in one of his shirts. It swallowed me.

Mrs. Chen handed me coffee. "Mr. Hawthorne left at 5 AM. Board emergency."

Right. The board. After what happened last night.

My phone buzzed.

Unknown number: "You think he wants you? Check the news. Page 6."

Attachment: Photo. Me. On his lap. Kissing him.

Headline: "HAWTHORNE DESPERATE FOR FAMILY IMAGE. HIRES BRIDE."

Hires.

I dropped the phone.

---

He came home at midnight. Tie loose. Angry.

"Why are you still up?" he snapped.

"Why did you marry me?" I shot back.

He froze. "What?"

"I saw the article. 'Hires bride.' Is that all I am to you? A PR stunt?"

Damian dropped his keys on the table. Hard. "Yes."

The word hit me like a slap.

"Then why did you kiss me?" I yelled. "In front of everyone? Why did you tell me to sleep in the middle?"

"Because it was necessary!" he shouted back. "The board was going to vote me out, Aria! They think I'm unstable! Unmarried! A liability!"

"So you picked me? The waitress with $3 in her bank?"

"YES!" He slammed his hand on the counter. "Because you had nothing! Because you wouldn't ask questions! Because you needed the money and I needed a wife!"

Silence.

I was crying. I didn't even realize. "So last night... the holding me during the nightmare..."

"A mistake," he said. But he wouldn't look at me.

"Liar," I whispered.

"What did you say?"

"I said you're a liar." I stepped closer. "Because if it was all business, you wouldn't have kissed me like that. You wouldn't care where I sleep."

Damian's jaw clenched. "Don't."

"Don't what? See through you?"

He grabbed my wrist. Not hard. But firm. "Go to bed, Aria."

"Make me."

Big mistake.

His eyes darkened. "You're pushing me."

"Then push back," I whispered.

For a second I thought he would. Kiss me. Yell. Something.

Instead he let go. Walked away.

To the guest room. And shut the door.

---

I heard him on the couch later. TV on low.

I laid in that massive bed. In the middle. Like he told me to.

Alone.

My phone lit up.

Ethan: "Sis you okay? Saw something online about you?"

I didn't answer.

2 AM.

Footsteps.

The door opened. Damian stood there. In sweatpants. No shirt.

"You asleep?" he asked quietly.

"No."

He sighed. Ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Yelling or lying?"

"Both." He stepped in. "The board thing is true. But... not all of it."

"What else?"

He sat on the edge of the bed. Far from me. "My father. On his deathbed. His last words to me: 'Get married. Build a family. Or I leave everything to your cousin.'"

I stared. "So this is about inheritance?"

"And control," he said. "If I don't have a wife by Day 365, I lose the company."

"And me?" I asked. "What do I get on Day 365?"

He looked at me. Really looked. "You get to choose."

"What if I choose you?"

The room went still.

Damian stood up fast. "Don't say things like that. We have rules."

"Rule number 6," I said. "Right."

He walked to the door. Paused. "Sleep. We have another event tomorrow."

"Where will you sleep?"

He didn't turn around. "Couch."

The door closed.

And I was left in the middle of a king bed, in a $200K dress from last night, wondering when business turned into this ache in my chest.

Rule number 6 was officially dead.