Chapter 4: Living Under One Roof
1233 Words
Three days passed quickly.
Ariana Cole spent those days thinking about Damien Blackwood’s proposal.
Every logical part of her mind told her to refuse.
A contract marriage with a man she barely knew was not something she had ever imagined for herself. Marriage was supposed to be built on love, trust, and understanding.
Not documents and agreements.
But life had already shown her that promises could be broken.
Ethan Carter had given her love, or at least she thought he had. He had promised her forever, yet he abandoned her when it mattered most.
Maybe a marriage without false promises was better than a love filled with lies.
On the third evening, Ariana returned to Blackwood Tower.
Damien was waiting in his office.
“You made your decision,” he said.
Ariana placed the signed contract on his desk.
“Yes.”
His eyes moved to the document.
“You agreed?”
“I agreed to the arrangement.”
Damien nodded.
“Good.”
Ariana noticed his calm reaction.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. Maybe surprise.”
“You are not someone who makes decisions easily. I expected you to choose carefully.”
His words made her pause.
Damien always seemed to notice things about her.
The next week changed everything.
The news spread quickly.
Billionaire CEO Damien Blackwood Secretly Marries Ariana Cole.
The public was shocked.
No one knew about the relationship.
No one knew when it happened.
And no one understood why Damien Blackwood, one of New York’s most wanted bachelors, had chosen Ariana.
The media wanted answers.
But Damien gave them none.
Ariana moved into the Blackwood mansion.
The house was enormous.
It had more rooms than she could count, a beautiful garden, and staff who moved quietly through the halls.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
“This is your room,” Damien said as he showed her a large bedroom.
Ariana looked around.
“It’s bigger than my entire apartment.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
She turned to him.
“That’s easy for you to say. You grew up here.”
Damien was quiet.
For a moment, she noticed something change in his expression.
Pain.
But it disappeared quickly.
Their marriage was supposed to be simple.
They would act like a couple in public.
They would respect each other’s boundaries in private.
No emotions.
No expectations.
At least, that was the plan.
But living together made things complicated.
Ariana discovered Damien was not the cold person everyone described.
He worked late nights but always remembered small details.
He noticed when she skipped meals.
He asked about her designs.
He even helped her choose fabrics for her new collection.
One evening, Ariana found him in the kitchen preparing coffee.
“You make your own coffee?”
Damien looked at her.
“Is that surprising?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I imagined billionaires had people doing everything for them.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“You have a strange imagination.”
She laughed.
It was the first time she had seen him smile.
And she realized something dangerous.
Damien Blackwood was becoming easier to understand.
And she was starting to forget that their marriage was only an arrangement.
---
Chapter 5: My Ex Wants Me Back
Two weeks after Ariana became Damien Blackwood’s wife, she returned to the world she had left behind.
Her fashion collection was finally ready.
The launch event was important for her career.
It was her chance to prove that she was more than the woman who was abandoned on her wedding day.
The event was successful.
Guests admired her designs, and several investors showed interest.
For the first time in weeks, Ariana felt proud again.
Then she saw him.
Ethan Carter.
Standing across the room.
Her happiness disappeared.
“Ariana.”
His voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
She turned slowly.
“What are you doing here?”
Ethan looked different.
Less confident.
Almost regretful.
“I came to talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about.”
“Ariana, please.”
She looked at him.
The same man who left her standing alone in a wedding dress was now asking for another chance.
“I made a mistake.”
She laughed softly.
“A mistake?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t accidentally betray someone.”
Ethan lowered his eyes.
“I know I hurt you.”
“You destroyed my trust.”
“I still love you.”
Those words meant nothing now.
Before Ariana could answer, Damien appeared beside her.
His presence changed the atmosphere immediately.
“A problem?”
Ethan looked surprised.
“Damien Blackwood.”
Damien placed a hand gently on Ariana’s shoulder.
“My wife seems uncomfortable.”
Ethan’s expression changed.
“You really married him?”
Ariana looked directly at him.
“Yes.”
For the first time, Ethan seemed to realize he had lost her.
“I thought you would come back.”
Ariana shook her head.
“You were wrong.”
Ethan left, but Ariana could feel his anger.
He wasn’t only hurt.
He was determined.
And that worried Damien.
“He’s not giving up,” Damien said.
Ariana looked at him.
“You think he’ll cause trouble?”
“I know people like him.”
She frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means he doesn’t like losing.”
---
Chapter 6: The Billionaire's Jealous Side
Ariana never expected Damien Blackwood to be jealous.
He was always controlled.
Always calm.
Always careful with his emotions.
But something changed when Ethan returned.
At first, Ariana thought she imagined it.
Damien became quieter whenever Ethan’s name was mentioned.
He asked more questions about who she was meeting.
He started attending more events with her.
At first, she thought it was only because of their agreement.
But then she noticed something else.
He cared.
One evening, Ariana attended a business dinner.
A young designer named Lucas spent most of the night talking with her about fashion.
They laughed about their shared ideas and discussed future projects.
When Damien arrived to pick her up, he noticed them immediately.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” he said.
Ariana looked at him.
“Are you upset?”
“No.”
But his expression said otherwise.
She smiled slightly.
“You’re jealous.”
Damien looked surprised.
“Jealous?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because this is a contract marriage.”
Ariana became quiet.
His words reminded them both of the truth.
Their relationship was supposed to be fake.
So why did his reaction feel real?
On the drive home, neither of them spoke much.
Finally, Damien said, “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
Ariana turned.
“Who?”
“Lucas.”
She almost laughed.
“You’re actually jealous.”
Damien looked out the window.
“I’m protecting what is mine.”
The words surprised her.
“What is yours?”
He looked at her.
“You.”
For a moment, Ariana forgot how to respond.
Because Damien Blackwood did not sound like a man following a contract.
He sounded like a man who was starting to believe their marriage was real.
And that scared both of them.
Because feelings were never part of the agreement.
- Writer
