THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT WIFE.

CHAPTER SIX: BAPTISM BY FIRE

The next evening, Ava stood at the top of the grand staircase in a gown she barely recognized as hers. Damien’s stylist had transformed her from an invisible waitress into a goddess in midnight-blue silk. Her hair was swept into an elegant updo, diamonds glittering at her ears. For the first time, she looked like she belonged in Damien Blackwood’s world—at least on the outside.

Her palms were still sweaty.

From below, the low hum of conversation filled the ballroom. Manhattan’s elite mingled over champagne, the air thick with perfume and hidden agendas. Paparazzi flashes flickered outside like distant lightning.

“You look… incredible,” Damien’s voice came from behind her.

She turned to find him in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, as effortlessly commanding as ever. But for the first time, his eyes lingered—not just with appraisal, but something Ava couldn’t name.

“Don’t get used to it,” she murmured, trying for humor to hide her nerves. “I still don’t know which fork is for salad.”

His lips curved faintly. “Just stay by my side, Ava. They’ll see what I want them to see.”

“And what’s that?” she asked softly.

“That you’re mine,” Damien said, his tone low and deliberate. “And that you’re not going anywhere.”

Her heart stuttered at his words. She reminded herself: It’s all an act. For the contract. For the inheritance. And yet, the way he said it felt dangerously real.

As they descended the staircase together, heads turned. Conversations paused. Cameras clicked. The perfect billionaire and his mysterious new wife—exactly the spectacle Damien wanted.

But not everyone looked impressed.

Bianca stood near the stage, shimmering in an emerald gown, her smile sharp as broken glass. Beside her, a well-dressed man whispered to a group of journalists. Ava’s stomach twisted when she recognized him from the leaked article: Ethan, her ex.

She clutched Damien’s arm tighter. “He’s here,” she whispered. “Why is he here?”

Damien’s jaw hardened. “Bianca invited him, obviously. She’s trying to provoke you.”

“What if he tells them lies about me?”

Damien leaned closer, his voice low but firm. “Then you let me handle it. The worst thing you can do is run. We face them together.”

Ava nodded, but her legs trembled as they reached the main floor. The night blurred into handshakes, forced smiles, and flashes of cameras. Every time she turned, she felt Ethan’s gaze on her, smug and mocking.

Then Bianca struck.

“Well, if it isn’t our favorite newlyweds,” Bianca said loudly enough for nearby guests to hear. “Ava, darling, you’ve come a long way from waiting tables. Tell us, how does it feel to marry a billionaire weeks after dumping your ex for him?”

A ripple of laughter and murmurs swept the crowd. Ava froze. Every eye turned toward her. Ethan smirked, clearly relishing the attention.

Damien’s hand tightened over hers. His voice was calm but cutting. “Careful, Bianca. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”

“Oh, I’m not jealous,” Bianca cooed. “I’m concerned. After all, Ava’s ex claims she begged him for money before running off with you. Seems suspicious, doesn’t it?”

The cameras clicked wildly. Ava’s throat tightened. Part of her wanted to scream the truth—that Ethan had cheated, that he was lying for revenge. But if she did, they’d only twist her words further.

Before she could speak, Damien stepped forward.

“You want a quote for your headlines?” His voice cut through the room like a blade. “Here it is: My wife is the bravest woman I’ve ever met. She didn’t marry me for money—she married me despite knowing people like you would tear her apart. And that makes her ten times stronger than anyone in this room.”

Gasps. Whispers. Even Bianca’s confident smile faltered for a heartbeat.

Damien wasn’t finished. He turned his piercing gaze to the cameras. “Write that. And if anyone questions my marriage again, they’ll answer to me directly.”

A hush settled over the crowd. Ava stood stunned. His defense was supposed to be for show, yet the conviction in his voice felt… real. Her chest ached with an emotion she didn’t want to name.

Damien took her hand and guided her toward the balcony, away from the stares and whispers. Out in the cool night air, she finally found her voice. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did,” he said simply. “You’re my wife, Ava. Contract or not, I won’t let anyone humiliate you.”

Her breath caught. She wanted to thank him, but the words tangled in her throat. Instead, she found herself looking at his lips, at the way the city lights reflected in his storm-gray eyes.

For one dizzying moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of them.

Then Damien stepped back suddenly, his mask sliding back into place. “Careful, Ava. Don’t mistake this for something it’s not.”

The sting of his words snapped her back to reality. But even as she nodded stiffly, her heart whispered otherwise.

Before she could reply, a waiter rushed onto the balcony, breathless. “Mr. Blackwood—there’s been an incident. The press… they’re publishing a story that could ruin everything.”

Damien’s eyes turned sharp, deadly. “What story?”

The waiter swallowed hard. “A leaked video. Of you and Ava—before the wedding. It makes it look like… the marriage was staged.”

Ava’s blood ran cold.

A leaked video threatens to expose their marriage as a sham publicly, putting Damien’s inheritance and Ava’s reputation on the line. Who leaked it? Bianca? Ethan? Or someone inside Damien’s circle?