The Demon’s Pledge

Chapter 3

The Devil’s Deal

I wasn’t hoping to see him so shortly.

I’d finished the morning securing myself behind work, searching through what was left of my father’s files, attempting to locate any power against Adrian. But just after noon, the valet emerged in the study doorway, his utterance carefully neutral.

“Mr. Blackwood is around to see you, Miss Fallenhart.”

The pen stayed still in my hands“Send him away.”

“I’m scared,” came the smooth, too-familiar voice behind the valet, “that’s not the best way.”

I looked up and there he was. Adrian Blackwood, immaculate in a charcoal suit, the city’s winter light haloing him like something out of a painting. Except there was nothing saintly about the man in front of me.

“You’ve made yourself at home,” I said, bending back in the chair, disguising the point in my pulse.

“This isn’t a jovial call,” he answered, strolling inside. He set a sleek black folder on the desk between us. “It’s business.”

I didn’t skim it. “I’m not curious about your business.”

“You will be.”

His eyes didn’t waver from mine as he flipped the folder open, revealing a stack of papers. I scanned the heading and felt my stomach drop.

MARRIAGE AGREEMENT

I laughed once, sharp and humorless. “This is a joke.”

“It’s a contract,” Adrian said. “One year. You’ll be my wife in the public eye, in exchange for… certain assurances.”

“Assurances?” I echoed.

“Your sister, Elara.” His tone was flat, but something dangerous glinted in his eyes. “She’s been making enemies without realizing it. People who would use her to get to you. Or to me.”

Ice slid through my veins. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Adrian said softly, “that I’m the only one who can protect her. And I will. But only if you agree.”

Rage flared in my chest. “You’re using my sister as leverage?”

“I’m granting you an option,” he rectified. An estimated, mutually beneficial preparation. And before you say no” He leaned in, bracing his hands on the desk, his face inches from mine. “You know I can keep her secure. No one else in this city has that reach. Not Lucien Vale.”

My breath caught not at the closeness, not even at the mention of Lucien, but at the way Adrian said no one else. Like he wasn’t bragging. Like he was stating a fact written into the foundation of the city itself.

“What is the Blackwood Pact?” I asked unexpectedly.

His jaw tightened. Hardly but not enough. “Where did you hear that?”

I pulled a brow. “Answer the question.”

Instead, he put it in order and closed the folder. “Sign the agreement, Isla. One year. You get safety for your sister. I need your partnership. That’s the deal.”

I crossed my arms. “And what do you get from parading me around as your wife?”

For the very first time, his smile wasn’t cold, it was something darker. “Everything I’ve ever wanted.”

When he left, the folder remained on my desk like a snake coiled and waiting.

I should have thrown it in the fire. I should have called Lucien and asked him to make good on his offer of help. I should have done anything except sit there and imagine what it would be like to walk into a room on Adrian’s arm again, to meet those icy eyes every day, and pretend the air between us wasn’t electric.

The problem was… I didn’t believe Lucien could protect Elara. And I did believe Adrian could.

Which made this more than a contract.

It made it a trap.

That night, I found Elara in the sunroom, curled up with a book. She looked so young like this, all soft brown hair and tired eyes.

“How bad is it?” she asked quietly, without looking up.

“Bad,” I admitted. “But I’m handling it.”

She set the book aside, her gaze steady. “Is this about him?”

I didn’t answer.

Her mouth tightened. “I don’t trust him, Isla.”

“Neither do I,” I said, forcing a smile. “That’s why I’ll be the one holding the knife when it’s over.”

Her laugh was small, humorless. “You sound just like him.”

I didn’t sleep again that night. I kept seeing the way Adrian’s jaw had tightened at the mention of the Blackwood Pact. The way that strange symbol had glowed on his wrist the night of the storm. The way his presence seemed to change the air itself.

Will make my decision by dawn.

The Blackwood Tower lobby was all steel, glass, and silence. His deputy didn’t even look surprised when I

entered in.

“He’s hoping to see you,” she said, pressing a button on her desk.

The elevator ride to the top floor felt like being swallowed whole. The doors opened into his office vast, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered the city as a trophy.

Adrian stood at the glass, hands in his pockets, the morning light turning his hair almost gold. He didn’t turn when he spoke.

"You've made up your mind inside, I walked inside, heels clicking on polished stone. “One year.”

Finally, he turned. His smile was slow, difficult. “Wise choice.”

I held out my hand. “The contract.”

He didn’t hand it to me. Instead, he took my hand in his, turning it palm up. His thumb brushed my wrist, and for a moment, heat seared through my skin—not painful, but intense enough to steal my breath. When he let go, there was a faint mark there.

"What have u done”

“Binding terms,” he said entirely. “Every promise must be sealed.”

And before I could contend, he forced the pen into my hand.

The moment I inscribed, the mark on my wrist flared bright, then vanished.

Adrian’s eyes gleamed.

“Welcome to the marriage, Mrs. Blackwood.”