The night dragged on, heavy with thoughts that Bella couldn’t seem to silence. Her mind kept returning to the look in Damian’s eyes — cold, unreadable, but hinting at something deeper. She turned over in bed, staring up at the ceiling, counting the minutes until sleep would finally take her.
But sleep never came.
Instead, she lay awake, her mind replaying the events of the day over and over again. The rushed ceremony, Damian’s aloofness, and the overwhelming emptiness of the mansion. She had imagined this union as a means of survival, a way to regain control after Liam’s betrayal. But now, it felt like she’d simply traded one prison for another.
A soft knock on her door startled her. Bella sat up quickly, her pulse racing as she tried to calm her breathing.
“Mrs. Blackwood,” came the v
