The Rules
1103 Words
Aria stared at Damian's outstretched hand.
For a moment, she considered turning around and walking away.
Leaving.
Running.
Pretending none of this had happened.
But then she thought about her father.
The employees.
The company.
The years of work that would disappear if she walked out those doors.
Slowly, she placed her hand in his.
His grip was firm and warm.
A strange contrast to the cold, calculating man she had imagined.
"Let's talk."
Damian led her into his office.
The room was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Manhattan.
Modern furniture filled the space.
Everything screamed wealth.
Power.
Control.
The office reflected its owner perfectly.
Damian walked behind his desk and sat.
Aria remained standing.
"I signed the contract."
"I noticed."
His gaze briefly fell to the papers in her hand.
Something almost resembling relief flashed across his face before disappearing.
Aria nearly missed it.
Almost.
"Before I agree to anything else," she said, "I want answers."
Damian leaned back slightly.
"I'll answer what I can."
"What exactly do you gain from this?"
A long silence followed.
Then he replied.
"A wife."
"You could have any woman in the city."
"Yet here we are."
Not an answer.
She knew it.
He knew it.
But he wasn't offering more.
Frustration bubbled inside her.
"Why me?"
This time, his response came immediately.
"Because you're exactly what I need."
That answer was somehow even more confusing.
Before she could press further, Damian opened a drawer and removed another document.
"This is the finalized agreement."
Aria accepted it cautiously.
The first page listed the basic terms.
Marriage duration: One year.
Financial obligations: Fully covered by Blackwood International.
Public appearances: Mandatory.
Divorce settlement: Generous.
Everything appeared straightforward.
Until she reached the section titled Rules.
Her eyebrows rose.
"There are rules?"
"There are."
She continued reading.
Rule One: Maintain the appearance of a genuine marriage in public.
Rule Two: Attend all events requested by Damian Blackwood.
Rule Three: No public disputes.
Rule Four: Confidentiality regarding private matters.
Rule Five: No discussion of Damian's personal history without permission.
Aria looked up.
"That one is oddly specific."
Damian's expression remained unreadable.
"It exists for a reason."
A reason he clearly wasn't planning to explain.
She continued reading.
Then paused.
Rule Six.
Her eyes widened.
"We have to live together?"
"Married couples generally do."
Her cheeks warmed slightly.
"Right."
The thought of living with him suddenly felt much more real.
Much more dangerous.
Not because she feared him.
Because she didn't understand him.
And that made him unpredictable.
She lowered the document.
"What happens if one of us breaks a rule?"
"Don't."
The answer came so quickly that it surprised her.
For a brief moment, something dark flashed through his eyes.
Fear.
Pain.
Regret.
Then it was gone.
Aria stared at him.
The mask had slipped.
Only for a second.
But she had seen it.
And now she knew one thing for certain.
Damian Blackwood was hiding something.
Something important.
The office door opened before she could question him further.
A woman entered carrying several folders.
She stopped immediately upon seeing Aria.
The woman's expression changed.
Not shock.
Recognition.
And dislike.
Interesting.
"Mr. Blackwood."
Damian nodded.
"Come in, Victoria."
Victoria placed the folders on his desk.
Her eyes drifted toward Aria again.
This time the hostility was impossible to miss.
Aria raised an eyebrow.
Victoria quickly looked away.
"Everything is prepared for Friday."
Friday?
Aria frowned.
"What happens Friday?"
Damian calmly signed a document.
"Our wedding."
The words hit like a freight train.
"Our what?"
"Wedding."
Aria blinked.
"Friday is three days away."
"Correct."
Three days.
Three days to prepare for a marriage.
Three days to tell her friends.
Three days to process the fact that she was marrying a billionaire she barely knew.
Her pulse skyrocketed.
"You're serious."
"Always."
Victoria suddenly spoke.
"The media announcement has already been drafted."
Aria looked at her.
"The media announcement?"
Damian nodded.
"The engagement becomes public tomorrow morning."
Aria nearly choked.
"Tomorrow?"
"The sooner we establish legitimacy, the better."
Everything was moving too fast.
Way too fast.
Damian, however, appeared completely unbothered.
As if arranging marriages on a week's notice was perfectly normal.
Maybe in his world it was.
Eventually Victoria left.
The moment the door closed, Aria rubbed her temples.
"This is insane."
"A temporary inconvenience."
"A temporary inconvenience?"
She laughed.
"I'm marrying a stranger in three days."
For the first time, Damian's lips curved into a genuine smile.
A real one.
Small.
Brief.
Dangerously attractive.
"You signed the contract."
And there it was.
The reminder.
She had chosen this.
Nobody had forced her.
The realization settled heavily on her shoulders.
Damian stood.
"The company funds will be transferred within twenty-four hours."
Aria froze.
"What?"
"The debt will be paid immediately."
Hope surged through her chest.
Real hope.
For the first time in weeks.
"My father's company will survive?"
"Yes."
Emotion tightened her throat.
She hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear those words.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Damian glanced at his watch.
"We have another engagement."
Aria frowned.
"What engagement?"
"A dinner."
"Tonight?"
"Tonight."
"Why?"
His answer was simple.
"Because my board members need to meet my future wife."
Of course they did.
Nothing about this arrangement was ever going to be simple.
Hours later, Aria found herself standing outside one of Manhattan's most exclusive restaurants.
A black evening dress hugged her figure.
Professional makeup had been applied by people Damian hired.
Everything felt unreal.
The restaurant doors opened.
Damian stepped out of his car.
For a moment, the city noise seemed to fade.
He looked devastatingly handsome.
Tailored black suit.
Confident posture.
The kind of presence that made people stare.
His eyes found hers immediately.
And something changed in his expression.
Not much.
Just enough.
As though seeing her had caught him off guard.
Damian approached.
Then offered his arm.
"Ready?"
Aria swallowed.
No.
Not even remotely.
But she slipped her hand through his arm anyway.
The flash of cameras exploded around them.
Photographers shouted questions.
Reporters rushed forward.
And before Aria could react, Damian pulled her closer.
Much closer.
The world seemed to stop.
His hand settled against her waist.
Possessive.
Protective.
Convincing.
The perfect image of a man deeply in love with his fiancée.
The cameras went wild.
But Aria wasn't paying attention anymore.
Because Damian had leaned down slightly.
And whispered something only she could hear.
"Smile."
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Then came the words that sent a chill down her spine.
"Someone is watching us."
Aria's smile froze.
"Who?"
Without looking away from the cameras, Damian replied,
"The person who wants this marriage to fail."
- Writer
