Chapter 17: The Contract
Damien's POV
I was in my study, trying to piece together the puzzle Eleanor left behind, when Cassandra barged in like she owned the place.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped, slamming the drawer shut.
She didn't even flinch. Instead, she strolled in, holding a folder like it was a weapon. "We need to talk, Damien."
I leaned back, my patience already wearing thin. "Whatever you think you're doing, stop. Get out of my house."
But Cassandra wasn't here to play games. She placed the folder on my desk and slid it toward me. "You might want to take a look at this first."
Reluctantly, I opened it. My stomach twisted as I saw the marriage contract. My signature stared back at me, mocking me.
"What is this?" I demanded, my voice low but dangerous.
"Your signature on a legally binding agreement," she said, her tone smug. "You married me, Damien. Remember?"
I shot to my feet, my chair screeching against the floor. "You drugged me! This—this is a joke!"
Cassandra smirked, leaning against the desk like she'd already won. "It's not a joke, Damien. It's real. And it means I'm not going anywhere."
I grabbed the contract, crumpling the edge in my fist. "You think this piece of paper means anything to me? You're delusional if you believe I'll honor this."
Her smirk didn't falter. "It doesn't matter what you believe. Legally, I'm your wife now. And if you try to annul it, you'll be dragging your precious reputation through the mud."
"You think I care about my reputation?" I barked. "You're nothing but a pawn in Eleanor's twisted game. Do you really believe she's doing this for you?"
For a moment, something flickered in her eyes—hesitation, maybe even doubt. But she quickly masked it. "I don't care why she's doing it. All I know is that I'm here, and you can't get rid of me."
I took a step closer, towering over her. "Watch me."
Cassandra held her ground, her confidence unnerving. "You should be careful, Damien. You wouldn't want this contract leaked to the press. Imagine the headlines: Billionaire Forced Into Marriage by Scandal. Your investors would love that."
I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body screaming for me to throw her out. But I couldn't risk her running to the media, not while Eleanor was still a threat.
"This isn't over," I growled, my voice low and deadly.
"Oh, I know," she said, her smirk widening. "It's just beginning."
With that, she turned and walked out, leaving the contract on my desk like a ticking time bomb.
I stared after her, my mind racing. Eleanor was tightening her grip, and now Cassandra was part of her arsenal. But if they thought this was enough to break me, they had no idea who they were dealing with.
The second Cassandra left the study, I sat there seething. My fists clenched as I tried to figure out my next move. She had me cornered, but if she thought I was going to play by her rules, she was dead wrong.
If I wanted to know what Eleanor and Cassandra were plotting, I had to get closer. Much closer.
I took a deep breath, swallowing my pride like a jagged pill. My stomach churned at the thought of what I was about to do. But I needed to keep my enemies close, no matter how much it burned.
"Damien Steele doesn't back down," I muttered under my breath, standing up and straightening my tie.
I walked out of the study and found Cassandra in the hallway, casually inspecting her nails like she hadn't just declared war on me.
"Cassandra," I called, my voice softer this time.
She glanced up, her expression smug. "Changed your mind already?"
I forced a small smile, my teeth grinding behind it. "Maybe I overreacted earlier. You caught me off guard, that's all."
Her eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Oh? And now you've come to your senses?"
I nodded, taking a step closer. "You're my wife now, right? If this is what's best for both of us, then I'll... accept it."
Her lips parted in surprise, but she quickly recovered, folding her arms. "Well, that's unexpected."
"It's not easy for me," I admitted, letting out a fake sigh. "But I want us to start fresh. No more fighting."
She tilted her head, studying me like she didn't believe a word I was saying. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious."
I stepped closer and gently took her hands in mine. It took everything in me not to recoil, but I held firm. "Cassandra, I want to make this work. I was wrong to lash out at you earlier. I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened, and for a split second, I saw her guard falter. "You're apologizing?"
I nodded, tightening my grip on her hands. "You deserve better than the way I treated you. Let me make it up to you."
Before she could respond, I pulled her into a hug. She stiffened at first, then melted into my arms, her head resting against my chest.
"I want us to move forward," I whispered, my voice as sincere as I could make it. "I'll move you out of this apartment. I'm relocating to my mansion on my birthday. You'll live there with me."
She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with wide eyes. "You mean that?"
I cupped her face, forcing myself to look into her eyes. "I promise. We'll make this work."
Then, before I could think too much about it, I leaned in and kissed her. It was slow and deliberate, and I poured every ounce of fake affection I could muster into it.
When I pulled away, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked genuinely moved. "I didn't think you'd come around so quickly."
"Neither did I," I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But I'm done fighting. It's time we acted like a real couple."
She smiled, and for the first time, I saw genuine emotion in her eyes. "Thank you, Damien. This means a lot."
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Anything for you, Cassandra."
But as I held her, my mind was racing. If she thought I was doing this out of love, she had no idea what was coming.
Eleanor and Cassandra wanted to play games? Fine. I'd play along. But they wouldn't see it coming when I flipped the board.
AT REED'S MANSION
SOPHIE POV:
Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the ceiling. The weight on my chest was unbearable. Hannah... I had failed her. How could I have let that monster take her?
I had tried everything, every possible move, but Damien Steele wasn't just ruthless—he was untouchable. He had power, money, and connections that made me feel like nothing more than a pawn in his twisted game.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, dragging me out of my spiral. At first, I ignored it. Nothing good ever came from looking at my phone lately. But it wouldn't stop. Buzz after buzz, like it was mocking me.
Finally, I reached for it, swiping at the screen with shaky fingers.
The first thing I saw was a tweet. A headline, bold and unforgiving:
"Damien Steele Spotted With Cassandra Laine: The Perfect Power Couple?"
My heart stopped. I clicked on the link, and there it was—a photo of Damien and Cassandra walking side by side. She was smiling like she'd just won the lottery, her hand brushing against his arm as if she owned him.
And Damien? He looked... composed. Cold, but composed. Like this was all part of his grand plan.
I sat up straight, my hands trembling as I scrolled through the comments.
"They look so good together!"
"Finally, Damien found someone on his level."
"Poor Sophie Reed. Guess she wasn't enough for the billionaire after all."
I threw my phone onto the bed, my chest heaving with anger and hurt. Was this his way of humiliating me? Of rubbing salt into the wounds he'd already caused?
I grabbed my pillow and screamed into it, trying to muffle the sound of my frustration. My sister was missing, my reputation was in shambles, and now the man who had turned my life upside down was parading around with another woman like none of it mattered.
I wiped at my tears furiously. No. I wasn't going to let him break me. Not like this.
But then, the thought of Hannah crept back into my mind, and my resolve wavered. She was still out there, scared and alone, and I had no idea what Damien was doing to her—or if she was even safe.
I grabbed my phone again, scrolling to the last number I'd called. Antonio. My stomach churned at the thought of asking him for help again, but what choice did I have?
Before I could press the call button, another notification popped up. This time, it was a text.
Unknown Number: You think Damien is your biggest problem? Meet me at 10 PM. Hotel Sapphire, Room 501. Come alone.
I stared at the message, my heart pounding. Who was this? What did they know?
My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I considered responding. But something told me this wasn't a conversation for texts.
I stood up, pacing the room. Every instinct in me screamed that this was a trap. But if there was even a chance that it could lead me to Hannah, I had to take it.
I grabbed my coat, wiping away the last of my tears. Damien Steele might have the upper hand now, but this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
And if whoever sent that text thought they could scare me, they were about to learn just how far I was willing to go for my sister.