The office was silent, save for the faint hum of the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Damien Hawke sat behind his desk, staring out into the distance, though his mind was far from the view of the city. His fingers lightly tapped the surface of the polished wood, as though he were trying to keep himself tethered to the present, but his thoughts were elsewhere, swirling in a dark pool of uncertainty.
PA Jin had just left, his footsteps echoing softly as he made his way down the hallway to handle other matters. It was a rare moment of solitude for Damien, a moment where he could allow himself to reflect — to wonder if what he had just agreed to was the right decision.
His thoughts drifted back to the moment when Aunt Delilah had forced the idea of marriage upon him, presenting Lily now Lianna Black as a solution, a means to ensure the protection of the woman who had once been his enemy. He couldn't deny the strange allure of Lily , the way she had shed her old identity like a snake shedding its skin.
She was no longer Lily Ashton, the woman who had once been humiliated by him. No, she was now Lianna Black, a name that carried weight — and power.
Damien sighed, a deep, almost inaudible exhale. His fingers stopped tapping the desk as the weight of the decision settled deeper within him. He had offered her a way to avenge herself, and in return, she would become his contracted wife, his shield in the eyes of the board of directors.
But what was it truly about?
Was it just an alliance of convenience?
Or had something deeper shifted within him?
Before he could unravel his thoughts further, the door to his office swung open, and his friends — or rather, his closest allies — entered, their presence making the air in the room feel just a little bit heavier.
Xander, Sebastian, and Dante were a force to be reckoned with, each of them as dangerous and enigmatic as Damien himself. And each of them had their own stake in what Damien was about to do.
Xander, the eldest, tall and imposing, with his sharp, calculating gaze, wasted no time in stepping forward. His voice, low and controlled, cut through the room.
"So, Aunt Delilah wasn't just talking nonsense, was she?" He raised an eyebrow, his piercing blue eyes studying Damien carefully. "You're actually going through with it. Getting married. To someone everyone thought was dead."
Sebastian, always the more carefree and charming one, leaned against the edge of the desk with a smirk.
"I don't know, Damien. Lianna Black? I didn't think anyone could pull off that kind of transformation from the pictures Auntie posted of her. She's practically unrecognizable. But I suppose that's the point, isn't it?" He winked, clearly amused by the whole situation. "You've got a type, don't you?"
Damien remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the desk before him, the muscles in his jaw tightening. He wasn't in the mood for their banter.
Not now.
Dante, ever the quiet observer, stood apart from the others, his icy blue eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. He had never been one for unnecessary words. His voice was quiet, but it held a dangerous edge.
"Does she know what you truly are?" he asked, his tone cutting through the tension like a blade.
Damien's eyes flicked up to meet Dante's, the sharpness in his gaze answering the unspoken question.
"Forget it," he replied, his voice cold and dismissive. "It's none of your concern. Lianna Black isn't someone I need to explain myself to."
His words were final, as if the matter was closed, but something in his eyes told a different story — there was a flicker of doubt, a hesitation that no one could see.
Just as the air thickened with the weight of their questions, the door opened again, and PA Jin stepped in, followed by Lianna.
The room seemed to still the moment she entered.
She was no longer the woman they had all known, the one who had been humiliated and discarded. The devil's bride stood before them now, a vision of dark elegance. Her black dress hugged her figure, the fabric shimmering like shadows. The black hawk feathers that adorned the dress swirled around her, making her seem like she had stepped out of a dream — or a nightmare. Her face was partially veiled by a black mourning net, obscuring the upper half of her face, but her emerald eyes glowed through the veil, cold and piercing. The gothic beauty she had become was impossible to ignore.
Her entrance was nothing short of mesmerizing, and the four men in the room were entranced in different ways. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. Xander's eyes narrowed, calculating, while Dante simply stared, his expression unreadable.
Damien stood up from his desk as though pulled by some invisible force. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her transformation was not just physical — it was something deeper. Something more dangerous. His mind raced, but his body was still, frozen in place as she entered the room.
And in that moment, she was more than just a woman seeking revenge. She was Lianna Black — his fiancée.
"I see you've made quite the entrance," Xander remarked, his voice surprisingly light, given the circumstances. "But, tell me, does she know what she's getting into, Damien?"
Damien's eyes flicked toward him, a shadow crossing his features. "She knows what's expected of her," he replied coldly. "And nothing more."
Lianna's gaze flicked toward Damien, but she didn't speak. She was silent, the gravity of the situation settling around her like a cloak.
Before anyone could say anything further, Sebastian leaned forward, his mischievous grin appearing once again. "Damien's got himself a bride, huh? Quite an 11 if you ask me!" He winked at Lianna, clearly intrigued.
"Don't worry, darling. We'll keep your little secret. The whole world thinks you're dead after all." His tone was teasing, but there was something beneath it — an edge of genuine curiosity.
Damien's cold gaze snapped to Sebastian, and in an instant, the room seemed to freeze. The temperature dropped, and it was clear that Damien didn't tolerate such casual words about Lily's past life.
"I'd advise you not to joke about that," Damien said, his voice low and threatening. "This is serious."
Lianna stood there, her expression unwavering, and as she looked at Damien, she couldn't help but wonder what she had truly walked into.
She had wanted revenge, yes.
But now, standing in this room, surrounded by men who exuded power and mystery, she wasn't so sure anymore. This wasn't just about vengeance.
This was a dark world, a world where the lines between ally and enemy blurred.
And, she was about to become part of it...