Damian didn't like being cornered.
Not by competitors, not by circumstances, and certainly not by women.
Yet here she was, Elena Reed, seated across from him in his office like she had the upper hand.
He tapped his pen against the file in front of him. Her proposal was unconventional. Risky. Insane. But it was also… brilliant.
Still, he wasn't about to make it easy.
The Test Begins
"You're a strategic consultant," he said slowly. "Yet here you are, offering marriage like a business transaction. What do you really want?"
Elena crossed one leg over the other, calm. "Protection. Leverage. Access."
"Access to me?"
"To your world," she clarified smoothly. "For a year. No strings, no publicity, no real affection. We get what we want and walk away clean."
Damian studied her. "What makes you think I won't use you and toss you aside once it's done?"
Elena leaned in slightly. "Because I'm not the type to be tossed."
That made him pause.
Bold. Fearless. Dangerous.
He liked that.
A Deal Among Sharks
"Alright," he said at last. "Let's say I entertain this… madness. What are your conditions?"
Elena didn't miss a beat. "One: No emotional entanglement. Two: No public acknowledgment. Three: No interference in my personal affairs."
His brow arched. "And in return?"
"You get a polished, scandal-proof 'wife' on paper. Someone who won't fall in love with you or drag your name through the mud."
He chuckled. "You make it sound so romantic."
Elena smiled coolly. "Romance is a liability."
A silence followed.
Then Damian stood, walked over to a drawer, and pulled out a leather folder. From it, he slid a fresh contract across the table.
The clauses were stark.
Strict.
And final.
"Revised terms," he said, his voice unreadable. "Sign it, and you're mine. For one year."