The next morning began peacefully.
Ariana came downstairs expecting the usual silence—
but instead, she found a breakfast table set for two.
Damian was already there.
He looked up the second she entered, as if he'd been waiting.
"Good morning," he said quietly.
"Good morning."
Her voice came out softer than she intended.
He motioned to the seat beside him—
not across from him this time.
Ariana hesitated only a second before sitting.
Somehow, it felt… right.
As she reached for her tea, Damian spoke:
"You don't work today."
Ariana's head jerked up.
"But I recovered files last night so I wouldn't fall behind—"
"You're resting," Damian insisted calmly.
"Three days."
"But I don't need—"
"Ariana."
She froze.
His voice wasn't harsh.
It was gentle—
but firm
and final.
She sighed quietly.
"Fine. But only today."
He said nothing, but she saw the tiniest curve at the corner of his mouth—
so faint that she wasn't sure she imagined it.
A Knock at the Door
They finished breakfast.
Ariana stood to help the maid clear the dishes when—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
An aggressive, impatient knock.
Damian's expression changed at once.
Cold.
Hard.
Unwelcoming.
"Stay here," he said sharply.
Ariana froze.
Something in his tone told her the visitor wasn't friendly.
Damian walked toward the foyer and opened the door.
A beautiful woman stood outside.
Tall, stunning, dripping in expensive jewelry and confidence.
Her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"Damian!" she exclaimed dramatically.
"You finally opened the door!"
Ariana peeked from behind the dining room wall.
The woman gasped as if performing onstage.
"Damian, darling. Aren't you going to let your fiancée in?"
Ariana's heart stopped.
Fiancée?
But she remembered—
the woman who ran away.
Damian's voice was ice.
"You have no right to be here."
She laughed airily.
"Oh, Damian, don't be like that. I made a mistake, yes, but I'm back now. You still love me."
Love?
Ariana blinked hard, throat tightening unexpectedly.
The woman stepped closer.
"You didn't think I'd let you marry someone else, did you?"
Ariana's breath hitched.
Was she talking about… her?
Damian's jaw hardened.
"I didn't think you would come after abandoning me in front of the entire nation."
The woman flinched—then smiled sweetly.
"I thought you'd forgive me. You always softened for me."
Ariana could see Damian's shoulders stiffen.
He was many things—
cold, calculating, feared—
but she had never seen him angry like this.
"I am married now," he said flatly.
"To someone who didn't humiliate me."
The woman's smile cracked a little.
"That girl? Damian, she's nothing! She's poor. She isn't even from our circle. Do you know what people are saying—"
Damian took a single step forward, towering over her.
"Leave."
His voice vibrated with restrained fury.
The woman paled.
"Damian—"
"Leave," he repeated, quieter, deadlier.
The woman swallowed and finally stepped back.
"This isn't over," she hissed.
"You will regret this."
Damian closed the door in her face.
Ariana Comes Forward
He didn't turn around immediately.
He stood still, his hands clenched.
Ariana approached carefully.
"Damian… are you okay?"
He turned slowly.
His hard expression softened the moment he saw her.
"I apologize," he said quietly.
"You had to witness that."
"You don't have to apologize to me," she whispered.
"I'm your contract wife. I know I'm not—"
"Stop."
Ariana froze.
Damian walked toward her slowly, stopping just a step away.
"You are my wife," he said simply.
"No contract changes that."
Her breath trembled.
"But she… she obviously cares about you."
His eyes darkened.
"She cared about my name. Not me."
Ariana swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry she said those things about me."
Damian looked at her like the idea itself offended him.
"She is irrelevant."
"She called me nothing," Ariana murmured.
Damian's voice dropped, deep and certain.
"You are not nothing."
Her heart flipped painfully.
"And if anyone says that again," he continued quietly,
"they will answer to me."
Ariana felt warmth flood her chest.
For the first time, Damian looked like he wanted to reach out…
touch her…
say more.
But he stepped back suddenly, as if pulling himself under control.
"Ariana… please rest today."
She nodded slowly, unable to speak.