Ariana didn't lower her eyes.
She didn't stutter.
She didn't hide behind Damian.
She simply stood there—
small, elegant, steady—
and looked directly at Lena Hart.
Her heart was pounding, but her voice came out calm.
"I'm not here to replace you," Ariana said quietly.
"I'm here because I am his wife."
Whispers rippled across the ballroom.
Lena blinked, surprised that Ariana dared respond at all.
"How adorable," she scoffed.
"You think a paper marriage makes you worthy? Damian belongs with someone powerful, someone trained, someone who—"
"Someone who left him at the altar?" Ariana asked softly.
The room gasped.
Even Damian's eyes widened a fraction.
Lena's face flamed red.
She stepped closer, practically trembling.
"You little—"
"Enough," Damian said sharply.
His voice cut through the room like a blade.
He stepped in front of Ariana, shielding her completely.
His arm slid behind her, pulling her subtly—yet unmistakably—close.
"You will not insult my wife," Damian said, icy and cold.
"Not here. Not anywhere."
Lena clenched her fists.
"You've changed, Damian. Is it because she's pretty? Innocent? Different?"
"No," Damian replied without hesitation.
"She is respectful. Loyal. And she did not humiliate me in front of the entire nation."
Lena flinched visibly.
Damian continued, voice sharper:
"You made your choice when you walked away.
I made mine when I chose Ariana."
The crowd murmured again—
Everyone had been whispering about Ariana's status, about her background…
But now, they watched a man like Damian Steele defend her without holding back.
For the first time…
they saw what she meant to him.
And some of them grew uneasy.
Jealous.
Threatened.
Because he wasn't just protecting her—
He was claiming her.
****
Lena's Last Attempt
Lena swallowed hard and glared at Ariana.
"You think you're safe? You think he'll keep you? You're just a contract wife!"
Damian stiffened.
Ariana froze.
The room erupted in gossip.
"A contract wife?"
"Is that true?"
"Wait—is their marriage not real?"
"So she did marry him for benefits!"
Ariana's stomach dropped.
Her breath hitched painfully.
Damian was about to speak—
but Ariana gently placed her hand on his arm to stop him.
She stepped forward, surprising Lena and the entire ballroom.
Her voice didn't shake.
"Yes," Ariana said clearly.
"Our marriage began as a contract."
The whispering stopped instantly.
"But I never used his money."
Her voice grew stronger.
"I never used his name. I never touched the cars or cards he offered. You can check every account. I refused everything."
Lena's mouth fell open.
Ariana continued, calm and steady:
"If I wanted luxury, I wouldn't have rejected it."
The elites shifted uncomfortably.
"And I'm not pretending to belong in your world," Ariana added softly.
"I know I'm not like you. I know I'm different."
She glanced at Damian.
He watched her with something deep and intense in his eyes.
"But I didn't marry him for status."
She took a breath.
"I married him because he asked. And I agreed."
Silence.
Then Ariana finished, her voice soft yet firm:
"And if being myself makes me unworthy…
then that says more about this world than it does about me."
The room erupted into stunned murmurs.
Even Lena didn't know how to respond.
Damian stepped behind Ariana, placing a gentle but protective hand on her shoulder.
"She is my wife," he said coldly.
"And she will be respected."
Lena stared at them, face tight, shoulders shaking.
"This isn't over," she whispered.
"You'll regret being with him."
Damian's expression turned deadly.
"I regret ever knowing you," he replied.
And for the first time in her life—
Lena Hart's confidence shattered.
She turned and stormed out of the ballroom.
****
After the Storm
Once Lena was gone, Damian leaned down slightly.
"Ariana," he murmured.
"You didn't have to speak."
"I wanted to," she whispered.
"I needed to."
He looked at her for a long moment.
Not at the dress.
Not at the makeup.
Not at the image she presented.
But at her.
Then, very quietly, Damian said:
"I'm proud of you."
Ariana felt her heart swell so fast it almost hurt.