Chapter 3

The grand hall of the Blackwood estate was filled with a strange and tense silence. There were no flowers no celebration, and no joy. The union between Damon Blackwood and Selena Everhart did not look like a love story the top people gossiped about with envy. It felt more like a cold and calculated transaction, devoid of the warmth that usually came with the wedding vows.

Selena stood in front of the large mirror in her chambers, staring at her reflection. Many thoughts running through her mind at the same time, and yet she held her composure quite brilliantly. It was that kind of day where she needed to put up her act.

Her wedding dress was a simple but elegant white silk that clung to her body, fitting her nicely like a glove. The neckline of the dress rested just enough to hint at her curves, and the fabric flowed down to the floor in soft waves. There was no elaborate train, no lace, and no frills. It was the dress of a woman who had no illusions about romance, a woman who was about to sign her life away for the purpose of revenge. But was it worth it?

Her eyes quickly went to the door, where a knock echoed through the quiet room. Her breath quickened as the door opened in a blink, and Damon stepped inside without waiting for permission. His presence filled the room immediately as he walked to her, his tall and broad frame casting a shadow over her.

"Elegant." Damon said, with a hint of pride.

"And I'm supposed to compliment you back in return I guess." She replied.

Damon was dressed in black from head to toe. His dark hair was slicked back, and his sharp features highlighted by the cold expression on his face. He was every bit as intimidating as she remembered. The man who had agreed to marry her, not for love, but for power.

"You're late," Selena continued, trying so hard to keep her voice steady despite the way her heart pounded in her chest. She wasn't going to give away any sign that could betray her state of mind.

Damon's gaze swept over her, his eyes resting for a moment longer than was necessary on her bare shoulders before he met her eyes. The air between them thickened, charged with an energy that neither of them would have loved to acknowledge, even though they both felt it.

"And what does it matter?" he replied calmly, stepping closer until he was just inches away from her. "I'm of the opinion that thhis isn't exactly a wedding anyone is looking forward to."

Selena's pulse quickened as his words brushed past her skin. She hated how he affected her, how even in a room full of nothing but tension and mistrust, there was an undeniable pull between them. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, the way his eyes darkened when he looked at her, as though he was assessing her, calculating whether or not she was worth the risk.

She squared her shoulders, refusing to let him see how much his presence unnerved her. "Its not like I care about the ceremony either," she said, her voice firm. "I only care about the deal."

Damon smirked, the corner of his lips curling in that way that made her stomach flip. "I know. You've made that perfectly clear." He turned his back to her, adjusting his cufflinks with a deliberate slowness. "But just because this is business, Selena, doesn't mean it has to be devoid of...the supposed pleasantries." He maintained his focus on his cufflinks. "You know that. Right?"

Selena's breath quickened again, but she quickly masked it with a calm and composed response. "I did not know you were the type for pleasantries."

Damon turned back toward her, his gaze sharper now, more focused. "I am actually not, but I am the type to take what I want. And I thought it would be in your interest to know that." He paused briefly, "Or rather, I think it's important you know that."

There it was again, that thinly veiled challenge in his words, the silent threat wrapped in a seductive promise. The tension between them was electrifying, crackling in the small space between their bodies.

"Then I should best remind you that you have no claim on me beyond what's in the contract," Selena shot back, her voice daring him to argue. She was ready to be defensive in whatever way possible.

Damon's eyes darkened, and he stepped even closer, so close that she could feel the heat of his breath on her skin. "We both know that isn't true. You agreed to this, Selena. And whether you like it or not, I will have all of you." His voice was a low growl, full of dark promise, sending a shiver down her spine.

Selena swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She hated that he was right, and despite her best efforts to keep this alliance cold and detached, there was something dangerous about Damon that drew her in, something that made her wonder what it would feel like to truly belong to him.

But she couldn't afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment. Not now. Not when a lot was at stake.

"I'm not yours," she whispered, though the words felt hollow even as she said them. Her brain seemed to made a quick assessment of the statement and decided that it was deception, but she had to hold her ground.

Damon's gaze softened, but only for a brief moment before the coldness returned. "You will be."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, leaving her standing there, heart racing, skin flushed, and mind spinning. She inhaled sharply in an attempt to ease her tensed mind and force herself to focus on what mattered. The wedding. The contract. The revenge.

"One thing at a time." She said calmly to her reflection in the mirror.

When she stepped into the grand hall, Damon was already waiting for her. The small gathering of witnesses, close allies of Damon, stood in respectful silence as she walked down the aisle alone. There were no smiles, no tears of joy. Just cold gazes.

Selena stood beside Damon, refusing to look at him, though she could feel the weight of his presence. The officiant began the ceremony, his voice droning on about vows and commitment, but none of it mattered to her. All she could think about was the way Damon's hand hovered near hers, close enough to touch but never making contact.

When it came time for the vows, they exchanged words that felt much formal like business deals than promises. Damon's voice was steady, emotionless, but there was something in his eyes as he looked at her. A hint of possession, of something that made her keep thinking if she was making the right choice.

When they sealed the vows with a kiss, Damon's lips brushed against hers with a rough intensity, sending a jolt through her. The kiss was brief, but it was enough to leave her breathless, her body humming with the electricity between them.

As the ceremony ended, and they turned to face the audience as husband and wife, Selena couldn't help but feel that despite the coldness, despite the calculated nature of their union, something far more dangerous had begun between them.