Chapter 42

"I wasn't on a date with Ethan. I was making it clear—again—that I have nothing to do with him anymore." Elena wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain herself, but the thought of being misunderstood by Damian unsettled her.

Damian leaned back against a tree trunk, his injured arm still bleeding. His voice turned quieter.

"The Blackwell family is like a lion's den. It makes sense that you wouldn't want to step into it. Marrying a man like me, someone who's not long for this world… well, you'd probably end up dead before me."

His mask was designed so well that no one could tell the scars were fake. The sight of them was unsettling to most people.

Elena had been startled when she first saw his face, but now, all she felt was sympathy.

"That must have been agonizing when it happened," she said softly. "And now, being in charge of the Blackwell family… that must be exhausting."