Chapter 2. The Morning After the Deal
Elara woke to silence.
Not the comforting quiet of early morning, but the kind that pressed against the walls of her room like a secret waiting to be uncovered. The contract lay open on her nightstand, mocking her with its neat signatures and sharp legal language.
She had signed it. She had made it real.
The Vance family estate had been deathly quiet for weeks now, but today there was movement. She could hear the distant hum of staff returning, summoned by the promise of restored salaries and cleared debts. Damien hadn’t wasted time.
She dressed slowly, choosing a deep green blouse and fitted slacks. It wasn’t armor, but it would do. When she stepped into the hall, she found her mother already waiting near the staircase.
"You look... lovely," her mother said, hesitant.
Elara raised a brow. "You can say it. I look like a woman walking to her own execution."
Her mother flinched, but said nothing.
They didn’t speak as they rode in the black town car sent by Arclight Industries. The streets blurred by, familiar yet distant. Elara sat stiffly, her mind a whirlwind of everything that had led to this moment.
She wasn’t just marrying a man she didn’t love—she was marrying the man who had burned her father’s life’s work to ash.
The wedding was scheduled to be private. No press, no guests, no extravagance. A legal formality, Damien had called it. Just enough to seal the deal.