Chapter 5 The Devil's Bargain

Silence pressed against Katherine's ears, thick and suffocating. The burly men who restrained her released her, and she stumbled forward, barely catching herself before hitting the floor.

Her heart thundered in her chest, each beat hammering against her ribs as she fought to steady her breath. Then a pair of polished leather shoes stood motionless before her.

She forced herself to look up, locking eyes with Damien's stormy grey ones. Although they were unreadable and calculating, she could still register a glint of triumph in them.

A sense of victory that made her defeat even more sinking, as he knew that she had given him her last card.

His gaze dragged over her deliberately and slowly. Then, he silently walked past her.

"Follow me."

Katherine stood to her feet hesitantly, her body frozen between relief and fear. Seconds later, sounds of clicking heels echoed rushing through the door echoed behind her.

"Don't do it!"

She spun to see Tiffany's contorted into panic and her voice desperate and pleading.

"It's not worth it Kat!"

Katherine's breath caught in her throat. She turned to see Damien who stood by the window, his hands tucked into his pockets and had a smirk on his face which made her stomach churn.

Outside, the demolition team stood ready, awaiting his orders.

"Your call." He said smoothly, his voice calm amd controlled.

But the unspoken threat was clear: it was not over yet.

Katherine inhaled shakily, her heart twisting as she turned to Tiffany. She giving a silent plea before moving towards Damien, each step heavier than the last. They walked up the stairs, through a small corridor and into the first room which was her father's office.Or what was left of it.

The office was now bare and lifeless, the warmth it once held was gone. The bookshelves were empty, the paintings stripped from the walls. The only thing left was a large wooden desk, behind which Damien now sat, exuding absolute control.

"I have agreed to your conditions" Katherine said, her voice barely over a whisper. "Now tell them to stop."

Damien didn't respond. The silence stretched for what seemed like eternity the room as he simply watched her, and an unsettling feeling within her.

He then leaned forward, interlocking his fingers over the desk.

"Say it again."

Katherine's pulse skipped, and her brows furrowed. "What?"

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes, his smirk deepening as he leaned into the chair. "I want you to say it again, Katherine. No conditions, no desperation or hesitation. Just the truth."

"How is this the truth?" Katherine snapped, narrowing her eyes. " I already said it, and you heard me clearly."

Damien chuckled lightly. "Whether you like it or not, it's our truth now."

Leaning forward slightly, his voice dropped lower. "So say it again. Clearly."

Katherine clenched her fists as she glared at Damien. Her pride screamed at her to walk away, to wipe that smirk off his face and make him regret ever thinking he could control her.

But she couldn't. Not if she wanted to save the museum.

Biting her tongue, she inhaled sharply, forcing the words past her lips.

"I will marry you, Damien Sullivan."

A spark of satisfaction flared in his gaze, amd she wanted nothing more than wipe the look of his face.

"Good." he murmured.

Reaching into his suit pocket, he retrieved his phone and made a brief call. Within minutes two men entered the office. One of them she recognised as the man who came interrupted her in the office at the planetarium.

"Mr. D, this is the lawyer. He has the marriage contract."

Katherine's breath hitched.

The lawyer stepped forward, placing a sleek black briefcase on the desk. With practiced precision, he opened it, pulling out a stack of documents.

"Miss Anderson, the contract states that this marriage will last one year, during which you will uphold the terms set by Mr. Sullivan. In exchange, the Anderson Museum will remain untouched."

A year of being Katherine Sullivan. A year under his terms and conditions, so her museum remains untouched. Ten years ago she would have been gladdened by this news, but now it felt like a life sentence to her.

The lawyer's voice broke through the haze.

"If you agree to this Miss Anderson, please sign here." he extended a pen.

Katherine's fingers trembled as she reached for the pen, and her gaze moved from the paper to Damien, His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with something unreadable.

"Why isn't he signing first?" she asked lowly.

The lawyer hesitated, but Damien was quicker.

"Because your signature the one that matters."

Her mind swirled as memories flashed before her eyes; her father's pale, fragile face in his final days, the endless fights with her uncle, the crane still rumbling outside.

Gritting her teeth, she pressed the pen on the paper. The ink felt heavier than it should, as if each stroke carved her fate into stone.

When she finished, the pen slipped from her grasp. It clattered against the desk, the sound final and irrevocable. Damien signed swiftly after, and the lawyer stamped the documents.

Her fate was sealed.

"Congratulations Mr and Mrs. Sullivan." the lawyer said as he gathered the papers.

Katherine barely registered the words. The moment felt surreal, like she had just sold her soul and hadn't realized it yet.

The lawyer turned to Damien. "Shall I process this with the courthouse?"

Damien barely glanced at him. "Yes." Then, shifting his attention to the other man, he ordered, "Tell the demolition team to evacuate."

"Yes, sir." the man nodded, disappearing through the door.

Within minutes, the rumble of the crane faded into silence. Katherine exhaled shakily, a tremor running through her as relief crashed over her.

It was over, or so she thought.

The door burst open, and Tiffany stormed in, her face pale, her breaths ragged.

"Katherine, are you okay?" She grabbed her arms, eyes scanning her face frantically. "Tell me you didn't do it. Tell me refused to marry him."

Katherine couldn't speak. She felt detached, as if she were watching herself from outside her own body.

Tiffany's grip tightened. "Kat, why aren't you saying anything?" Her voice cracked.

A low chuckle filled the room, and Katherine snapped her gaze toward Damien, fury rising in her chest. He strolled toward them, radiating undisguised amusement, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

"Katty," he murmured, his voice a lazy taunt. "Aren't you going to share the good news?"

Before she could react, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

A jolt of something foreign shot through her.

For the first time in ten years, his touch did something strange to her body. A sensation she didn't understand, didn't want to acknowledge, crept up her spine. Katherine's breath caught, but her body betrayed her. Her knees buckled slightly.

Tiffany's eyes widened in horror as realization set in.

Damien's smirk deepened.

"We're married now." His grip on her waist tightened, and he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear.

"You belong to me, Mrs. Sullivan."