Chapter 2 Emilia pov

"You don't have to say yes, but you might later regret saying no."

Despite having a beautiful voice, Damian Blackwood exuded steel and a calm assurance that suggested he wasn't a man who was used to rejection. With my heart pounding in my ears, I tightened my hold on my phone.

The minute he brought up marriage, I ought to have hung up. This was crazy. Unimaginable. With a man like him, a contract marriage?

In addition to being a billionaire, Damian Blackwood was also cunning, strong, and merciless. However... In my hand, the eviction notice was burning as I glanced around the darkened house.

My dad came out of his bedroom coughing weakly. Nothing remained for us.

"What specifically are you looking for from me?"

My heart was pounding, but I spoke steadily. Damian said, "I told you," unconcerned by my hesitancy. "I need a wife. You must have financial stability. It is advantageous to both parties"

I gave a quick breath. "Anyone might be your spouse. Someone from your world. Why me?"

A pause occurred. His words sent a shiver down my spine when he spoke again. "Because I don't want any problems."

"I'm not looking for love. I'd like an agreement. And you seem desperate enough to accept it, in my opinion."

With a stab of pride, I gulped. He was not mistaken. With a measured tone, he added, "I'll cover your father's medical expenses." Pay off your debts. You won't ever again have to worry about money".

Because it sounded too beautiful to be true. There was a cost to everything.

"What do you receive in exchange?"

"A spouse. A public person that meets my board of directors' standards. Emilia, one year, and after that, we then part ways with one another".

I brushed a hand through my hair and turned my back on the eviction notice. "What if I decline?" Silence for a beat. Damian's voice then became softer.

"I'll find someone else after that, and you'll lose everything."

It was a slap of words. He was just telling the truth; he wasn't threatening me. I had nowhere to go. With a twisted heart, I closed my eyes.

"Meet me tomorrow," Damian said. "My driver will pick you up at noon."

The call ended before I could argue.

My whole body froze as I gazed at the phone in my hand. I had just entered a hazardous situation.

I also didn't know how to escape. The Following Day Gazing up at the structure that housed Blackwood Enterprises in large silver lettering, I stood outside the tall glass skyscraper.

This was it. The start of the end.

I took a deep breath and straightened my blazer, one of the few business clothes I had, before entering.

It was a slick, chilly, and scary foyer. Women in high-end shoes and men in fitted suits walked with intention. I had a sense of alienation.

"Miss Hart?" A woman with dark-rimmed spectacles and a stylish outfit came over. "You are anticipated by Mr. Blackwood. Come with me.

I made my legs move as I gave a rigid nod.

The air was heavy with expectation, and the elevator ride was quiet. The doors eventually slid open, and I entered a huge office with windows from floor to ceiling that looked out over the city.

And there he was. Blackwood, Damian. Tall, and strong in a well-tailored charcoal suit, quite attractive.

He was so in charge that I felt a chill go through me as his sharp gray eyes locked on me.

"Emilia." He uttered my name as if it were already his. I made myself look into his eyes.

"Mr. Blackwood."

His mouth quivered with laughter. "Formalities are not required. We are going to get married, after all".

The tension between us increased. "Take a seat." He pointed to the chair on the other side of his desk. With my hands clasped in my lap, I obeyed.

In front of me was a lengthy document. Damian advised me to thoroughly read it.

"Everything is outlined in this contract." My stomach turned over. a marriage under contract. Words were no longer enough. It was authentic.

My heart thumping, I skimmed the first page. A year. No sentimental attachment. No demands beyond appearances.

My breath caught as I noticed the clause. A child is not allowed at all. I took a swallow. "Didn't you really consider everything?" Damian leaned back and looked intently.

"I don't let things happen by accident."

I paused as I turned the pages, my hands shaking a little.

"And at the end of the year?"

"You leave Free and Rich". It sounded so easy with Damian Blackwood, however, nothing could ever be easy.

I had to question myself, "Why now? Why is a wife suddenly necessary?"

His face remained the same. "It's a business decision."

A falsehood. He was withholding something from me. I let out a trembling breath, my thoughts racing.

The hospital costs for my father. The expulsion. My survival weight was bearing down on me. I was being offered a bargain with the devil by Damian.

However, there were occasions when the devil was the only one willing to assist. I grabbed the pen. "A year, Not anymore".

Something inscrutable flickered in Damian's shadowed eyes. "A year."

I hit the page with the pen. Signed. Completed. I was doomed. Damian extracted a tiny velvet box from his drawer. I gazed at it. "What is that?"

His mouth twisted into a nearly lethal shape. "Your engagement ring".

Three days remain till our wedding. Still, I went. "Third days?"

He walked around the desk and stood just in front of me. I was close enough to sense his immense might.

"Emilia, you are now mine." Even though his voice was soft, it made me shudder. "You'd better adjust to it."

With my heart racing, I glanced up at him. For the first time, I understood that I had just made a commitment from which I might never be able to break.