Chapter 3 A Dangerous Invitation

~ Lila ~

The elevator doors slid shut, trapping me inside Blackwood Tower with a man I wasn't sure I could trust.

Damon stood next to me, calm and unreadable, his hands casually tucked in his pockets as the numbers on the panel climbed higher. My heart was racing ever since I stepped into the car with him. I should have demanded answers, should have pushed back harder, but I was still reeling from the fact that someone had drugged me and slipped a stolen flash drive into my purse.

Now, here I was, standing next to the one man who might hold the key to everything-or who could be playing me like a pawn in a game of chess.

I crossed my arms. "So, are you finally going to tell me what's on that drive?"

Damon didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, studying me as if I were a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

"Do you always ask this many questions?" he mused.

I let out a dry laugh. "Only when I wake up drugged and have armed men chasing me through an alley."

A flicker of something crossed his eyes. Amusement? Approval? It was hard to say.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to reveal an opulent penthouse office. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one side, showcasing a stunning view of the city skyline. Everything was sleek-dark marble floors, modern leather furniture, and a massive desk that looked like a throne.

Damon walked in like he owned the place. Which, in some ways, he probably did.

"Make yourself comfortable," he said, shrugging off his jacket. "We have a lot to discuss."

I didn't budge. "I'll stand, thanks."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Suit yourself."

He made his way to the bar in the corner and poured himself a drink-whiskey, neat. The ice clinked softly as he raised the glass to his lips. He didn't offer me one. Smart move.

I kept my arms crossed, refusing to let him intimidate me. "I want the truth, Blackwood."

He swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "Which truth, exactly?"

I clenched my jaw. "Let's start with the one where someone drugged me and planted a stolen flash drive in my purse."

Damon leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, his face a mask of unreadability. But I could feel it-the tension in the air, like a storm brewing just beneath his calm surface.

"Someone in my company is laundering money," he said, his voice low. "And they've used you to cover their tracks."

My thoughts raced. "Why me? I'm not involved in this at all."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. "You were either an easy target... or someone wanted me to think you weren't."

A chill crept down my spine. I had been set up-but for what purpose? To distract Damon? To test him? Or worse... to see if he'd go so far as to kill me?

"I didn't take anything, Damon. I promise."

For the first time, I noticed a flicker of softness in his gaze.

"I believe you," he said.

Those words caught me off guard, but they did nothing to calm my racing heart. If anything, they made me more anxious. Because if Damon believed me, it meant he was convinced someone else was behind this-and that someone might be willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

Damon closed the laptop with a soft click. "You're in danger, Lila."

No kidding.

"You need protection," he continued. "And I'm going to make sure you get it."

I swallowed hard. "How?"

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood up, moving closer, his gaze still locked on mine.

Then, in that same smooth, calculated tone he used for everything else, he said-

"Marry me."

I gasped, taken aback. "What?"

Damon's expression remained unchanged. "It's the best way to keep you safe."

I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You can't be serious."

"Very serious."

I took a step back, shaking my head. "That's crazy. There has to be another way."

His eyes darkened. "There isn't."

He let the weight of his words hang in the air before adding, "Spouses can't be forced to testify against each other. If someone in my company is behind this, they'll think twice before making another move against my wife."

I felt like the ground had just been yanked out from beneath me. I had walked into this night thinking it was just another interview. But here I was, standing in a billionaire's penthouse, being offered marriage as a shield against a conspiracy I barely grasped.

I should have said no. I should have turned around and walked right out.

But someone had already tried to take me out once tonight.

And something about Damon Blackwood made me think he was the only one with enough power to keep them from trying again.

I took a slow breath. "You want me to marry you."

A slight smile tugged at his lips. "Think of it as a business arrangement."

I narrowed my eyes. "With perks?"

A flicker of amusement lit up his face. "That all depends on you."

I hated how my heart raced at his words. Hated how my body responded to his closeness, even with every logical warning blaring in my head.

This was risky.

But so was dying.

I exhaled, forcing myself to hold his gaze. "And if I say no?"

His expression turned inscrutable again. "Then I can't promise your safety."

It wasn't a threat. It was a straightforward, undeniable truth.

I glanced at the door. At the laptop. At the man in front of me, offering protection at a cost I wasn't sure I could afford.

Then I did the only thing I could.

I nodded once.

And sealed my fate.