Chapter 5 The Devil's Bride

~ Lila ~

The instant we stepped out of Blackwood Tower, it felt like the world erupted around us.

Flashes of light. Shouting voices. Total chaos.

Reporters crowded the entrance, their cameras clicking away like mad. A line of security guards tried to keep them at bay, but their questions sliced through the air.

"Lila! How long have you and Damon been together?"

"Is this just a business deal?"

"Did he force you into this marriage?"

I felt a jolt of tension. But Damon?

He didn't even flinch.

Suddenly, his hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me in close.

A rush of warmth surged through me.

I tensed up, but his grip was solid-unmovable.

"Smile, darling," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. "Unless you want them to think I've kidnapped you."

I clenched my jaw and managed to put on a neutral, picture-perfect smile.

The cameras went into a frenzy.

Damon led me forward, his hold unwavering. The moment the car doors slammed shut behind us, shutting out the chaos, I pulled away from him.

"You could've given me a heads-up about that circus," I shot back.

Damon casually loosened his tie, completely unfazed. "You'll need to get used to it."

I crossed my arms. "Sure, because marrying a billionaire overnight doesn't raise any eyebrows at all."

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through it like it was just another day. "Not when I'm the one controlling the story."

I frowned, confusion washing over me. "What does that mean?"

Damon turned his phone toward me, and my stomach dropped.

There it was-an article.

'Billionaire Damon Blackwood Secretly Engaged-Meet His Future Wife, Lila Monroe'

My mouth went dry as I noticed the timestamp: 6:00 AM.

Just two hours ago.

Before I even signed the contract.

I ripped my gaze away from the screen, my heart racing. "You-" My voice faltered. "You leaked this before I even agreed?"

Damon didn't seem the slightest bit remorseful. "I knew you'd say yes."

My blood boiled. "You arrogant son of a-"

He turned back to his phone, completely unfazed by my anger.

"This is insane," I muttered, my eyes glued to the headline once more.

"This is control," he corrected me. "By the time the rumors start, I've already crafted the narrative."

I swallowed hard. No wonder he was feared in the business world.

Damon dialed a number, placing the phone to his ear.

"Henderson," he said smoothly. "I want every Blackwood executive at the Blackwood Holdings office in forty-five minutes. No exceptions."

There was a brief pause before he added, "Understood, sir."

Damon hung up and finally turned his attention back to me.

"Now," he said, a slow smirk playing at the corners of his lips, "let's go see who underestimates me the most."

---

Blackwood Holdings – Conference Room

As soon as we stepped inside, it hit me-this wasn't just a meeting.

It was a war council.

Seated around the enormous glass table were the most powerful executives of Blackwood Industries. Each one older than Damon, all of them watching him like he was both a king and a loaded weapon.

In that moment, it all clicked.

This was a test.

Damon had carved out a powerful empire in a world where men twice his age were just waiting for him to stumble.

And now, I was the vulnerability they perceived.

The only woman in the room. The outsider.

Damon's hand brushed against the small of my back-another unspoken reminder to stay alert.

"Let's get started," he said, settling into his seat at the head of the table.

A sharply featured man across from him adjusted his tie. Harrison Vale. One of Damon's board members, if my memory served me right.

He leaned in, his eyes icy. "Married so suddenly, Blackwood? We didn't see that coming... such impulsiveness."

Damon smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It wasn't impulsive. I simply don't make my personal life a topic for board discussions."

The tension in the room thickened.

Harrison's gaze shifted to me. "And what does Mrs. Blackwood think about that?"

I felt every eye in the room turn toward me. Waiting. Watching.

I tilted my head slightly and offered my best bored socialite smile. "I believe my husband knows exactly what he's doing."

Damon's fingers drummed once against the table. Just enough for me to catch it. Approval.

Harrison's lips pressed into a thin line. "Of course. And yet, with the recent... leak of sensitive data, some of us are worried about potential security risks."

My heart raced. The flash drive.

Damon's expression remained unchanged. "If you're suggesting that my wife has anything to do with that, you should choose your next words very carefully."

Harrison paused. Not out of fear, but calculation.

"Of course not," he replied smoothly. "Just a concern. After all, bringing an outsider into the Blackwood empire comes with... complications."

Damon leaned back, completely unfazed. "If there's one thing you should have learned by now, Harrison, it's that I don't make mistakes."

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

I kept my face neutral, but my heart was pounding. This wasn't just a power play. It was a warning.

Damon might be the king of his empire, but even kings had enemies lurking within their own courts.

-----

Later That Night – Blackwood Penthouse

By the time we made it back to Damon's penthouse, my nerves were still on edge.

I kicked off my heels and faced him. "That wasn't a meeting. That was an ambush."

Damon loosened his tie with a casual air. "It was a test."

I crossed my arms, feeling defiant. "So, did I pass?"

He studied me for what felt like an eternity. Assessing. Calculating.

Then, to my surprise, a smirk crept onto his face.

"For now."

I let out a frustrated breath. "God, you're impossible."

He stepped closer, not quite touching me, but close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from him.

"And yet," he murmured, "you're still here."

I swallowed hard. I hated how my body responded to him.

How just a look from him could throw me off balance.

How, despite all the alarms ringing in my head, I was still drawn to his danger.

I clenched my jaw. "Not by choice."

Damon's gaze flickered with something unreadable. "Keep telling yourself that."

Then he turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the middle of his world-one I wasn't sure I could ever escape.

And the worst part?

I wasn't even sure I wanted to.