"Marriage should be a choice... not a cage"
Isabel stared at her reflection in the penthouse mirror, barely recognizing the woman in the white silk dress. No lace, no flowers. It wasn't a wedding gown - it was a contract stitched fabric.
Everything about the ceremony was cold.
No family.
No guests.
No vows of love.
Just her, Damon, and a lawyer who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.
She signed the second set of papers in silence, the ink smudging slightly where her fingers shook. Damon didn't hesitate - he scribbled his signature with military precision.
The lawyer left. The silence stayed.
Damon stepped closer, his eyes unreadable. "You're officially my wife now."
Isabel lifted her chin, fighting the tears. "This isn't a marriage."
He tilted his head. "Call it whatever you want. But from this moment on, your life is mine.
Later That Night - Damon's Mansion
The mansion was everything her family's estate used to be - cold, elegant, too quiet. She stood in the doorway of the guest room, expecting to be left alone.
But Damon's voice came from behind her.
"You'll be sleeping in the master bedroom"
She spun around. " What?"
"I didn't marry you so we can live like roommates."
"I didn't marry you for love either," she snapped. "I did it to save my brother."
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. Was it guilt? No - he didn't seem capable of that.
"You're not a victim, Isabel," he said softly. "You're a Lawson. You knew exactly what you were doing."
She wanted to scream. Instead, she walked past him into the room.
His scent lingered in the air - spice and smoke.
As she lay on the far edge of the massive bed, staring at the ceiling, she whispered to herself:
"i'll play your game, Damon. But one day, I'll make you pay."
A red envelope appears on her bedside table. Inside it is a photo of her father... and a single line of text: "He died because of your husband."