episode 4

Rules Of The Fake Marriage

The city lights blurred past the car windows like fading memories.

Ava sat stiffly beside Damien Blackwood, her heartbeat still struggling to calm down.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

The silence was unbearable.

Not awkward.

Dangerous.

Ava secretly glanced at him.

Damien sat relaxed against the leather seat, one hand resting near his watch while the other scrolled through messages on his phone.

Cold.

Calm.

As if proposing marriage to strangers happened every day.

Ava looked away quickly.

What had she done?

The realization finally crashed into her.

She had just entered a billionaire’s car in the middle of the night after agreeing to a fake marriage.

Any sane person would call the police.

The driver suddenly spoke carefully.

“Sir, should we head to the penthouse?”

“Yes.”

Penthouse?

Ava’s stomach tightened immediately.

“No.”

Both men looked at her.

She crossed her arms nervously.

“I’m not going anywhere private with you.”

The driver looked shocked.

Clearly, nobody ever spoke to Damien that way.

But Damien only watched her quietly.

Then, unexpectedly…

He nodded.

“Reasonable.”

Ava blinked in surprise.

“I’ll take you somewhere public first.”

That answer calmed her slightly.

Slightly.

The car continued moving through the rainy streets before finally stopping in front of a beautiful twenty-four-hour restaurant overlooking the ocean.

The entire place looked expensive enough to pay her rent for years.

Damien stepped out first before opening her door himself.

Ava hesitated before taking his hand carefully.

The moment she exited the car, people nearby began whispering immediately.

Of course they recognized him.

Some even raised their phones secretly.

Damien ignored everyone completely.

He guided Ava inside with one hand lightly resting on her back.

The touch sent strange warmth through her body.

Inside, the restaurant manager nearly ran toward them in panic.

“Mr. Blackwood! We weren’t informed you were coming.”

Damien’s expression remained emotionless.

“I need privacy.”

“Of course, sir. Immediately.”

Within seconds, staff cleared an entire VIP section for them.

Ava stared in disbelief.

Money truly controlled the world.

The moment they sat down, waiters rushed around nervously.

Damien finally looked at her properly.

“You’re hungry.”

It wasn’t a question.

Ava realized painfully that she actually was.

She hadn’t eaten all day because she spent her money buying Daniel’s gift.

The memory hurt.

Damien noticed the sadness crossing her face instantly.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Stop thinking about him.”

Ava frowned.

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Damien leaned back calmly.

“The man betrayed you publicly. He chose another woman because she benefited him financially.”

His voice remained brutally direct.

“So why are you mourning him?”

Because I loved him.

The words stayed trapped inside her chest.

Instead, Ava asked quietly:

“Have you ever loved someone before?”

For the first time, Damien went completely still.

Something cold entered his eyes.

Dangerously cold.

Then he answered:

“Yes.”

Just one word.

But the atmosphere changed instantly.

Ava suddenly felt she had touched something forbidden.

Something painful.Before she could ask more, food began arriving at the table.

Expensive food.

Too much food.

Ava stared awkwardly.

“This is unnecessary.”

“No,” Damien replied calmly. “Starving yourself over betrayal is unnecessary.”

Ava looked down quietly.

Why was he being kind to her?

It didn’t make sense.

People like Damien Blackwood didn’t care about broken girls.

He studied her silently for several seconds before speaking again.

“You still haven’t answered my proposal.”

Ava nearly choked on her drink.

“You’re still serious about that?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Damien placed his glass down slowly.

“Because marriage benefits both of us.”

“That sounds romantic,” she muttered sarcastically.

To her surprise, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.

A tiny smile.

The expression transformed his face completely.

More handsome.

More dangerous.

Ava looked away quickly.

Bad idea.

Very bad idea.

Damien folded his hands calmly.

“You need protection.”

“I can protect myself.”

“Can you?”

The question hit painfully.

Hours ago, she would have confidently said yes.

Now?

She wasn’t sure anymore.

Damien continued.

“Daniel and Sophia humiliated you tonight because they believed you were powerless.”

Ava’s jaw tightened.

“And?”

“And powerful people only respect consequences.”

His voice lowered slightly.

“If you become my wife, nobody touches you again.”

The certainty in his tone made her heart race.

Not because she trusted him.

Because she believed him.

Ava shook her head slowly.

“People don’t just marry strangers for business deals.”

“They do in my world.”

A chill moved through her.

His world again.

A dangerous world filled with enemies and power games.

Ava stared at him carefully.

“What exactly do you do, Damien?”

He held her gaze calmly.

“I run companies.”

“That’s the polite version.”

A small silence passed between them.

Then Damien answered quietly:

“I destroy people who threaten what belongs to me.”

Her breath caught.

There it was again.

That darkness beneath his calm appearance.

Ava suddenly understood why people feared him.

Before she could respond, Damien’s phone rang.

The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression hardened.

He answered immediately.

“What happened?”

Silence.

Then his jaw clenched dangerously.

“I said keep her there until I arrive.”

Ava watched carefully.

Who was “her”?

Damien ended the call slowly.

For the first time tonight, he looked genuinely angry.

The restaurant atmosphere suddenly felt colder.

Ava hesitated.

“Is everything okay?”

Damien looked at her for several seconds before standing.

“No.”

The answer was honest.

Raw.

He grabbed his coat immediately.

“We’re leaving.”

Ava blinked in confusion.

“What? Why?”

“You’re coming with me.”

Her eyes widened.

“To where?”

Damien looked directly into her eyes.

“My family estate.”

The way he said those words made her stomach twist nervously.

This wasn’t just business anymore.

Something bigger was happening.

Something dangerous.

Ava stood slowly.

“I think I should go home.”

“No.”

The response came instantly.

Firm.

Possessive.

Ava frowned.

“You don’t get to control me.”

Damien stepped closer.

Close enough for his deep voice to wrap around her completely.

“You accepted my hand tonight, Ava.”

Her pulse quickened.

“That wasn’t a marriage proposal acceptance.”

“Maybe not.”

His eyes darkened slightly.

“But someone just made a move against my family.”

A strange chill crawled down her spine.

“And what does that have to do with me?”

Damien stared at her intensely.

“Everything.”Before she could respond, Damien’s phone rang.

The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression hardened.

He answered immediately.

“What happened?”

Silence.

Then his jaw clenched dangerously.

“I said keep her there until I arrive.”

Ava watched carefully.

Who was “her”?

Damien ended the call slowly.

For the first time tonight, he looked genuinely angry.

The restaurant atmosphere suddenly felt colder.

Ava hesitated.

“Is everything okay?”

Damien looked at her for several seconds before standing.

“No.”

The answer was honest.

Raw.

He grabbed his coat immediately.

“We’re leaving.”

Ava blinked in confusion.

“What? Why?”

“You’re coming with me.”

Her eyes widened.

“To where?”

Damien looked directly into her eyes.

“My family estate.”

The way he said those words made her stomach twist nervously.

This wasn’t just business anymore.

Something bigger was happening.

Something dangerous.

Ava stood slowly.

“I think I should go home.”

“No.”

The response came instantly.

Firm.

Possessive.

Ava frowned.

“You don’t get to control me.”

Damien stepped closer.

Close enough for his deep voice to wrap around her completely.

“You accepted my hand tonight, Ava.”

Her pulse quickened.

“That wasn’t a marriage proposal acceptance.”

“Maybe not.”

His eyes darkened slightly.

“But someone just made a move against my family.”

A strange chill crawled down her spine.

“And what does that have to do with me?”

Damien stared at her intensely.

“Everything.”

Before she could ask another question, his phone buzzed again.

This time, he showed her the screen.

Ava’s blood turned cold instantly.

Because on the screen was a photograph.

A photograph of her.

Taken tonight outside the hotel.

And beneath it was a message:

Interesting choice, Damien.

She’s prettier than the last girl who died.

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