Gina's POV:

I stared blankly, my jaw dropped.

"Uhm! I'm the master of the house." he said lightly, like I needn't to ask more.

"How? And why am I supposed to be here when you are the master of the house." Overly confused. I can't even have a correct guess of ten percentage about what's going on.

"You are in danger." He said folding his arms and turned to look at the long field beside the greenhouse. "Is saving you a crime or something?"

He sounded really calm even when I'm loaded with unanswered questions. He made me even confused of where to start asking them.

I stepped closer to him, mesmerizing the field view together beside him.

"Just tell me." I rested my back by the wall. "Who are you?"

He smacked his lips and faced me. "Since you demand an answer." he paused. "I'll give you one."

"I'm Damon." he dropped the name, floating in the warm air.

Everything stiffened.

"What?" I meant to exclaim inside, but it somehow found its way out of my throat.

"Yeah. I'm Damon."

"So the rumors are real." Damon was a name that went viral around the Kings sometimes. It happened that someone said the chairman had an illegitimate child named Damon. But he declined it, and avoided the rumor getting to the public.

But if he was real, and the chairman's son. How does me being here relate to that?

"So why disguise to get me off there when you can send someone do that as a billionaire child."

"A billionaire child?" he chuckled. "Who is hidden from the public." he completed the sentence, and I nodded.

I then understood, the chairman decided to hide him or maybe erase his existence by enriching him and delete him off list.

"I know you're my half-brother's fiancé-Evan." he broke the silence.

The part he touched made my heart pumped so fast, my stomach turning. I can't even understand what is trying to get at.

"I know how much you love each other and all that."

My eyes turned red. Not from rage but sadness. Remembering he was gone-that he could not be by my side anymore- hit me more than I'd expected. Especially now more than ever.

"He was supposed to be the heir to Kings which is really fine by him." he released his folded arm. "Everyone loves him anyway."

He is sounding more serious now, and that made my heart beats more faster. Like some great deal of crap are going to be revealed at the end of the conversation.

"And he was a good brother to me." I was shocked by that, Evan knew about him too?

"But now!" his voice sounded like he had gotten to the main part of the conversation, so I tried to listen well-paying more attention.

"The problem is my father's legacy." What? Is he trying to be the heir or something?

"Jax can't have it."

I interrupted. I had to.

"So you're trying to be the successor too?"

"He gave me the opportunity to shoot my shots!" he said and sat by the bench beside us. The eagerness in the conversation made my eye blind to it.

"Who?" I sat too.

"Father." Then he raised a finger. "But with a condition."

"And what's that?" It was getting more interesting then.

"I should prove myself worthier than Jax."

"And how are you going to do that exactly."

"That start with you."

I paused. Me? How?

Then I said it aloud. "How?"

"This is the point of the bargain." He brought a paper from a bag beside the bench we were sitting on. And a pen too.

A contract.

"Be my wife for a year and I guarantee you safety afterwards." He said and stood. "I'll make the succession really fast.

"What are you saying?"

I was a bit shocked.

"See." he stood behind me, and I looked up to him from where I was sitting. Those face I saw in the car earlier. The softness. "I really know how much you hate Jax, and I do too. Let's just have our each victories. And it's a win win."

"Then... What if I refuse?" I tried weighing the probabilities.

"You ended up marrying someone you hate. And a real marriage I mean here!" My heart pounded and I hold stiffly to the bench underneath me.

He noticed it and patted me slightly, making no noise out of it.

"And I might still probably be the successor." He sat back. "Then, I can do anything to you and your husband."

I hate being intimidated. "What if I marry you and you failed to be the heir. Won't Jax do the same?"

"Then you have your freedom." He was quite right. "Jax need you just for the succession. So if you're with me and he gained it without you. He would not need you afterwards."

Yes! He was right. Jax needed me to impress his father and become the next chairman.

"But why do your father needed mine's alliance anyways?" I tried asking if he could know too.

"That's more than you can know right now."

"I still can't rush over this. I need to settle down and weigh the odds." I stood.

"Uhm! You have to be here till you make your decision." He said looking blankly at me.

"Sure." I walked out slowly. "I think I'm safer here."

I could hear him clapping loudly as I walked out.

A contract marriage? Things are getting more complicated and more questions kept emerging. I just can't get my head off it.

Anyway! I have to make the best decision for myself. I can't just follow Evan to the grave anymore - like I've been blabbing right after his death. Things are getting more interesting right now on earth.

I walked back to the end of the terrace and stopped by the door to the master bedroom I came out from earlier. It has changed within those few minutes. Now completely feminine, especially my taste exactly like my bedroom but with some additions of luxury.

A maid came by. Bowed. "My lady, lunch is ready."

"Oh!" I nearly forgot I need to eat. Reminded of that made my stomach groaned- the hunger I had endured since.

"Let me pick something to wear."

"Okay." She walked away.

I sighed and entered.

Gina's POV:

Evening.

Still later in the day.

I tried to think about what benefits me most. Everything favoring me lies with the contract marriage he offered.

I decided to clear my mind by a walk around the mansion. I walked out of the room quietly and a maid came by. The same one that came to inform me of lunch time.

"Wait, please." And she did.

"How can I help you, ma." She bowed, avoiding eyes contacts.

"Look up." I said, drawing her chin up slowly.

"It's against the etiquette, my lady." She said gently returning her head to the bow, but somehow forceful. "We are to conceal our identity as much as we could do."

It was normal for most influential people abodes, but not in ours. I even had a friend among the staffs back home.

"Okay." I  nodded like I understood her situation. "Just tell me your name then."

"I'm Zoe."  That was really short and unsatisfying.

"Just Zoe?"

"I think that's okay to identify me. I'm the only Zoe here."

I chuckled.

"Are you busy right now?" I asked friendly, hoping she would feel free to talk to me afterwards.

"Why do you ask ma?" I understood they are not to loose their guard at all. But they're bit too protective.

"The master might be too harsh on them." I thought.

"I want to look around and I need a company."  

She hesitated, then nodded. "I could gladly do that, my lady." she extended her arm, showing me down the hallway.

"I can help with that."

A man's voice. His voice. That softness again.

"Damon?" I turned and saw him coming. Dressed in a gym outfit.

He emerged from the hallway like he owned everything his eyes touched-because he probably did.

He wore a fitted crewneck sweatshirt in the softest heather gray, perfectly broken in but somehow immaculate. The fabric was heavy-the kind of weight that whispered quality before you even touched it.

The sleeves were pushed to his elbows, revealing forearms that looked strong without trying-veins visible, muscles defined but not showy.

Joggers in charcoal black, tailored perfectly.

His shoes were pure white, impossibly clean, with hits of rose gold in the detailing.

The soles showed no signs of wear. New.

A thin silver chain sat against his collarbone, barely visible above the crew neck, catching light when he moved.

His hair was slightly damp, pushed back, a few strands falling forward. Freshly showered.

He looked like wealth. Like power. Like a man who could have anything and chose to want me.

I swallowed hard. "Then do, please."

The maid left quickly but I managed to catch her face.

"Sure." he did exactly what the maid. Paved way for me.

I walked ahead and he followed gently.

The moment was silent if not for our foot steps disturbing it.

I decided to break the silence. "Your maids." I stopped. "They seemed so fearful and afraid. What's the deal with them?" I don't expect a warm answer because he made them like that because he was their boss, and would possibly claim the right to do.

"I tried conquering it. But they are too bent." He snapped his fingers. "I think they prefer living like that."

"Bent?" I faced him again. "By who?"

"Stepmom."

"What?" I was shocked and surprised. "She comes here?"

"She did."

"Okay. Once?"

"Yeah! Once." he nodded. "But that once was hectic, they all nearly run out of life. So she laid rules for them then. And they've been like that till now."

"I see."

We walked towards the pool. Freshness poured over me, calming my nerves and warmly putting them to rest.

"I do come here when I'm bothered." he spoke from behind me. He felt empty.

"When I lost my mum, when I was weeded out of the Kings home." he sighed. "Those moments-when they came hunting-I just come here and relax."

He sounded like he had lost much more than he had acquired.

"So are you really ready to fight blindly for everything that belongs to you." I said bending down and dipped my hand in the blue pool.

"I think I should do that!"

"When I start something." I said shortly. "I want to make sure I finish them off."

"That's a good mindset though." he chuckled. "Same here too."

Drops of water dripped down my finger as I bent.  The sheet of the contract slightly fold in my pocket.

I brought it out.

I stared at  it in my hands.

"Why me?" I asked without looking up. "Really. Why not any woman? Why not someone easier?"

Damon was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was different. Softer.

"Because Evan loved you."

My head snapped up.

"He told me about you. Once. When we met in secret, one of those times we could. He said you were the best thing in his life. The only good thing." Damon's eyes held mine. "He also said he was terrified."

"Of what?"

"Of what his family would do to you. To your father. To everyone." He paused. "He knew things, Elara. Things he couldn't tell you. Things that would have destroyed you."

"What things?"

Damon shook his head. "Not yet. When you sign-when you're truly mine to protect-then I'll tell you everything."

"That's not fair."

"No." He stood, looking down at me. "But fairness died with your fiancé. All we have now is survival."

He stood to walk away, I stood immediately and held him by his left arm.

"I'll do it."

Gina POV:

He stopped for a second at the drop of the sentence from my mouth.

His gaze narrowed straightly into mine. As if searching for the truth.

"I'm for real here." I said and grabbed the pen with me. I rushed down the document and signed it. "You don't need to doubt me anymore."

He still couldn't say anything. "I already signed it, Damon." I said and nudged him.

"You did." he said slowly like something had just broken in him. His voice shaking-like it's vibrating.

"Then what's the problem?" I started growing tense too. "You've wanted this all along."

"I'm a bit shocked." He sat on the bench behind us. "Even though all odds suggested you'll do it, I still can't imagine you actually did."

I was a bit confused. He sounded like he was my only hope just some hours ago, now he's talking like I'm his savior.

"Anyways." he chuckled slightly. "We should hurry the wedding."

"Why?"

"So Jax will know he is already losing to me." he clapped, smiled and stood up again.

"Let's go meet father." Damon said simply. But the name, father. His father. It was quite terrifying to hear. But I trusted Damon anyway.

~~~

The car stopped before the high-raisbuilding, one of the tallest in New York.

"Let's put a good act, okay?" Damon said and held my hand tightly.

"Sure." I sighed hugely.

The driver opened the door for me, another security guard opened mine.

I stepped out of the limo slowly, and it was driven away behind me, probably to the parking lot.

Damon walked toward me and held my hand softly.

"Let's go now." he whispered. And I followed him as he stepped forward into the building.

Damon was not known in the company so his walk was free. But me?

I was the latest rumor.

Everyone went silent as I appeared. They bowed slightly as I passed them and murmurs follow.

I maintained my pace silently and chose not to fall apart. And I maintained it for a while.

We were about reaching the elevator, when a voice spoke from behind.

"That's the runaway bride."

It was not a shout but the silent reception area was hungry for any sound, even a falling ant would echo upon reaching the ground.

It seemed like he was telling someone-then his mouth was quickly covered. His voice was muffled.

I stopped. And turned back slowly, I fixed my gaze at him sternly and he quickly buried his face to the ground. None of them could look at my face. I was really angry and my eyes were turning red already.

Damon gripped me more tightly and pulled me forward. "Let's go, please." he said calmly.

And I followed him, we stepped into the elevator.

As the elevator closed slowly. A noise erupted from the reception-but we were already gone.

Silence thickened again. Just me and Damon. It was annoying and I was sick of it.

He noticed it and broke the silence.

"Just calm down already, Gina."

"Yah!"

He held my hand. "Whatever happened in there. Just stay close. And say little-calculate your responses before saying it. He is really good at wordplays."

I sighed. "Even if he's cruel?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Especially then." he said. The elevator door slides opened slowly.

We stepped out into the hallway. It was a private area, but the securities recognized me.

"Him?" a huge man said, gesturing at Damon.

"He came with me." I said simply and walked away without explaining further. I know he should ask questions about him but I cut that off.

"That little..." he smirked and returned back to his position again.

We walked down the hallway. In silence.

We reached a dead end; a gigantic door.

The chairman's chamber.

I was about to push open the door, when it opened from within.

Jules, Jax's right hand man. The man everyone found hilarious and yet fearful at the same time. Even Jax was somehow afraid of him. Deadly and humorous.

I swallowed hard, I hated even hearing about him let alone sighting him. And he was coming out of the chairman's chamber. Maybe the chairman already assigned him to bring me in.

"Wow!"he clapped and leaned against the wall. "The ghost returned." He clearly knew Damon. The man clearly knows too much secret.

"Now with interesting company." he added.

My jaw tightened as my stomach clenched. Terrified and furious simultaneously, but Damon ignored him and held me as he walked past him.

We left him there, and he shouted from behind.

"Good luck. You surely need it over there." He said and the door slammed behind him.

I looked back and I sighed.

We got to the big black door.

I stopped.

"Just brazen yourself up." he patted me to calm me down-even though he was scared too. "It will be well."

"Sure." I nodded.

Damon knocked on the door and there was no response. Just silence.

He knocked again. And a voice muffled from behind the door. "Come in."

It was the chairman's voice.

I froze. He held me and pushed open the door.

The office was vast. A huge red carpet stretched across the whole room. Plain but luxurious.

The chairman sat behind a huge desk-black, wooden. No computers, just artifacts and papers.

His face was glued to a photo. He doesn't even look up.

Then I looked around and-

I froze.

Jax.

He was sitting on a sofa placed against the far wall.

Things are going to be really complicated in here. I held Damon more tightly.

"It's okay." he whispered.

"Wooooow!" Jax clapped, and readjusted on the sofa.

"Father, look who we have here." He stood.

"Who?" the chairman looked up, his eyes locking on me.

I froze.