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.

Damon's POV:

"And who is that?" My father said, his voice deep and cunning as always.

He looked up closely, at Gina-not even me, like he was having a conversation with her silently. Gina trembled slightly. I tightened my grip around her and she calmed down slowly.

"Good day, father," I said simply and she bowed too-probably too terrified to speak.

He didn't release his gaze on Gina, and my heart shook -no one could imagine what he'll do next.

"Father, this bastard is really losing it, how dare he show up with someone you've been looking for all day?" Jax grew uncomfortable with the unrelenting decorum of the room.

"Shut up!" Father said, his voice loud and firm.

"But you've sent him out long ago." he protested, loosening his tie, "That piece of..." he mumbled.

"Shut up! Jax" he said slowly, still staring at Gina like he was doing an assessment.

"How do you two end up together, son." It was really unlike him, and I shook at the drop of the name-son? Is he letting me in already?

"Um... Um..." I stammered and Jax interrupted.

"You see, father? Just give him some money and send him out already."

"Brother, I'm not some kidnapper, okay?" I faced him and he walked back a bit, smirked and braced his shoulder.

"Brother?"

"I'm asking you a question, Damon," father said and stood up, slowly, and walked to the window at the right side of the room, his large portrait framed above the window-with that wicked smile fixed in place, like always.

"I'm sorry," I said shortly, avoiding unnecessary apology, I need to prove my self-esteem and stubbornness to him.

"Okay?"

"But I feel uncomfortable with him being here. Can he excuse us?" I gestured at Jax.

"Me? What?" he pointed at himself, his eyes widened like he'd wanted them plucked out.

I didn't need to respond to him, so I didn't.

Father smacked his lip, and turn back to the room, "If he needs a space, I'll give him one."

I smiled slightly -I was sure nobody noticed.

"Wait at the door, Jax." He walked back to his seat, ready for the conversation I'm starting with him.

"What?" Jax burst out  and I felt the relief in Gina's body-like some tight knot was untied in her system.

Father didn't repeat himself, and slowly, Jax walked up to the door.

Then he stopped, looked back-at Gina. "You. Welcome back to my arms."

I smirked. He didn't even have a glimpse of the reason behind my appearance.

He walked out slowly, and closed the door behind. A huge sigh followed from Gina, and his steps moved farther away from the door slowly, till it faded off.

"The room is all yours." He spread his arm, and I  calmed lightly.

"We're getting married." I dropped, and Gina pulled me more tightly -like I was walking on a tightrope.

"You're not used to jokes like this, right?" he said raising his eyebrows lightly as he interlocked his fingers and placed his arms on the table, leaning forward.

"And I wanted you to let me in," I said like he hadn't asked me for an explanation on the first bombshell.

"Is this some kinda deal?"

"No." I paused, like I was searching for the best way to phrase the next sentence. "A call-in  for a promise probably forgotten."

He nodded."And which promise is that?"

"To prove myself and you'll let me in." he stared up at me, and I stood firmly -like the gaze was nothing.

"So are you saying you know exactly what I want?"

"I studied you all my life," I lied. Everything I knew was from Evan-not some damn study. I'm here just because of him and our promise.

"Impressive," he nodded. "Proving yourself can't be done by just this. You know it too?"

I said nothing, because he was clearly boasting-the alliance with Mr. Gregory worth more than anything to him, but he showed it to no one.

"You can test me after my arrival."

"It's okay." He stood. "Is she okay with it too?"

"We are getting along really well." I lied and he saw through me-but he surely don't know what I'm up to.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"It's okay, then."

He walked toward us and stood before Gina. "And you, I don't like people that stress me. You put your father through some trouble during your absence."

Gina just stood there, face buried to the ground.

"You could have just pull up a call, even to me. I'll have been saved from stress too."

"Sorry father." she said simply.

"You young people are really something." he faced me. "Take care of her."

"Sure sir." I smiled.

"When his your wedding?" I clearly didn't see a reason for that. He'll skip anyway.

"Pardon?"

"Your wedding, yeah!"

I braced up. "Tuesday, Dad."

"I'll cancel my schedule." he patted my shoulder. "And welcome to Kings, you start immediately after your wedding."

I smiled, and Gina loosened her grip, that's the main reason we came here for.

"Thanks, father." I bowed slightly.

"It's okay," he said walk-in back to his seat. "Just do well to prove yourself worthy."

"I'll do that."

"I need a really competent heir."

The word hung in the air. He wanted me to reach for it-to beg, to promise, to show my hunger.

But I didn't.

I didn't respond to that-it was obviously a trap anyway.

"I'll take my leave now, father." I bowed.

"Sure." He waved. "You can."

We turned back and walked out silently.

And right there, I felt the greatest relief, not from his approval-I didn't feel like I need them before, but for the fact that I was making Evan's dream come true.

I know he'll be happy up there, and I'm happy for that too.

And surprisingly, Julie's good luck worked.