Chapter 2

Damian Blackwood.

The Blackwood family's illegitimate son — the one they kept hidden from the world. Julian's older half-brother.

Rumor had it that a car accident ten years ago had left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was said to be volatile and dangerous, exiled abroad by the Blackwood family, and had only been brought back last month. he was a total failure.

I gathered my skirt and walked down the steps, one step at a time, moving through the crowd as it parted for me, heading straight toward his wheelchair.

Every eye in the room followed me. Julian's brow furrowed deeper with each step I took — he had no idea what I was doing.

I stopped in front of Damian and leaned down slightly, meeting his gaze. His dark eyes were bottomless, like they could swallow everything whole.

"Damian Blackwood." I parted my lips, my voice soft but clear enough for the entire room to hear.

"A hundred-billion-dollar dowry from The Clark Group, plus a thirty percent stake in The Clark Group. In exchange — marry me."

"Do you dare?"

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Everyone held their breath, eyes wide, staring at the scene unfolding in front of them like it couldn't possibly be real.

The most dazzling star in Washington, D.C's inner circle — publicly proposing to a paralyzed illegitimate man?

Julian stared for a moment, then let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Victoria, have you lost your mind? You're throwing yourself at a worthless cripple just to get back at me? He can't even stand up. What could he possibly give you?"

Chloe chimed in, her voice small and timid. "Victoria, don't be impulsive. Julian just being too angry, Please don't gamble your whole future over this..."

I ignored the noise behind me and kept my eyes fixed on the man in front of me.

Damian didn't move.

The cigarette between his fingers was still burning, a thin curl of smoke drifting up and blurring his features.

Just as everyone assumed he would stay silent — like a coward — he let out a low, quiet laugh.

It was deep and rough, like something dragged across sandpaper, carrying a magnetic edge that sent a chill crawling up your spine.

He slowly raised his hand and pressed the cigarette out in the ashtray on the arm of his wheelchair. Then, those long, sharp-knuckled fingers shot out and closed around my wrist.

His strength was shocking. I let out a startled cry, lost my balance, and tumbled right into his lap.

"Victoria."

His hands gripped my waist. His breath was hot against my ear, carrying the faint scent of tobacco and something cold and sharp that felt almost like a threat.

"Think carefully. Once you get involved with me, there's no walking away."

The look in his eyes was terrifying — like a beast that had been lying in wait for a very long time, and its prey had finally walked straight into its jaws.

I forced myself to ignore my racing heart and met his gaze. "I'm only asking you one thing. Do you dare?"

Damian's throat moved in a hard swallow.

The next second, his long fingers slid through my hair and gripped the back of my head, pulling me roughly toward him.

His lips pressed against the corner of my mouth with a force that felt like punishment, his voice dropping to a ragged, almost unrecognizable rasp:

"Vivi, once you belongs to me, for the rest of your life — even in death — you'll only ever belong to me."

A wave of disbelieving gasps erupted through the hall.

Julian's face went dead white. His eyes locked onto Damian's hand at my waist, and a flicker of something passed through them — a panic and jealousy he didn't even seem to notice himself.

"Damian! Let go of her!" Julian stormed forward, reaching out to pull me away.

But before he could get close, several broad-shouldered bodyguards in black seemed to appear out of nowhere, forming a wall between him and us.

"You think you can put your hands on the young master's fiancée?" the lead bodyguard said, his voice ice-cold.

Julian stared at the bodyguards in disbelief, then shifted his gaze to the man in the wheelchair — his older brother, the "useless cripple" he'd looked down on for over twenty years.

"You… where did all these people come from?"

Damian didn't even glance at him.

He simply reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, then said quietly, "Take me out. The air in here is filthy."

The bodyguard stepped forward immediately and wheeled him toward the exit.

I walked beside Damian. When we passed Julian and Chloe, I stopped.

"Julian." I looked at his face — twisted with shock and fury. "Remember what you said tonight. Starting tomorrow, I'll show you exactly what it looks like to lose me. In this circle, you won't even be worth a stray dog."

I didn't give him another look. I turned and walked out of the hall.

The night breeze was cool, carrying away the stuffiness of the ballroom.

Damian's black Maybach was already waiting at the entrance.

The bodyguard helped him into the car. I slid into the backseat right after him.

The door shut, cutting off all the noise from outside.

The cabin was dim. Damian leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed, looking nothing like the commanding, untouchable man who had just silenced an entire room.

"Why me?" he said suddenly. His voice sounded especially low in the quiet, enclosed space.

I studied the side of his face, half-hidden in shadow, and answered honestly. "You're the best fit."

"The best fit?" His eyes snapped open. He turned and stared at me hard. "That's all?"

For just a moment, I caught something complicated in his expression — like a rage he was barely holding back, and beneath it, something that looked almost like hurt.

Before I could figure out which it was, he suddenly leaned in, caging me between himself and the car door.

"Victoria. Am I just a tool for your revenge against Julian? Or a business match to stabilize your stock price?"

His fingers brushed lightly across my cheek, sending a shiver through me.

"Fine. so we fit, You're right — we're perfect for each other." A low laugh escaped him, edged with something unhinged. "As long as I can keep you close, I don't mind being a mad dog."