Chapter 2

The room was suffocating, the silence so thick it pressed against Aria's chest. Her father's words echoed in her ears: You don't have a choice.

Her head swam, her pulse thudding painfully in her temples. Jason stood there, unmoved, his eyes refusing to meet hers. Three years. Three years of whispered promises, late-night confessions, and a shared dream of escape, shattered in an instant.

Her stepmother's voice sliced through the haze. "It's better this way, Aria. Damon Blackwood may be a recluse, but he's wealthy beyond your imagination. You'll live comfortably, even if he's... not the husband you envisioned."

Aria's fists clenched at her sides. Comfort wasn't what she cared about. She had never been the one after wealth, unlike her sister. All she had wanted was a chance to live freely, to be loved without conditions or hidden agendas. But here she was-trapped, a pawn in their sick game.

Liliana's soft, mocking laugh curled through the air like smoke. "You should be thanking me, Aria. You'll be living in a mansion, not scraping by in some shabby apartment like you probably planned with him." Her eyes flicked to Jason, amusement dancing in them.

Aria could hardly breathe. Everything she had ever fought for, every moment of self-worth she had managed to carve out despite her family's abuse, was crumbling. She couldn't let them do this to her-not without a fight.

"Jason," she said, her voice hoarse but edged with steel. "We talked about this. You said we'd leave, that we'd start fresh. Was that all a lie?"

For a brief moment, she saw the old Jason-the one who had held her close at night, told her she deserved more. His expression softened, and guilt flickered in his eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the same hardened mask he had worn since stepping into the room.

"I didn't know," he muttered, shifting on his feet. "I didn't know about your situation, Aria. This... this changes things."

A cold, hollow laugh escaped her throat before she could stop it. "Changes things? You're leaving me because I'm not getting a cut of the family fortune?"

Jason flinched but didn't answer. His silence was answer enough.

Liliana's voice cut in, dripping with satisfaction. "Don't make it so dramatic, Aria. You should've known better than to think you could hold onto a man like Jason with nothing to offer."

Aria's fury boiled over. She turned to Liliana, her eyes blazing. "You took him from me because you could, just like you've always taken everything! But I'll never be like you. You're nothing but an empty, soulless shell who needs other people's lives to fill the void inside you."

Liliana's smile faltered, her eyes narrowing. "Careful, little sister. You might not like what happens when you push me."

But Aria didn't care. She was beyond caring. Her entire world had collapsed in front of her, and all that was left was rage and a need to hold onto what little dignity she had left.

Her stepmother's voice interrupted, sharp and icy. "Enough. This tantrum of yours changes nothing. The arrangements have been made. You will marry Damon Blackwood. It's time you start accepting your place."

Aria spun around to face Irene, her chest heaving. "And if I refuse?"

Her father spoke again, his voice a quiet, dangerous calm that chilled her to the bone. "Then you'll have nothing. No home, no protection, no money. You won't survive a day out there on your own."

Her throat tightened, the weight of his words sinking in. They had her trapped. As much as she wanted to walk away, to defy them, she knew the truth. Without the Kensington name, she had no safety net. Her savings were meager, her job barely enough to cover rent. If they cut her off completely, she'd be left with nothing.

For a moment, she entertained the thought of running-of packing her bags and disappearing into the night. But then what? She'd have no resources, nowhere to go, and no one to rely on. Jason's betrayal had seen to that.

She felt the room spinning, the air suffocating her as reality closed in. She was cornered, just as they had planned. There was no escape.

But as the silence dragged on, something hardened inside her. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break, not here, not now. If they were going to force her into this marriage, into this life she hadn't chosen, she'd find a way to survive. And one day, she'd make them pay for every moment of pain they had caused her.

Her voice, when she finally spoke, was quiet but filled with a steely resolve. "Fine. I'll marry Damon Blackwood."

Her stepmother's satisfied smile returned, though her eyes glittered with cold calculation. "Good. It's settled then."

Aria's father nodded once, as though dismissing her, as though her decision had been the only outcome he had ever expected. "You'll be taken to the Blackwood estate tomorrow to meet your fiancé. The wedding will take place in three weeks."

Liliana's grin stretched wider. "Oh, how exciting! I can't wait to see how this turns out."

Aria shot her a look of pure venom before turning on her heel and walking out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear their laughter behind her, hear Jason's half-hearted apology as he made his excuses to leave.

But she didn't care anymore. As she walked down the long hallway toward her room, her hands shaking at her sides, she whispered to herself, over and over: I'll survive this. And I'll make them regret underestimating me.

Once she was alone in her room, the door closed behind her, Aria finally allowed herself to fall apart. The weight of everything that had happened crashed down on her, and she collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs.

She had lost Jason. She had lost the future she had dreamed of, the small sliver of hope she had clung to for years. And now she was being forced into a marriage with a man she didn't know-a man with a reputation that frightened even the most powerful families.

Damon Blackwood.

The name alone sent a chill down her spine. She knew only rumors-whispers of his immense fortune, his hidden life, his reclusive nature. He had been injured in a mysterious accident years ago, leaving him wheelchair-bound, but that hadn't stopped him from becoming one of the most powerful men in the world. And now, through some twisted family deal, she was being given to him like a sacrificial offering.

Aria's tears slowed as her mind raced. She couldn't trust anyone-not her family, not Jason. But she still had herself. She still had her strength, no matter how much they tried to break her.

And if Damon Blackwood thought he could control her like the rest of them, he was in for a surprise.

The next day passed in a blur. Aria barely registered the flurry of preparations around her as Irene's assistants packed her things and briefed her on the upcoming meeting with Damon. She felt numb, going through the motions as if in a dream. Her father barely acknowledged her, too busy with his business deals to offer even a word of comfort. Liliana, on the other hand, seemed to take every opportunity to gloat, her smug satisfaction a constant, grating presence.

By late afternoon, Aria found herself seated in the back of a sleek black car, the cityscape of New York passing by in a blur as they drove toward the outskirts of the city. The Blackwood estate, she had been told, was a sprawling mansion nestled in the mountains, isolated and impossible to reach without an invitation. The perfect fortress for a man who had no intention of being seen by the outside world.

The drive felt endless, the tension in the car thick and oppressive. As they neared the estate, the landscape shifted from urban chaos to serene, rolling hills. The towering gates of the Blackwood estate loomed ahead, a stark contrast to the calm beauty of the surrounding nature.

The gates swung open with a quiet hum, and the car rolled down the winding driveway, the massive mansion coming into view. It was even more imposing than Aria had imagined-a gothic structure of dark stone, towering over the landscape with an air of menace and grandeur.

The car came to a stop in front of the entrance, and Aria's heart pounded in her chest as the driver opened the door for her. She stepped out, feeling small and insignificant against the backdrop of the estate.

As she approached the grand double doors, they opened slowly, revealing a tall, stern-looking man in a tailored black suit. His eyes were cold and assessing as he looked her over.

"Miss Kensington," he said, his voice low and formal. "Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you."

Aria swallowed hard and nodded, stepping inside. The entrance hall was as grand and intimidating as the exterior, with high ceilings and dark, elegant décor. Everything about the place screamed wealth and power.

The man led her down a long corridor, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Aria's palms were sweaty, her mind racing with a thousand questions. What kind of man was Damon Blackwood? What did he want from her?

They stopped in front of a set of heavy oak doors. The man knocked once before pushing them open, stepping aside to allow