Episode 5: A Glimpse of the Real Him
The kiss changed everything.
Aria didn't know how long it lasted—seconds or hours—but when Damon pulled away, his gaze stayed locked on hers like the world outside no longer mattered. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a declaration, a warning, and maybe even a promise.
But none of those things were part of their contract.
"I should go," she whispered, breathless.
He didn't stop her. Just watched as she turned and walked away, barefoot and stunned, like a woman who'd just crossed a line she couldn't uncross.
---
She didn't sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the way his hands felt on her waist, how his lips had brushed against hers like they belonged there.
It terrified her. Not because it was wrong—but because it felt too right.
The next morning, she expected awkwardness. Regret. Silence.
Instead, Damon was in the kitchen making coffee like it was a regular Sunday morning. He glanced up as she entered.
"Morning," he said, like nothing had happened.
"Morning," she replied, arms folded.
He slid her a mug. "Still take it with cream and no sugar?"
She blinked. "You remembered?"
His lips twitched. "I remember everything."
She sipped, needing the caffeine more than ever. "So… last night."
He leaned back against the counter. "We kissed. It was unexpected."
She arched a brow. "That's all you have to say?"
Damon was quiet for a moment, then said, "Do you regret it?"
She paused. "No. Do you?"
His eyes darkened. "Not even a little."
And just like that, the silence between them grew thicker. Charged. Dangerous.
---
Later that day, they were scheduled to appear at a charity art gala—one Damon sponsored every year. It was their first public event since the press conference.
Aria dressed in a deep emerald gown with a slit up the side. Damon's reaction when he saw her was pure heat, but he kept it behind a tight jaw and a smirk that said he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
The cameras flashed as they entered. Reporters threw questions, but they held hands, smiled, posed like the golden couple everyone wanted them to be.
To everyone watching, they were perfection.
To Aria, it felt like she was falling.
Midway through the event, a woman approached them—tall, icy blonde, with piercing blue eyes and a designer dress that screamed old money.
"Damon," she purred, kissing his cheek.
Aria's stomach tightened.
"Clarissa," Damon said coolly.
She turned to Aria. "You must be the wife. How… adorable."
Aria offered her a tight smile. "And you are?"
"Clarissa Montford. Damon and I used to be… close."
The way she said it made Aria's blood boil.
"I see," Aria said, slipping her arm around Damon's waist. "That must've been a long time ago, considering how much he loves me now."
Damon's eyes flicked to her in surprise—then approval.
Clarissa's smile faded. "Of course. Well, it was lovely meeting you."
As she walked away, Damon murmured, "Nicely done."
Aria sipped her champagne. "She needed to be put in her place."
He leaned closer. "You're getting good at this."
She smiled. "What if I'm not pretending anymore?"
His eyes locked on hers. "Then we're both in trouble."
---
The ride home was quiet but comfortable. Something unspoken had shifted between them. Not just attraction. Not just duty.
Connection.
They arrived at the penthouse, and Aria headed straight for the balcony. The night air was cool, calming. She leaned against the rail, watching the city below.
Damon joined her a few minutes later, two glasses in hand.
"Whiskey?"
"Please."
They sipped in silence.
Then he said, "I never told you why I did this."
She turned to him. "The contract?"
He nodded. "I was tired of women chasing my money. Tired of fake smiles and strategic relationships. I thought a contract would give me control."
"And did it?"
He looked at her. "No. You didn't fit into any plan I made."
She chuckled. "I'm not very good at following rules."
"I've noticed."
Their eyes met. The tension between them was thick with possibilities.
She said quietly, "Why me?"
He hesitated. "Because the first time I saw you, you didn't look at me like I was a billionaire. You looked at me like I was a man."
Aria's breath caught.
She wasn't prepared for this version of Damon. Honest. Raw. Real.
And when he leaned in again, she didn't stop him.
This kiss wasn't rushed. It was slow, deep, searching. His hands held her like she was something precious, not a prize. And when they broke apart, their foreheads rested together.
"I don't know where this is going," he whispered. "But I don't want it to end."
Neither did she.
---
The next morning brought chaos.
Damon's phone buzzed non-stop. He frowned, checking the screen.
"What's wrong?" Aria asked.
He stood up, jaw tight. "Board meeting. Emergency."
"Emergency?"
He grabbed his coat. "Someone leaked financial records. They're questioning my leadership."
Her stomach dropped. "Do you think it's…?"
He didn't say it, but they both knew.
Ethan.
As the elevator doors closed behind him, Aria knew one thing:
Their kiss was real. Their feelings were real.
But the lie they built this marriage on?
It was about to be tested like never before.
💨EPISODE 6: WHEN THE PAST FIGHTS BACK 💨
The tension in the boardroom was suffocating.
Damon stood at the head of the long, polished table, his hands braced on the surface as a sea of skeptical board members stared back at him. Aria's name wasn't mentioned directly, but it didn't have to be. The headlines had already done enough damage.
"Financial inconsistencies?" one board member repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And it just so happens after your sudden marriage?"
Damon's jaw tightened. "My personal life has nothing to do with company security."
Another scoffed. "Your wife's ex is spilling everything to the press. How long before investors pull out?"
He didn't respond. Not immediately. Because the truth was—they had a point. And Ethan had finally struck where it hurt.
Damon left the meeting furious. Not because they doubted him. Because Aria would blame herself. And she shouldn't.
---
At the penthouse, Aria paced, phone in hand, reading article after article.
"The Knight Empire Cracks?" "From Contract to Collapse?" "Wife with a Past, CEO with a Target."
Each headline made her stomach twist.
When Damon walked in, she nearly jumped.
"Damon—"
He held up a hand. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. I saw the news—"
"You're not responsible for this, Aria."
She stared at him. "How can you say that? He's targeting you because of me."
His voice was firm. "He's targeting me because he's a coward who couldn't keep you. That's on him—not you."
The tears came fast. Frustration, guilt, fear—all wrapped up in one storm.
He stepped closer, wrapped her in his arms.
"We'll fix this," he whispered.
---
But things only got worse.
The next day, a video leaked.
A hidden recording—Ethan sitting in a bar, smirking into a hidden mic. "Of course it's fake. Aria and Damon? Come on. He paid her to pretend. Everyone in her old life knows she's just a gold digger with a pretty face."
Aria watched it in silence.
Then she threw the tablet across the room.
Damon said nothing. He picked it up, stared at the frozen frame of Ethan's smug face, and said quietly, "He wants a war. He'll get one."
---
The following evening, Aria joined Damon at his press conference. This time, he stood behind the podium—not as a billionaire CEO, but as a husband.
"My name is Damon Knight. I've built this company with integrity, and I won't let lies destroy what I've created. Yes, my marriage started with a contract. But what grew from it is very real."
He turned slightly to Aria, locking eyes.
"I love my wife. And if you believe a con artist over me, then maybe this company doesn't deserve what I've given it."
The silence that followed was loud.
The press swarmed with questions. But all Aria heard was: I love my wife.
She didn't even know if he meant it fully, but it didn't matter.
Because for the first time, he said it out loud.
And the world heard it.
---
They didn't talk much that night.
Aria curled up beside him in bed, head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"You didn't have to say that," she whispered.
"I wanted to."
She pulled back to look at him. "Do you?"
He kissed her forehead. "I don't lie, Aria. Not to you."
---
But the war wasn't over.
A package arrived the next day. No return address.
Inside was a USB and a note: "You think a lie can become love? Watch what happens when the truth burns everything down."
Damon plugged it in.
A video played.
Aria, years ago. Crying. Begging Ethan not to leave her. Telling him she'd do anything to make it work.
Old. Private. And humiliating.
She covered her face.
"He's been saving this," she whispered.
Damon's voice was low and deadly. "Then he just declared war on me, not us."
Her eyes widened. "What are you going to do?"
He looked up, cold and calculating.
"Destroy him."
---
That night, Aria couldn't sleep. She stared at the ceiling, wondering how love and lies had tangled so tightly around her life.
Damon lay beside her, arm draped over her waist.
"You're not alone," he murmured, not even opening his eyes.
She turned to face him.
"No," she whispered. "But sometimes I still feel like I am."
He opened his eyes. "Then I'll keep reminding you until you believe it."
She kissed him.
Softly.
With everything she didn't yet know how to say.
---
The next morning, the headlines were different:
"CEO Damon Knight Declares Love and Loyalty at Press Conference" "Public Swoons Over Billionaire's Bold Move" "Wife Aria Steals the Spotlight with Silent Strength"
But none of it changed the reality:
Ethan had more.
And he wasn't done.
But neither were they.
[To Be Continued…]