Chapter 4

When I arrived at the high-end restaurant that had been entirely bought out for the private date, I genuinely questioned whether I was adopted.

Sitting at a table covered in tacky pink decor was an oily, balding man with heavy stubble.

I turned around to leave immediately, but he stood up, hitched his belt, and grabbed my wrist.

"Leaving so soon, princess? Aren't we here on a date? Give me a kiss before you go~"

He was much stronger than me. I opened my mouth to yell, but to my horror, not a single server was in sight.

Realizing this was a setup, I grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it right over his head.

Just as I thought I wouldn't make it out, Damian appeared.

Seeing Damian walk in, the man actually sneered, "Hey, Rivers, care to join in?"

Damian didn't waste a breath. He kicked the man straight to the ground, leaving behind a chilling remark:

"It's getting cold. Time for your family to go bankrupt."

Left completely broke and utterly bewildered, the man lay on the floor, having no idea what hit him.

Damian scooped me into his arms and carried me out into the street. I looked up at the blazing afternoon sun.

Fine. He’s a ruthless billionaire. If he says it’s cold, it’s cold.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Damian’s car, I watched him drive, feeling that something was off.

I was sure I had seen a bruise on his face this morning, but now it was completely gone. Was I seeing things?

I reached up to adjust my glasses, only to touch bare skin. Right, I wasn't wearing my glasses today. That had to be it.

Damian mentioned it was lunch time and invited me over to his place, and I didn't refuse.

As expected of the city's top heir, his villa was even more extravagant than my family's.

The wine wall alone had to be worth over a hundred million dollars. But the CEO certainly had peculiar tastes.

Every single vintage bottle was tied with a neat pink bow.

I probed gently, "Your sister must have a real soft spot for cute things. She sounds adorable."

I watched his reaction closely. As an avid romance reader, I knew every brooding billionaire supposedly had an untouchable first love.

I had developed feelings for Damian, but I was too proud to ask him outright.

Seeing his eyes light up, my heart fluttered with nervous anticipation.

When he confirmed that he did indeed have a younger sister, the knot in my chest finally loosened.

Although the bottles were spotless, the faded edges of the pink ribbons showed that time had passed.

They really had a close sibling bond. I was already daydreaming—marrying a man who cared this much about family wouldn't be a bad deal at all, right?

Damian went into the kitchen to prepare lunch and told me to make myself at home.

As I strolled toward the study, the distinct scent of medical antiseptic caught my attention.

I couldn't help but marvel. A powerful man really had eccentric tastes even in his room scents.

On the mahogany desk, pinned under an inkstone, was an unsealed letter. The worn fold lines proved it was something Damian treasured deeply.

Seeing that half the envelope was hanging off the edge, I moved to set it back safely.

I didn't mean to pry, but the overwhelming love poured across that single sheet of paper was too glaring to ignore.

And at the very bottom were four clear words:

"Your loving wife."

When my parents arranged for me to be Damian’s secretary, every hint they dropped pointed toward setting us up together.

And Damian had explicitly told my parents that he had no girlfriends or dating scandals.

Of course. A wife isn't a "scandalous girlfriend," after all…

A bitter disappointment washed over me. In my entire life, no one had ever dared to play me for a fool—least of all an arrogant heir like Damian.