mysterious identity

She was lost in thought, unsure of how to deal with her family and convince them that she had loved Damian for a long time and married him for love. She had never felt pressured when dealing with business, but this was different.

She needed to talk to Damian about the dinner and prepare for tomorrow. She didn't want to, but she had to. Exhausted, she wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she forced herself to go to Damian's room to talk and prepare for tomorrow night. His room wasn't far,it was right next door. She stood in front of his door, thinking about how to start the conversation. She knocked twice, but Damian didn't respond.

"Damian," she called his name, her voice tinged with both urgency and concern. She stood just outside the door, her hand resting on the cold doorknob, "Are you in there? Open the door. We need to talk." Her words hung in the air, a mix of frustration and vulnerability, as she waited for a response, knowing that this conversation could change everything. The silence that followed was thick.

But there was no response.

She tried the door, and it wasn't locked. She stepped in and glanced around, but the silence was overwhelming. The room was empty. Damian wasn't there. With a deep breath, she headed downstairs, her body heavy with exhaustion.

When she reached the living room, she saw Damian standing by the window, his back to her. His expression was unreadable as he stared outside, lost in thought. The soft light from the window highlighted the tension in his posture, and for a moment, she hesitated, unsure of how to approach him.

"Damian," she called softly, her voice breaking the silence that hung between them. He turned slowly, his gaze meeting hers, but there was still something distant in his eyes, as if he hadn't fully returned from whatever thoughts had consumed him.

He turned to look at her, but said nothing. His eyes were cold, yet when they met hers, they softened.

Selena sighed and pointed to the sofa. "Sit down,"she saide, her voice calm yet insistent.

Without a word, he complied. When she spoke, walking over to the sofa and stting down quietly.

"My family plans to meet you,"she informed him, her voice laced with a hint of tension, as though she was carefully choosing each word. "We have to attend a family dinner tomorrow," she added, her gaze unwavering. The words hung in the air, and she couldn't help but wonder how he would react, knowing that this dinner would be more than just a casual gatherin.

A tense silence filled the room.

Damian's eyes darkened slightly as he processed her words. He had expected this moment to come, but not this soon.

"Tomorrow night, we have to act like we've been in love for a long time," she was a little worried about it, she is not sure it will be convincing she continued. "We need them to believe we're a happy couple and love each other."

Finally, Damian spoke. "You don't need to worry about tomorrow's dinner. I'll handle it, and your family won't suspect anything. Just go and rest," his voice steady and sure, leaving no room for doubt. His words, calm and composed, seemed to reassure her, though a lingering uncertainty still hung in the air.

Selena, too exhausted to argue, nodded. "We'll talk about it tomorrow," she murmured, her voice heavy with weariness. The weight of the day seemed to settle on her shoulders as she sank into the silence, her mind too tired to process everything.

She turned and went upstairs, her body aching for sleep. Damian watched her retreating figure in silence, his expression unreadable. His thoughts, however, were anything but calm.

Damian stayed there for a while before heading back to his room.

He had never expected to meet his father-in-law so soon.

In room

Selena lay in her bed, exhausted from the long day. The stress of running her own fashion empire, coupled with the ever-increasing pressures of her marriage, was taking its toll. All she wanted was to rest, to sleep deeply for the first time in days, without the constant buzz of anxiety about the tangled mess of her personal life.

But sleep, it seemed, wasn't going to come easily. Her mind was too active, too chaotic. Tomorrow was the family dinner—the moment when her family would meet Damian and see them together. She had to act as though they were the perfect couple, as though she was completely in love with him. The thought made her feel uneasy, sick even.

Selena had never been one to entertain romantic notions. Her life had always been focused on her career, her goals, her ambitions. She had never had time for dating, and she never dated one man in her life. That fact was well known to her family. She couldn't fool them with her little act. Even if she tried to act like she loved someone one day, they would see through it. Her marriage to Damian had been nothing but a business arrangement, a deal that would allow her to regain control over her life. Yet here she was, about to face a dinner where she would be expected to pretend otherwise. Her family never approved of her marriage.

She had no idea how to pull it off. She wasn't the affectionate type, nor was she skilled in pretending emotions she didn't feel. How could she convince her family that her marriage was genuine? That she had somehow fallen in love with a man she barely knew? She had no experience with love or dating, and she felt hopeless. She never thought she would be in a situation like this, without a plan or an idea of what to do. She had always believed love was unimportant in her life, so she never tried to understand it. Now, she regrets that.

The pressure weighed heavily on her chest. Her family had always had high expectations for her, and she knew they wouldn't buy a false act. They would see through any lies or half-truths. Selena had always been the model daughter, excelling in everything,except love. They would expect her to be perfect in this too. She didn't want to show her family this side of her. She didn't want to lie like this, but she had no other option.

Her mind raced as she moved to her room, the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. Sleep, escape, that was all she needed. But the burden of tomorrow's dinner felt too large, too looming. She wasn't ready.

She collapsed onto her bed, her body heavy with fatigue, and closed her eyes, hoping for the relief of sleep. But her thoughts kept swirling, lingering on Damian's unreadable expressions, aspian Devereux's challenge, and the weight of her family's expectations. It was all too much.

But eventually, her mind grew quieter, and sleep finally began to take over. For a brief moment, Selena let go of the worry, the plans, the pressure, and allowed herself to drift into the comfort of slumber.

Meanwhile, just next door...

Damian stood by the window of his room, staring out into the night. His gaze was distant, unfocused, as though his mind were miles away. His expression, as always, was unreadable,impossible to decipher. But the tension in his posture spoke volumes. His hands were clasped behind his back, his shoulders slightly hunched as if the weight of the evening had caught up with him too.

He hadn't said much since they'd arrived at her family's house earlier. Damian was always calm, always composed.

But tonight, something felt different. His thoughts lingered on Selena,on her sharp words, her cold demeanor, the way she'd distanced herself from him ever since they'd married.

His eyes traced the outline of the city lights in the distance, his mind grappling with the complicated mess of their marriage. He had agreed to this arrangement, knowing the stakes. But somewhere along the way, the lines had blurred.

What started as a business transaction had started to feel more personal than he had anticipated.

Damian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to shake the unsettling feeling. He looked down, his gaze falling on his hands as they rested on the windowsill, fingers tense, as if he were trying to hold something back.

He glanced back at the darkened streets, feeling the weight of the night press down on him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about Selena that stirred something deep within

him,something he wasn't sure he wanted to explore.

The cold wind outside ruffled the curtains, and Damian looked up once more, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't sure what the future held for them, for this marriage, for what came after the dinner tomorrow. But one thing was certain: tomorrow, they would have to play their parts.

He let out a quiet sigh, his gaze drifting back to the dark horizon as he waited for sleep that never seemed to come