ds thickening every room they entered. Selena couldn't help the way her mind drifted to

want to b

that ev

ttle to calm her nerves. She wasn't supposed to care. This was just business. But every ti

ing through the thick air. She glan

el

his voice tense. "

dropped.

mien Blackthorn-the gal

d already guess the headlines. "I didn

They're already calling it a power coup

can

the weight of it all

n Blackthorn's wife n

hen her father spoke again, his tone lo

ite of realization setting in. "You

ls completely out of control. I want you to

ring as her thoughts raced. Was this marriage e

d, her voice steady despi

Press Co

essed in black, both wearing the mask they'd perfected. She could feel the weight of the room on her shoulders, could feel their eyes stripping her ba

as well with Damien

ble. It made everything else fade away, even th

eager to pounce. "What's the true nature of your marriage?

rs, barely a touch, but it was e

gaze, her

, his voice cutting through the tension. "A s

lly as well?" another reporter pr

building a life together. Tha

his part just as effortlessly as he playe

e any truth to the rumors that your marriage

at Damien, her pulse quickening. This

iage is our business," he said. "Any

y word, hanging on his every movement. And through it

sn't

as f

she was falling for the man standing beside her, e

The Ri

Selena stared out the window, her mind a thousand mile

he said, his t

"I'm just your shield now, aren't I? A

" he replied, his voice harde

er lips before she could stop them. "Then why does

gaze met hers, raw and unguarded. For a moment, she s

ished just

quietly, as the car came to a stop. "B

stretched out before her, an ocean of lights. But she

ge that was more th

d she tried, she couldn't