CHAPTER 4

Lilia felt herself being dragged into a storm she couldn’t escape. Damian was silent, his grip firm and unyielding as he pulled her out of her apartment. There was no room for resistance. She wasn’t even given a chance to comprehend what was happening before she was inside the car, the engine roaring to life, and the city speeding by in a blur. Every muscle in her body was tense with a strange mixture of fear and confusion.

“What are you doing?” Lilia couldn’t hold back any longer, her voice tight with frustration, but Damian only glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

“Shut up,” he said calmly, his voice as cold as ice. “This is my business.”

Her breath hitched, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue. His words echoed in her head, but the more she tried to make sense of the situation, the less she understood. She wasn’t part of whatever plan Damian was carrying out, yet here she was, being dragged along for a ride that had clearly left her behind. She had no say. No control.

The car sped through the streets, cutting through the city’s chaos as if it didn’t matter to him. Lilia’s eyes flickered toward the window, trying to find some familiar landmark, something to anchor her in the reality she was losing grip on. But everything felt alien, uncertain.

Finally, the car came to a halt outside a luxurious hotel. Its shining exterior stood like a monolith in the night, towering above the streets with an imposing presence. Lilia’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.

“Why are we here?” she asked, her mind spinning with a thousand questions.

Damian didn’t respond. His movements were mechanical, deliberate, and utterly disinterested in her confusion. He pulled her inside with the same force, the staff at the entrance greeting him with that mix of respect and fear that she had begun to notice about him. The air inside felt stifling, and the sleek, polished floors reflected her uncertainty back at her. She could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on her with every step.

They entered an elevator, and it ascended swiftly to the top floor. Lilia’s heart pounded, her nerves on edge as the elevator moved higher. Every floor felt like another layer of reality she was losing touch with. When the doors finally opened, Damian led her down a long, sterile hallway, and the deeper they went, the more trapped she felt. The walls seemed to close in around her, the silence pressing on her chest.

They stopped in front of a door, and Lilia heard sounds coming from inside—groans, laughter, the unmistakable rhythm of bodies moving together. Her stomach turned. She didn’t need to imagine what was happening in that room. The noise alone told her everything she needed to know. The last thing she expected was to find Mark on the other side of this door.

Her whole body went rigid. The sense of betrayal hit her like a physical blow, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t move.

Lilia’s mind raced—should she leave? Walk away? But her legs were glued to the floor, as if something was holding her back. A mixture of rage and heartbreak roared inside her, but she couldn't find the words to scream. She heard Mark’s voice clearly now—loud, brash, and cruel. “Lilia never lets me touch her. She’s so uptight. Always making excuses.”

Her body tensed in response, her fists clenching as a surge of fury erupted inside her. Mark—her boyfriend, the man she trusted—was here, in this hotel, with another woman. The anger that had been bubbling inside her for so long finally exploded. The rage was so consuming, it almost blinded her to everything else.

She turned to Damian, eyes burning with fury. He was standing silently, arms crossed, observing her with a cold, detached gaze. He made no move to comfort her. No attempt to stop what was unfolding. His eyes met hers, unreadable, emotionless.

Lilia felt the weight of everything—the lies, the betrayal, the years spent with someone who didn’t care—and in that moment, she knew what she had to do.

With a steady hand, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Enough, Mark,” she said, her voice as cold and unforgiving as the situation she had walked into. Mark’s eyes widened, his face drained of color as he froze in shock. His lover, a woman Lilia had never seen before, sat frozen beside him, her face red with embarrassment.

Mark’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t defend himself. Lilia’s gaze held him in place, her eyes like daggers, piercing through his excuses and lies.

“You really think I didn’t know?” she continued, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’ve been lying to me, talking behind my back, and now you want to blame everything on me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “You're pathetic.”

Mark remained silent. He couldn’t refute the truth that stood before him. Lilia’s chest tightened as the final pieces of her disillusionment fell into place. He was nothing more than a stranger she had been fooling herself into believing was worthy of her trust.

Lilia turned to Damian. She had never felt so disgusted, so betrayed. “Thank you, love. You’ve always been the best choice for me...” she said, her voice laced with mockery. The sarcasm was thick, like acid on her tongue.

Without warning, she grabbed Damian by the collar, pulling him close, her lips crashing against his in a desperate, passionate kiss. She kissed him with a fervor that shocked even her, pushing her lips against his with every ounce of anger and hurt she had bottled up for so long. She didn’t look away from Mark as she did it, her eyes locked onto his in a silent challenge, daring him to do something—anything.

When she pulled away, she gave Mark one last defiant look before turning and walking out of the room. Her heels clicked against the floor, each step a declaration of her newfound resolve.

Mark was left standing there, rooted to the spot, unable to react. His face was a study in confusion, disbelief. But Lilia didn’t care. She had made her point. It was over.

As they exited the hotel, Lilia felt a strange mixture of emotions flooding her—anger, relief, but most of all, a sense of liberation. She had crossed a line, and as painful as it was, she knew she could never go back to the way things were. She had made a choice, and now there was no room for doubt.

Once inside the car, Lilia slumped back in the seat, her hands gripping her head as tears began to stream down her face. She didn’t make a sound, the weight of what she had done pressing down on her chest like a thousand tons. It felt like an irreversible decision, a moment she couldn’t take back.

She had just crossed a line, and the path ahead was murky, uncertain—but it didn’t matter. She had made the right decision—for herself, for her future.

“Damian,” she began, her voice raw, her throat tight with emotion. “Let’s get married. I accept your deal.”

Damian’s eyes softened for a moment, but he remained silent. He didn’t need to say anything. Lilia had already made her choice.

The car pulled away from the hotel, the city lights blurring into streaks of color in the rearview mirror. As the distance between her and the hotel grew, a strange sense of finality settled over her. This was her choice. There was no way out, but perhaps that’s exactly what she needed—a way to move forward.

Damian turned to her, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "Do you think I was wrong?" he asked, his voice low, tinged with something like satisfaction. "He's not worthy of you, Lilia. The only one worthy of you is me."

Lilia closed her eyes, letting the words sink in. Whatever this was, whatever they were about to begin, she had no idea. But at least, for now, she knew she was moving forward.