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Chapter 5: The Public Announcement
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2025-03-23 23:21:27The next morning met Isla at the well-furnished bedroom Damien had ushered her into the previous night.
She blinked her eyes slowly on the bed, adjusting to the light glow as the events of the previous day came rushing back, she sat up abruptly, the weight of her decision passed down her chest like a stone. Yesterday, she had arrived here as Isla Carter, a betrayed and bitter divorcee desperate for revenge. Today, she woke up as Isla Blackwood, wife to perhaps the most ruthless and wealthiest man in the city. A stranger. A billionaire whose motive she still couldn't grasp. The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Damian standing in the doorway, his tall, imposing figure framed by the light of the room. His presence seemed to fill the room, the air growing heavier as his gaze met hers. Isla felt exposed and vulnerable and quietly pulled the sheet tighter around her. For a moment, Damien said nothing, he simply watched, his expression unreadable. Then he stepped inside, holding out an elegant black gown. "You should get dressed," he muttered coolly. "We have a meeting." Isla's face was instantly filled with lines making her hesitate as she collected the gown. Suspicion was in the tone of her voice when she asked, "With who?" Damien smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes before he nodded once to say, "The press.” ~~~ At about 2p.m, Damien and Isla stepped out of his black Limousine; cameras flashed with a speed that almost blinded their eyes, capturing every angle. Isla was still trying to get used to this when she felt Damien’s hand sliding into her own. She bit her lip. Her fingers felt like dried sticks in his own, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he dug further into them, making her hold her breath. Why was he being too romantic? “Smile,” Damien murmured, his lips barely moving as he leaned closer. “Let’s give them a show.” A show? She doubted her skills as an actress but what could she do? This was all part of what she signed. Isla forced herself to take a deep breath, her chest tightening as she lifted her chin and curved her lips into a small, controlled smile. She could feel the weight of hundreds of eyes on her, the whispers and murmurs growing louder as they approached the red carpet. "Damien Blackwood… married?!" "Isn't this Nate Hayes's ex-wife?" "Mr. Blackwood! Why are you with Mr. Hates ex-wife?" The questions came rapid-fire, but Damien didn’t stop to answer. He kept moving, his grip on Isla’s hand firm. She could feel the tension in his posture, the way he exuded control even amid chaos. ~~~ Meanwhile, across town, Nate was in the middle of one of his company's quarterly board meetings when the vibration from his smartphone interrupted him. He ignored it at first, focusing on the meeting, but the vibration refused to stop. Finally, with an irritated sigh, he excused himself into the hallway, and Vanessa followed behind. His new wife, Vanessa, also a member of the board and who was seated right next to him, shot him a questioning look. “What’s going on?” Vanessa asked, her brow furrowed as Nate pulled out his phone. The moment he unlocked his phone, his face went pale. The first photograph that appeared was his ex-wife, Isla, standing beside Damien Blackwood, her hand resting on his arm. Nate’s stomach dropped as he zoomed in, his heart pounding in his chest. There is no mistake, that was Isla, and she was with him. "Holy hell!" He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Vanessa leaned in, her eyes widened as she took in the image. "No way,” she said, her voice tingling with disbelief. “There’s no way she moved on that fast. She was at my house just a few days ago. She didn’t look… married.” Nate wiped the sweat from his temple before zooming the picture just to be double sure. But there was no mistake. Nate wiped a hand over his face, his mind racing. “What the hell is she doing with him?” he muttered, more to himself than to Vanessa. ~~~ Back at the event, the chaos showed no signs of slowing down. A bold reporter managed to push through the crowd, shoving a microphone toward Damien. "Mr. Blackwood, is this marriage real? Why are you with Nate Hayes' ex-wife?" She demanded, her voice cutting through the silence. The room seemed to hold its breath as all eyes turned on Damien. Damien glanced at Isla, who was trying hard not to look hit by the question, before turning back to the reporters. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around Isla's waist and pulled her close. Before she could react, his lips were on hers. “Hun!” Everyone gasped. Isla’s body went stiff on instinct and her eyes went wide. She could not help but play along however his lips sent a weird sensation through her, making her respond to the kiss in a way that felt dangerously real. At this point, the cameras were not flashing, they were exploding, a few people even clapped while the others watched through their opened mouths. And just like that, the world had registered her as Damien Blackwood’s wife. ~~~ Hours later, back at Damien's penthouse, Isla barely waited a second for the door to close before spinning around to face him. “Why did you kiss me?” she demanded with a mix of anger and confusion. Damien loosened his tie, looking as unbothered as ever. “You’ll have to get used to it,” he said, his voice low and steady. “This is just the beginning.” Isla stared at him, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t just a game. It was his game. And she had stepped onto the board with a man who never lost.
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The bedroom door slammed behind Isla with satisfying force. She pressed her back against it as if the solid wood could shield her from the memory of Damien's lips on hers. Her fingers rose instinctively to trace her mouth—still warm from his kiss. “No.” She shoved away from the door, pacing the length of the extravagant bedroom like a caged panther. The room was a masterpiece of cold elegance—all steel grays and icy blues, the furniture so pristine it might never have been touched. Just like its owner. “It was all for the cameras. Just for the damned cameras. It meant absolutely nothing!” She kept repeating to herself like someone fighting a powerful spell. But her traitorous body remembered too well: the firm pressure of his mouth, the possessive grip of his hands at her waist, the way her pulse had stuttered when he had pulled her close. “Gosh! Things were going too fast.” She was still thinking when a sudden knock on the door sounded, cutting off her spiral thoughts. “Wh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 7: Unwritten Rules
Ever since Isla had signed a contract with Damien, she had become familiar with a new kind of freedom. A life that was the complete opposite of the one she shared with Nate. Back then, she had been a full-time housewife, but there had always been something to do. She would run the errands for his grandparents, do the shopping, oversee the house maintenance, and even scrub the damn floors herself. In Damien’s world, that life was nonexistent. Isla felt like a ghost in the big house with its numerous staff. There was even a time she had attempted to cook just to remind herself of the life she once lived but one of the maids, Amelia, had stopped her with a look so grave it was as though she had attempted to commit a crime. "Mr. Blackwood doesn’t like his wife working." It was perhaps after that particular encounter that the realization came upon her like a heavy cloak. If she stayed like this doing nothing, she would suffocate. The boredom would destroy her before the contract ev
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Since the red carpet announcement, Isla's phone hadn't stopped ringing—calls from her parents, her sister Sophia, and everyone trying to reach her. But she couldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had no words to explain. How could she tell them she had been essentially kidnapped by her ex-husband's billionaire rival? That he had offered the perfect revenge in exchange for marriage? They would think she had lost her mind. So she kept ignoring them, buying time to plan.Saturday morning brought a rude shock. Right after breakfast, a security guard burst in. "Your family is at the gate ma’am.”For a paralyzing moment, Isla stood frozen, panic turning her limbs to stone. Damien was home. This couldn't be happening."Tell them I'll be out in a minute," she managed to whisper, the words sticking in her dry throat.Minutes later, Isla finally summoned the courage to step out of the house. From a distance, she spotted her father, Robert Carter, standing firm at t
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The stylists were done and left a moment ago. Now Isla stood alone in her room gazing into her reflection in the mirror to see their finished work.They had transformed her into a goddess.The deep emerald necklace on her neck shone under the light. The glow of her face intimidated her. The dress they had selected was impeccable: a velvet gown whose off-shoulder cut exposed the smooth, shiny lines of her collarbones.“Great job,” She whispered.This is what being the wife of Damien Blackwood meant. It was nothing like before when she was just a glorified maid bound to the kitchen.Now she was someone stronger. Someone who belonged in this world of power and ruthless ambition. Someone who was not allowed to be vulnerable. But was she?She hummed, not allowing herself to pursue the thought further. “It was almost time for the party.”~~~Isla stepped out about five minutes later, moving with careful control, the sound of her heels steady against the glittery floor. Something switched
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Days later, Isla was sitting alone in the office of her new boutique, her manicured fingers eagerly skimming over the contract papers spread before her. From what she was seeing, her business proposal had won multiple grants, zero-interest loans, and exclusive sponsorships. One after another, the contracts bore the names of the high-profile investors and elite brands that had endorsed her. This was the kind of win she ordinarily would have spent years trying and failing to get the attention of, but like magic, it was lying freely on her palms.“Wait…is this for real?”Her expression hardened slightly as she queried herself. It was true that she had worked tirelessly for this, she had poured every element of her ambition into this dream business for some time now.But even so… this came way too easy.“Too convenient.”Just like that? Her brows knitted as she leaned back into the chair in contemplation. The rhythmic tapping of her finger against the desk echoed softly as she tried to
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“Ugh God!” half-sleepy, with a half-repetitive beeping from her phone stirring her awake the next morning.With a sluggish roll of her hands, she picked up the phone and sat up slowly before finally lifting it to see a train of new notifications waiting on her screen.She blinked, letting her vision adjust to the light before swiping further."Isla Carter’s Success: Talent or Just Another Rich Man’s Wife?"That was the title of the main headline people were tagging her to. Her pictures with both Nate and Damien were placed side by side,, and under the main post, over a hundred thousand people had commented in less than three hours.A cold feeling ran down her spine, as her face started to get dark with foreboding. She swallowed, forcing herself to scroll further down.The main post she found beneath the pictures was worse;It painted her as nothing more than a former secretary who had merely married her way into success, someone whose achievements were not the result of talent but of
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Vanessa woke up feeling victorious. She stretched and yawned luxuriously. Today was yet another day to watch Isla Carter getting dragged through the filth of public scorn. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed wearing a smirk. And guess the best part of it all? Vanessa hadn’t even lifted a finger; it was someone else from the sky who had taken it upon himself to do the dirty work. With some effort, she pushed herself up and wanted to rearrange a pillow when a glow from her phone caught her attention. She paused with brows lifted. “More news, perhaps?” Another wave of disgrace for Isla? Well, she certainly wasn’t complaining. Vanessa picked up the phone with a quick flick of her wrist, bringing it closer, prepared to relish every detail. But the moment the words on the screen greeted her face her smirk died an instant death. It was like a dagger straight to the throat. She blinked, then blinked again, as a sudden fever began to descend on her, The headlines weren't ab
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“We’re expected at the Blackwood estate for dinner,” This was the cold, impassive tone that Damien had used to suddenly inform Isla that they would be visiting his family by the evening of the same day. Isla blinked, momentarily stunned. The same Damien who never spoke of his family? He wants “her,” his fake contract wife, to go see them tonight. What could have happened?She studied him carefully, searching his face for any indication of what this meant to him. But his face remained as it usually was… carved in stone. Then as if sensing the silent question in her eyes, he made a dismissive gesture to add, “It’s just a formality. Nothing else.” But Isla was far from believing that. ~~~ The evening of the dinner arrived, and Isla found herself marveling with glowing eyes as their car approached the grand structure. Old money, prestige class, history; It all loomed in the twilight. Yet, despite the awe-inspiring sight a growing anxiety was disturbing her gut. Soon she will be f
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His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 30: The Gala Gambit
Isabella was literally glued to Damien's side as they arrived at the venue of the Blake Group’s much-anticipated gala later that night.Damien's attention seemed to be elsewhere, despite being right beside her. His eyes were vague and distant.And when they finally got into the main hall, his eyes swept the entirety of the large room the moment they were past the door.He looked searching, he looked calculating.It was obvious he wasn’t here just to sip wine or listen to some bland, repetitive music. Neither was he here to schmooze or pose for staged photos. Not really.As far as Damien was concerned, this was his definition of strategy.The organizers of this event, ”The Blake Group,” were no ordinary conglomerate. It was a machine of influence. Philanthropy was only a scratch on the surface of what they were actually about. Beneath it ran an even deeper stream of power: talking about quiet funding for political campaigns, backdoor partnerships with foreign stakeholders, and now,
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A week had passed now since Damien and Isla's heated exchange and in the days that came by, neither of them had brought it up.Not once. But that did not mean that things had remained the same between them. The exact opposite had happened.Like before, when they had once crossed lines and silently stepped back this time, the retreat wasn’t colored with the tension of attraction but the quiet hostility of emotional distance. It was Isla, especially, who started to draw this line.The leisurely meals she used to cook once in a while had immediately stopped.The waiting up she once did for him whenever he was delayed at work was gone, too. Now, the kitchen belonged fully to the maids again, just the way Damien supposedly preferred it. A contract of convenience right? Nothing more.And Isla stuck to this role with a new stony discipline. Her movements were triangular now; wake. Dress. Work. Return. Sleep. Repeat. No glances nor greetings.At first, Damien acted like he didn’t notice
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 28: The Necessary Reminder
Later that afternoon, Damien was back in the office. His posture was relaxed but not completely. His eyes, though focused on the document before him, hadn’t truly read a single word in the last half hour. They were as distant as that of a man present in a room but miles away in thought.He ground his teeth.For the last few minutes since his return, he had been thinking about his last parting words to Isla at her boutique after the slightly heated exchange between them.“Don’t forget this is just a contract. No personal feelings.”The words echoed in his head again, like something someone else had said. He dragged a hand across his face. What was he even thinking when he said that? Isla’s face when he uttered those words was still very much clear in his head, her silence, her distant eyes. He remembered it all too well now. And it stung more than he expected. He hummed and said nothing else.His thoughts now went farther back to earlier that same morning, back at the mansion. Damie
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 27: The Breaking Point
It was 11:43 PM and the entire estate was now swallowed by silence.Yet back in her room, Isla was still awake sitting upright at the edge of the bed, with her back arched forward. The duvet remained untouched behind her.And her right hand was holding up her phone at eye level as the screen reflected in her tired weary eyes. She was staring at the message box specifically, the space where Nate’s strange text earlier that evening had once been.The single message that bore just his name.Just “Nate.”Of course, she had since deleted it, but the memory of it still disturbed her head like a stubborn echo.But why?She had not stopped asking herself that question since she came back from work hours ago. No typo, no follow-up text. No missed calls. “Nothing”Just that one name. Sent deliberately. As though meant to say something without saying anything at all.What was his motive now? What was Nathaniel planning?She didn’t know what to make of it, but she knew that bitch that was l
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 26: A Few More Days
Isla stared back at Isabella. Her posture did not change, but the meaning behind her unsolicited history lesson did not go unnoticed. It hung in the air like poison. Isla controlled her expression and tried not to let it show on her face. She folded her arms slightly, offering a cool smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and in an equally dry tone she responded, “Well, lucky you still remember.” There was a pause; Isabella lifted one of her brows as if she were amused or unimpressed. But in the end, she said nothing else. The quiet animosity between the ladies stretched taut, heavy like a cloud of rain that refused to burst. Getting to her boutique later that morning, Isla entered her office, shut the door, and lowered herself into her chair with an attitude to speak of restraint. She was in a fight with herself, her head, and her mind, trying not to think of the last few minutes back home and, as a matter of fact, the last 24 hours. Trying not to think of Damien and his
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 25: A Guest with a Key
Isla stared at Damien for a little too long.She allowed his question to hang in the air at first because of the speed with which he had caught her off guard and secondly, because she could not seriously believe he was asking her that. So he really wanted to know if she would be okay with him bringing in his mistress…or old friend rather than living in a space that was supposed to be theirs. In the end, she gave a small shrug.“Why are you asking if it would bother me?” Her tone managed to remain smooth, but there was a glint in her eye. “I thought personal feelings weren’t allowed.”Damien didn’t blink. His eyes, however, stayed fixed on her like he was trying to read her mind as usual.“I’m simply being polite,” he finally replied coolly.Isla’s face twisted, her nose wrinkled, then she shook her head at once.“No,” She blurted. “No, you’re just being cruel.”Then without waiting for what he would say next, she turned around sharply to resume her procession to her room, disappear
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The next morning Isla discovered Damien had disappeared from the mansion.After her return from work yesterday, she had carried herself through her routine blindly, dodging the memory of everything that had taken place before she closed from work, and barely seen Damien since then. All that she had heard yesterday from her room notifying her that he was back was the echo of his footsteps on the stairs and of the maids greeting him.He also had not bothered to check up on her. And strangely, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved by that or disappointed.This morning, he just left without even leaving as little as a text or a voicemail behind.Although she tried searching a few extra places to be double sure of the observation, particularly his study. Yet she had found nothing, he was really gone.“Just like that? Was that how it is now?”After letting out a gasp she blinked rapidly as she tried to make sense of the sinking feeling.Soon after that, she stepped back, walked to the nearest
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 23: Arising Questions
Over a week had passed since Isla saw a bit of Damien's vulnerable side. They had quietly returned to their normal way of life since then, with neither of them trying to bring the event up.However, despite the pretense, it was so clear that something had changed between them.And this “change” started with no other person but Damien himself.For five straight days now, he has been showing up at Isla’s boutique at exactly 5:00 p.m. He sent No texts. He made no explanations; all he did was appear at the exact time she was closing to pick her up.Three times out of the five times, he had asked in that low, dry voice of his, keeping his gaze straight ahead,“Did you eat today?”And Isla had tried her best to answer back as stiffly as possible. There were no romantic gestures, no flowers, no small talk. Just silence. But it was also obvious that it wasn’t just business anymore.Another unexpected thing that happened during the week was two days ago, which was on Friday.Clarissa, Damien
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 22: The Man Behind the Wall
“Something in the air was wrong.”Since the beginning of today, and maybe even a bit of yesterday, Isla had started to notice some weird developments in the mansion.It had nothing to do with the curtains, lighting, or even the decor as a whole.It was about her husband…Damien.The usual routine of his existence, his ever-enduring discipline, had taken a surprising pause.For the first time since they signed the contract, Damien, of all people, did not go to work. And guess what? Today was a Monday.“A proper work day!”Isla was already dressed up for her boutique shift, expecting to find the mansion empty by that hour.But instead, she stepped out of her room to see the young man in the sitting room.“Still in his house clothes.”A sight that until now, she would have classified as close to impossible.Isla remained still for a second, her eyes narrowing in quiet curiosity.Damien was slanted on the couch and by his side was his smartphone buzzing over and again to a call, yet ignor
