All Chapters of Contract Marriage: The Billionaire's First Love : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Damien was sitting at the dining table, the morning sun casting a warm glow over him as he focused on his breakfast. He heard the sound of soft footsteps and a few moments later, Anna entered.“Sorry, I got late,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips.Damien just nodded in response, not lifting his gaze from his plate.Anna tried to initiate conversation "Thank you for the car. I like it very much."Damien nodded again. Anna hesitated before speaking again as if trying to find the right moment. “I have something to tell you.”But before she could say more, a voice interrupted them. It was neither Damien nor Anna who spoke. “What’s for breakfast?” asked Adeline, yawning as she sat down in the seat next to Anna, her hair were tousled and eyes were half-closed from sleep.Damien looked up with his eyes narrowing as he recognized the woman from last night. It was the same person who had punched Ronan and had given him that hopeless disappointed look.“She is my friend,” Anna expla

Damien shook his head. He could not be hung on his past. It has passed and he was at a very good place in life. “Jack booked the hotel,” Damien mentioned. Anna shook her head. “No, we can’t stay in a hotel,” she insisted. “I will drive us to our destination.”Damien didn’t argue with her over the plan. He had come here because she had asked him to. She seemed to know what she was doing and he trusted her with whatever was going on. After working nonstop throughout the flight, exhaustion was starting to set in. He closed his eyes as Anna took the car, dismissing the driver. The rhythmic hum of the road beneath them and the pitter-patter of rain on the windows lulled him into a light sleep. After an hour’s drive, Anna pulled the car over to a small bungalow which was situated in a semi-countryside area just outside the city. Damien glanced around as he saw the quiet and isolated place standing in clear contrast to the bustling London he had remembered. It was late and the night air

The next day was sunny as Damien and Annastasia left the house. She had baked a cake and was carrying a bouquet of flowers. He didn’t ask her where they were going as he simply followed her in silence. They walked for a while and when they reached their destination, he glanced at her. He noticed a shift in her demeanor. She walked ahead but her body was tense and focused solely on moving forward. It was as if she feared that if she looked around, she might lose the courage she had mustered.They stopped in front of a cemetery, a large tree casted a shadow over the graveyard. Annastasia placed the cake and flowers on a nearby stone before kneeling to clear away the dried leaves and dirt with her bare hands.Damien watched her, feeling a lump form in his throat as he saw droplets of water fell onto the grave. It wasn’t the sky that was raining but her eyes. Once she finished cleaning, she gently laid the flowers on the grave. Then she turned to face Damien, her eyes red but managing a sm

The day of competition . All the contestants had submitted their designs and were eagerly awaiting the results. Only thirty would advance to the second round and with at least twenty designs each and then every contestant’s portfolio was evaluated individually. Each design received a score and the top thirty scorers would clear the first round.The setting resembled an exhibition with every contestant's designs beautifully printed and arranged in unique portfolios on tables assigned to each designer. Judges and onlookers walked through the room and reviewed the work. The atmosphere was quite tense as the contestants waited for the results.Finally, the list of selected contestants along with their scores was displayed on the board. Regina Spencer unsurprisingly secured the top score which confirmed her reputation as one of the strongest competitors. Anastasia was ranked around number twenty and she breathed a sigh of relief as she had made it through even if was just passing marks.

“Why did you drag me here?” Anastasia asked Adeline as her tone was filled with frustration. They were seated at a cosy table in a restaurant where Adeline had insisted they meet. The contest had so consumed Anastasia that she barely had time for anyone including Damien. She barely sees Damien these days. Adeline leaned in closer and whispered, “I want you to meet someone. She is a love guru. She has solutions to all relationship problems.”Anastasia rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with what her best friend was throwing her into. “Come on, Adeline. They are just fake gurus on I*******m.”Any Tom, Dick or Harry claims to be a love guru on I*******m these days. She did not wish to fall into this trap. Adeline was something too stupid and frustrating! “Anna, please!” Adeline pleaded giving her best puppy eyes. “You have to trust her. If you follow her advice, your problems with Damien will be solved.”Just then, a woman walked into the restaurant. She was draped in an extravagant f