Sienna tapped her fingers against the polished mahogany table, her gaze locked on the thick contract Damien had just placed before her.
She should have expected this. A man like Damien Blackwood didn't do anything without a contract.
"You really had a whole engagement agreement drafted already?" she asked, raising a brow.
Damien leaned back in his chair, watching her with a knowing smirk. "Let's just say I was prepared for this possibility."
Sienna let out a scoff. "Right. Because pretending to be engaged to a complete stranger is just another business deal for you."
His smirk didn't waver. "Exactly."
She should have been more annoyed, but the truth was, Damien Blackwood intrigued her. He was arrogant, calculating, and impossible to read. And yet, there was something about the way he studied her—like he was peeling back layers, trying to understand her—that sent a shiver down her spine.
She flipped open the contract, scanning the key points.
1. The fake engagement will last for three months.
2. Public appearances together are mandatory.
3. PDA is expected to maintain believability.
4. No personal relationships outside of the engagement.
5. Payment for participation: all financial debts covered, plus additional compensation.
Sienna's lips parted as she read the last line. Additional compensation?
Her eyes flicked up to him. "You're paying me?"
"I'm securing your cooperation," Damien corrected smoothly. "Think of it as an incentive."
She swallowed. This was insane. A month ago, she'd been worried about losing her flower shop. Now she was being offered a contract to pretend to be the fiancée of the most powerful man in the city.
She should say no. She should walk out of this office and never look back.
But then she thought of the bills stacking up. The landlord's warnings. The weight of struggling alone.
She let out a slow breath. "I have conditions too."
Damien's brow arched. "I'm listening."
"First," she said, meeting his gaze, "there's no real relationship here. This is strictly business. That means no unnecessary touching, no actual romance—"
"You do realize 'public displays of affection' is literally in the contract, don't you?" Damien interrupted, smirking.
Sienna glared at him. "Fine. Minimal touching. Only when necessary."
"Noted."
"Second," she continued, "you don't get to control my personal life outside of this arrangement. My shop, my time—those are still mine."
Damien nodded. "Fair."
Sienna hesitated before adding, "And third… If at any point I want out, I walk. No consequences."
His smirk faded slightly. "That's the only part I can't guarantee."
Her stomach tightened. "Excuse me?"
"You're about to become the fiancée of Damien Blackwood," he said, his voice quieter, more intense. "That means cameras, tabloids, and public scrutiny. If you leave too soon, the media will tear you apart."
Sienna clenched her fists. She hadn't thought about that.
Damien leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking onto hers. "If you do this, you're in it until the end. Three months. No sudden exits."
Her heart pounded. This was a deal with the devil. But the way he looked at her—calm, calculating, as if he already knew she was going to say yes—made her blood heat in a way she didn't understand.
She reached for the pen.
"You better not make me regret this," she muttered, signing her name.
Damien's smirk returned, slow and confident. "Welcome to the engagement, fiancée."