Page 37 of The Billionaire’s Contract Bride

Damien’s grip remained steady around her hand.

Aria thought of her mother’s rhythmic heartbeat on the ICU monitor. She thought of the eviction notice, the denied loans, and the black leather portfolio containing her name long before she had ever agreed to meet him.

Free will was a term invented by people who had never been forced to choose between two forms of ruin.

“I do,” she said clearly.

Damien’s gray eyes darkened.

When his turn came, he didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second. “I do.”

The judge declared them husband and wife.

Polite applause rippled through the guests.

Damien lifted Aria’s left hand and slid a ring onto her finger—a striking black diamond surrounded by a halo of white stones, set in rose gold.

“That wasn’t in the contract,” she whispered under her breath.

“Neither was arriving without a ring.”

“How did you know my size?”

His eyes locked onto hers. “You already know.”

The judge smiled warmly. “You may kiss the bride.”

Aria’s heart skipped a beat. They hadn’t discussed this.

Damien reached up, his fingers brushing her cheek, but he didn’t pull her in. “May I?” he asked quietly.

The hesitation shocked her far more than a command would have. Thirty-two prominent witnesses watched every breath, and cameras belonging to his corporate media team captured every angle. She could refuse—and he had made sure she knew she had that choice.

“For the cameras,” she whispered back.

“Of course.”

The lie hung between them.

His lips met hers.

The kiss was clearly designed to be brief—a controlled touch, a practiced angle for the press, the steady stillness of his hand against her cheek.

Then Aria reciprocated.

He tasted like dark coffee and fierce restraint. Her fingers tightened instinctively around his lapel.

Something fractured in his control.

His other hand slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him. The kiss deepened into something raw, dangerous, and possessive—a hunger he had kept hidden beneath every icy word.

Aria felt an answering heat spark deep within her chest.

Damien broke the kiss first.

Applause filled the room once more. He lingered close, his forehead nearly touching hers as his breath brushed her lips. “Still for the cameras?”

“Entirely.” Her voice was breathless. Her mind was still on the feel of his lips on hers.