★ Clara pov

I tossed and turned on the bed, the rays of sunlight reflecting in my eyes. I wanted to sleep more; it had been a while since I had slept this comfortably.

I was busy trying to raise my small company in Europe when a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

I jolted awake, bright light hitting my eyes. Next to me, a handsome stranger was reading a newspaper.

Confused, I tried to remember how I got here, but nothing came to mind. Suddenly, I realized I was naked! "Ahhh!" I screamed.

"Wh..o.. are y…?" I stammered, but my throat was dry.

Then, the door burst open!

Before I could finish, a crowd of media rushed in, cameras flashing.

"Miss Clara, is it true you had a night with a man?"

"Miss Clara, why did you return to New York?"

"Miss Clara, are you trying to seduce a billionaire?"

"Miss Clara, is it true you came here to seduce the most powerful billionaire for money?"

"Miss Clara, why are you in his bed?"

Questions were fired to me,I was overwhelmed. I was still in a daze and I couldn't remember a thing.

"Mr. Damon..."

"Dare to ask me a question," he interjected, and I felt the intensity of his gaze pierce through them. The room fell silent.

"Mr. Damon, it's you!" a reporter exclaimed, recognizing him.

“You dare to ruin our family reputation just a single day after you returned! If this is what you have been doing in Europe why then did you return? How dare you! You don't deserve to own a company. With your irresponsible behavior.” my step mother exclaimed as she entered the room. I had just known she had something to do with this.

“During your night with my father, who called you irresponsible, why can’t I have a night with my fiancé?”

The confusion on the media's faces was evident as shame washed over Priscilla like cold water splashed on her.

“What? That's a lie!”

“Why would I lie about my fiancé?” I could see the confusion on her face as she stammered,

“But you just returned!”

“And what makes you think I can’t date from a distance?” I challenged her.

Damon’s cold voice echoed in the room, questioning the media about invading our privacy.

“How do you know I was here, Mrs. Priscilla?” I could see her losing her composure, confused and unable to respond.

Damon’s phone rang, and he quickly said, “Contact the media management. All these workers should be fired.”

I felt goosebumps as I realized this guy was no ordinary person; he had the power to fire a whole media team. With no time to think, I quickly dressed and bolted from the room.

As soon as I entered the gray mansion my father seethed with anger as he focused on the television. The screen showed me wrapped in a blanket, the caption reading:

"THE DAUGHTER OF JOHN GRAY CAUGHT IN A MAN'S BED - who she claimed to be his fiancée." I felt a rush of panic as I entered the room, knowing the storm that awaited me.

"You… you dare to ruin our family reputation? I have lost their collaboration just after this scandal!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

I crossed my arms, standing my ground. "Why don't you ask your wife and daughter what they were doing in the room?"

"Clara, don't try to turn the tables. You seem to have grown a lot of wings these past years."

"Mr. Walter, I have mentioned time after time that my mother's company had nothing to do with you. As for your company’s loss, I promise to sort things out sooner.”

“Mr. Walter? Clara, is this a way of addressing your father?”

“Ohhh, my bad! That sure isn't the address for my beloved father who has left me stranded in Europe,” I shot back sarcastically.

“Clara!!!”

“I’m standing right here, Mr. Walter. You don’t have to scream,”

“I’ve had enough of your sarcasm! You can’t be a simple sweet child like your elder sister—you…”

“Step-sister, you mean,”

Our conversation was interrupted by the broadcaster who had just mentioned the loss of business collaborations affecting the Gray Business Enterprise. In a fit of rage, my father smashed the television.

“CLARA!!!!!!!!!!!” he roared, looking furious.

“Dad, I promise to…”

"You better fix this immediately or else,I would smash it down just like I did to the TV!”

"Is this a threat?" I asked while raising a brow.

"You should go back to Europe; you and Mum have always been a headache."

"Ohhh, I see." I felt really disappointed. So in my father's eyes we had always been a headache to him.

"Only when I see your fiancé and a marriage certificate would I give you back the company,”

I felt hit with cold water. The man had a dangerous aura, but I needed to save my mom's company.

I found his office in a big New York skyscraper and felt chills running down my spine when I saw him

"Marry me! I'll do anything you want," I regretted it immediately , he agreed without hesitation. My dad pushed me this far, and with a dangerous smirk, he signed the marriage documents.

"Miss Clara, anything means everything," I felt like I had fallen into my own pit.

★★★

★ Clara pov

I stood before my husband,his imposing figure radiating power and dominance. I felt his hand raise my chin, forcing me to look up into his piercing eyes.

I was barely at his shoulder height, but the aura he emitted made me feel small and vulnerable.

Marrying Damon, my life had become a storm. He had made it clear that I was to stay in his mansion and serve him as nothing more than a plaything. The moment we left my father's house, he treated me like trash.

I never expected him to disappear after three months of torment. On that day,I felt relief, but it was just for the main time when I began to feel nauseous and kept vomiting, prompting me to take a test.

“Mrs Clara congratulations you are pregnant” these words sounded like a knife against my chest,I cried my eyes out. I had never imagined I would carry a child for the beast who had tortured my life. But the child was innocent.

Three weeks passed, and I took care of myself and my baby. I improved a lot and gained weight, feeling stronger.

Then came the day of the business meeting in the city. To my horror, I encountered the man who had taken my innocence—the father of my child. I was crying inside, unsure of how I would even face him. At the conference, I tried to hide, covering my face with a mask and a cap, but it didn’t last long.

“Clara?” I heard his voice call out, and my heart sank. I tried to ignore him,I took a few steps ahead, pretending not to be the Clara he was calling out to.

"Come here," He stood with an imposing figure, hands in his pockets. At this point, my heart raced, and panic surged through my veins.

At this point, I felt like my mind was going against my body, as if I were being controlled remotely. I turned back to him, moving slowly, my legs wobbling beneath me.

I was scared, but I didn't expect him to suddenly hold me In his arms, his arms wrapping around me while he caressed my hair, kissed me gently, holding me closely in his arms, as if he had missed something important.

He was so close that I could hear the gentle rhythm of his breathing. For a moment, my heart felt warm. This was the man who had tormented my life. I ended up falling asleep in his office, as he had refused to let me go home.

This sweet treatment didn't last long; he soon became a beast, using me as his plaything, and I was pregnant, I was too nervous to inform him.

One day, he left for work and returned with bruises all over his body. I held him and began to treat his wounds, unable to stop my tears. The injuries were so deep, they reminded me of my mother's body when she jumped off the cliff.

Few weeks later, I came back from work at a late hour and froze when I saw Damon sitting in the living room. Expensive red wine was on the table, and a cigarette hung from his fingers, creating a thick cloud of smoke that filled the air.

My heart raced, and panic surged through me as I noticed the pregnancy test paper crumpled on the chair.

"It's... I..." I stammered, words failed to form in my lips.

"You are pregnant, aren't you?" His cold, commanding voice left no room for lies. Tears began to well up in my eyes; I was terrified of what he might do to my child.

"Yes, I... am," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Who's the father?" he demanded, his tone growing louder.

"What...?" I gasped.

"You dare to sleep around for only three months I left you!”

The child is yours,You are the only one who has touched me!" I screamed, the fear fading as my fury took over. I could never cheat, despite everything he did to me. Tears streamed down my face as I stood my ground.

Damon raised my chin violently, forcing me to look straight at him. "If the child is mine, then abort it," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"No, it's my child, and I won't kill it." I felt his grip tightening around my hand, intense and unyielding, but I couldn't back down. This was my child.

"Have you forgotten you said you would do anything?" he taunted, his eyes piercing into mine.

"This is my child; I can't kill it." Tears streamed down my face as I fought to hold my ground.

"You seem to like it the hard way, don't you?" he sneered.

"You aren't qualified to carry my child." He leaned down, his face inches from mine, the danger radiating off him like heat.

"I and my child didn't do anything to you," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Ohh, Clara, my dear," he said, pulling my face closer to his, a smirk playing on his lips.

"It turns out that the person who colluded with my uncle to kill both of my parents twelve years ago is my father-in-law. You are only suffering a bit of his sin.”

★★★

I opened my eyes, but had to squint due to the direct light shining on me. The smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, and I immediately realized I was in the hospital.

‘What happened?’I could only remember having an argument with Damon. My head immediately recalled what Damon wanted—to take away my child.

I quickly held my belly and jolted from the bed, “my baby” I screamed.

I tore off the hospital blanket that was covering me.

“'Mr. Your wife is 3 months and 2 weeks pregnant. She fainted due to being stressed out. I advise for the healthy growth of your baby, she should be taken care of, along with her mental health.'" I heard my doctor's voice.

My mind relaxed a bit knowing that my baby was still inside of me and that the abortion hadn't happened yet.

I didn't wait to hear Damon’s reply to the doctor; I quickly ran to my ward window. It was so high—I guessed I was on the 20th floor.

I tied the bed dresses together to make a rope. As I climbed down from the window, I was so determined to save my baby that I forgot the worst that could happen to me.

Just as I stepped across the window, my leg stumbled through the wrapped cloth.

I tried to hold on to the makeshift rope tightly, but unfortunately, it began to tear. My mind went blank, and I was so scared of losing both my life and that of my baby.

"Damon!" I screamed, my voice echoing in the air. The fear coursed through me as I clung desperately to the rope, hoping he would hear me.

“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Is this going to be my fate? Am I going to die like this? My mum also fell from a height; I guess my fate is tied to hers.

I closed my eyes as the make-out rope finally tore apart. My ears went blank; I couldn't hear anything anymore, with zero gravity my body fell to the ground.

I waited for the impact of the great fall and the pain that would accompany it, but my back hit something soft, and my body bounced.

Just then, my hearing returned; I could hear people whispering, the sounds of ambulances, police sirens, and so on.

When did all this happen? That was the only thought racing through my mind as my body grew weak, and everything faded to black again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“How is it now?”

“She is out of danger, but her fetus…”

“What is it?”

“Her… fetus is no longer stable. She will have to take extra care of herself if she wants her child to be delivered safely.”

“Mmm, I understand.”

“If any other violent issue occurs to her, Mr. Damon, I’m sorry to say your wife’s health would be exposed to more complicated conditions that could affect her when she wants to give birth.”

After silently listening to the doctor and Damon’s discussion, I woke up a few minutes earlier, feeling scared. My baby is all I want; I was determined to take care of my baby. I was also surprised that Damon didn’t mention abortion.

“When can she get discharged?” Damon’s cold tone resounded in my ears. I really didn’t want to go home with the beast anymore.

“Oh, Mr. Damon, as soon as she wakes up, you can take her home.”

“Alright.”

“You should also get this list of drugs for her.” The doctor kept on prescribing and describing to Damon.

“I will take my leave now.”

I heard the door shut; my doctor must have gone out. I opened my eyes slightly to see if Damon was still in here.

“Clara, home now.” His tone was firm and cold, as if he had already confirmed everything.

“How did you know I was—” Before I could finish my words, he took his suit jacket from the armrest and walked outside with long strides.

I was still in the hospital gown; I didn't have time to change as I ran after Damon.

All the way home, the car was dead silent. A drop of a pin could be heard.

Just then, the silent atmosphere was disrupted by the sudden buzz of Damon’s cell phone.

He got it connected to the wireless airpod in his ear.

“ Mm, Got it,” Damon responded. I looked at his face, wondering what the other end was saying,But Damon’s face remained cold and indifferent, with a hint of anger in it.

‘Was he still angry at me, or was he mad at what was mentioned to him?’

I felt the car suddenly increase its pace. Nausea hit me as I held my mouth, trying not to spill out what was threatening to gush out of my belly.

I glanced at Damon with a pitiful face, hoping he would stop, but he didn’t spare me a glance as he increased his pace.

‘What had happened? Why did he increase his pace just after a phone call? These questions swirled in my head, knowing that Damon wouldn’t give me an answer.’

Finally, the race that felt like it had lasted forever came to an end with a sudden stop. My body was pulled forward, and my head crashed against the car part in front of me. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the impact, but nothing came.

I opened my eyes to see Damon’s hands in front of my head. I looked at him; his face still cold and indifferent. I could feel the temperature of the car suddenly drop, but my stomach was churning.

I felt like throwing up. I quickly closed my mouth while trying to use my other hand to open the car door. “Arghhhh!” I yelled as I spilled out as soon as I left the car.

“Find your way home,” Damon’s cold voice resounded in my ears, accompanied by the sudden speed off of his car. I stood rooted to the ground, feeling utterly lost in the middle of nowhere.