*Late Morning*

Elena's POV

Elena stood in the garden near the fountain, trying to focus on the open book in her lap. But her mind wasn’t in the pages. It was in the way Damian had kissed the side of her head before leaving that morning. He hadn’t said where he was going. She just knew he had a meeting.

But what does it mean, why did he kiss her? Was it part of the contract?

She tried not to overthink it but ever since the gala and the scandal that followed, everything had changed slightly.

Damian had stayed with her a little longer every night, and had made it...