Chapter 4: Planned Wedding

The moment Damien made sure Calysta was already asleep, he left his room and headed straight to the main hall. He immediately summoned the servants, housekeepers, guards, and everyone he trusted inside the Moretti estate. Within minutes, they had gathered before him, waiting for the reason behind the late-night meeting. Damien stood in front of them with his hands behind his back, his expression serious as he looked at everyone in the room before finally speaking.

“From this moment forward, everyone in this house will treat Calysta as Mrs. Moretti. You will address her as Mrs. Moretti, show her the same respect you would give the lady of this house, and make sure everything around her reflects that position. I don't want anyone contradicting that story, and I don't want anyone making her suspicious.”

The servants exchanged confused looks. One of the older housekeepers finally stepped forward. “Sir, may I ask what we should tell her if she asks about the wedding?”

“Tell her the ceremony happened last night.”

The housekeeper hesitated. “While she was asleep, sir?”

“Yes.”

The woman's confusion became obvious. “Sir, do you mean that you want us to tell Lady Calysta that she is already married to you?”

“That is exactly what I want you to tell her.”

“But, sir, the wedding—”

“Never happened. I know.” Damien interrupted her before she could finish. “There was no ceremony, no vows, and no official marriage. I know exactly what I'm asking you to do. I want you to pretend that there was one.”

The room fell silent as everyone processed his order. Damien allowed them a moment before continuing, knowing that they needed to understand why he was willing to create such an elaborate lie.

“I could have officially married her tonight if I wanted to. I have the influence to arrange it, and her father already knows what will happen if he refuses my demands. But I chose not to do that. I will not officially marry Calysta while she is unconscious, terrified, or being forced into something she doesn't want.”

One of the guards looked at him with surprise, but Damien continued without hesitation. “Marriage is sacred to me. I refuse to make the first moment of my marriage something that Calysta never agreed to. If she ever becomes my wife, I want her to willingly walk toward that altar. I want her to hear the vows, understand what they mean, and make the decision herself. I want her to know that when she says yes to me, she is choosing me and not simply surrendering because she has no other option.”

The housekeeper nodded slowly. “Then this is only a temporary deception, sir?”

“Yes. Until I decide otherwise.”

Damien looked around the room again. “But until then, everyone outside this house needs to believe that Calysta is already my wife. There are things happening that she doesn't know about, and I cannot afford for anyone to discover that the marriage hasn't actually happened. The fewer people who know the truth, the safer she will be.”

“Yes, sir,” the servants answered.

“And there is something else,” Damien continued. “If Calysta asks about the ceremony, don't give her unnecessary details. Tell her that I handled everything personally. If she asks who attended, tell her there was a priest and witnesses. If she asks where it happened, tell her that everything was arranged privately.”

A maid cautiously raised her hand. “What if she asks something we don't know, sir?”

“Tell her to reserve those questions for me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I don't want anyone inventing answers just to keep the story going. If she asks something you're not prepared to answer, simply tell her to ask me. I will deal with her questions myself.”

The maid nodded. “Understood, sir.”

Damien then turned his attention to another matter. “If Calysta asks about her father, tell her that I already informed Matteo that the ceremony was completed and that there was no reason for him to come here. According to the story, there was nothing left for him to attend.”

One of the guards asked, “And if she asks why her father wasn't present?”

“Tell her that I arranged everything privately and that Matteo already gave his approval.”

The guard nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Damien's expression remained firm. “You are not required to convince her. You are only required to maintain the story. If she becomes angry, let her be angry. If she questions you, send her to me. If she accuses me of forcing her into this marriage, don't argue with her.”

The servants exchanged another glance before nodding.

“Understood, sir.”

“Good.”

Damien dismissed them, and the servants slowly began leaving the hall to carry out his instructions. The housekeepers would prepare everything according to the role Calysta was now expected to have inside the estate, while the guards and other staff would make sure no one accidentally revealed the truth.

Damien remained in the hall after everyone had left. He looked toward the staircase leading to Calysta's room, knowing that she would soon wake up and discover the ring on her finger. He already knew how she would react. She would be furious. She would accuse him of taking away another part of her life. She would probably believe that he had officially married her without her knowledge.

He had deliberately refused to make their marriage official because he could not accept the idea of Calysta becoming his wife simply because he had trapped her into it. He had already taken her freedom from her once. He would not take away her ability to choose him as well.

If Calysta ever stood beside him as his wife, Damien wanted that moment to belong to both of them. He wanted her to look at him and know exactly what she was agreeing to. He wanted her to have the chance to say no, even if that answer destroyed him.

Because if she ever said yes, Damien wanted to believe that it was because she wanted him.

Not because she was afraid of him. Not because her father had been threatened. Not because she had nowhere else to go. Still, he needed the world to believe otherwise for now.

Damien finally turned toward the staircase and began walking back toward his room. Before leaving the hall completely, he stopped and looked once more toward Calysta's room.

“Forgive me, princess,” he murmured, knowing she could not hear him. “I know you're going to hate me for this.” He paused before continuing. “But if this lie keeps you safe long enough for me to give you a real choice, then I'll carry the consequences when the truth finally comes out.”

With that, Damien walked away.