Damian's POV

I left the club after my father dismissed me and got into my car.

I slid my finger under the flap of the envelope he'd given me and opened it. Inside was a fully drafted engagement contract. My name and Sophie Peterson's sat side by side in elegant lettering. The agreement looked more like a corporate merger than an emotional commitment.

"Terms of union and cohabitation." "Integration of family assets." "Joint wealth valuation projections." "Responsibility for heirs and primary education." All of it written as if I were a prize bull at a genetic auction.

On the second page, a schedule. Public dinners. Joint appearances. And the official engagement announcement date. Two months from now.

I thought of Sophie. And the whole thing reeked of manipulation.

I closed my eyes for a moment, tension crawling up the back of my neck and pulsing at my left temple. My breathing slowed.

I wasn't going to walk into this because someone forced me to.

I grabbed my phone and t