Chapter 6

Willow's POV

Damian had left, but the damage was done. I sat frozen on the bench in the cramped dressing room, my trembling hands struggling to button my blouse. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glow that made everything look even more sordid than it was. My reflection in the mirror showed smeared makeup, tangled hair, and eyes filled with a mixture of shock and rage.

Five thousand dollars sat on the makeup counter—the price Damian Blackwood had put on my dignity. The money that was supposed to make everything okay. As if anything could ever be okay again.

"Fucking rich people," I muttered, staring at the cash. My voice sounded strange even to my own ears.

The door suddenly creaked open. I instinctively grabbed my blouse, pulling it closed over my chest.

"Don't worry, dear. I've stationed people outside. No one will disturb us."

Standing in the doorway was the elegant silver-haired woman I'd noticed earlier in the VIP section. She wore an expensive tailored suit that probably cost more than my yearly rent. Her posture was perfect, her smile calculated.

It hit me then—why no one had interrupted us despite how long Damian and I had been in here. Why the manager hadn't come looking for me when I missed half my shift.

"So you arranged for people to guard the door?" I asked, eyeing her warily. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The woman glided into the small dressing room with practiced grace, her eyes taking in the disheveled state of the room—and me.

"I'm Ava Blackwood, Damian's grandmother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Willow Clark."

I stood up, keeping the makeup counter between us. "How do you know my name?"

Ava reached into her designer handbag and pulled out a folder. "I had you investigated."

My eyes narrowed. "So this was all your doing? You drugged Damian's drink tonight?"

"Yes, dear." She nodded, completely unashamed. "Though you should know, it was meant to bring Damian and Scarlett together."

"What? Who's Scarlett?" I asked, confusion temporarily overriding my anger.

"Scarlett Montgomery," Ava explained with a slight sigh. "Daughter of the Montgomery dynasty. My chosen candidate for Damian's wife. The drug was in both their drinks. They were supposed to have a private moment in the VIP lounge, but then you came along..."

Ava walked closer, studying me. "When you pulled Damian away, I considered stopping you. But when I realized you were the girl who saved him at the river, I became curious about how things would unfold."

I stared at her in disbelief. "So I accidentally stole Scarlett's... 'moment'? This is insane!"

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Ava smiled faintly. "An old woman gets impatient for great-grandchildren. I merely provided a little... encouragement. Now it seems fate has chosen you instead."

My jaw dropped as realization hit me. "You... you deliberately set up your grandson to... to force himself on me? Even if I wasn't your original target?"

Ava frowned, her perfectly lined lips turning downward. "'Force' is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as 'an arrangement of destiny.'"

"And he calls it a five-thousand-dollar transaction!" I shouted, pointing at the money on the counter.

"Damian has always been pragmatic about solving problems with money," Ava said dismissively. "But I am not him."

She stepped closer, her expensive perfume filling the small space between us. "Although you weren't my original choice, I know about your situation, dear. Your foster parents' medical bills, your two jobs, and the Sinclair family's threats..."

I took a step back. "What do you want?"

"Help the Blackwood family produce an heir," she stated bluntly. "In return, you can name your price."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You want me to have a baby for that bastard? After what he did to me? Even though I was just an accidental substitute in your scheme?"

Ava pulled out a checkbook from her handbag. "Medical bills? Apartment rent? Or perhaps a sum that would set you up for life? Maybe fate's arrangement is better than my plan after all."

My hands clenched into fists as rage boiled inside me. "Mrs. Blackwood, I don't know how things work in your world, but in mine, no one can buy my dignity!"

I was shaking, but my voice grew stronger with each word. "First, your grandson is an ungrateful jerk! I saved his life, and he chose to believe Chloe's lies!"

"Second, you orchestrated this... assault! Yes, ASSAULT! No matter how you try to sugarcoat it, whether it was meant for me or Scarlett!"

Tears threatened to spill, but I blinked them back. "I am not your family's breeding machine or Scarlett's replacement. I'd rather die than help continue your... despicable bloodline!"

Ava looked genuinely surprised by my outburst. She studied me with newfound interest. "You have more backbone than I expected... That's a quality girls like Scarlett and Chloe will never possess."

She sighed softly, giving a small nod. "I respect your decision, Willow. Not everyone can refuse the Blackwood family's terms."

From her handbag, she retrieved a small box. "Regardless, this is emergency contraception. Take it now, and you should be fine."

I took the box, still suspicious. "Why help me? If you wanted Damian and Scarlett to..."

Ava smiled, her eyes twinkling with something I couldn't quite read. "Perhaps I simply don't want an innocent girl caught up in our family's complications."

As she walked toward the door, she looked back. "Or perhaps I admire your courage and honesty. Those qualities are rare in our circles—far more precious than anything Scarlett and her kind offer."

Before leaving, she added, "If you change your mind, or... need any assistance, here's my private number."

She placed a gold-embossed card on the counter and left, closing the door gently behind her.

I stared at the contraceptive pill box and her business card, my mind racing. Looking at the five thousand dollars and Ava's card, I whispered, "What kind of crazy world is this... A plot meant for Scarlett, and I end up the victim..."

I opened the pill box, hesitated for a moment, then swallowed the tablet.

Pocketing the money and Ava's card, I muttered, "At least this will cover a bit of Thomas and Maria's medical bills..."

I fixed my clothes and makeup, taking a deep breath as I looked at my exhausted reflection. "This isn't over, Damian Blackwood."

My eyes hardened as I thought about everything that had happened. "And it's not over for you either, Chloe Sinclair. You and your high-society friends are all the same—fake to the core."

With that, I gathered my things and headed for the door, leaving behind the dressing room but carrying with me a new determination I hadn't possessed before.