Cast Out, Then Claimed By My Rival Billionaire

After getting back to her apartment, Eliana peeled off her rain-soaked coat and threw it straight into the washing machine.

Before she could do anything else, her phone buzzed twice.

Damien was still the one messaging her.

The first text said, "Eliana, have you seen my message? The people at the bridal shop won't stop asking where you are."

The second read, "What's going on, Eliana? Did I upset you somehow? Why won't you answer me?"

Without replying, she left her phone on the bathroom counter and stepped into a hot shower.

The steady rush of water filled the bathroom, leaving nothing else to be heard.

By the time she finished showering, seven missed calls were waiting on her screen. Every single one was from Damien.

Two more texts had arrived as well.

His first message read, "Eliana, please pick up. I'm seriously starting to worry about you."

The second said, "Did something happen? Just tell me you're okay."

Eliana studied the messages for a few seconds before switching on Do Not Disturb and climbing into bed.

After everything that had happened the night before, she'd hardly slept at all.

She slept until eight that evening, worn out from exhaustion. The moment she checked her phone again, Damien's missed calls and messages flooded the screen.

Buried among them was a text from Connor.

She tapped on it and read. "My dad wants to meet his new daughter-in-law. He's already booked a flight to Frunard for next week, so be prepared."

The news caught Eliana off guard. Bruce Harrison, Connor's father and the man running Harrison Group in Ozhork, was actually coming to Frunard.

For five years straight, Bruce had ranked among the continent's most influential business figures. His empire reached across real estate, finance, and technology, and one move from him was enough to send ripples through the entire business world.

Someone with that kind of status traveling all the way from Ozhork simply to meet his son's wife seemed almost unbelievable.

Still, one thing became clear to Eliana. Bruce truly valued his son, Connor.

Eliana pressed her fingers to her temples.

Damien and Isabel were already more than enough trouble for her, and now Bruce had been added to the mess.

As far as Bruce knew, she'd married his son without asking for his approval and hadn't even bothered to tell him beforehand.

Something told her that winning him over wouldn't be easy.

The thought alone made her head ache.

Looking back, Eliana realized she'd agreed to the contract marriage with Connor far too quickly.

The more she considered their arrangement, the less convinced she became that she'd gotten the better end of the deal.

Still, the marriage was already official, and she had no intention of backing out of what she'd promised Connor.

Eliana sighed and sent him a short response. "Understood."

Once that was done, she finally opened Damien's chat and casually typed. "I've been running a fever, so I slept through most of the day and missed your messages. We'll have to reschedule the wedding dress fitting. I'm still not feeling well."

Damien called before ten seconds had even passed. "Eliana, you have a fever? How bad is it? I'm coming over right now to check on you."

His voice sounded as worried and attentive as it always had.

There was a time when Eliana would've taken that concern as proof of how much Damien loved her. Now that she knew the truth, hearing him pretend only made her sick.

"Don't bother," she replied. "It's only a mild cold, and I'm already feeling better."

Damien immediately protested, saying, "I'm still coming. You live alone. How am I supposed to sit here and do nothing when you're sick?"

Eliana cut him off. "I already told you not to come."

The line went quiet for a few seconds. When Damien finally spoke again, his tone had become noticeably more cautious. "Eliana... are you still upset with me?"

Eliana rose from her seat and made her way to the balcony railing.

Her gaze drifted toward the steady stream of people below as she answered without any urgency.

"What would I even be upset about?" she asked lightly. "You've already got enough on your plate with work. There's no reason for you to keep running back and forth over something this minor. Just take care of what you need to do. I'm fine."

She even let a small smile enter her voice and made sure she sounded warm enough to reassure him.

Damien seemed to relax almost immediately.

"Eliana, you really do understand me better than anyone. You're always thinking about me..." he said. "Still, I don't want us to keep delaying the wedding."

Eliana arched a brow. "Why the sudden rush?"

"It's selfish, I know, but I want you to become my wife as soon as possible." Damien lowered his voice and spoke as though he were saying something deeply affectionate. "Then you won't have to stay by yourself anymore. If you get sick again, I'll be there to look after you. And once we're married, you'll finally be able to claim the shares your grandmother left you. You won't have to push yourself so hard anymore."

Eliana nearly laughed when she heard that.

Damien really hadn't changed. No matter what he wanted, he always managed to dress it up with enough excuses to make himself sound sincere.

"All right," she replied sweetly. "I'd like to get married soon too. The sooner I receive those shares, the sooner we can build a better life together."

Damien let out a relieved breath, and then chuckled in satisfaction. "Then I'll take care of everything. I'll choose a date so we can register the marriage as soon as possible. Once you're feeling better, we'll choose the wedding outfits and get the pre-wedding photos done."

Eliana replied flatly, "Fine. You can handle the arrangements."

"All right. I'll stop bothering you and let you rest," Damien added.

She gave a quiet hum in response.

The instant the call ended, every trace of warmth disappeared from her face.