Chapter 2. Cornered.

"Ugh?" Ravenna asked, seemingly unsure of what she had heard the first time.

"I will take the blame for Father," Damian reiterated.

"Bullshit!" Ravenna snapped.

"Ravenna, please. Let me do this. Okay?" Damian pleaded with his eyes, while her parents observed the exchange.

"You're okay with divorcing me?" Ravenna asked incredulously.

"It's not a must the divorce paper will be real. You know I can't live without you," Damian said.

"Oh, come on. I can't believe you'll agree to this madness. Do you know the kind of critics you'll receive from people?" She asked, desperately trying to change his mind.

Damian sighed and shifted his gaze to his father-in-law. The expression on his face was unreadable, while Damian found himself caught between trying to please both Daughter and Father. He knew this wasn't solely about Ravenna; it was about proving to Lucian that he was worth something, that he could do anything...

"It won't be solely about the shame and ridicule the King family will endure from the public," Damian countered, but Ravenna said nothing. "Your father is a public figure, the owner of one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Clearly, someone envies him and wants him brought down. I need to help, Ravenna. I am just a nobody. If I take the blame, they would hate me for a while and eventually forget. But it's different for your father..." Damian raised his gaze to meet Lucian's. He noticed something. The man's gaze had softened. Was he finally accepting Damian?

"I-" Ravenna paused, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I need to go cool off," she said and rushed up the stairs. Damian watched her and sighed. Ravenna could be a pain in the ass, but she loved him. She loved him so much. And that love was the reason he could endure staying in the King mansion, enduring criticism from his in-laws without complaint.

"I'll go talk to her," Damian said after a period of silence.

"Thank you," Lucian replied as Damian turned to look at him.

"My pleasure, sir," Damian managed a smile, even though his heart weighed heavily.

With that, Damian hurried to the room he and Ravenna shared, newfound determination to change his wife's mind. For the first time, Mr. Lucian had spoken kindly to him. Once all of this was over, they could become a happy family.

"Ravenna," he called when he finally reached the room. She had her back turned to him, and Damian could hear the sound of sniffles. He knew what that meant.

He set the cake he had been holding on a table in the corner and hugged her from behind.

"Please..." she sobbed. "Don't do this."

"I have to."

"You don't have to prove anything to Dad!" She snapped, still in his embrace.

"I have to," Damian said as Ravenna turned to look at him.

"No, you don't," she challenged. "You are my husband, my spouse. My dad's business is none of your concern."

Damian managed a smile. Even in the midst of chaos, he had a wife who loved him deeply. This gave him the courage to proceed.

"Your mom always talks about how unfortunate you are to have married me, a mere department manager in your father's company," Damian chuckled bitterly as Ravenna's heart twinged.

"I pretend it's fine because I have you by my side, Ravenna. But truly, it's not. I always wonder: what if they suddenly ask you to divorce me and marry that Judge's son because I am inadequate?" Damian's eyes searched hers.

"I won't," Ravenna replied firmly.

Damian chuckled and took a deep breath before continuing. "That would create a rift between you and Daddy, wouldn't it?" he asked, but Ravenna didn't respond. She was too stressed for this.

"Even though I have to spend the rest of my life in jail, it won't hurt as much as seeing you with another man," he said, gently wiping away the tears streaming down her face.

"Come on now, don't be a crybaby. Your dad said it's temporary; I'll be out before you know it," he weakly smiled, drawing her closer, uncertain about what he was saying. The future was indeed uncertain. This would bring about a significant change in their lives. But Damian wasn't certain just yet.

"When I get out, your dad will send us off to some island, probably the Maldives. We'll sunbathe and make love in all the properties, day and night," he murmured in her ear, and she chuckled.

"I can't believe you're thinking about that at a time like this," she murmured against his chest.

Damian kissed her forehead, his heart aching, battling the urge to shed tears. He wouldn't give up now. Not when it mattered the most.

"We'll be fine. I promise," he reassured, and they stood like that for a while.

***********

Ravenna quickly stood up at the sound of the door closing. "Damian!" she rushed toward him and hugged him tightly. Damian held her close, fighting back the urge to sob. "Babe," he whispered softly.

"Mr. Kings would not take it lightly if he heard I allowed you to see him," the warden's voice disrupted their reunion. Ravenna, momentarily forgetting he was there, turned to face him. "Thank you. Thank you so much. He won't know about this. I promise," she assured him.

"You only have five minutes with him," the warden declared before leaving the room.

Alone with Damian, Ravenna couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down her face. After Damian had agreed to her father's plan, he had been stuck here for the past two weeks following his arrest—contrary to his promise. Not only that, her father had forbidden anyone from visiting Damian, seemingly having the warden under his control.

"You're crying again," Damian remarked, using his red cloth to gently wipe away her tears.

"How can you worry about me when you're stuck in this situation?" she cried out loud, her frustration evident.

"Calm down, Ravenna. Please, they might think I'm doing something to you. Don't cry, babe. And besides, I still trust your father. He won't leave me here to rot."

"You're such a dummy! How can you believe that when he has clearly abandoned you? He even forbade anyone from visiting you. Do you know the great lengths I went through before that warden let me see you?" she yelled, her anger mixed with tears.

Damian nervously rubbed his hands together. If she knew the hell he was going through in this place, she would go crazy. She thought he was just confined, but that wasn't the whole truth.

"What's this?" Her tears subsided as she touched a scar on his neck. He quickly brushed her hands away. "It's nothing," he said hastily.

Ravenna stared at him intently. "Don't you dare lie to me, Damian Kings!" she demanded.

"It's nothing, babe. Just a scratch. You know, being in prison and all."

"Take off your clothes," she commanded in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Ravenna, I..."

"If you try to argue, I will walk out of this door, marry that judge's son, and even send you a picture of us naked in bed," she threatened, her anger evident.

"Don't say things like that," Damian retorted immediately.

"Your... clothes," she reiterated slowly.

With a sigh, Damian reluctantly removed his clothes, causing Ravenna to gasp in shock, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "What the hell did they do to you?"