FROM SHADOWS TO LOVE

Damien Ruby was not a man who needed an introduction. His name alone struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, his business partners, and even his closest allies. At thirty-five, he stood at the pinnacle of two worlds-the legitimate empire of *Ruby Industries* and the ruthless underworld of the mafia that bore his family's name. To the world, he was a cold, calculating CEO. To those who owed him, he was a king-one whose wrath was legendary.

Damien was a man who lived by a set of rules, and those rules were simple: be ruthless, take no prisoners, and never show weakness. The sharp, angular lines of his face gave him an air of perpetual seriousness. His dark hair was always meticulously combed back, not a strand out of place. His cold, gray eyes were the color of storm clouds-unforgiving and unreadable. Even when he smiled, which was rare, it was a smile that sent shivers down the spines of those who saw it.His suits were perfectly tailored.

The more one learned about him, the more Damien seemed like a man who had been carved out of ice-a product of his upbringing. His father, Giovanni Ruby , had been the head of the Ruby family, a criminal kingpin who had built his empire on violence, fear, and secrecy. But it wasn't just the mafia that Giovanni had controlled-he had also expanded into legitimate business ventures, creating Ruby Industries, a global conglomerate spanning luxury real estate, finance, and high-end technology.

His office was a reflection of his soul-cold, sleek, and imposing. Dark wood paneling lined the walls, reflecting the sharp glint of steel and glass. The view from the top floor was one of the most breathtaking in the city, the skyline stretching endlessly before him. But Damien never looked at the view. He was far more interested in what lay beneath, in the people who scurried about like ants, their lives controlled by the decisions he made from this very room.

Every feature is a testament to his lineage. The Ruby name was one that commanded respect-and fear. He exuded an air of power, but it was his silence that truly unsettled people. He didn't need to speak loudly to make his presence felt.

Damien's rise to power had been swift, but not without sacrifice.

Giovanni had been a man of power, yet there had always been an underlying sadness in him. He was a man who trusted no one, whose harsh methods earned him both respect and fear in equal measure. Damien had inherited his father's business acumen, but it was his mother, Maria Ruby , who had taught him the importance of survival. Though she had remained a passive figure in their household, her quiet strength had been an unspoken influence on Damien. When Giovanni died in a car accident, everything changed.

At twenty-nine, Damien inherited everything-his father's empire, his legacy, his name. The transition is smooth for most. For others, it was a shift in power that they feared and resented. In the five years since Giovanni's death, Damien had not only solidified his place at the top of the family business but had expanded it further than anyone thought possible. Yet, despite his success, the pain of losing his parents still lingered-something Damien buried deep inside him, where no one could see.

The Ruby family's wealth had been built on the idea that no one could escape their grasp. No one, except for those who were foolish enough to cross Damien. His ruthlessness in the corporate world was legendary. He crushed competitors without hesitation, and he had no qualms about dealing with those in the shadows-men who owed him, men who had tried to betray him. He was a man without mercy, Evelyn Hayes had been little more than a pawn in her father's eyes. But to Damien, she was something far more useful-a way to finalize the deal and ensure that no one else would dare challenge him again.

The loss of his parents had been a turning point. Where most would have crumbled under the weight of grief, Damien had hardened. He had learned quickly that weakness had no place in his world. His father's empire had been built on power, secrecy, and brutality. Damien took those lessons to heart and expanded the family's reach further than anyone had dared to dream. But even he knew that it came at a cost.

With Ruby Industries now a global powerhouse, Damien controlled everything-from luxury real estate to cutting-edge tech startups. His criminal empire funded every part of it, giving him leverage no one else could match. He was both the predator and the prey, depending on which side of the table you sat on.

It was within this world that he met William Hayes, a businessman who had once been a reliable partner-until his greed overtook him. Hayes had been the one to introduce Damien to the world of high-end construction and tech investments. Together, they had built a thriving network, but over time, Hayes had grown reckless. He had borrowed from the wrong people, made promises he couldn't keep, and when the market had shifted, he had fallen behind.

Damien had first noticed the shift when Hayes began missing meetings and avoiding phone calls. When Damien finally confronted him, Hayes was already in too deep. His debts were astronomical, his company on the verge of collapse. But it wasn't just money that was owed-it was loyalty. Hayes had betrayed Damien in more ways than one, making deals with men who would bring shame upon the Ruby name.

Their final meeting took place in a cold, sterile conference room in one of Hayes' offices, a room where the tension was palpable. Hayes, once a confident, calculating man, now looked like a broken shell of himself. His once-clean suit was wrinkled and stained. His eyes were bloodshot from sleepless nights spent worrying about how to fix what he had broken.

It wasn't the first time a business partner had come to Damien with a request for mercy. But Hayes' situation was different. His debts weren't just financial-they were personal. And that's where the leverage lay.

Damien stood by the window of his office, gazing out over the city, as his mind played through the details. William Hayes had promised him everything-his company's shares, future investments, and his own daughter in exchange for the relief of his debts. But Hayes had not been truthful. The debt was much deeper than Damien had expected.

And so, he had found himself in the same room as William Hayes once again, but this time the conversation would be different.

"Mr. Ruby , please, I beg you-" Hayes had pleaded, his face pale, his eyes desperate.

"I have given you chance after chance, Hayes," Damien had replied, his voice calm but unwavering. "And now you come to me, begging like a man with no pride. You've gambled away everything-and now, there's nothing left to save you."

"But I can make it right," Hayes had stammered. "I swear, I'll find a way-"

"You can't," Damien interrupted. "The time for promises is over."

There was a long silence, the kind that filled the room with an uncomfortable weight. Hayes seemed to shrink under it.

"You've offered me your daughter, as collateral," Damien said, his eyes narrowing. "But this isn't a matter of business anymore. This is personal."

The shock on Hayes' face was palpable. "What do you mean?"

Damien's lips curled into a cold, calculating smile. "Your daughter, Evelyn, will marry me. She'll become my wife. And the debt will be settled."

It had been decided at that moment. Hayes had no choice but to agree. Damien knew the man would sacrifice anything to save himself-his pride, his integrity, and now his daughter.

The deal was sealed that day. Damien had taken everything from Hayes, including the one thing he cherished most-his daughter. It was a business decision, a way to ensure that no one else would dare cross him. And as for Sophia... well, she was nothing more than a pawn in a game that had already been decided.

The Cold Marriage

Evelyn Hayes had always imagined her wedding day as something beautiful. She had pictured walking down an aisle, her father smiling proudly from the front row, her mother watching from a place beyond. She had dreamed of love, or at least companionship-of sharing a life with someone who would protect her, care for her, even if it wasn't the passionate kind of love one read about in books.

But when she stood at the altar, facing a man she barely knew, none of her childhood dreams came to mind. There was no father beside her, no warmth in her heart. Her stepmom smiling mischievously sent chills down her spine.The weight of her father's betrayal was a bitter pill she had swallowed too many times, but this was different. She had been sold, her life traded for the sins of a man who could no longer protect her.

Her father's promises of "everything will be fine, Evelyn" rang hollow in her ears. Her mind was foggy, numb to the reality around her. The ceremony was short, efficient, and almost clinical. No flowers, no music-just the sound of her own shaky breath, echoing in the silence.

Damien Ruby stood beside her, his face a mask of cold indifference, his dark eyes never straying from her for more than a moment. She had never seen someone so detached, so utterly unaffected. He was a man who had seen everything, and everything had failed to make an impact on him.

He didn't speak to her during the ceremony. He didn't even look at her when the priest asked if she took him as her husband. There was no joy, no warmth-only the chilling finality of a decision made long before this moment. When it was over, when they were officially married, Damien turned to her with the same cold gaze he had shown her when they first met.

"You belong to me now," he had said, his voice devoid of emotion. The words hung in the air, thick with the weight of ownership.

And just like that, Evelyn was his.

The days that followed were a blur. The Ruby mansion, as cold and impersonal as its owner, became her new prison. Every corner of the sprawling estate spoke of wealth and power, but there was no warmth here-nothing to soften the harsh edges of her new life. The marble floors, the pristine furniture, the grand staircase that seemed to rise into eternity-it all felt foreign to Evelyn, a place she was never meant to belong.

She wandered through the mansion like a ghost, unable to find her place. The house was full of staff, yet none of them spoke to her. They avoided her, their faces set in rigid indifference as they went about their duties. No one told her what to do, no one offered comfort. She was alone, more alone than she had ever been in her life.

Damien, meanwhile, remained a distant figure in her world. He had not spoken to her in days, aside from the occasional command. He expected her to stay out of his way, to remain silent, to do as she was told. And she did. There was no room for questions in his world, no room for defiance.

But as the days dragged on, Evelyn began to feel the weight of her new life more than ever. It was suffocating. The house, though vast and beautiful, felt like a tomb. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional sound of Damien's footsteps as he moved about, always with purpose. Always with intent.

Evelyn's first real glimpse of Damien after their wedding came one afternoon in his office. She had been called there, though she wasn't sure why. She had been working in the company for two days now, filing papers and taking phone calls, but today was different. Damien had summoned her, and she had no choice but to obey.

She entered his office, the heavy wooden door shutting behind her with a quiet click. Damien sat at his desk, the sleek black surface reflecting the city lights that streamed through the windows behind him. He didn't look up as she entered, his attention fixed on the papers in front of him. The silence between them stretched out like a chasm, filling the space with tension.

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest as she stood awkwardly by the door. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She wasn't even sure if he expected her to speak.

Finally, Damien glanced up, his piercing gaze locking onto hers with a coldness that sent a shiver down her spine. His eyes seemed to strip her bare, as though he were looking past the facade she had spent years building. He didn't blink, didn't look away. It was as if he were daring her to break.

"Sit," he commanded.

Evelyn froze for a moment before obeying, moving slowly to the chair in front of his desk. She sat down, her hands trembling in her lap.

Damien didn't speak for a long time. He simply stared at her, as if assessing something. His silence was unnerving, oppressive. It made the air thick, as if every breath she took was a burden.

Finally, he broke the silence. "You're to work here, in the company. I expect you to be useful."

Evelyn nodded, though the words made her stomach churn. Useful? What did that even mean? She was already his secretary, already carrying out tasks she didn't fully understand. She had no idea why she was being kept around or what role she was supposed to play.

Damien stood up and walked around the desk, moving with the fluid grace of a predator. "I don't care what your father promised you. You're here because I need you to be. Don't mistake this for kindness, because there is none. I don't owe you anything. You will do as I say, when I say it, or there will be consequences."

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. She knew what he meant. She had seen the coldness in his eyes, heard the cruelty in his voice. He would not hesitate to break her if it suited him.

He stepped closer, and for a moment, Evelyn thought he might say something more. But instead, he turned away, his back to her, as if dismissing her. "You can leave now."

Evelyn stood up quickly, her hands still trembling. She didn't look back as she exited his office, the door clicking shut behind her. She had never felt more alone.

The weeks that followed were more of the same. Damien's presence was as cold and oppressive as ever, and Evelyn was caught in a world she didn't understand. Each day felt like a battle for survival, a struggle to hold onto some shred of herself in the face of his indifference.

She hated herself for feeling so weak, so insignificant. But she couldn't help it. Damien had a way of making her feel small, as though her very existence was a mistake. The loneliness gnawed at her, but there was no escape. She had no friends, no family to turn to. All she had was the cold, unforgiving walls of the Ruby mansion and the constant reminder that she belonged to him now.