Chapter 2

At two in the morning, I sat alone in the corner of Elysium Club's bar area, staring at my third glass of whiskey. Under the dim amber lighting, the alcohol burned my throat, but it couldn't burn away the humiliation lodged in my heart.

The wound on my palm throbbed dully, reminding me of my earlier breakdown.

"Cheap and easily replaceable" – Damian's words played on repeat in my mind like a curse.

"Damn bastard." I gritted my teeth and downed the drink in one gulp, the harsh liquid making me cough.

"You shouldn't be drinking so much whiskey alone."

A deep, magnetic voice came from behind me. I froze – I knew that voice all too well, but the tone was completely different. Gone was that cold superiority, replaced by a hint of gentle concern.

I slowly turned around and saw a face identical to Damian's.

"Are you here to mock me too? Like your brother did?" My voice carried both wariness and sarcasm.

Declan shook his head, offering me a tissue. "Quite the opposite. I think you're beautiful, especially when you're broken like this."

I was stunned. If those words had come from Damian's mouth, they would have been mockery. But there was no derision in Declan's eyes, only genuine heartache.

"You're... Declan?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yes." He settled into the high stool beside me. "I saw you run out from upstairs earlier. I was worried you might do something reckless."

"Worried?" I laughed bitterly. "You brothers are quite something – one humiliates me to the extreme, the other pretends to care. What kind of new game is this?"

Declan's gaze darkened. "We may look identical, but I've never considered women to be tools."

I stared at him, trying to find traces of deception in that familiar face. But all I saw was a tenderness completely different from Damian's. It made my heart race inexplicably.

"Then what do you think I am?" I asked provocatively.

"A buried treasure." Declan's answer came without hesitation. "I've been watching you for three months. Your talent and beauty have been completely overlooked by my brother."

What? Three months?

My heart began racing. "You've been... watching me?"

"Since your first day at the club." Declan's gaze was focused and affectionate. "The way you look when you're concentrating on perfumes, your understanding of every fragrance note, and the longing in your eyes when you looked at my brother... I've seen it all."

I stared at him in shock – I'd never noticed him, yet he'd been observing me for three months?

"But you never approached me." I felt confused.

"Because you only had eyes for him." Declan smiled self-deprecatingly. "Until tonight, I was waiting for my chance."

The alcohol clouded my judgment as I heard myself ask, "What chance?"

Declan stood up, extending his hand. "Come with me somewhere quiet. I have a proposition."

I hesitated for a moment, then accepted his hand.

A few minutes later, we arrived at a private booth deep in the bar. Soft sofas, deep red lighting – it created a dangerously intimate atmosphere.

I sat across from Declan, the alcohol making my cheeks flush, but my thoughts were clearer than before. This environment reminded me of that fateful night three days ago, making me involuntarily nervous.

"So, what's your proposition?" I looked directly into his eyes, trying to stay composed.

Declan leaned forward, his voice low and seductive. "Be my exclusive woman for three months. I'll show you what it means to be truly treasured."

My pupils contracted instantly. Another transaction? I'd just been humiliated by Damian as if I were a prostitute, and now his brother wanted to buy me too?

"This is just some game between you brothers, isn't it? I don't want to be treated like a toy anymore." My voice trembled with anger.

"What if I told you it wasn't?" Declan reached out to caress my cheek, his touch as gentle as a feather. "What if I told you I've been waiting for a chance to prove I understand you better than he does?"

This touch made my whole body tremble. The same hand, the same warmth, but the sensation was worlds apart. Damian's touch carried possessiveness, while Declan's caress felt like worship.

"Why three months?" I heard my voice shake slightly.

"Long enough for you to forget him and fall in love with me." Declan's thumb brushed across the corner of my lips. "And long enough for him to realize what he's lost."

A chance for revenge!

My heart began pounding wildly. Making Damian regret – wasn't that exactly what I craved most?

"If... say if I agreed," I tried to maintain my rationality, "what guarantee would I have?"

Declan smiled, pulling out a check from his suit pocket. "This is advance payment. Three months, five million. Whatever happens, this money is yours."

I gasped. Five million – that was ten years of my salary!

"This isn't a transaction." Declan seemed to read my thoughts. "This is my sincerity. I want to show you what it means to be truly valued by a man."

"If I agree, you won't humiliate me like he did?" My voice still carried uncertainty.

Declan gripped my hand, his gaze as serious as making a vow. "Never. From now on, you're my treasure. I'll make sure everyone knows it, including my brother."

I closed my eyes, flashing back to tonight's humiliation. That anger and despair nearly suffocated me.

When I opened my eyes again, revenge burned within me like fire.

"I agree. But if you dare humiliate me like he did..."

"Never." Declan kissed the back of my hand, the gesture as reverent as worship. "I've waited too long for this moment."

The atmosphere in the booth instantly became scorching. I felt Declan's burning gaze, my heartbeat like thunder.

"So," I took a deep breath, "when do we start?"

Declan's smile was dangerous and charming. "Now. You'll stay in my suite tonight. Tomorrow, I want the entire club to know you're my woman."

Just as he finished speaking, the booth door suddenly burst open.

A familiar cold figure appeared in the doorway – Damian stood there, his gaze as dark as a storm-filled sky.

My heart nearly stopped beating.

"I knew it..." His voice was cold enough to freeze the air. "My dear brother, you really are good at picking up my discarded things."

The air instantly solidified.

Humiliation crashed over me like a tidal wave, nearly drowning me. Even when I thought I'd found salvation, Damian could still easily grind me into dust. Discarded things – was I just garbage in his eyes?

But this time, Declan stood up.

He stepped in front of me, his voice calm yet dangerous. "Brother, you've got one thing wrong."

"What's that?" Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Violet was never your possession, so there's no question of me 'picking up' anything." Declan's hand protectively rested on my shoulder. "But you – you've lost the most precious woman in the world and don't even realize it."

The most precious woman...

Sitting there, watching these two brothers in their tense standoff, I suddenly understood I'd been drawn into a game far more complex than I'd imagined.

I had become the catalyst for a war between brothers.

"Enough." I suddenly stood up, my voice trembling but firm. "Damian, you've made it very clear – I mean nothing to you. So don't interfere with my choices."

I turned to Declan, taking a deep breath. "I accept your proposition. Starting now."

Something unreadable flashed in Damian's eyes, but he quickly returned to his cold demeanor. "Suit yourself."

He strode out of the booth, leaving Declan and me in the silence.

"Well then," Declan caressed my hand, his eyes gleaming with victory and something unfathomably deep, "now let me show you what true devotion looks like."