It's hard to decode the emotions in his voice. He's so good at hiding. I think that's a great trick, people will always be unaware of his true intentions.
His statement increased the number of questions I had.
"I have no time? What do you mean by that?" 
He clenched his jaw and tightened his brows together.
"That means you have no other choice. The sooner you agree to this marriage, the better." his words came out harshly.
"If I said yes right now and here, would that make all the problems vanish immediately?" I asked.
"I never said it'll vanish immediately, Ms. Williams, but it'll give more than enough time for us to get rid of him." his voice was calm and collected.
"How?" I wondered.
He smirked slightly. "You being my wife is enough of a threat for them, they'll back off." he said calmly, staring right into my soul. 
How can a person be so beautifully arrogant? Something was clearly wrong with me.
"Who do you think you are? God? Oh, wait me a minute! My bad! I meant to say 'Devil', or maybe 'the King of the underworld', 'god of death', 'ruler of all-"
"All of the above" He interrupted with a malicious smirk.
Corner of my eyes twitched at the amount of audacity this man held.
"Zaria, watch your mouth" dad warned me as he grabbed my arm and leaned to whisper in my ears.
"Don't you dare say no, Zaria. Remember, saying no to Damien means getting all of us killed by our enemy. You've already disappointed me so many times before. This is your last chance. If you do it again, I'll never forgive you. Think about your sister." he whispered a warning in my ears, tearing my heart. 
"I expect some respect towards my wife, Mr. Williams." Damien's voice was calm but there was enough warning in his voice to make my dad speechless.
Dad straightened in his place.
Something cracked in my chest by his defence. I can't look for a hope in Damien, our circumstances would not allow it.
Why would he defend me? And I'm not his wife. Not yet.
I shut my eyes to stop myself from the retort I was about to give. This is not the right place and time to argue. Our conversation was halted by the sound of the OT door opening. 
"She's stable now. We are shifting her to ICU for the night. One of you can stay." the nurse chimes in.
I released the breath I was holding for what seemed like an eternity. Those words decreased the pressure I've been holding on this long.
Thank God!
"How's her condition?" I asked in a hurry.
A male doctor came outside.
"Her injuries are critical. It'll take time to heal completely. There aren't any other serious infections for now but it doesn't mean there won't be any in the near future. She's going to be monitored at regular intervals." the doctor explained.
I sighed in relief. 
"Thank you, Dr. Lansky." Dad thanked the doctor.
"Can I see her now?" I asked.
"Yes, you can. But let me warn you, she is semi-conscious. Only one person allowed." Dr. Lansky allowed and left.
I glanced at dad who didn't seem much interested in staying for the night.