“Put the gun down, Damian.” Evan’s voice was calm, but the glint in his eyes was anything but. He stood between Naomi and the exit, a smug grin curling at the corner of his mouth. His men flanked him, hands resting on their weapons, waiting for his command.Damian’s grip on the gun tightened. “Let. Her. Go.” His voice was pure steel.Evan chuckled, shaking his head. “You really think this ends with you playing the hero? You always were arrogant. But here’s the problem—you can’t shoot me without starting a war. And we both know how much you hate chaos.”I barely breathed. My wrists ached from the rough grip of one of Evan’s men, but I refused to let them see my fear. I had learned something about Damian in the past few months—he never made empty threats.“Damian,” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.His eyes flicked to mine for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. There was something there—something raw, something desperate.Then everything happened at once.Damian fired
"Stay still," Damian murmured as he dabbed a cloth against the cut on my forehead.I flinched at the sting, but I refused to make a sound. Too much had happened tonight. Evan’s escape. The revelation that Charlotte had been backing him all along. The gunshot narrowly missed Damian. My body still trembled from the chaos, my pulse refusing to settle.Damian sighed, tossing the cloth aside. "You should be in bed."I scoffed. "And you should be in a boardroom ruining someone’s life, but here we are."His lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile but didn’t remember how. Instead, he exhaled and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. For the first time since I met him, Damian Cross looked exhausted. Not just physically—but emotionally drained.I shifted on the couch, hugging my knees to my chest. "What happens now?""We rebuild," he said simply.I studied him. "We?"His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. "I nearly lost you tonight, Naomi."I swallowed hard. I wasn’t sure what to say to
"You didn’t think I’d disappear forever, did you?"The voice cut through the silence like a blade. My heart pounded as I turned toward the source. Charlotte stood at the entrance of Damian’s office, her arms crossed, a smug smile playing on her lips.Damian tensed beside me, his jaw tightening as he slowly rose from his chair. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here."Charlotte tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh, come now, Damian. You always did love a dramatic entrance. I thought I’d give you one last show before I take everything from you."I stepped forward. "What do you want, Charlotte?" My voice was steadier than I felt, but I refused to let her see my fear.Her eyes flicked to me, amusement dancing in them. "Oh, Naomi. Sweet, naive Naomi. Always playing the victim, aren’t you?" She sighed. "I came to correct a mistake. A mistake that should’ve never worn my wedding dress."Damian’s voice was cold. "You lost your chance, Charlotte. You ran away. You sold yourself to Evan R
"Are you going to keep looking at me like that, or do you actually have something to say?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Damian as we sat across from each other in his dimly lit study.His eyes—darker than I’d ever seen them—held a storm I couldn’t quite decipher. He was tense, his hands folded under his chin, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he just watched me, like he was studying something he wasn’t sure he could trust."Say something," I whispered.Damian leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Why didn’t you tell me Charlotte was working with Evan?"I swallowed hard. "Because I wasn’t sure. And when I did find out, I didn’t know how to tell you without making it worse."His jaw clenched. "Making it worse? You kept secrets from me, Naomi. And now my business—my entire empire—is hanging by a thread because of your sister."I flinched. I hated how much his words could still wound me. "She’s not my sister anymore," I said bitterly. "Not after what she’s done."Damian exhaled, rub
“Where is he?” My voice was barely above a whisper as I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.Olivia, standing by the window, arms crossed, didn’t turn to face me. “He left before sunrise,” she said coldly.Something was wrong. Damian never left without a word. My chest tightened. “What’s going on?”Olivia finally turned, her piercing blue eyes dark with something unreadable. “Evan just raised the stakes.”A chill ran down my spine. “What do you mean?”She tossed her phone onto the bed beside me. “See for yourself.”I hesitated before picking it up. The screen was paused on a video. My heart hammered as I pressed play.Evan’s face filled the screen, his expression composed, almost amused.“Damian Cross has two options,” he said, his voice smooth and calculating. “Hand Naomi over to me, or watch his empire crumble. To sweeten the deal, I’ve placed a bounty on her head. Ten million dollars to anyone who delivers her to me. No questions asked.”The video cut to a still image—my
“Get up. Now.”Damian’s voice was a low growl, his grip iron around my wrist. I had barely sat up when he yanked me to my feet. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light spilling from the open doorway. His face was hard, carved from ice and steel, but his eyes burned.“Damian—” I started, but he didn’t let me finish.“We don’t have time, Naomi. They’re coming.”The weight of his words sent a chill through me.“Who?” My voice was barely a whisper.He didn’t answer, but Olivia did, stepping into the room with a pistol clutched tightly in her hands. “Evan’s men. They’re already on the estate.”My pulse spiked. “What?”“We’re leaving. Now,” Damian snapped, pulling me towards the closet.I dug my heels in. “I’m not running, Damian. This is my home too.”His head snapped toward me, fury flashing in his eyes. “Do you think I can survive losing you?” His voice cracked slightly at the edges, his control slipping. “Do you think I would let them take you?”I opened my mouth, but no words
"Damian!"My scream echoed through the underground tunnel as his body jerked back from the impact. His grip on my wrist loosened, and he staggered, his knees buckling. A crimson stain spread rapidly across his white dress shirt, seeping through the fabric like ink spilling onto paper."No, no, no—Damian!"I lunged forward, catching him before he could hit the cold, damp floor. His weight was too much, and we sank together, his body pressing against mine as I cradled him. His breathing was ragged, his face pale.Footsteps pounded in the distance. Olivia’s voice cut through the ringing in my ears."Move! We have to move!"I barely registered the chaos around me. The shooter had vanished, but we weren’t safe. I pressed my hands against Damian’s wound, trying to stop the bleeding."Damian, stay with me," I begged, my voice breaking.His eyes fluttered open, dark lashes heavy against his skin. A weak smirk curved his lips. "Didn’t think... you'd get rid of me that easily, did you?"Tears b
"Where’s Charlotte?"Damian’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but those three words cut through me like a blade.I sat beside his hospital bed, gripping his cold hand, my heart still racing from the nightmare of nearly losing him. The sterile scent of antiseptics filled the room, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only reassurance that he was alive. That he was still here with me.But his first thought wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about the bullet that nearly took his life.It was about Charlotte.A sharp pain coiled in my chest, and I let go of his hand. "You just survived an assassination attempt, and that's your first question?" My voice wavered between anger and hurt, but I refused to let him see how much it stung.Damian turned his head slowly, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. He was pale, weakened, but the intensity in his gaze was as sharp as ever. "Naomi, answer me."I clenched my fists. "She’s gone. Again."He exhaled, his fingers twitching a
“Damian, stop. Please, just think for a second.” Naomi’s voice trembled, but it was a controlled fear. I could see her trying to hold herself together, her eyes locked on mine as if she were the only thing keeping me grounded in this moment.I didn’t look at her, though. My focus was entirely on Richard and Julian. They stood at the far end of my office, the very men who had caused everything—the collapse of my empire, the betrayals, the lies. They thought they could outsmart me, that they could destroy me. But I wasn’t that man anymore. Not the one who allowed them to trample all over him.“I’m not the same man you betrayed, Richard,” I said, my voice low but filled with the icy edge that had become my trademark. “And this time, the game is over.”Richard’s eyes darted toward Julian, then back to me. I could see his composure faltering. “Damian, this is insane. You don’t have the power to do what you’re threatening.”I took a slow step forward, letting the weight of my presence crush
"We're not finished yet," Damian said, his voice low but firm as he grasped my hand.I could feel the weight of his words in my chest. After all that had happened—the betrayals, the deceit, the lies—there was still something left in him. Something that hadn't been extinguished by the fire that had burned through his life, leaving nothing but ashes.I squeezed his hand, feeling the warmth of it, a stark contrast to the cold world we found ourselves in. "No matter how low we go," I whispered, my words barely audible but sincere. "I'm standing by you. We fight for each other, Damian. Always."For a moment, it felt like time stood still. The world outside of this small room, this fleeting moment of peace, could wait. I could feel the tension in the air around us, the weight of the storm closing in. But for now, it was just the two of us.Damian turned toward me, his gaze intense, as though searching for any trace of doubt in my words. There was none. I was resolute, unwavering."I can't l
I could feel the tension in the air as soon as I stepped into the office, the weight of the situation pressing down on my chest. Damian stood by the window, his back to me, staring out at the city like he could will everything back into order. But the chaos, the downfall that had been brewing for weeks, was no longer just a distant possibility. It was here. His empire was crumbling, piece by piece."Damian," I said softly, stepping closer to him. "We can still fix this."He didn't respond. The stoic silence between us was deafening. I had seen him in control, ruthless, unyielding. But now? Now, he was broken. I could see it in his eyes. I could feel it in the way his shoulders sagged under the weight of his failure."You don’t get it, Naomi," he said, his voice low and edged with bitterness. "I’ve lost everything. The company is collapsing, the media's turned on me, and all of it—everything I built—is slipping through my fingers. There’s nothing left."His words hit me like a punch to
"Damian, you need to hear me out." Richard’s voice cuts through the tension in the room, heavy with the weight of something unspoken. I can feel the air around me tighten as Richard finally speaks the words that have been hanging over us for so long. The truth, or whatever he’s calling it, is about to unfold in a way that could tear apart everything Damian has worked for.Damian’s jaw clenches, his face a mask of disbelief. He’s standing tall, but his eyes flicker with a vulnerability that’s so unlike him. This isn’t the cold, calculating billionaire I married—this is a man about to have his life upended.“What are you talking about, Richard?” Damian’s voice is low, almost threatening. But there’s an edge of fear there that he’s trying to mask.Richard’s eyes narrow, almost gleaming with triumph. “The truth, Damian. The one you’ve been running from your whole life.”I stand beside Damian, gripping his arm instinctively. His body stiffens, and I can feel the turmoil building within him
Olivia’s words hung in the air, her voice trembling slightly but resolute. “Richard’s been pulling the strings all along,” she said, meeting Damian’s eyes with an expression that mixed fear and regret. “He manipulated everyone—Julian, you, even me.”Damian’s grip on the back of his chair tightened, his knuckles turning white. He didn’t speak, just stared at her, trying to digest the shock of her revelation.“What do you mean?” Naomi’s voice was barely a whisper, but it was sharp with the urgency of the moment. She stood beside Damian, her hand reaching out to lightly touch his arm. It wasn’t just for comfort. She, too, was trying to understand. Trying to piece together the betrayal.Olivia exhaled, her shoulders slumping. “It wasn’t Julian who was after you all this time. Not really. Julian’s just a pawn. Richard’s been manipulating everything from behind the scenes.”Damian’s eyes narrowed. He was quick, calculating, but this was a move he hadn’t seen coming. “Richard’s been playing
Damian’s eyes never left the team gathered before him. His jaw clenched, the tension palpable in the room. Naomi stood at his side, her hand gently resting on his arm, offering what comfort she could, but even she could feel the gravity of the moment. We had been betrayed. Someone in our circle had given Julian the information he needed to find us. The question now was: who?I swallowed hard, trying to control the anxiety twisting in my stomach. Damian’s gaze swept over the room, his usual cold detachment now replaced by something darker. There was no trace of mercy in his eyes as he scanned the faces of his most trusted allies. Every one of them seemed guilty, their eyes avoiding his stare. I knew they were just as scared as I was, but none of them dared speak. The silence hung in the air like a thick fog.Damian's voice broke the tension, low and dangerous. "One of you is working with him. One of you leaked our location."I flinched at his words. My heart pounded in my chest, and a
I felt the heat against my skin, the deafening roar of the explosion still vibrating through my body. My heart pounded in my chest, an uncontrollable rhythm of fear and adrenaline. As the smoke cleared, I grasped Damian's hand tightly, his fingers intertwining with mine like a lifeline. His face was pale, his eyes wide, but he was alive. We were both alive, and that was all that mattered in that moment."Naomi," Damian's voice broke through the haze, hoarse with emotion. "We need to move. Now."I nodded, pulling him towards the ruined doorway of the mansion, my legs shaking beneath me. The debris from the explosion littered the floor, shards of glass and wood scattered across the ground like a broken puzzle. Our escape had been barely a step ahead of the destruction, and now we had no choice but to run. The tension between us was suffocating, but in that chaos, it felt like the only thing we could hold onto."Damian... are we going to make it?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my b
"I don’t want to do this, Naomi," Damian's voice was barely a whisper as he stood across from me, his face a picture of anguish.I could see the conflict swirling in his dark eyes, the weight of everything they’d been through pressing down on him. But I wasn’t going to let him back down now."You’ve waited long enough," I replied, my voice firm, cutting through the tension in the room. "This is the chance you’ve been waiting for. We have to act now."Damian ran a hand through his dark hair, pacing back and forth. "Once we use this, there’s no turning back. We risk everything. If it doesn’t work, we lose everything."I stepped forward, placing my hand on his chest, grounding him. "I know what’s at stake. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m with you, no matter what it takes."Damian’s eyes softened, and for a moment, I could see the man I had come to love—vulnerable, hesitant, but willing to do whatever it took to protect us. "You always know the right thing to say."I could feel the fire o
"I’m not doing this," I said, my voice barely a whisper as I stood at the edge of the room, the weight of the decision pressing heavily on my chest. The tension between Damian and Adrian was palpable. I could feel it in the air, the way their eyes locked, calculating and full of unspoken threats.Damian leaned back in his chair, his jaw clenched, but he remained silent. Adrian, on the other hand, looked unfazed, almost as if he thrived in the chaos he’d caused.“I don’t have time for this,” I said, stepping forward. “We can’t keep playing games, Damian. Julian is coming for us. We need to fight back.”Damian finally spoke, his voice low and controlled, though there was a hint of frustration. “We’ll deal with Julian when the time comes, Naomi. But right now, we need to focus on the immediate threat.”I turned to him, my heart heavy with worry. “And what’s that? You’re negotiating with him, aren’t you? With Adrian?” I couldn't hide the disgust that crept into my voice.Adrian smirked, c