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
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
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, 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
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
"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
“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
“Where is she?” my mother’s voice wobbled on the edge of hysteria. “We are out of time!” “She’s gone,” my father growled. His face was a mask of fury, flushed red beneath his graying hair. “Charlotte has run off with some lowlife who promised her God knows what. I warned her, but she wouldn’t listen!” I froze at the doorway of the lavish sitting room, my heart racing. Charlotte, gone? On her wedding day? The same Charlotte who always had a way of getting what she wanted—fame, fortune, admiration? My breath caught in my throat as the weight of those words sank in. If she wasn’t here to marry Damian Cross, our family was doomed. “I can’t believe this,” my mother whispered, clutching her pearls like they were the only thing holding her upright. “The guests are already arriving. The Cross family will annihilate us. Do you know what this will do to your business, Harold?” My father’s jaw clenched. “I know exactly what it will do. That's why we have no choice.” His gaze shifted, loc
“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