Damien watched Chloe as she picked out her outfit for her meeting with her father.“Are you sure you’re okay going alone?” He asked sitting up in the bed.“Yes, I am.” She said sharply.“And what if he tries to lay his hands on you again.” “He won’t, he’s probably drowning in guilt right now.” She said as she picked out a blue suit. “That’s what he always does.”“So you don’t need some sort of emotional bodyguard,” Damien asked as he chuckled.“I’ll be fine Damien, thank you for the offer, but this is something I need to do on my own.”“Very well then.” He said, buttoning up her jacket. “I’ll let myself out. Call me if there’s anything.”“I will,” Chloe said. Picking up her handbag as she headed toward the door.“And Chloe…” Damien paused. “I’m proud of you.”She smiled and gave a slight nod before heading out.As Damien got himself ready to leave, his phone buzzed in his pants pocket.He picked it up in a swift motion. “Talk to me.” He said.“Damien” Ethan’s voice came in sharp. “We
The night air burned in his lungs.Ryan stumbled forward, one hand pressed against the jagged wall of a crumbling alleyway, the other clutched at his side. Every breath felt like fire, sharp and uneven, tearing at his chest. His vision swam, streets melting into shadows. He hadn’t made it far. He knew that. But it was far enough that he didn’t know where he was anymore.Far enough that Damien’s men hadn’t caught up to him. Yet.His clothes were soaked with sweat and dirt, his shirt torn from catching on a fence during the escape. One of his shoes was missing. He couldn’t even remember where he lost it. Blood trickled from his lip, he must have bitten it when he fell the last time.He kept looking over his shoulder, convinced he’d see someone in a black coat rounding the corner, eyes cold, hand already reaching for him. But the alley stayed empty. Only the echo of his unsteady footsteps filled the silence.A garbage bin rattled somewhere behind him. Ryan jumped, heart nearly bursting o
Ethan froze. He held the phone to his ear, listening to the single word Damien had just said. “Speak.”And that wasn’t like Damien. Not really. Not when they were alone. He was trying to be formal.Ethan’s mind shifted in an instant. He didn’t say anything at first, buying himself a second or two of silence to think.Damien was never careless. Which meant this clipped command, was a signal. An indication. Someone was listening.And Ethan had a damn good guess who it was.“Put it on speaker,” Chloe said, arms crossed tight over her chest.“Chloe, what’s the meaning of this?” Damien grunted.“I just want to know, that’s all. I want to know I’m not crazy for feeling like something’s off.”“You don’t trust me?”“I’m trying to,” she said, stepping forward. “But you’re making it hard.”For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air was thick with tension. Damien looked down at the phone still in his hand, Ethan’s name glowing on the screen, then back up at Chloe.He shook his head and Chloe s
Damien sat on the edge of his bed, still dressed in black slacks and the shirt he hadn’t bothered to unbutton since he got home. The night stretched quietly around him, the city humming just beyond his windows. He hadn’t turned on the lights. He didn’t need them.His mind was elsewhere.Chloe’s voice had echoed in his head the entire ride home. “Put it on speaker.”The way she’d looked at him—uncertain, cautious. Like she wasn’t sure who she was standing in front of.It shouldn’t have bothered him. But it did.She was right to question him. He wasn’t being honest with her. Not fully. But the fact that she noticed, meant he slipped. And Damien never slipped.He leaned back, exhaling, his fingers dragging through his hair.Then there was Ryan, he had told Ethan to let him go. He wasn’t scared of the consequences of Ryan’s escape. Because there was none. Ryan wasn’t going to say anything, he didn’t dare. Because if he did, he knew it would only get worse for him.A ding sounded from the
The ceiling was a blur of white, flickering faintly with the hum of overhead lights. Ryan blinked once. Then again. His eyes focused, slowly adjusting to the sterile brightness around him. His body ached, not the sharp kind of pain, but the heavy, dragging kind, like gravity itself, was stronger today. His lips were dry. His throat was sore. But when he turned his head and saw her, Sienna face off with her sister, arms folded, eyes red from exhaustion, something in his chest lifted. He asked quietly, “What’s going on here?” Sienna’s head shot to her side. Her eyes widened. “Ryan?” He tried to sit up, but she was already at his side, gently pressing him back down. “Hey—don’t move. You’re okay. You’re safe.” He let out a shaky breath. “Where the fuck am I?” “Hospital,” she said softly, brushing some hair off his forehead. “You’ve been out for hours.” He scanned the room slowly. His gaze landed on the second figure standing and staring at him. “Chloe…” Her name left his mouth bef
The hospital hallways were quieter now, dimmed for the night, with only the low hum of machines and muffled voices behind closed doors. Damien walked through them with the calm of someone who belonged there, even though he didn’t.“Mr Cross,” a nurse stopped him. “Where to?”“I’m here for Ryan Hastings,” Damien said, his hands crossed behind his back.“Mr Cross, visiting hours are over.” She said trying to hide a blush.“I know that but…come on.” Damien smiled sheepishly.She glanced around the hallway, making sure no one was watching.“Okay, I can give you 30 minutes. Room 212.”“Thank you.” He said giving her a wink. When he reached Room 212, he paused.Ryan was alone. The lights were low but bright enough to see across his bruised face. He lay half-propped up, bandages still fresh, IV hooked to his arm, but his eyes were open. Barely.Damien opened the door slowly, quiet enough not to be heard. Ryan sat up as soon as he heard the slight creek of the door.“Sienna,” he said quietly
“Can I come see you tonight?” Chloe’s voice sounded calm over the phone. But Damien could tell she was far from calm or fine.It had been nearly 2 days since she last saw him and he knew she’d either be pissed or worried.However, his voice came in like a thunderbolt. “No,” he said bluntly. He hadn’t been in the right frame of mind since his previous call. And he couldn’t afford her seeing him like this. Uncertain, worried, and frustrated.“No?” Chloe repeated. “What do you mean?”“I mean I have a lot going on and I can’t afford luxury meet-ups,” Damien said coldly.“I see, didn’t know that’s what I was - a luxury meet-up.” The sarcasm pressed down the weight of her words.“Chloe, you know that’s not what I mean.” Damien attempted to clear his intentions.“Then what do you mean Damien? How long are you going to keep living in this mysterious world of yours, which you never let me in.”“This is not the time for this Chloe, it’s not. I just need you to-“Damien rubbed his forehead, he d
The doors of Bennett Industries swung open with a force no one saw coming.Everyone stared at the lady in black as she walked gracefully yet fearfully down the company’s corridors.There were no comments, no questions,no one stopped her, no one stood in her way.She moved like a storm in heels—composed on the surface, but every step carried weight. Purpose and fire.The receptionist stood slowly, her mouth ajar. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t ask her why she was here or who she was here for. She just let her walk.She quickly reached for her laptop, tapping the keyboards faster than her hands could stop her. The lady knew what she was doing, who she was informing of her presence but she said nothing and did nothing.She made her way to the elevator, aiming for the the top floor. The people in the elevator whispered to themselves, but they weren’t quiet enough because she could hear all their baseless words.When she reached the top, she walked out like she owned the place
The phone rang for the third time and went straight to voicemail.Miranda stood outside Chloe’s apartment, her brow furrowed, her thumb hovering uncertainly over the call log. The last time she was here, she had just dropped a bomb on her daughter and now, she couldn’t even get a hold of her. She stared at the door, then knocked. Once. Twice. Nothing.“Chloe,” she called out, knocking again, this time louder. “It’s me. Open the door.”But silence answered her.She hesitated, then reached into her purse for the spare key. Chloe had given it to her months ago, back when things were still… normal. Sliding it into the lock, Miranda pushed the door open — and froze.The air inside was stale, unmoved for days. A coffee mug sat abandoned on the kitchen counter. The hoodie she wore the last time she saw her was draped over the back of the couch. The bed is untouched. No dishes in the sink. It was like walking into a paused life.Her daughter hadn’t been here in a while. It was obvious.Mira
Damien shrugged under the sheets, his body resisting every movement.The sharp glow of the sunlight hit his eyes as soon as the curtains were pulled open.“Get up,” Sebastian’s voice echoed through the room. “No one ever gets anything done by brooding.”“Not in the mood, Seb,” Damien muttered, his voice thick and groggy.“Well, neither am I.” Sebastian set a steaming mug on the table. “I made you coffee. I don’t know how you like it, so pardon whatever it tastes like.”He gave a dry shrug.“This should help you think straight. If I’d known you would empty my whiskey cabinet, I might as well have left you at Chloe’s door.”Damien shot him a hard glare, but Sebastian only smiled thinly and sat down cross-legged in his king-sized chair, stirring a cup of tea with a teaspoon before letting it clink onto the saucer.“She hates me,” Damien said, sipping from the mug.“That is true,” Sebastian said, sipping his tea without missing a beat.Damien leaned back against the headboard, staring bla
Chloe sat there for what felt like hours, her chest heaving, her body numb. She didn’t know how much time had passed - minutes, hours, maybe longer.The apartment was quiet except for the broken sounds of her breathing.He held her hoodie tight like it was a second skin. She smelled like him - sharp cologne, clean soap, the faintest scent of whiskey, but the comfort it used to bring now twisted her stomach into her knots.She pressed the sleeves against her face, trying to breathe through the ache cracking her open from inside out.“It’s not true.” She whispered hoarsely through the fabric. “It’s not true. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.” She said softly. The words spilled out again and again, frantic little prayers to no one at all.But they didn’t stop the memories from crashing over her - violent and brutal.Damien’s hands framing her face like she was something precious.His voice, was rough and low, just how she liked it, promising he wasn’t going anywhere.But his lies, threading
Sienna and Ryan stiffened at the knock on the door.She held her hands to her lips, indicating that Ryan kept calm and quiet.Sienna took slow steps toward the big oak door. She peered through the tiny round glass, searching for the face behind the door.She let out a sigh as she opened the door.“Took you long enough Mom.” She muttered.“I got here as soon as I could,” Miranda said, walking in uninvited, adjusting her black gloves.Sienna didn’t say a word. She closed the door behind her mother.“I can feel the tension in here.” Miranda snorted. “And the sex too.”Ryan shrugged his shoulders at her words.“Mom, can you not?” Sienna asked rolling her eyes.“As you wish, so what’s the plan?”“Ryan is having Damien tracked. About an hour ago, he left Chloe’s apartment.”“Where he is. We don’t know.” Ryan chipped in. “But what we do know is that Chloe is alone. And we have no idea how long Damien would be gone. So we need to act fast.”“Okay, I understand. But can I talk to you, Sienna?”
Ryan stood in the kitchen, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The words Sebastian had said echoed in his head—Damien’s in love with Chloe. He can’t handle this. The thought of Damien, his uncle, the one who’d always been the rock, tangled up in Chloe… made Ryan’s stomach churn.Sienna stood in the doorway, watching him with quiet intensity, but Ryan barely noticed. His gaze was distant, lost in his thoughts. The past few hours had felt like a blur, filled with anger, jealousy, and confusion. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Damien, of all people, could fall for Chloe.“Ryan,” Sienna said softly, drawing his attention. He turned to look at her, but she could see the conflict in his eyes.“You okay?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.Ryan ran a hand through his hair, frustration tightening his jaw. “I don’t get it, Sienna. I just… I don’t understand.”“What don’t you understand?” she asked, her voice almost too calm.“Damien and Chloe. It’s messed up, Sienna. He’s my u
As the rain drummed softly against the window, a gentle rhythm echoed the beating of their hearts, Chloe and Damien found themselves enveloped in a world that was theirs. The dim light of the room flickered, creating an atmosphere thick with intimacy and desire.Chloe lay back against the soft sheets, her breath hitching as Damien's fingers traced a delicate path along her arm. The warmth of his touch ignited a fire within her, and she looked up into his eyes, feeling an electric connection that made her heart race.With a slow, deliberate movement, Damien shifted his focus, trailing kisses down her body, savouring the softness of her skin. Chloe gasped, her breath catching in her throat as he moved lower, his lips exploring the delicate curve of her hips. Anticipation built within her, a sweet tension that made her pulse quicken.When his mouth found her, the world outside faded away. The sensation was overwhelming; every flick of his tongue sent waves of pleasure coursing through he
The air thickened the moment Sebastian Cross stepped through the doorway. He didn’t announce himself with volume—he didn’t need to. His presence alone shifted the room’s centre of gravity like someone had opened a window during a storm. Sienna didn’t move. Her arm blocked the entrance for a moment too long. “Are you just going to keep me standing out here?” He said—a smirk creeping along his face. Then, slowly, she stepped aside, her pulse hammering in her temples. Sebastian smiled—not kindly. “Thanks, darling.” He strolled in like he owned the place, scanning the room with casual contempt. His gaze settled on Ryan first—who looked like he’d rather disappear into the wall. Then Miranda. She stood stiffly by the fireplace, one hand clenched around her phone, her knuckles white. When her eyes met Sebastian’s, something flickered for a moment. She blinked it away. “I see we’re having a family meeting,” Sebastian drawled. “How sweet.” “What the hell are you doing here?”
The air around Damien and Chloe stilled for a moment. He rubbed his fingers on his chin as he spoke through the tension in the room.“There’s something you need to know,” He muttered.Chloe’s hands dropped from where they’d been folded across her chest. Her eyes didn’t narrow. Her jaw didn’t tense. She just nodded once, quiet and open.“Okay,” she said softly. “Tell me.”Damien opened his mouth. The words hovered on the edge of his breath, heavy and bitter, ready to bleed out.But before he could say a word his thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the doorbell.The sound snapped between them like a crack in the air.Chloe flinched slightly, then looked toward the door. “Hold that thought,” she murmured, already moving.Damien stayed frozen for a beat, hands still curled at his sides. His heart pounded—not from nerves, but from the universe’s timing. He exhaled slowly, trying to shake it off, and turned just in time to catch the soft glow of her phone lighting up on the table.Ther
Sienna knocked on the white oak door in front of her. She stood tall on the familiar porch she walked away from years ago.She remembered the memories she had on that porch.The flowers she and Chloe used to decorate the doors. The muddy puddles they splashed in splattered on the walls.But her thoughts were interrupted by the subtle creaking of the door opening. She looked up to see the face of the woman she hadn’t seen in years.She had aged well but her grace hadn’t faded one bit.Miranda Bennett stared at her daughter like she had seen a ghost.“Sienna,” she said shortly—almost a whisper.Sienna nodded her head in confirmation. “Mom.”A moment of silence settled between the two women. Sienna gripped the strap of her purse tightly as if this could make the situation any less real.“Come in sweetheart.” Miranda gestured into her home.Sienna stepped in carefully. Every move was slow and calculated.Her eyes scanned the living room. “I see you did some renovating.” She said, runnin