When Yara walks into his office, he notices the change in Penelope's demeanor. Her mouth settles into a thin, hard line and a crease forms between her brows. Yara seems to notice it as well, but it affects her very little. It's either she doesn't care what Penelope thinks, or she already expected this from her."I'm sorry for being late," Yara says. "I lost track of time."He looks at her for a moment. There's a redness in her cheeks that indicates that she's embarrassed, although he can't possibly understand why. It's normally the other way around. She shouldn't care that she's nearly half an hour late. He knows a lot of women who wouldn't."It's alright," is all he says.The first thing he notices is her walk. He's pretty familiar with it, and it reminds him of how he fucked her last night. His cock twitches. He'd take her again, if Penelope weren't here. The second is that she wore a skirt today. Provocative? Perhaps. But something astounding about Yara is that she isn't intent on
Devon leaves his apartment after taking a long, cold shower. He needed to cool off after the shit morning he had. Everyone's intent on pissing him the fuck off, starting with that piece of shit Sam. He's been busting his balls about the fucking Browns. If someone utters that name to him again, he'll kick that person's teeth out.But he's especially mad at Amelia.Her nonchalance is what's killing him. How could she stay out all night and act normally? He was worried about her, and she didn't even have the decency to give him a genuine apology. He's just trying to correct his mistake and watch over her, but no, she still sees him as the bad guy.Even after he told her what Aaron did.And if she thinks he didn't notice her walking like her pussy was on fire, then she's a fucking idiot. He notices everything. Nothing escapes his attention. He imagines that fuck plunging into her. Did she moan his name? Did she cry out in pleasure? He feels like killing him. Or her. Or both.He can't even
I've been staring at him for ten seconds straight with my mouth partially open. I have to come up with some kind of response, but he caught me completely off guard. This was the last thing I thought he'd say.Live with him?"Damien," I begin, having no idea of what to say. I walk past him and stare outside the window with my arms crossed across my chest. Think. "In all honesty, I don't know what to say to that. We're not in a relationship or anything serious. I have no words." "Say yes," he simply says. "Say you'll come live with me."I turn to look at him. Has he lost his mind or have I? We've had sex twice and he's asking me to move in with him? This isn't normal behavior. We're not in any kind of relationship. Why would he want to move in with me? What have I missed? "I can't do that," I say. "I can't move in with you."My answer seems like the obvious one. It makes no sense for me to move in with this man. I don't even know him. His offer is startling, actually. And considering
I've been trying to call Devon, but I can't reach him. His phone is off, it has been for about three hours. I don't have much time left. Damien's driver will be here at any second to pick me up.After I move in with him, everything is going to change. I still can't believe that I'm packing, that I'm actually going to do this. Not that I have another choice.I can't imagine how living with him will be like. Are we going to act like a couple? I don't know what to expect anymore. Damien Keller is a hard man to read. I feel it in his touch and in his passionate kisses that he wants me, but to go to great lengths to keep me 'safe'? Is that the only reason why he wants me to live with him?I'm scared and excited at the same time. I'm aware of the risks, of how dangerous it's going to be. Everything is about to change and I can feel it. The door to the apartment opens, and I feel it in my bones that it's Devon. Hans wouldn't just barge in. I exit my bedroom and we meet in the corridor. His
Ethan slaps the folded newspaper against the bed. "They're still after Ferreira. Fuck, he got himself in a shit ton of trouble."Theo scoffs, filing her nails. "Better him than us. Right, Day-Day?"Damien looks up, annoyed. Theo is older than him. She should know better. "Stop fucking calling me that."She shrugs. "I used to call you that all the time. Stop being such a grouch. Why'd you even come see me if you can't stop glancing at your watch? What could be more important than spending time with your sister, who almost died in a car crash?"Yara, that's who. By now, Hans has already taken her to the apartment. She'll be confused, of course. He made her an offer that was only partly true. She'll be staying in the apartment, sure, but he isn't going to be staying there with her. He'll make sure the building is protected. After all, he invested in it. He's one of the shareholders. He couldn't protect her where she was. No, that's not entirely true. He's just not willing to fuck her in
I can't take any more of this.I'm sitting on the plush black velvet sofa and chewing my thumbnail. I'm so tense; Damien's taking forever to get here. When Hans said he'd be 'arriving shortly', I didn't think I would have to wait for two hours.We have to resolve this issue once and for all.It's clear that he isn't planning on staying with me. In fact, I think he used that to bait me. I'm not an idiot, and I detest the fact that it took me this long to figure it out. Thinking about it now, all he wants is to have me someplace he can watch, to make sure I don't get close to my 'ex'. Either that or he has more sinister reasons.It made no sense for him to want to move in with me. Absolutely none. I still think he's in love with Yara, but Damien Keller isn't the kind of man to let emotions rule him. He enjoys our sex, maybe that's that. His fascination with keeping me 'safe' or rather, away from Devon, could be because he doesn't want a woman with multiple partners.There's so much that
Devon's sitting on the couch and smoking a cigarette.He regrets letting Amelia go. He can't stop thinking about it. He should've followed his instincts and shot that driver fuck in the head. He'd deal with the consequences later, but at least she'd be out of immediate danger. Instead, he let her go. Now, he's here ruminating and wishing he had done things differently. What made him go to the room like a little bitch was the way she looked at him. It cut him in fucking half. She doesn't trust him anymore, that much is evident, but can he blame her? He fucked up, a lot of times. She has every right to treat him this way. This time, it's different, though. He really means well. He wants to help her. He changed his mind practically overnight. What he made her go through was wrong, and to make matters worse he encouraged her to use sex to get that information.He won't forgive himself for that.He's going to find a way to get her out. He's already found a way into Elizabeth Jade's life,
I hook my leg over Damien's hip. Our sex was mind-blowing once again. He rocked my fucking world. I don't think I've ever enjoyed sex, not like this. It was almost always disappointing in the past, and not at all worth the effort. With Damien, I have no regrets. As a matter of fact, I want more. I can't get enough of it.He's smoking a cigarette. He always does after we have sex. It's the most relaxing shit ever. He passes it to me and I take a drag. We share the cigarette until it's finished, and he crushes it against the nightstand. We're staring at each other now, and I've never felt this comfortable under a man's scrutiny. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that when I'm with him, I forget my insecurities, and I don't know if it's because I'm literally a different person with him or if it's because he makes me feel secure and comfortable in my own skin."I want to ask you something," I say.He caresses my thigh. He doesn't hesitate, which is a good thing. Right? "Go ahead."I hav
Six months have passed.They've been peaceful and for the most part, quiet. Tremendously busy, but I'm used to that part now. Working alongside Damien is the best part about it. I get to be with him all day and make sure that he isn't exerting himself. He has a lot more work now; he had to take over Ethan's duties. Theo helps, but there are certain things only Damien can handle. When Ethan was here, he took care of it, but he's been gone for half a year and there's no one capable enough to replace him. I think that deep down, Damien doesn't want anyone to take over Ethan's job, but he'll never admit it out loud. I help him whenever I can. There's a lot I still don't understand, but I'll get there.It's only a matter of time.He doesn't ever ask me to go home when there are people coming over to meet with him. We never talked about what happened with Ash, but it changed a lot of things. I gained some respect after I killed him. I see it in the way people look at me whenever we're at so
I help him peel his blazer off.This day has been mentally exhausting for him. He rarely leaves the office early, but I'm glad he did today. I'm glad, because at least we have the whole day ahead of us. It's going to be just the two of us. Theo rarely comes here, she prefers to stay in the city. It's closer to everything else. I love it here, because it feels like we're all alone in the world. I stare out the window and all I see is the vast sky, green hills, nature. I don't even see the guards surrounding the house. They're invisible to me.It's peaceful here, and breathtakingly beautiful. It's home. I understand why Damien is so attached to this place. It's not simply because he grew up here. I feel safe, here, untouchable. The first time I was here, I felt like an intruder. Our relationship was so different back then, I can't help but marvel at how everything is so different now. I never would have guessed that we'd end up here, closer than ever, madly in love. We've come a long wa
Today's an important day.I've been on edge all morning. Damien has called for a Keller family meeting. We're all going to be there, including Ethan and Penelope.He announced that there'd be a meeting only last night during dinner, and he asked Theo to give Ethan a call. I was startled by the news and so was she. He didn't tell me what he'll say to Ethan, but we can guess what it is. He wants closure. Ethan owns a third of everything, and that matter needs to be resolved. I doubt that Damien will allow him to return to the company. I just don't see it happening. Ethan himself never mentioned it to Theo, not that he'd dare to.Theo told me that he's out of the hospital. She said he hasn't left the country yet because he wants to see Damien first. Damien, however, wanted nothing to do with him until yesterday. He's asked after him, but he didn't want to see him. He's still hurt by what Ethan did to us, his betrayal is a wound that will never quite heal for him. And if it ever does, it'
I'm afraid of opening the door.I've been standing here for a full minute with my heart in my throat. My hand is on the knob, ready. I can't bring myself to turn it, though, simply because I know that Damien's on the other side. There's a lot we need to talk about, so much in fact that I wouldn't know where to start.I hold my breath and close my eyes. I've been standing out here for too long. I remind myself that he's my husband, he's the man I love, and we'll get through this. We'd get through anything together. I've been in a far worse position before. This time, I was actually focusing on the well-being of our family.I open the door slowly.Only the bedside lamp is on. I see him right away; he's seated on the couch across his bed. He's staring out the window with a distant look in his eyes. I take a few steps towards him, my eyes on his handsome face. My heart's thumping against my chest. I'm overcome with emotion, but I put a hamper on them for now. He's a little pale, I notice
Amelia's going to hate him for this, but that's okay, because he doesn't plan on ever seeing her again.He means it this time. He's done with this shit. He had his chance, he fucked it up a hundred years ago. It's time to get over it. If there was ever a part of him that thought he'd get a chance with her, that part of him died a while back. She loves Damien Keller. He lost her a long time ago. That doesn't necessarily mean that he's content with the outcome, but he'll admit defeat. Staying here is slowly killing him.She's going to be alright. Leaving her back there was a dick move, sure, but he stands by what he said to her; when everyone finds out that she did it, there will be no revenge. He helped her along the way, but no one needs to know that. The Huntingtons won't dream of touching her, especially when the truth about Damien comes out. It would be an entirely different story with him.He glances at his watch. Five more minutes in there and he'd miss his flight. He can't miss
I've never been so glad to see him in all my life."Devon," I say, the word a gasp. "How did you—"He doesn't let me finish. "Did he hurt you? Are you hurt?"I shake my head. "No, but how did you—""I'll explain later," he assures me. "Right now, we've got to get this asshole tied to that chair. Quickly, before he wakes up. Bring that chair over there. I have rope under the bed."I grab it and Devon grabs a duffel bag from under the bed. He opens it and fishes out rope and a couple of knives. He's been lying under the bed the entire time. It's clear that he planned this thoroughly.He didn't abandon me. He said he'd help me kill Ash and here he is. I tell him, "I thought you weren't going to show up. I thought you tricked me.""I don't blame you for assuming the worst," he says, looking up at me. His eyes are glinting with mischief and something else, something I won't dare name. He points at my gun. "You know how to use that thing?"I stare at it. "Yes."He's watching me intently. "A
It's quarter to midnight.The clock is ticking and my heart is racing. I'm ready, my small gun is hidden in my underwear. I've made sure to wear an extra tight pair just for the occasion. The dress is scarlet and flowy, perfect for tonight.I'm waiting for him in the lobby. This time, I'm early. It makes me feel more in control of the situation even though that's far from the truth. I take a small sip of champagne and look back at the entrance. My heart's in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. I have to remain cool, though. There's a lot at stake.Everything depends on this."Anything else?" the bartender asks me while pouring someone else a drink. I shake my head, I can't even speak at a time like this.I'm taking another sip of champagne when I finally spot him. There are two men walking behind him. He's saying something to them as he looks around. For me, no doubt. I fix my gaze on him and hold my breath as I wait for him to see me. He doesn't, which is fairly disappointin
"Leave," Damien says to the nurse. She scurries out of the room as soon as he mutters the word.He's in a terrible mood and he doesn't want anyone around him. He has finally moved from that awful, desolate place and he's home. He made sure that they didn't change any decorations. They lost a lot of antiques and furniture that was in their family for decades, but he's made sure that everything else remained the same. He's sure that he'll recover in no time here, he already feels better. He's not in bed, he's sitting on the sofa beside his bed. He's supposed to be resting, but he's done enough of that.He can't sleep when he's worried sick about Amelia.The fact that no one gives him any news is a bad sign as it is. They're hiding something from him, he can feel it. The last time he spoke to her, she told him that she wasn't going to turn back, that she'd go ahead with the plan. He has no idea of what her plan might be, but he knows it won't be anything he'll agree with. He wonders if p
I can't stop chewing my thumbnail.I force myself to put my hand down. I'm in agony; I don't know what to do and I'm running out of time. I'm supposed to be meeting Ash tonight. This was supposed to end it all, according to Devon, but he let Ethan go so what happens now? The only reason why I'm agreeing to everything is because of him. It isn't, but that's what Ash thinks. Am I still expected to show up? Why would he do this?I can't figure it out.I wish I had a way of contacting Devon to let him know that everything went to shit, but I don't have his number. I don't know where he's currently residing. I don't think I'll be seeing him anytime soon; tonight, maybe but not earlier. In the meantime, what do I do? I can't ask anyone's advice. My family is against me entirely. Theo probably thinks that our negotiations with Ash have come to an abrupt end, but she doesn't know half of it. I'm planning on killing him once and for all, I made a promise to myself that I would.For Damien.I h