Spying

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CHAPTER 11

~Arianna’s POV~

As much as I didn’t want to eavesdrop, I did. His tone changed with every sentence that left his lips, his irritation becoming more evident than before. 

Damon’s cold dismissal replayed in my mind as I lay in bed that night. 

After sending me to my room without so much as an explanation, he’d locked himself away, leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts and the unsettling memories of the day. 

Until now, I had no phone, nothing connecting me to the world outside his estate. And it was becoming boring.

I had a boyfriend and a close friend and I know by now they'd be wondering where I was and if I was okay. 

Just thinking about it made my heart ache. I am sure they'll have tried reaching me through my uncle but…

I shook my head. All this was just because of Damon and my Uncle.

There was no escaping the way his presence invaded every part of my mind. Everything about him demanded control, even in his silence.

The next morning came with an early knock at my door, and a voice informing me that Mr. Dark wanted me to join him for breakfast. 

The words were curt, but I knew better than to make him wait. I quickly dressed and made my way downstairs, heart thumping in anticipation of what he might have in store for me today.

Breakfast moved quickly. Damon’s gaze was as inscrutable as ever as he ate, and I found myself mimicking his silence, focusing on the food rather than the tension crackling between us. 

When he finally set down his fork, he looked up, his expression unreadable.

“Come with me,” he said, already on his feet.

I followed him, curious yet cautious, as he led me through a stroll around the penthouse, showing me the place in detail and occasionally giving sharp, matter-of-fact commentary on various rooms and items. 

His voice remained even, devoid of any warmth, yet I couldn’t ignore the pull he had over me.

Just as we reached the outdoor balcony, one of Damon’s men rushed toward us, his eyes wide as he whispered something urgently into Damon’s ear. 

Damon’s jaw tightened, and I saw his gaze darken. He turned to me and without holding my gaze, he dismissed me sharply. “Return to your room. Now.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “But—”

“Now, Arianna.” His tone left no room for argument.

Without another word, I turned and made my way back, but I couldn’t shake the nagging curiosity simmering inside me. 

I glanced over my shoulder and saw him striding toward a small house on the edge of the property. 

Rather than returning to the penthouse, I took a risk and lingered near the path, my eyes following Damon as he disappeared inside.

Moments later, a sudden scream pierced the quiet environment, making my body tense and my heart hammered in my chest. 

For a split second, panic gripped me as my mind leapt to the worst: Was Damon in danger?

That was very unlikely but I couldn't help myself. I felt my heart beat increase exponentially.

Ignoring my better judgment, I darted down the path toward the small house. I slipped through the door and found a staircase leading down, descending into a hidden underground level. 

Every step fo the way already screamed danger through my head but I continued. Shadows and silence pressed around me, heightening my senses. I crept through a dimly lit corridor lined with doors, moving toward the muffled sounds of voices until I reached a cracked door.

What I saw left me frozen in shock.

Damon stood in the center of the room, his face cast in hard, merciless lines, his knuckles wrapped in thick chains as he repeatedly slammed his fist into the face of a man tied to a chair. 

Holy fuck!

Two guards flanked him, their expressions impassive as if they’d witnessed this brutality a hundred times before.

“Why did you betray your own people?” Damon’s voice was laced with fury as he stared down at the bloodied man, waiting for a response.

The man mumbled incoherently, but Damon didn’t wait for him to clarify. His anger surged, and he landed another brutal punch, each blow more vicious than the last.

A horrified gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Damon’s head snapped up at the sound, his dark gaze locking onto me with chilling intensity. 

My body went cold with fear, and I instinctively backed up, but before I could react further, a hand clamped over my mouth, muffling any sound I might have made.

I tried struggling, keeping my eyes shot while mentally preparing for the inevitable, when I felt my body getting dragged backward towards where we came. 

I couldn't scream. I wanted to, but I dared not. Too scared to face the monster of a man I saw inside than my recent captor.

As soon as I felt a certain ray of light shine on my face, I struggled, but a familiar voice whispered in my ear, making me halt.

“Well, well, what were you doing sneaking around down here?” Xander’s tone was mocking as he pulled me further out and up the stairs completely before taking me back outside. 

It was only then that my brain worked to fully process what I’d just seen. I tried to regain my composure, but my body was still shaking.

Still, Xander did not let me go and took me into the penhouse, straight to my room, as if he were carrying out an order. 

“Little rabbits shouldn’t go where they aren’t supposed to be, don’t you think?” 

I refused to answer him as he pushed me into my room and shut the door behind him.

Once inside, Xander released me, smirking as he took in my expression. “You didn’t seem too prepared for the darker side of Damon,” he teased, the amusement glinting in his eyes. “Why wander down there if you were too scared to handle it?”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing with what I’d seen and the excuse I should have come up with by now but failed to do. “I wasn’t… I just—”

Xander laughed, cutting me off. “So curious, yet so innocent.” He took a step closer, his presence pressing into my space, making me feel trapped. “I’m starting to wonder what Damon sees in you,” he murmured, lifting a hand to gently tilt my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

I swallwoe. Immediately I was sent back in time to the first night we met. How his presence seemed to feel the air I breathed in and how impossibly handsome he was, yet so annoying but still lacking in that aspect when it came to Damon. 

The tension hung thick between us, my discomfort growing as his gaze held mine. “Does he know how easily you get frightened, Arianna?” he said softly,but his voice was laced with a sly edge. “Maybe he’d be interested to see how you handle yourself around me.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but my words caught in my throat. 

Xander leaned in, his gaze flickering down, almost as if he were daring me to react. I forced myself to remain still, unwilling to show the intimidation that was clawing at me.

Before Xander could close the gap further, a familiar, cold voice cut through the air sharply.

“What the hell are you doing with my m—” Damon’s voice rang out, chilling the atmosphere instantly as he took several strides forward, his gaze murderous. 

He stopped himself, catching the word before it fully left his lips, and instead moved swiftly, his hand gripping Xander’s shoulder with deadly intent as he pushed him back.

The sound that followed the thud was enough to make me realize Damon was angry, but having already annoyed him, I knew better than to intervene. 

Xander’s smirk slipped, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, Damon. I was just having a bit of fun.”

Xander chuckled, too amused by the growing glint in Damon’s eyes than anything.

Damon’s glare didn’t waver as he released Xander. “She’s off-limits,” he stated in a low, deadly, growl.