Chapter 38

Alison

I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head as my eyes fluttered open.

The world around me was blurry at first, but as my vision cleared, I realized I was in an unfamiliar room.

My arms were numb, and when I tried to move, I felt the rough bite of ropes cutting into my wrists.

I was tied to a chair.

I blinked hard, forcing myself to focus. Then my eyes landed on Hugh.

He stood in front of me with a stern expression. For a moment, I didn’t know if I was still dreaming, if maybe this was some horrible nightmare I was about to wake up from. But the cold metal of the chair beneath me and the tight restraints around my wrists told me this was very real.

I swallowed hard. “Why am I here?”

Hugh smirked and took a slow step forward. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head, refusing to let the fear show. “No.”

“Well,” he said, pulling out a gun and leveling it at my face, “you’re about to find out.”

My pulse skyrocketed, my breath hitching as I stared down the barrel of the gun.

Hugh’s eyes were cold. I could see it in the way he held himself—this wasn’t just some scare tactic. He was fully prepared to pull the trigger.

Before I could say anything, a loud voice rang out.

“Hugh, stop.”

I gasped, my heart leaping at the familiar sound. I turned my head just in time to see Damien storm into the room. He looked furious.

I never thought I’d say this, but in that moment, I had never been happier to see him.

Hugh didn’t lower the gun. “I’m doing what you couldn’t.”

Damien’s eyes were burning with anger as he took another step forward. “Put the gun down.”

“She’s a liability,” Hugh snapped. “You’re letting your emotions get in the way. I won’t let you jeopardize the entire operation over your foolish tactics.”

Damien clenched his fists. “You’re the one acting foolish, Hugh. You have no idea what you’re doing, and this? This is going to cost us everything.”

. Damien and Hugh stood a few feet apart, both locked in a silent battle of wills. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

Then, to my shock, Damien stepped even closer to Hugh and leaned in, whispering something into his ear.

Whatever he said, it made Hugh’s expression shift immediately. His jaw clenched, his grip on the gun tightening for a brief moment before he suddenly exhaled and pocketed it.

“I hope you fucking know what you’re doing,” Hugh said darkly. “Because if you screw this up, one slip-up and I’ll end her myself.”

He spat on the ground near my feet before turning and walking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I barely even breathed.

Then Damien was at my side, quickly untying the ropes around my wrists.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, flexing my wrists once they were free. “Yeah.”

“Did he hurt you?” His eyes searched mine, scanning for any sign of injury.

I hesitated before nodding. “He hit me. On the head.”

Damien’s hands immediately went to my scalp, fingers carefully checking.

“There’s no bleeding,” he muttered. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Then Damien stood up straight, pulling me upwards. “Let’s get you out of here.”

***

Back at the mansion, Damien led me to my room and closed the door behind us. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sharp breath as if trying to calm himself down.

“I’m staying with you tonight,” he said abruptly.

I blinked. “What?”

“I need to make sure you’re safe. That Hugh doesn’t try anything.”

I was too exhausted to argue. Instead, I just nodded. “Okay.”

Damien disappeared into the bathroom, and I heard the sound of water running. I sat on the bed, pressing my fingers to my temple, trying to process everything that had just happened.

A few minutes later, Damien emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp, a towel slung around his neck. He glanced at me, then gestured toward the bathroom. “You should shower. I’ll give you some space to change.”

I hesitated. Is Damien being considerate? That was new. But I didn’t dwell on it for too long.

I was exhausted, and the idea of warm water washing away the events of tonight was too tempting to ignore.

When I was done, Damien was back, standing by the bed. He had a tray in his hands.

“I brought you painkillers,” he said, placing them on the nightstand. “And food.”

I stared at the tray in surprise. “You didn’t have to—”

“Just take them.” His voice was softer than usual.

I nodded, taking the pills and swallowing them with water before reaching for the food. Damien sat across from me, watching silently as I ate.

After a few bites, I set the plate down and looked at him. “Damien… do you know why Hugh did this?”

Damien leaned back, exhaling. “He thinks you’re a threat.”

I frowned. “I know he doesn’t like me, but this? I didn’t think it was this bad.”

Damien smirked slightly, but there was something unreadable in his expression. “Maybe he’s just jealous that his friend is spending time with the woman he’s beginning to love.”

I froze, my fork hovering mid-air. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at him.

Had I just imagined that?

Damien’s eyes flickered as if realizing what he had just said. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

I didn’t know what to say.

For once, Damien was speechless too.

I finished my food in silence, trying as much as possible to avoid his eyes.

When I finally set the tray aside and lay back on the bed, I expected Damien to leave, but he stayed, sitting nearby, watching over me.

“Thank you,” I murmured, my eyes growing heavy. “For the food. For… saving me.”

Damien didn’t say anything. He just nodded.

I turned onto my side, trying to sleep, but my mind kept replaying his words. The woman he’s beginning to love.

Did he mean that? Or was he just teasing me?

I didn’t know.

I thought about it until I drifted into sleep.