Do you think Damien’s protectiveness is more about love… or control?Your support means the world to me—don’t forget to comment, and share your thoughts; every interaction keeps this story alive!
CHAPTER 61ROSE’S POVThe city was eerily quiet at night, no traffic sounds, no voices in the distance, not even the buzz of lights above the street.I slipped into the car and tried to keep my breathing steady, though my chest felt tight. My hands locked around the steering wheel, and I didn’t realize how hard I was holding on until my knuckles turned pale.Damien would lose it if he saw me right now. The thought alone made me shiver, because he always made it clear how far I wasn’t allowed to go. But I couldn’t sit around waiting. I had to move.I wouldn’t stop. I needed to know where she was. And if she needed saving, I had to be the one to do it.The drive to the warehouse stretched on, every red light feeling longer than the last, every block crawling by like time itself was dragging its feet. My heartbeat was loud and uneven in my chest, rising fast with each second, enough that I could barely make out the low hum of the car engine underneath it.By the time I reached the street
CHAPTER 60ROSE'S POVThe man on his knees started trembling. His face lost all color as his eyes flicked back and forth between Damien and the others. He looked trapped, and he had nowhere to go.Damien stepped closer and crouched down until they were eye level. His voice came out soft, almost gentle."Why Rose?" he asked. The man swallowed and looked everywhere but at Damien's face."I-I told you, I was just supposed to watch—"Damien didn’t even glance at Jonas before he gives a slight nod.A punch hit him square in the ribs, and the crack that followed made my stomach turn.I flinched as the man chokes out a pained gasp, his entire body trembling."Please!" he whispered, but Damian cut him off with a glare."Then talk," he said, his voice cold.The man grabbed at his side, struggling to breathe. "Victor," he said through gasps. "Victor wanted me to keep an eye on her. To mess with her. To make her feel unsafe.”Damien's body went tense. "Why?""He said it had to do with something
CHAPTER 59DAMIEN'S POVHe didn’t miss a beat. “I’ll handle security. Cameras, plainclothes agents inside and outside the restaurant. If anyone so much as looks at Rose the wrong way, we’ll see it.”“Good.” I ended the call.The next few hours passed in a blur of fine-tuning every detail.By the time I stepped into headquarters, I was in no mood for small talk, and my employees scattered the moment they saw me coming.“Jonas,” I snapped as I walked into my office. “Any updates?”He followed behind, tablet in hand, nodding as he spoke. “Security’s all set. We’ve got plainclothes staff posing inside the restaurant. If someone tries anything, they won’t get far.”I gave a brief nod. “Good. Now, about Rose.”Jonas straightened. “She’s already assigned three guards. They’ll stay close, low-profile, but they won’t leave her side.”“Make it five.”His brows arched. “Five?”“I don’t take chances.”Jonas let out a breath and gave a curt nod. “Understood.”I gave him a few more instructions bef
CHAPTER 58 DAMIEN'S POV I've never been the kind of man who takes threats lightly, especially not when they involve Rose. As the sun dips past the horizon, my security team is already on full alert. Every package is being logged and tracked, every security camera from the gala has been reviewed, and we’ve begun background checks on every single guest—no one is being overlooked. But whoever’s behind this, they’re being careful—too damn careful. That just makes me angrier than I already was. I start pacing across the floor of my study with the phone pressed tight to my ear. “Tell me you’ve found something,” I say, my voice sharp enough to cut through the silence. Jonas, the head of security who’s been with me for years, exhales on the other end of the line. “Nothing yet. The delivery was left without a trace—no fingerprints, no useful footage. Whoever did this clearly knew how to avoid leaving anything behind.” My hand wraps tighter around the phone, frustration simmering in my c
CHAPTER 57 ROSE'S POV Amani grabbed the box before I could reach for it, flashing a grin like it was already hers. “This is totally a Damien move,” she said, shaking the box a little. I tried to smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. She eagerly peeled the wrapping away, revealing a thin gold necklace with a small, glittering diamond pendant at the center. Her eyes went wide. “Damn, he’s really spoiling you.” My stomach twisted. I couldn’t bring myself to reach for it. Because deep down, I already knew—it wasn’t from Damien. I felt it. “Rose?” Amani nudged me gently. “Aren’t you going to try it on?” I swallowed, trying to stay steady. “I—maybe later.” She tilted her head. “You don’t look happy.” I forced another weak smile. “I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” Amani stared at me for a second, then her playful mood dropped. “Hold up,” she said. “This is from Damien… right?” I stayed quiet. Her face changed. “Rose. You need to tell me.” I let out a breath. “I honestly don’t k
CHAPTER 56 ROSE'S POV The first thing I noticed when I started to wake up was the warmth around me, something solid and warm resting across my waist. Damien. I blinked the sleep away and let my eyes adjust to the soft, early morning light. His arm was wrapped around my waist, still holding me possessively, like he wasn’t ready to let go—even in sleep. His body was pressed into mine, and I could feel the heat of him through the thin fabric of my shirt. It wasn’t often that I saw him this peaceful while he slept. Normally, he’d be up before I was, buried in emails and phone calls before the sun had time to warm the windows. But right now, he looked… calm. His lashes were long, resting against his sharp cheekbones, and his lips—usually curled in amusement or pulled tight in frustration—were soft. He looked almost innocent. But only almost. I shifted a little, and the second I did, Damien let out a soft hum. His arm tightened around me, tugging me in closer. “Where do you think you’r
CHAPTER 55ROSE'S POVVictor Kane smiled like a man who already knew all the answers.“Business conversations can be so tedious, don’t you think, Sterling?” he said, swirling the deep red wine in his glass. “Endless meetings, negotiations, numbers on a screen… Sometimes, I prefer a more personal approach.”Damien’s grip on my waist tightened. “I’m sure you do.”Victor’s gaze flicked to me, and just like before, his smile deepened into something unsettling.Then he reached for my hand again, so smooth and confident, like it was routine. I’m sure he made every woman swoon like this.I barely had time to react before his fingers wrapped around mine and lifted them to his lips. The kiss was faint, almost nothing, but it still sent an ice-cold shiver crawling down my spine.My body stiffened. Every instinct screamed at me to pull away, to create space between us, but I forced myself to stay still.I felt watched, like the whole room was waiting for me to make a plunder.Victor held onto my
CHAPTER 54 ROSE’S POV As soon as I stepped into the room, Damien stopped in his tracks. Completely still, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His eyes locked on me, and for a second, he looked like he’d forgotten how to breathe. That cool, unreadable look he usually wore cracked just a little as his eyes slowly dragged down my body. I watched him with quiet amusement as he stood from his seat, eyes sweeping from the way the midnight blue gown clung to my body, to the slit running high along my thigh, and finally to the diamonds catching light across my skin. His silence said more than words. A slow, smug smile played on my lips. “Something wrong, Mr. Sterling?” He exhaled through his nose, then rubbed his hand across his mouth like he was trying to get himself under control. “You look…” He trailed off, his gaze still on me, then shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s go.” I let out a soft laugh. “That’s what I thought.” He didn’t say another word as he led me out of the roo
CHAPTER 53 DAMIEN’S POV Life, for once, felt good. For the first time in what felt like forever, I actually felt… content. Rose and I had spent the evening at the amusement park, laughing, teasing each other, and eating nothing but junk food. It was honestly ridiculous how much fun I ended up having. She made me try everything, dragged me into the haunted house just to laugh at my reaction, forced me onto the Ferris wheel even after all my valid protests, and somehow, I didn’t hate a single second of it. I liked her. I liked her a lot more than I should have. As we walked into the penthouse, I could still see the amusement in her eyes and the leftover excitement from the night. She was smiling, and damn, I loved that smile. We made our way upstairs, and by the time we reached my room, she suddenly stopped, frowning slightly. "Why did I even follow you here?" she asked, crossing her arms. I smirked. "Instinct." She narrowed her eyes. "Instinct?" I shrugged. “You’ve been sl