CHAPTER 64DAMIEN’S POVThe sharp ring of my phone shattered the quiet. I groggily reached for it, my arm sliding over Rose’s warm, bare skin.She was still asleep, her body curled into the sheets, her breathing soft. My fingers itched to touch her again, to wake her like I had the night before. But I was interrupted."Sir." Madison’s frantic voice cut through my thoughts. "There’s been a breach."I sat up instantly, my entire body going rigid. "What kind of breach?""Files, sir. Sensitive ones."My blood ran cold. I threw off the covers, already moving. "Be specific, Madison.""Some files are missing from our secured database. And some have been…" she hesitated, taking in a deep breath. "Leaked."That made me pause."Leaked?" My voice dropped to a dangerous level."Yes, sir." Her voice was strained. "The press got their hands on them an hour ago. It’s already making headlines.""Fucking hell!" I cursed as I glanced at Rose. She was still sleeping, completely unaware that my world was
CHAPTER 63DAMIEN’S POVI groaned against her lips, gripping her waist as she pressed herself against me. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. Her fingers curled into my shirt, yanking it over my head.The fabric barely hit the floor before she started moving again, her hands roaming all over my chest, tracing the hard lines and the heat of my skin in a hurry, like a starved little kitten.I caught her wrists, holding them still as I fought back the urge to burst into laughter."Slow down, sweetheart," I said, my voice rough and uneven. "Let me take my time with you."She shuddered when I kissed the corner of her mouth, then her jaw, trailing down to her throat. My lips brushed against her racing pulse."I almost lost you tonight," I murmured, my teeth scraping lightly over her skin. “Do you know what that did to me?”She exhaled shakily. "I’m here now.""Yeah, you are," I said as my fingers slid down, undoing the button of her jeans. "And I plan on reminding you exactly who y
CHAPTER 62DAMIEN’S POVSomething was wrong. I felt it the second I stepped into the bedroom. The air was off, too still, too empty. The sheets on her side were rumpled, the faintest trace of her perfume in the air.But she wasn't here. My chest tightened as I scanned the room, checking the bathroom and the closet, and still found nothing.The moment I stepped back into the hallway, I barked out a demand."Where is she?" I growled, my tone icy, probably sending shivers down Jonas's spine because he shook and started moving."We’ll check the cameras now.""Now?" My voice sliced through the air. "Why the fuck weren’t you idiots tracking her before?” I snapped, my jaw tightening as the urge to punch something surged."She was asleep when we last checked, boss," Jonas responded, and I swore under my breath, striding toward the security room. My pulse became a violent beat against my chest.I knew she was stubborn. I knew she wouldn’t let this go—but to go this far? To sneak out under my w
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