Ch 2

The cold touch of Damon's fingers beneath her chin was the only thing keeping Clara anchored to reality. Amid the chorus of blaring horns and the chaos of the city's congested streets, she could do nothing but stare into the pair of dark eyes before her.

They were exactly as she remembered them from more than a decade ago—sharp, captivating, and filled with an intensity that had always left her breathless.

"Damon... h-how are you here...?" Clara's voice caught in her throat. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, dampening the thumb Damon was gently using to wipe them away.

Damon didn't answer with words.

Ignoring the stares of bystanders and the growing line of impatient cars, he slipped one arm beneath Clara's knees and the other around her back, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.

"P-Put me down... Damon, what are you doing?" Clara protested weakly, but the strength had long since drained from her after witnessing the betrayal that had shattered her heart.

"You're in shock, Clara. And you almost got yourself killed," Damon whispered firmly near her ear. "I don't let what's mine get hurt. Especially not because of the fool you were crying over."

He carried her into the spacious passenger cabin of his luxury sedan, where the rich scent of sandalwood filled the air. The door closed behind them, sealing them inside a cocoon of silence. Without waiting for instructions, Damon's personal assistant in the driver's seat pulled the car smoothly into traffic.

Clara curled into the corner of the leather seat, wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled. The image of Julian with his secretary on his lap replayed endlessly in her mind like a broken record. The pain cut so deeply that every breath felt like a struggle.

Suddenly, a warm suit jacket settled gently over her shoulders.

Damon shifted closer, closing the distance until Clara could feel the warmth of his breath.

"He doesn't deserve a single one of your tears."

His deep, icy voice carried a restrained fury as he looked at her shattered state.

"You don't understand anything, Damon," Clara replied hoarsely, staring blankly out the window. "He's my husband... I gave him my entire life, but he..."

"He threw you away because he's blind," Damon interrupted without hesitation.

His hand reached up to brush a damp strand of hair away from Clara's face with a tenderness that stood in stark contrast to the dangerous intensity burning in his eyes.

"But I never was. I've always seen you, Clara. Then... now... and always."

Clara turned toward him, her brow furrowing.

"Damon, it's been over ten years. We were children back then. That promise... it was just a childish game!"

A faint, chilling smile appeared on Damon's lips.

He leaned in until only inches separated them, his commanding presence filling every corner of the car.

"To you, maybe it was just a game," he murmured, his possessive tone sending a shiver down Clara's spine. "To me, it was a vow. You said 'yes' when I asked you to promise you'd never leave my side. Did you really think I'd simply let you go because another man put a ring on your finger?"

Clara's eyes widened in disbelief.

Damon gently took her hand, his thumb slowly tracing the wedding band on her finger before tightening his grip ever so slightly.

"Your marriage died the moment he rejected you and chose another woman, Clara," Damon continued without the slightest trace of remorse. "Now it's time for you to return to where you truly belong."

"I... I have to go home. I have to settle this with Julian," Clara whispered anxiously, trying to pull her hand free.

Damon didn't forcefully restrain her, but his gaze held her completely captive.

"I'll take you home," he said calmly. "I'll watch you bring this ridiculous charade with him to an end. But remember one thing, Clara..."

He closed the remaining distance between them and gently pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips—a gesture that was soft, yet unmistakably possessive.

"...From this moment on, there's no more running. You're mine."