The chains I wore

Aria Pov:

I woke up to the sound of my own heartbeat, too loud in the quiet of my penthouse.

The letter still sat on my nightstand, its black ink taunting me like a ghost that wouldn’t leave. I hadn’t slept much, not with the memory of those headlights, that SUV, the way it hunted me down the road. And now, two strangers were in my home, their presence like a noose tightening around my neck.

I threw on a silk robe, the kind that cost more than most people’s rent, and stormed into the living room, ready to take back some control.

Damien was already there, standing by the window, his broad shoulders cutting a sharp silhouette against the morning sun. He didn’t turn, but I knew he sensed me. It was in the way his head tilted, just a fraction, like a predator catching a scent.

“Slept well, Miss Sinclair?” His voice was cold, formal, like he was addressing a client, not a person.

I crossed my arms, glaring at his back. “Don’t call me that. It’s Aria. And no, I didn’t sleep well, thanks to you and your buddy turning my life into a prison.”

He turned then, his steel-gray eyes locking onto mine. No smile, no warmth, just that unyielding stare that made my skin prickle.

“You’re not in a prison. You’re alive. Be grateful.”

“Grateful?” I laughed, sharp and bitter. “For what? For you stalking my every move? For my father treating me like a damn asset instead of a daughter?”

His jaw tightened, but before he could answer, Kade sauntered in, a mug of coffee in one hand, his dark hair still damp from a shower. He wore a black T-shirt that clung to his lean frame, tattoos snaking down his arms like a story I wanted to read. His grin was all trouble, and it sparked something reckless in me.

“Morning, princess,” he said, leaning against the kitchen counter. “You look like you’re ready to burn this place down. Need a match?”

I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched despite myself. “Don’t you ever shut up?”

“Not when there’s a pretty girl to rile up.” He winked, taking a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving mine. “You gonna fight us all day, or you gonna play nice?”

“Play nice?” I stepped closer, my voice low, daring. “You think you can handle me if I don’t?”

His grin widened, and he set the mug down, stepping into my space. He was close enough that I could smell the soap on his skin, feel the heat radiating off him. “Oh, sweetheart, I can handle you. Question is, can you handle me?”

“Enough.” Damien’s voice cut through the air like a blade, and Kade backed off, still smirking. Damien’s eyes flicked between us, his expression unreadable but his posture rigid. “This isn’t a game, Aria. Someone wants you dead. You don’t get to flirt your way out of that.”

I flinched at the word dead, the letter’s threat echoing in my head. 'We’ll take what you love most'. For a second, I wanted to snap back, to tell him I wasn’t scared, but the lie stuck in my throat. Instead, I turned away, grabbing my phone from the couch.

“I’m going out. I have a brunch with friends.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Damien said, his tone final, like he was shutting a door.

I spun back, fire in my chest. “Excuse me? You don’t get to tell me what I can do.”

“Yes, I do.” He stepped closer, towering over me, his presence suffocating. “Your father hired me to keep you alive. That means you don’t leave this penthouse without me or Kade. End of story.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Kade cut in, his voice lighter but no less firm.

“He’s right, princess. You’re a target now. You wanna go to brunch? Fine. But we’re coming with you. Think of us as your new accessories.” He flashed that cocky grin, but his eyes were sharp, watching me like he knew I’d bolt the second I got the chance.

I hated them both in that moment. Damien, with his cold control, like he could lock me in a box and call it protection.

Kade, with his teasing that made me want to scream and laugh at the same time. But most of all, I hated how they made me feel, trapped, yes, but also seen, in a way that made my skin hum and my pulse race.

“Fine,” I snapped, grabbing my purse. “But don’t expect me to make this easy for you.”

Kade chuckled, low and dangerous.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.”

Brunch was a disaster. My friends, all glossy hair and designer bags, kept shooting curious glances at Damien and Kade, who sat at a nearby table, with their eyes scanning the restaurant like hawks.

Damien was a statue, his coffee untouched, his gaze flicking to every waiter, every stranger who got too close.

Kade, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the back, looking like he owned the place. He caught me staring once and winked, making my cheeks burn.

“Seriously, Aria,” my friend Lila whispered, leaning across the table. “Who are those guys? They’re, like, intense.”

“Bodyguards,” I muttered, stabbing a fork into my avocado toast. “My dad’s idea.”

Lila’s eyes widened, and she glanced at Kade, who was smirking at something Damien said.

“They’re hot, though. Especially the one with the tattoos. You sure they’re just bodyguards?”

"What else would they be? Don't tell me you find them attractive?" I asked Lila

"Don't tell me you don't?" Ama, my other girlfriend asked.

Truth is, I do. I do find them attractive.

I forced a laugh, but my stomach twisted. She wasn’t wrong. They were hot, dangerously so. But they weren’t just anything. They were a storm I hadn’t seen coming, and I was already caught in the wind.

When we left the restaurant, I felt the weight of their presence behind me, like chains I couldn’t shake. I tried to ignore them, to focus on the city’s hum, the honking taxis, the chatter of pedestrians, but something felt off.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I glanced over my shoulder, half-expecting to see that black SUV again.

“Keep moving,” Damien said, his voice low, his hand brushing my elbow to guide me forward. The touch was brief, but it sent a jolt through me, sharp and electric.

“Relax, Ward,” Kade said, falling into step on my other side. “She’s fine. Right, princess?”

I didn’t answer, my eyes scanning the street. A man in a hoodie stood across the road, his face shadowed, staring a little too long. My heart stuttered, but before I could say anything, Damien’s hand was on my arm again, firmer this time, pulling me toward the car.

“Get in,” he ordered, his voice tight.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice sharper than I meant.

“Just get in the damn car, Aria.”

Kade opened the door, his usual grin gone, replaced by a hardness that made my stomach drop. I slid into the backseat, and they flanked me, Damien behind the wheel, Kade in the passenger seat. The engine roared to life, and we peeled away, the city blurring past.

“What was that?” I demanded, my voice shaking now. “Did you see something?”

Damien’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, his eyes were cold and unyielding. “Someone was watching you. Could’ve been nothing. Could’ve been something.”

Kade twisted in his seat, his gaze softer but no less intense. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ve got you.”

I wanted to snap at them, to tell them I didn’t need their protection, their nicknames, their anything. But the truth was, I wasn’t sure anymore.

That letter, that SUV, that man in the hoodie, they were real. The threat was real. And for the first time, I wasn’t sure I could outrun it.

As we sped back to the penthouse, I glanced between them, Damien’s clenched jaw, Kade’s restless energy, and felt something shift inside me.

They were my cage, yes. But they were also my shield. And maybe, just maybe, they were something else entirely.

Something I wasn’t ready to name.