Chapter 32 – Games of Power, Hearts Unmasked

The morning was quiet, almost deceptively so. The sunlight streamed through the grand windows of the Stones estate, casting gold across the marble floors. May stood near the kitchen island, a cup of coffee warming her hands, while Aria and Aiden laughed over a small puzzle spread across the table. Damien leaned against the counter, watching her, his eyes tracing the line of her jaw, the curve of her neck, the soft strength in her posture.

“My grandpa wants to meet with you later,” Damien said quietly.

May looked up. “Daxton?”

“Yes. Alone.”

She exhaled slowly, letting her fingers curl around her cup. “I expected that. He’s… curious. Testing me.”

Damien’s expression darkened. “I wish he wouldn’t.”

“You think I’m intimidated?” she teased softly, though her pulse quickened slightly. “I’ve faced worse than judgment from a billionaire.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I know you have. But he’s… persistent. He respects strength, yes—but he also tests it. He’s tricky.”

May smiled faintly, brushing his hand that had lingered near hers. “I like tricky.”

Damien’s lips twitched into the smallest smile. “You’re dangerous.”

“Maybe I am,” she murmured, leaning into him for just a heartbeat.

Their soft, intimate moment was interrupted by Aria bouncing onto May’s lap. “Mum! Can we play the new game now? I want to show Grandpa!”

May laughed, wrapping an arm around her daughter. “Not yet, little star. We’ll play later.”

Aiden tugged at Damien’s sleeve. “Daddy, can we?”

Damien shook his head, smiling. “Not right now, champion. Let’s make sure Mum is ready first.”

May leaned down to kiss the top of Aiden’s head. “Patience is a virtue, Aiden.”

“Patience is boring,” he muttered, but he grinned anyway.

By mid-morning, May found herself walking through the grand doors of Daxton’s office. The walls were lined with rare art, and the air smelled faintly of leather and old books. Daxton sat behind his massive mahogany desk, fingers steepled, expression inscrutable.

“May Austin,” he said finally, voice low and deliberate. “I’ve been observing you.”

“Good,” May replied evenly. “Observation is useful. But I’m guessing you didn’t summon me to compliment me.”

Daxton’s sharp eyes narrowed. “I don’t do compliments lightly. I do tests. You’ve impressed me, yes. But I need to know if you are… capable enough to influence my grandchildren without destroying them in the process.”

May held his gaze. “And how exactly do you measure that?”

He leaned back, steepling his fingers again. “By your choices. By how you respond when I put obstacles in your way. By how you navigate… pressure.”

“Pressure,” May echoed. “I thrive under it.”

A small, almost imperceptible flicker crossed Daxton’s face. Respect. Caution. Fear.

“Very well,” he said finally. “We’ll see how far that strength reaches.”

Later that night, the family was at home, quiet settling over the house like a soft blanket. But May’s mind was elsewhere. A subtle alert had pinged her encrypted laptop—an international security competition she had been invited to, still under her masked hacker identity: S-Coded.

No one knew. Not Damien, not Aria, not Aiden, not even Lily.

She opened her system, lines of encrypted code scrolling in impossible speed. Her heart beat steadily, eyes calm, fingers dancing over keys as she probed a corporate security simulation sent her way as part of the competition. It wasn’t just a game—it was a challenge she had been preparing for her entire life.

Damien entered quietly, pausing when he saw her focused expression, the glow of the screen reflecting in her eyes.

“You’re still working?” he asked softly.

May closed the laptop gently, masking the screen from view. “Just… a bit of personal work.”

He stepped closer, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. “You never stop. You carry everything.”

“I carry what I must,” she replied. “But don’t worry. I’m in control.”

Damien lowered his head, resting his forehead lightly against hers. “You’re incredible,” he murmured. “And I… I don’t tell you enough.”

She smiled softly, pressing her lips to his in a tender kiss. Not hurried, not impatient—just weightless, a promise carried in silence.

“May,” he whispered against her lips, “I don’t ever want to let go.”

“You won’t have to,” she replied, brushing her hand against his cheek.

The children, sensing the quiet closeness between them, crept out of bed. Aria clung to May’s arm, yawning but smiling, while Aiden nestled against Damien.

“Can we stay up a little longer?” Aria asked. “Just for hugs?”

Damien chuckled. “Just for hugs.”

May leaned down, kissing each of them gently. “We’re always here, little stars.”

Aria hugged her tightly. “I love you, Mum.”

Aiden echoed softly, “Love you too, Mum.”

Damien caught May’s hand, intertwining fingers as he watched their children’s innocence remind him what mattered most.

The next day, Daxton’s “test” began in subtle ways.

First, a dinner invitation—not a casual one, but a formal event for close family and business associates. Daxton wanted to see how May handled etiquette, conversation, and influence while under scrutiny.

May accepted gracefully, as always. Damien followed, protective but trusting. Aria and Aiden were included, of course, dressed charmingly, their innocence and warmth softening the room immediately.

Throughout the evening, Daxton watched carefully. He noticed:

How May navigated complex conversations without arrogance.

How she made genuine connections with older, skeptical relatives.

How her laughter, bright and effortless, contrasted with the rigid air of wealth and expectation.

He frowned—not from disapproval, but from fear that this woman was quietly rewriting the rules of his house… without him realizing it.

After the dinner, May found a quiet moment on the balcony, overlooking the estate grounds. Damien joined her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“You impressed him,” Damien said quietly.

May raised a brow. “Did I?”

“He tried to test you,” Damien replied. “You… passed effortlessly. But I know the truth—you never really need to prove anything. You just are.”

May leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. “You make it easier.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “And you make it better.”

Her fingers grazed his hand, lacing together naturally. “I love the life we’re building.”

“So do I,” he whispered. “Every day, I choose this. You. The kids. Us.”

Her heart swelled. She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, lingering in that quiet, unbreakable connection.

Later, when the house was quiet, May returned to her laptop. A new competition file blinked on her screen: the global ranking for S-Coded. Her masked identity would be tested again, without anyone knowing it was her.

Damien appeared behind her, noticing the subtle tension in her posture. “Everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said softly, shutting the laptop. “Just… something personal.”

He leaned over, pressing his forehead to hers. “You don’t have to carry it alone, you know.”

“I never do,” she murmured. “Not with you.”

Their fingers intertwined once again, a silent vow. Whatever tests came from Daxton, the world, or May’s secret life, they would face it together.

And for the first time in years, Damien believed that no power, no threat, no challenge—hidden or visible—could tear them apart.