Chapter Five

(Elena POV)

I stared out the window of Damian’s penthouse—the city glittered like a thousand promises that I couldn’t touch.

Months had passed since the engagement announcement. The internet called me “The Luckiest Bride in the World.” But luck didn’t feel like a locked door and twenty-four-hour security especially after what happened on the night of our dinner date.

At 8pm, Damian was outside of the penthouse building waiting for me and I came down when I was informed by Christopher. We got to this really fancy restaurant and it took everything in my power not to look like a maniac staring at the place with so much awe and I mean how could I when all eyes were on us as we walked in, all I could think of was for the heavens to open and just take me but then Damian had his hands wrapped tightly around my waist, ensuring that I don’t fall, I guess he caught how I was feeling. While the dinner was going smoothly, there was an explosion, a lot of people lost their lives and I was scared to shit mehn I think I peed my paints too all I could see was wave of hands, bullets flying from every corner I mean it was a miracle that we got out of there alive. It was at that moment I realized the cars were bullet proof. “Elena, Elena are you okay, were you hurt, does anywhere hurt?” those were the questions I kept hearing on our way back but I was too stunned and scared to response, I just sat in a car like a robot staring into the abyss, body stiff, eyes fixed on nothing and my brain going into shut down mode. When we got home, he picked me up and took me to my room, removed my shoes and just covered me and that is how I stayed until the next morning.

(End of flashback)

When Damian appeared behind me, I didn’t turn. “You’ve turned my life into a prison.”

He loosened his tie, unbothered. “A golden one,” he said simply.

“I don’t want gold,” I snapped. “I want freedom.”

He stepped closer. “Freedom has a price, Elena. And your family already spent it.”

I turned then, fury flashing. “You keep using them as an excuse. Admit it—you just like control.” Mehn this guy is getting on my sweet nerves.

Something dark flickered in his eyes. “Maybe. But control keeps you alive.”

I frowned, caught off guard. “Alive? What are you talking about?”

Damian’s jaw tightened. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then make me understand!” I shot back.

For a heartbeat, silence stretched between us—charged, dangerous. Then, with a sigh, he said, “There are people who want to hurt me and now that they fully know about you, they’ll use you to do it.”

My anger faltered. “So I’m a shield?”

He met my gaze, voice low. “You’re more important than that.”

He left before I could ask what he meant. But when I touched the cool glass again, my pulse couldn’t calm. What did he mean by that?

He came home that day looking like shit and for a split second, I felt pity for him, why does he have to carry all this weight on his own when did he become… this?

(Damian POV)

Holy shit, she looks so hot!

It took every control of my power not to grab her and kiss the hell out of her as she was coming down the stair of the penthouse building, she looks so beautiful in the black and gold dinner gown she is wearing, fitted just right and showing off all of her curve, it has a v neck and just showing the right amount of cleavage a flowy trail at the bottom the gown, a slit in the front that stops just about her knee. She really is modest in a very sexy way, I love it because only I get to see what is underneath. I had to look around to make sure none of my men were looking at her in a lustful way, lucky bastards, if not someone’s head would have rolled to night just from looking her. My Elena.

“You look beautiful Elena” I said once she was close to me. A little blush came on her toned skin and for a split second, it made me feel so good inside. I cannot wait to have you my Elena. We got to the restaurant that I made reservations in and I can see how all eyes are on her and I shot every man a death stare if they look at her for even a second, someone’s head is gonna roll soon I thought with my eyes shooting daggers at every person that looks our way, I held on to Elena because I saw how shy she was, my sweet cute Elena. We get to our sit and I pull out her chair for her to sit and she muttered a thank you and I sit on my chair. The waiter comes with the menu and we make our orders, all I could do was stare at her while we waited for our food to arrive, she truly is stunning and I don’t mind how long I will have to wait for her to love me but I am willing to wait.

“Are you okay Elena? You don’t seem too comfortable”

“Well how do you expect me to be? When you keep looking at me like that” she said while she moved side to side on her chair with her eyes looking everywhere except at my direction.

I love how cute she looks when she is uncomfortable. Just as I was about to hold her hands, a big explosion happened few meters from our table, immediately I hold her hands and flip our table over for protection. The first thing I do is look at Elena to see if she was hurt and I didn’t see any scratch I sighed for a split second before pulling out my gun to aim at the people who entered from the explosion spot and I started shooting, my men came inside and starting shooting as well, I am going to make this suckers pay for ruining my sweet moment with Elena. For what felt like forever finally came to an end and my men captured some of the guys that were still alive and took them out before I took Elena out of there. She cannot know who I truly am if not she will run away again and she will be in more danger. We get into the car quickly because more guys were still coming and they started shooting at us but thank GOD that I got those bulletproof cars.

“Elena, Elena are you okay? Are you hurt? Does anywhere hurt?” I asked her but she is in so much shock that she didn’t respond, I just held on to her until we got to the penthouse. I picked her up from the car and placed her safely on her bed, took out her shoes and covered her up. I gave her a peg on the forehead and left to deal with matters, finally, someone’s head will roll tonight.

“Where are those dead men that ruined my evening” I said as I opened the door to the dungeon with so much force that I am sure the door came out of it hold but at that moment I didn’t give a shit, I was thirsty for blood.

“Right this way boss” one of my trusted men said. We walked to the torture room and I saw 3 men hanging upside down all tied up like meat.

“My pets will definitely love these meats once I am done dicing you of course” I saw with an evil grin and my grin became bigger because I can see the fear and horror in their eyes, good you should be scared.

“I am very sure you know who I am right? I said as I dragged a chair and sat in front of them. The room had only two lights, one that reflects only on me and the other reflects on my prey and this so because I want to see the fear in their eyes and I want them to see the hunger and danger that roams in my eyes.

“Oh wonderful, so you know who I am, then what gave you such boldness to attack me? I asked looking at them for answers.

“Well, I am waiting, I don’t have all night” they started whispering among themselves and one thing I caught is “we can’t say it, we are good as dead already” this people really do have a death wish I started laughing so hard and that halted them in their conversation.

“Alright, I can see that none of you are willing to talk, so we shall begin” I got from the chair and walked to my carbonate of terror and yes the name is written boldly in front, anyways, I opened and I smiled, oh how much I love this part. I took out a little knife and I’m sure you are wondering what I will be using it for. I walked over to the guy in the middle. “this is your last chance to speak for forever hold your peace” I said, but still nothing “ alright then, you asked for it” I said and then I started peeling off his face and I can hear is the sweet melody of his screams and the lamentation of the others. Once I was done, I held up the face of the guy and started laughing and dancing with it, the other guys looked at me like I had lost it upstairs but they don’t know that once it comes to threatening the people I love, all reasoning is turned off.

“That was fun” I said while still holding on to his face “now, are you willing to talk?”

“Even if we tell you, we are as good as dead” one of them said

“Oh you already know you are not leaving here alive so why stress it, just tell me and see yourself in hell”

“The person who sent us was…”

“No, don’t say it, his way of death is better than hers” better than hers? Who are they talking about? But before I could ask, both bodies went limb and then in a split second, their bodies exploded. What in the world was that and who the fuck has this sort of technology, but most importantly, who did I piss off again?