CHAPTER 161

(Emma’s POV)I woke up slowly, like my body didn’t trust the moment enough to rush into it.The first thing I noticed was warmth. Not just the heat of the room or the weight of blankets, but the kind that settled deep under my skin, steady and reassuring. My cheek was pressed against a solid chest, the rise and fall beneath it calm and real. For a few seconds, I stayed perfectly still, afraid that if I moved, I’d break whatever spell had allowed this to exist.Damon’s arm was around me, loose but unmistakably there. Protective without being possessive. His fingers rested at my waist as if they’d always known that curve belonged beneath them. I could hear his slow, even breathing and it grounded me in a way nothing else ever had.Last night came back to me in fragments at first. Not the details, but the feeling. The softness. The way it hadn’t been rushed or desperate or fueled by fear. We hadn’t been running from anything. We’d simply… stepped closer. And then closer still.Joy bloome

CHAPTER 162

(Damon's POV)It took us a while but we finally did it. We found the man who invaded Emma's house three nights later.Assuming he was working alone we followee him recklessly but we were wrong. He hadn't been alone. He was working with a few people but their purpose was uncertain. Well, not really since they attacked Emma… my weakness.The base sat carved into the side of a limestone ridge, hidden behind foliage thick enough to fool satellites and arrogance thick enough to fool men. It wasn't too far from civilization but not too close that a lost car or wanderer could venture there by mistake. It was still, barely making a sound. The kind of quiet that came from confidence, not caution.“I'll be careful if I were you.” I uttered as I watched Abel gear up. He was still tying his shoelaces when he looked up at me. “I'm always careful.” He said as he stood up.“Still. We don't know what's on the other side of that door.” I retorted. Abel looked at me seriously for a second before smilin

CHAPTER 163

(Emma’s POV)Damon had been gone for two days.He left no calls or texts. Every time I dialed his number, it went straight to voicemail, the sound drilling into me until I hung up with shaking fingers. Selina’s words replayed in my head like a verdict already passed. I looked at myself in the mirror that morning and barely recognized the woman staring back. I had eyes bruised with exhaustion, my skin dull, lips cracked from worrying them raw. I felt defeated and betrayed. But I refused to rot in that bed.I forced myself up, feet touching the cold floor like a challenge. Damon wasn’t the only joy in my life. He couldn’t be. If he wasn’t my end destination then… I would find another one. I had survived before him. I could do it again. The thought barely formed before sadness wrapped around my chest, tight and merciless. I couldn’t leave. I loved Damon too much.The truth hit me like a bruise I kept pressing. I would wait. I would hear him out. Whatever came next—whatever explanation or

CHAPTER 164

(Damon's POV)By the time I returned, all I found was blood and signs of a violent struggle. Emma was gone. My heart sank. Where could she have gone? From the looks of the living room, there was clearly a struggle. But the men were dead, with cold, empty eyes. So where did Emma run to? Did she get so scared she left the house to somewhere safe or did she lose so much blood she died somewhere else? I really hoped it was the latter. Just the thought of Emma lying lifeless left me feeling empty.I tried to connect to connect the dots. I looked at her messages carefully, searching for signs or clues. There was only one. Selina's name was mentioned in her first text. Did she come over? What was she doing here? My fists balled in fury. I dialed Abel's number immediately. He answered on the first ring. “Get Selina to headquarters. Now.” I ordered before hanging up. Whatever was going to get in my way, I was ready to clear it up.The room smelled like metal and old coffee. Interrogation rooms

CHAPTER 165

(Damon's POV)I had been circling the city like a ghost, chasing shadows and dead ends, when my phone rang. Alice’s name lit up the screen. I almost ignored it. I was tired of interruptions, tired of explanations, tired of pretending anything else mattered more than finding Emma.“I’m busy,” I said the moment I answered, already walking toward my car. But then I heard the sound that made my chest lock up. She was crying in broken, gasping sobs.“Alice,” I said sharply. “What’s wrong?”“You need to come to base,” she choked out. “Right now. Damon… please. It's Emma.” The line went dead. I don’t remember the drive. I remember red lights blurring into one long smear, my hands white-knuckled around the steering wheel, my heart beating like it was trying to claw its way out of my ribs. Every ugly thought I’d been forcing down for days came roaring back of Emma hurt or worse. Dead. By the time I burst into the base, my lungs were on fire. The security room doors slid open, and my jaw flexed

CHAPTER 166

(Emma’s POV)I ran to him before I even realized I was moving, my legs carrying me faster than my thoughts. Damon was there, fragile and battered, sitting slumped against the dirt, the sweat and blood on his clothes mixing with dust. My hands shook as I dropped to my knees beside him. “Damon,” I whispered, almost afraid to speak the name aloud, as if saying it too loud would shatter the fragile reality of this moment.He stirred, his eyes fluttering open. Exhaustion lined his face, his jaw tight, and the faint tremor in his hands betrayed how much he had been through. Even like this, even wounded, even weak… he looked at me with that same intensity I had loved, the same unwavering focus, and it hit me that he had been searching for me all this time. All those nights I had spent wondering if he was even alive—he had been out there, thinking about me, moving through danger for me.“Emma…” His voice was raw, weak, hoarse, but it carried everything he felt. I immediately pressed a hand to

Todos los capítulos de A private deal with the billionaire ceo: Capítulo 161 - Capítulo 166

CHAPTER 161

CHAPTER 162

CHAPTER 163

CHAPTER 164

CHAPTER 165

CHAPTER 166