Semua Bab A private deal with the billionaire ceo: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Damon’s mouth was still on mine when the world fell away. His hands were warm on my waist, anchoring me as though I might vanish, his lips were demanding yet careful, coaxing rather than consuming. Every nerve in my body lit up at once, and yet there was a softness beneath it all, a reverence I hadn’t expected.I gasped against him, fingers clutching at his shirt, and he pulled back just enough to whisper, “Tell me to stop, and I will.”The words sent heat straight through me. He was giving me the choice, though we both knew what I would say. My voice came out shaky, but certain. “Don’t stop.”Relief flickered in his eyes as hunger and something darker consumed them. Then his lips were back on mine, deeper now, his patience woven into every kiss. The tension that had lived between us for weeks unraveled in slow, deliberate threads. Every touch felt like he was promising me I wasn’t alone anymore.Our clothes found the floor in hurried, clumsy intervals, yet Damon never rushed me. His

Damon didn’t like the idea of going out in public. I could see it in the way his jaw ticked when I first suggested it, the subtle narrowing of his eyes like I’d just asked him to rob a bank instead of have dinner. I couldn't blame him though. I wasn't asking for a regular date. I wanted us to go to a carnival.“You’re serious,” he muttered, arms crossed over his chest as we left the cafeteria.“As a bullet,” I said, deliberately light. “Come on. We deserve a night out. Something normal for once.”“Normal,” Damon repeated, like the word was foreign on his tongue.“Yeah, you should try it sometime. It won’t kill you.”The faintest curve touched his lips. “You say that, and yet every time you drag me somewhere, trouble follows.”“That’s because you’re too serious to notice the fun,” I shot back, smirking up at him. “Come on. The carnival won't be here after tomorrow and who knows when they'll come back.”He gave me a long look, one of those heavy ones that made my stomach flip before sig

The look in his eyes brought me to complete surrender.“Of course, Damon. No matter what you say, I'll stay neutral.” I held his hand and squeezed tightly.He let out a small smile. “When I was younger, my brother was everything I wanted to be. Everyone adored him and often compared me to him. But that comparison made me feel inadequate. Like I wasn't enough. I never got anyone's approval… not even his.”I could feel his blank persona slipping. I almost saw the scared little boy in him, rejected and studied.“One day, I came home from school with my test results. I was so excited to show my family. I had studied so hard and got perfect scores. My parents were happy for me and looked at me clearly for the first time. When Ethan got home, I also showed him my papers but guess what?”A dark smile appeared on his face. “He tore it up. Right in front of me.”I covered my mouth in shock, outraged by the revelation. “Why would he do such a thing?”Damon just shrugged. “He always made me feel

The summons came early in the morning. Damon had just returned from patrol, his shoulders dusted with rain, when the call from Commander Halstrom’s office reached us.I hadn’t expected another meeting so soon, not after the emotional weight of Abel’s revelation about Shadow and the bitter sting of Cal’s death.Still, the two of us went without protest.Damon’s face was carved in his usual guarded lines, but I could feel the tension simmering beneath his skin, as if his silence was the only thing holding him together.Halstrom’s office was dim when we entered, the single lamp on his desk casting a heavy glow across stacks of reports. The man himself leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, his gaze sharper than usual.“You’ve heard by now,” he said without preamble. “About Shadow.”I nodded slowly. “Abel told me. He said there was… a bomb.”Halstrom’s jaw tightened. “Yes. And Cal.”The silence after the name weighed like lead. I lowered my eyes, my throat thick.Halstrom pr

The ride back to headquarters should have felt like a relief. Damon’s hands were steady on the wheel, the hum of the engine was constant, but my thoughts refused to settle.The mysterious man's grin burned in my mind like a brand. He had looked at me as though I were a fragile thing, already broken, and then he’d dropped Damon’s name like it was a dagger meant to cut me from the inside. It had to be intentional. How else would he know so much about me? I was beginning to think that every instance we saw each other had never been by chance.I swallowed, my hands tight on my knees. I wanted to tell Damon. I wanted to tell him that the man I had been seeing everywhere had known his name and marked us like prey. But the words lodged in my throat. Damon looked calm, maybe even too calm so I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the small bubble of control he was holding onto. And I wasn't sure if I was being paranoid and getting ahead of myself.Damon’s posture shifted suddenly. His jaw tightened,