All Chapters of THE PRICE OF A BILLIONAIRE’S LOVE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

Aria woke to a quiet so thick it felt conspiratorial. The penthouse hummed with the low, constant breath of the city below, but inside, Damon’s men moved like silent sentinels—precise, watchful.The night had been long, but sleep had come in jagged pieces, more like a pause than rest.She padded into the living room and found Damon already awake, dark eyes hooded, a newspaper at his knees though he wasn’t reading it. He was staring at the floor-to-ceiling windows, shoulders tight with unresolved tension.When he finally looked at her, the flash of relief on his face was raw and too private for words.“You rested?” he asked.“As much as you can in a war zone,” she said, trying to mask the unease twisting in her stomach.Damon pushed to his feet. He moved toward her too quickly, stopping only when he was close enough that she could feel the heat of his body.“We have to move fast,” he said quietly. “Adrian didn’t just send a threat—we found this last night.”He handed her a thin photogr

The drive to the industrial district was a blur of fractured lights and brittle silence. Damon didn’t speak. Aria didn’t dare to. The SUV cut through the night like a blade, escorted by two black sedans behind them. The air felt tight—thick enough to choke on. Damon’s jaw was locked, his fingers white against the steering wheel. She had seen him angry. She had seen him dangerous. But this—this quiet, controlled fury—terrified her more than anything Adrian could do. “Damon…” she finally whispered. “Not now.” The words were sharp enough to cut. Aria flinched. She looked out the window, fighting the ache spreading through her chest. She never wanted to keep secrets from him—not after everything they had been through. But the case she buried… it wasn’t simple. It wasn’t safe. And if Damon knew the truth— He might never look at her the same way again. When they reached the district, the air turned colder. Old warehouses stretched across the landscape like rusted skeletons. Shad

The warehouse behind them buzzed with whispered orders and quiet urgency, but Damon didn’t seem to hear any of it. His focus was locked on the crimson message Adrian left behind, his entire body brimming with a rage so tightly contained it looked like it could crack his bones. Aria watched him, her pulse fluttering in her throat. Damon wasn’t angry. He was dangerous. Ethan stepped forward carefully. “We swept the area. Adrian’s long gone.” Damon didn’t blink. “He was close enough to write this. That means he wanted us to see it.” “He wanted her to see it,” Ethan corrected softly. Damon turned, jaw tight. “Not happening.” Aria took a steadying breath. “Damon—” He looked at her sharply, eyes fierce, voice low. “He’s escalating. He’s pushing you toward fear, guilt, anything that makes you vulnerable.” Aria held his gaze. “I’m not afraid of Adrian.” “You should be,” Damon whispered. “He’s unhinged. And now he’s made it personal.” Ethan approached with a tablet. “We found somet