Bella paced the length of her room, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. The room was luxurious—far more elegant than she expected for someone being kept under lock and key. The silk sheets, the crystal chandelier, the grand floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dark city skyline—it was all breathtaking.
But it was still a cage.
A beautiful, gilded cage built by a man who had stolen her breath, her thoughts, her control.
She ran a shaky hand through her hair. She couldn't just sit here while Damien handled whatever threats lurked beyond these walls. She needed answers.
Just as she moved toward the door, it swung open.
Damien stood there, his tall frame dominating the space, his eyes darker than she'd ever seen them. A storm raged beneath his calm exterior.
She swallowed hard. "What's going on?"
He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him with an eerie sense of finality.
"We need to talk."
Her pulse spiked.
He stalked toward her, his movements deliberate, controlled. But there was something else in his gaze—something wild, unrestrained.
Bella took a step back, but the bed stopped her retreat.
"You can't just keep me here, Damien," she whispered, her voice shaking.
His hand came up, fingers brushing the curve of her jaw. She stiffened at the contact, but she didn't pull away.
"I don't keep what's already mine," he murmured.
Her breath caught. "I never said I was yours."
A dark smirk played at his lips. "You didn't have to."
Her body betrayed her, heat curling low in her stomach at the way he looked at her—like he was ready to ruin her in ways she'd never recover from.
But she wasn't some helpless woman. She wasn't going to let him dictate her fate, no matter how much her body burned for him.
"I need the truth," she demanded, tilting her chin up. "No more half-answers. Why is Victor Morelli after you? Why am I in danger?"
Damien's smirk faded, his expression hardening.
"He thinks you're my weakness," he admitted.
Her heart stopped.
"I've killed for less, Bella," he continued, his voice like velvet and steel. "And if anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll kill again."
Her breath shuddered.
This man—this dangerous, beautiful man—was both her greatest temptation and her greatest threat.
And the terrifying part?
She didn't know which scared her more.