AT THE MAFIA WORLD
Damien's POV
Hannah sat across from me, looking smaller than usual. Her hands trembled as she twisted her fingers together, her wide eyes darting around the room like she expected someone to burst in at any moment. I leaned back in my chair, my jaw clenched, watching her squirm.
"I don't know why you're looking at me like that," I snapped. "You should've thought this through before getting involved in something you clearly don't understand."
"Mr.Damien, please…" she whispered, her voice shaking. "I didn't do anything wrong. I swear. Just let me go."
Her words only fueled my anger. I slammed my fist on the table, making her flinch. "Let you go? Do you think this is some kind of charity? You're here because of your sister's mess. Until she fixes it, you're not going anywhere."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't look away. "I don't know what Sophie did, but I'll help her fix it. I'll do anything. Please,Mr. Damien. Just don't hurt her."
I stood abruptly, the chair screeching against the floor. "You think I'm the one you should be begging? Do you know how much damage has been done because of her? You're both liabilities."
"I didn't ask for this!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your world, Damien! I don't even know what's happening!"
"You don't need to know," I barked. "All you need to do is sit here and wait for your sister to clean up the disaster she caused. That's the only reason you're still breathing."
She stood up, her fear morphing into desperation. "Damien, please. You're not a monster. I know you're not. You can't just—"
I stepped closer, cutting her off with a glare that made her take a step back. "Don't test me, Hannah. I've been more than patient with you. But my patience has a limit."
Her lips trembled, and for a moment, I thought she'd break down completely. But instead, she dropped to her knees, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Damien. I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt Sophie."
The sight of her like that...pleading, vulnerable...made something twist inside me. But I shoved it down, keeping my face hard. "Your sister has 24 hours to fix this. If she doesn't, neither of you will like what happens next."
"Damien…" she started, but I cut her off with a sharp motion of my hand.
"Enough!" I roared. "I don't want to hear another word from you. Sit down, shut up, and stay out of my way. If Sophie can't fix this, it's over for both of you. Do you understand me?"
She nodded quickly, tears streaming down her face. I turned away, trying to ignore the knot in my chest.
Hannah's voice broke through my storming thoughts as I reached the door.
"Can I at least speak to my sister?" she asked, her tone fragile yet desperate.
I froze, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Slowly, I turned back to face her. She was still on her knees, looking up at me like I held the entire world in my hands. For a split second, I felt a flicker of guilt, but I crushed it under the weight of my fury.
"You think this is some kind of family reunion?" I scoffed, my voice sharp enough to cut through steel. "Do you think Sophie has time for sweet little sister chats when she's out there fixing the mess you two created?"
Hannah's lips trembled, but she didn't back down. "Damien, please. I just need to know she's okay. I need to hear her voice. You've taken everything else from me. At least give me this."
I strode back toward her, towering over her trembling frame. "Don't act like I'm the villain here, Hannah. If it weren't for your sister's betrayal, you wouldn't even be in this situation. You should be begging Sophie to save you, not me."
"I am begging," she whispered, her tears glistening under the harsh light. "But you're the one holding all the cards, Damien. Please, just let me talk to her."
For a moment, I considered it. Letting her speak to Sophie wouldn't change anything. If anything, it might motivate Sophie to move faster. But the way Hannah was looking at me like I had the power to fix everything only made my blood boil.
"You want to talk to Sophie?" I asked, my tone laced with mockery. "Fine. I'll make it happen. But here's the deal...if Sophie doesn't have answers for me by the end of the day, you'll regret ever opening your mouth."
Hannah's face lit up with hope, but I wasn't done. I crouched down to her level, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet my gaze.
"Don't think for a second that this is me being kind. You're still nothing more than leverage, Hannah. The only reason you're still breathing is because I need Sophie to fix what she broke. If she fails, I'll make sure you pay the price. Do you understand me?"
Her breath hitched, but she nodded. "I understand."
I released her and stood, brushing my hands off like I'd touched something filthy. Without another word, I turned and left the room, slamming the door behind me.
As I walked down the dimly lit hallway, I pulled out my phone and dialed Sophie's number.
"Your sister wants to talk to you," I said when she answered. My voice was cold, calculated. "I'm giving you five minutes. Make it count."
SOPHIE'S POV
The moment my phone buzzed, I knew it wasn't good news. My hands trembled as I picked it up and saw Damien's name flashing on the screen.
"Your sister wants to talk to you," he said, his voice as cold as ice. "I'm giving you five minutes. Make it count."
Before I could even respond, he hung up.
I stood there, frozen for a moment, my heart racing. Five minutes? What the hell did that mean? Was Hannah okay? Was she hurt?
Grabbing my jacket, I stepped outside, pacing as I waited for the call. The air was cold, but it wasn't enough to cool the fire building inside me. Damien thought he could play me like this? He thought he could control everything?
My phone rang again, and I snatched it up immediately.
"Sophie!" Hannah's voice came through, shaky and desperate.
"Hannah! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine," she whispered, but I could hear the tremor in her voice. "He's… he's just mad, Sophie. He's blaming me for everything. I told him I didn't know anything, but he won't believe me."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "Of course, he won't. Damien doesn't know how to believe anyone but himself."
"Sophie," she interrupted, her voice cracking, "he's serious. He's not going to let me go until you fix this. What's going on? Why is he saying you betrayed him?"
I swallowed hard, guilt and anger warring inside me. "It's complicated, Hannah. But you have to trust me, okay? I'm going to get you out of this."
"I don't know if I can trust you, Sophie," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's terrifying. I've never seen someone so angry. What if you can't fix this? What happens to me then?"
The fear in her voice hit me like a punch to the gut. I had to fix this. Not for Damien, not for me—but for her.
"Hannah, listen to me," I said firmly. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I don't care what I have to do, but I'll make sure you're safe. Do you hear me?"
She sniffled. "Okay."
"Good. Now stay calm, no matter what he says. Don't give him a reason to lash out. I'll handle this."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
I lowered the phone, my mind racing. Damien wanted to play games? Fine. But he'd messed with the wrong sister.
If he thought I'd let him hold Hannah over my head, he was in for a rude awakening. I didn't care how ruthless or powerful he thought he was.. no one threatened my family and got away with it.
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and dialed another number. It was time to call in reinforcements.