LILY'S POV
The penthouse was exactly what I expected: sleek, modern, and cold, in a way that made me feel out of place the moment I stepped inside. Damien's home matched him-detached, immaculate, like a well-designed cage. There was nothing warm or inviting about it. Everything screamed control.
I followed him down the long hallway, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Caleb had disappeared the moment we entered, leaving me alone with Damien. My stomach churned with a mixture of unease and something darker I couldn't name. There was a reason I avoided spending time with him. His presence simply unnerved me in a way I couldn't explain.
"Take a seat," Damien said, his voice as smooth and precise as always. He gestured toward the long, minimalist dining table.
I sat, though I hesitated for a moment. His gaze never left me as I lowered myself into the seat, a silent weight pressing down on me. I wanted to look away, but something kept me rooted.
He didn't sit immediately. Instead, he moved to the window, his broad back facing me as he stared out at the city skyline. The way he held himself, the silent authority in his posture, made my heart skip a beat.
"So," Damien said after a long pause, his voice breaking the stillness. "How are you, Lily?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. He rarely asked about me-not really. I couldn't remember the last time he'd shown any real interest in anything beyond the surface.
"I'm... fine," I said, unsure of what else to say. "Just... busy, I guess."
He turned to face me, a small, calculating smile playing on his lips. "Busy with Caleb, I assume?"
The question hung in the air, thick with implication. I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of how my hands were gripping the edge of the chair.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my voice even. "Busy with Caleb."
Damien's smile widened slightly, but there was no warmth in it-just a quiet amusement. "You don't have to pretend, you know."
I furrowed my brow, my heart pounding a little faster. "Pretend what?"
He took a step closer, his movements measured, like a predator closing in on its prey. "You don't have to pretend that everything's fine between you two. I can see it in your eyes." His gaze seemed to pierce through me, like he was peeling back layers, looking for something deep beneath the surface.
My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. The way he looked at me-like he could see all my secrets-made my skin crawl.
"Caleb's not the man you think he is, Lily," Damien continued, his voice soft but dangerous. "You know that, don't you?"
I swallowed hard, my fingers twitching at my sides. "What are you talking about?"
Damien's eyes flicked to mine, his expression unreadable. "You know exactly what I mean." He paused, letting the silence stretch between us, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a challenge. "But you keep making excuses for him, don't you?"
I didn't answer immediately. My mind was racing, trying to grasp at something-anything-that would help me make sense of what he was saying. But the more I thought about it, the more the truth crept in. Caleb wasn't perfect. He never had been.
I opened my mouth to say something, to deny it, but the words caught in my throat. Damien was right. I knew it. But admitting it aloud felt like betrayal.
"Caleb's my boyfriend," I finally said, though my voice lacked conviction. "I love him."
Damien's eyes darkened, his gaze becoming intense, predatory. "Is that really love, Lily? Or is it just convenience? Just something to hold on to while you turn a blind eye to the truth?"
I could feel the air in the room growing thicker with each word. The tension between us was palpable, like an electric charge hanging in the space, waiting to snap.
"I'm not blind," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I just... don't know what you're trying to say."
Damien took a step closer, his presence swallowing up the space between us. He stopped when he was just a few inches away, his gaze never leaving mine. "What I'm trying to say, Lily, is that Caleb isn't who he pretends to be. He's not loyal. He's not honest. And deep down, you know that."
His voice was low now, almost a whisper, but it cut through me like a knife. The words were like a cold shower, washing over me, exposing all the doubts I had buried deep inside.
"You don't deserve to be with him," Damien said, his tone soft but insistent. "You deserve someone who can give you everything Caleb never will."
I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. His words hung in the air, too powerful, too tempting.
"Caleb doesn't know what he's got, Lily," Damien continued, his voice almost tender now. "But I do."
The way he said it-like it was a promise, a declaration-made my pulse spike. I didn't know if I should be terrified or intrigued, but I was both.
"You're not like him," I whispered, my throat dry, my heart racing in my chest. "You're... different."
Damien's lips twitched into a faint, satisfied smile. "I know. I've always been different."
For a moment, we stood there, locked in a silence that felt like a promise. I didn't know what I was walking into, but it felt dangerous. Everything about Damien felt dangerous.
Finally, he spoke again, his voice lower, more insistent. "I could show you a life where you're not constantly looking over your shoulder, wondering what Caleb's doing behind your back. I could give you what he never could." His gaze was intense, like a flame that was threatening to burn me alive.
I wanted to look away, to escape. But I couldn't.
"All you have to do is say yes," Damien said, his words a challenge, an invitation. "Let me show you what it really means to be wanted, Lily."