Clara's heart thundered in her chest as the door slammed shut behind Damien. She leaned against it, pressing her palms flat against the wood as if her touch alone could keep him out. But she knew it wouldn't be enough. Nothing would.
"Mom?" Lucas's soft voice broke through her spiraling thoughts.
She turned to see him clutching the stuffed wolf tighter than ever, his eyes wide with confusion. "Who was that man?"
Her throat tightened. She couldn't lie to him—not when the truth was standing outside her door, ready to crash into their lives like a tidal wave. "He's... someone from my past," she said carefully.
Lucas frowned, his young mind already piecing together more than she wanted him to. "Is he bad?"
She knelt in front of him, cupping his small face in her hands. "He's not bad. But he doesn't understand what we've been through. That's why I need you to stay close to me, okay?"
Lucas nodded solemnly, but the way his gaze drifted toward the door made her stomach churn. She knew Damien wouldn't leave without answers, and the longer he stayed, the greater the risk.
A sharp knock shattered the fragile silence, making them both jump.
Clara rose to her feet, her movements stiff and mechanical. She hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob, before finally pulling it open.
Damien stood there, his jaw tight and his dark eyes blazing with a mixture of frustration and something deeper. He didn't wait for an invitation. Stepping inside, he let the door close behind him with a quiet click.
"We're not done, Clara," he said, his voice low but firm.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I told you to leave."
"And I told you we need to talk." His gaze flickered to Lucas, who was half-hidden behind her. "If you won't tell me the truth, maybe he will."
Her heart lurched. "Damien, stop."
But Damien crouched again, his tone softening as he addressed Lucas directly. "Hey, buddy. What's your name?"
Lucas hesitated, glancing up at Clara for guidance.
"It's okay, sweetie," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Lucas," the boy finally said.
Damien's expression shifted—just for a moment, a flicker of something vulnerable crossed his face. "Lucas," he repeated, as if tasting the name on his tongue.
Clara stepped between them, her protective instincts flaring. "You don't get to do this," she snapped.
"Do what?" Damien stood, towering over her. "Ask questions? Try to understand why the woman I cared about disappeared without a trace? Why she's raising a son who looks exactly like me?"
Clara flinched, the weight of his words pressing down on her like a physical force. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" His voice rose, his frustration spilling over. "You think I'm blind? That I can't see the truth standing right in front of me?"
Lucas shrank back at the tension, and Clara's heart broke at the sight of his frightened expression. She couldn't let this escalate—not in front of her son.
"Lucas," she said, forcing a calmness she didn't feel. "Why don't you go play in your room for a bit? I'll come get you soon."
Lucas hesitated, his wide eyes darting between the two of them. But finally, he nodded and disappeared down the hallway.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Clara rounded on Damien. "You have no idea what I've been through," she hissed, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion. "What I've done to keep him safe."
Damien's jaw tightened. "Safe from what? From me?"
"From the world you live in!" she shot back. "You think I don't know what you've become? The deals you've made? The enemies you've created?"
His silence was answer enough.
Clara took a step closer, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "I left because I had to. Because staying would've destroyed us both."
"You had no right to make that decision for me," Damien said, his voice raw. "You think I wouldn't have protected you? That I wouldn't have done everything in my power to keep you safe?"
"It wasn't just about me!" Her voice cracked, and she turned away, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It was about Lucas. About giving him a chance at a normal life—a life you couldn't offer."
The room fell silent, the air between them heavy with unspoken words.
Finally, Damien spoke, his voice quieter but no less determined. "You can't keep him from me, Clara. Not now. Not when I know."
She whirled back to face him, her eyes blazing. "I will do whatever it takes to protect my son. If that means keeping you out of his life, so be it."
Damien's expression hardened, and for a moment, she saw a glimpse of the ruthless man he'd become—a man who wouldn't take no for an answer.
"You don't get to decide that," he said, his voice like steel. "Not anymore."
Before she could respond, the sound of breaking glass shattered the tense moment.
Both of them turned toward the noise, their eyes landing on the shattered window near the kitchen.
A shadow moved outside, followed by the crunch of footsteps on gravel.
Clara's blood ran cold.
"Get Lucas," Damien ordered, his voice sharp and commanding.
Clara didn't argue. She sprinted down the hallway, her heart pounding as she scooped Lucas into her arms.
"Mommy, what's happening?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"It's okay, baby," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Everything's going to be okay."
When she returned to the living room, Damien was already at the door, his posture tense as he scanned the darkness outside.
"Stay here," he said without looking back.
"No," Clara said firmly. "I'm not letting you handle this alone."
Damien turned to face her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it looked like he might argue. But then he nodded, his jaw set.
"Fine," he said. "But stay behind me."
Clara clutched Lucas tightly as they stepped outside, the cold night air biting at her skin.
The yard was empty, but the feeling of being watched was unmistakable.
"Whoever you are," Damien called out, his voice echoing into the darkness, "you picked the wrong house."
Silence.
Then, a low chuckle cut through the air, sending a shiver down Clara's spine.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a man with a scar running down the side of his face, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Damien Blackwood," the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. "You've been a hard man to find."
Damien stepped forward, his body tense and ready. "You should've kept looking."
The man smirked, his gaze shifting to Clara and Lucas. "Looks like I found something even better."
Clara's grip on Lucas tightened as dread washed over her. Whoever this man was, he wasn't here by accident. And he wasn't leaving without a fight.
The arrival of a dangerous figure from Damien's world forces Clara to confront the harsh reality of their situation, as she realizes that her past decisions may no longer be enough to protect her son.