Elena walked aimlessly through the quiet streets, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. The night air was cold, biting against her skin, but she barely noticed. Damian's words echoed in her mind, his raw confession pulling at something deep inside her.
I don't just want you—I need you.
It wasn't the first time someone had claimed to need her, but Damian's desperation felt different. It wasn't manipulative or calculated—it was primal, like a force of nature. Yet, the intensity of it scared her. How could she be his lifeline when she barely understood her own place in his chaotic world?
She found herself at the edge of a small park, its dimly lit pathways providing a temporary escape. Sitting on a bench, Elena wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chill. She needed to think, to make sense of everything. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept circling back to Damian—the way he looked at her, the way his voice softened when he called her "little bird."
Why did she feel like she was falling into something she might never escape?
---
Meanwhile, Damian sat in his office, his hands gripping the edge of his desk as he tried to suppress the storm brewing inside him. The thought of Elena out there alone, unprotected, gnawed at him. His men had orders to keep an eye on her from a distance, but it wasn't enough.
Victor stepped into the room cautiously, a file in hand. "Sir, we've tracked her. She's at the park near her apartment."
Damian didn't respond immediately. His knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the desk. "Did anyone approach her?"
"No, sir," Victor replied. "But… there's been activity. Someone else is watching her."
Damian's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "Who?"
"We're still trying to identify them, but it's likely connected to the threats from your rival."
A low growl escaped Damian's throat, his rage barely contained. "I told you to eliminate every single one of them. Why is this still an issue?"
Victor stiffened. "We're working on it, sir. But the movements have been… unpredictable."
Damian stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Unpredictable doesn't mean impossible, Victor. If anyone so much as breathes in her direction, they won't live to see another day."
"Yes, sir," Victor said, lowering his head.
Damian grabbed his coat, his expression deadly. "Send a car. I'm going to her."
---
Elena remained on the bench, staring at the stars above. She wondered if her mother had ever felt this kind of overwhelming confusion in her life. Her parents had always seemed so certain about love, so steady. But her life was nothing like theirs.
"Cold night to be sitting out here alone," a voice interrupted her thoughts.
She looked up to see a man in his late thirties, dressed casually but with a strange, unsettling air about him. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm fine," Elena said curtly, standing up.
The man stepped closer, his smile widening. "No need to be so cold. Just thought you could use some company."
Her pulse quickened. She instinctively took a step back, her heart pounding.
"I'm leaving," she said firmly, turning to walk away.
But the man grabbed her wrist, his grip firm. "Don't be like that, sweetheart. I'm just being friendly."
"Let go of me!" Elena demanded, struggling against him.
Before she could scream, the man was yanked away from her, his body slammed against a nearby tree with a force that made her gasp.
Damian stood there, his face a mask of cold fury. His hand gripped the man's throat, his knuckles white.
"You made a very, very bad decision," Damian growled, his voice like ice.
The man gasped for air, clawing at Damian's hand. "I-I didn't know—"
"You didn't know she was mine?" Damian cut him off, his voice dropping dangerously low. "You should've known better than to touch what doesn't belong to you."
"Please… I didn't mean any harm!" the man choked out.
Damian leaned in closer, his expression venomous. "Harm or not, you'll remember this moment every time you even think about coming near her again."
With a sharp shove, Damian released the man, who crumpled to the ground, coughing and gasping. Damian didn't spare him another glance as he turned to Elena, his features softening slightly.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice gentler now.
Elena shook her head, still too stunned to speak.
Damian took her hand, his thumb brushing over her wrist where the man had grabbed her. "Did he hurt you here?"
"N-no," she stammered, finally finding her voice.
His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening again. "Good. Because if he had, I wouldn't have let him walk away."
She pulled her hand away, stepping back. "You can't just go around attacking people, Damian. You're going to get yourself in trouble."
"Trouble doesn't scare me," he said, his tone firm. "Losing you does."
Her breath hitched at his words. "You can't keep doing this. You can't keep acting like you own me."
He stepped closer, his gaze intense. "I don't act like I own you, Elena. I do. And if keeping you safe means breaking every law, then so be it. You're my little bird, and I'll destroy anyone who dares to cage you—or take you away from me."
Her heart pounded as his words wrapped around her like chains, both terrifying and intoxicating. Before she could respond, Damian's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, his expression darkening as he read the message. "Victor's waiting with the car. Let's go."
Elena hesitated. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Damian stepped closer, his hand brushing against her cheek. "You're safer with me, Elena. Please don't fight me on this."
For a moment, she saw something raw in his eyes—an unspoken vulnerability he rarely let slip. Against her better judgment, she nodded, allowing him to lead her to the car waiting at the curb.
As they drove off, Elena couldn't shake the feeling that her life was spiraling further out of control. And no matter how much she wanted to escape Damian's grasp, a part of her was starting to wonder if she truly wanted to.