The ride back to Damian's estate was tense, the air between them charged with unspoken words. Elena sat rigid in her seat, staring out of the window as the city lights blurred past. She could feel Damian's eyes on her, his gaze heavy and unrelenting, but she refused to meet it.
Her mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. She wanted to push him away, to demand her freedom, but a small part of her couldn't deny the strange sense of security she felt when he was near. It terrified her, how easily he could pull her into his orbit, no matter how hard she fought against it.
"You're too quiet," Damian said, his voice breaking the silence.
Elena crossed her arms, her tone cold. "What do you want me to say? That I'm grateful you assaulted someone in the park?"
Damian's jaw tightened, but he kept his tone measured. "That man had no right to touch you. If I hadn't been there, who knows what could've happened?"
"I could've handled it," she snapped, finally turning to face him. "I don't need you swooping in like some dark knight and taking over my life."
His lips curled into a dark smile. "You think I'll stop protecting you because you don't like it? Think again, little bird. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it means you hate me for it."
Her chest tightened at the possessiveness in his tone, but she refused to let him see how much his words affected her. "You don't own me, Damian."
He leaned closer, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "Don't I?" he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "Every time you think about running, every time you dream of escaping me, you'll remember one thing—I'm the only one who knows you, Elena. The real you. And no one else will ever love you the way I do."
Elena's heart raced as his words settled over her like a heavy weight. She hated how much they resonated, how deeply they cut into the walls she tried so hard to keep up.
The car came to a stop in front of Damian's sprawling estate. Without another word, he stepped out and opened her door, his hand extended toward her.
"Come inside," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
She hesitated but eventually took his hand, allowing him to lead her into the mansion. The grand foyer felt colder tonight, the usual warmth of the space replaced by an oppressive silence.
Damian guided her into the sitting room, where a fire crackled in the hearth. He poured a glass of wine and handed it to her before taking a seat across from her.
"I need answers, Damian," Elena said, her voice firm. "Why are you so obsessed with me? Why do you keep calling me 'little bird'? What is it about me that makes you act like this?"
He stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he leaned back in his chair, his expression softening.
"You remind me of someone I lost," he admitted, his voice quiet. "Someone I couldn't save. When I saw you for the first time, sitting in that library with your nose buried in a book, something about you called to me. You looked so innocent, so untouched by the darkness of the world. I knew I couldn't let anyone corrupt you."
Elena's breath caught. "You don't even know me, Damian. How can you say I remind you of someone?"
"I know enough," he said, his gaze locking onto hers. "I know you're strong, even when you don't think you are. I know you care about people, even when they don't deserve it. And I know you've spent most of your life feeling invisible, like no one truly sees you. But I see you, Elena. I always have."
His words sent a shiver down her spine, the intensity of his gaze making it impossible to look away.
"Damian," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You can't keep trying to save me from a world that's not as dark as you think it is. I'm not some fragile thing you need to protect."
He stood, crossing the room in two strides until he was standing in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing over her cheek.
"You don't understand," he said, his voice low and almost tender. "You're the only light in my world, Elena. Without you, there's nothing but darkness. So if protecting you makes me a monster, then so be it. I'll be whatever you need me to be."
Her heart thundered in her chest as his words washed over her. For the first time, she saw the vulnerability behind his possessiveness, the broken man hiding behind the ruthless exterior.
"Damian…" she started, but he silenced her with a finger pressed gently to her lips.
"You don't have to say anything," he murmured. "Just promise me one thing—don't leave me, Elena. I won't survive it."
The raw desperation in his voice made her chest ache. Against her better judgment, she nodded, the weight of his plea settling heavily on her shoulders.
"I won't leave," she whispered, the words feeling both like a promise and a surrender.
Damian's lips curled into a small, almost relieved smile. "Good. Because you're mine, little bird. And I'll never let you go."
As his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace, Elena felt the walls around her heart beginning to crack. For better or worse, Damian Steele had ensnared her in his world—and there was no escaping now.