Silence stretched between them.
Eve stared at the diamond, its brilliance reflecting the weight of the moment.
This was everything she never expected.
Damian powerful, untouchable, a man who had never truly needed anyone was asking her to be his.
Her lips parted, but no words came.
Damian's expression didn't change, but she felt the way his grip on the box tightened, the way his chest barely rose with his breath.
"You're hesitating." His voice was calm, but she could hear the tension beneath it.
Eve swallowed hard. "Damian… this is" She shook her head. "It's fast."
His jaw flexed. "It doesn't feel fast to me."
She exhaled, trying to gather her thoughts. "You barely let people in. You live in a world of power plays and secrets. And I" Her voice faltered. "I don't belong in that world."
Damian's gaze darkened. "You think I'd ask you to marry me if I thought you didn't belong?"
She looked away. "I just"
Damian caught her chin, forcing her eyes back to his.
"I don't care how I used to live," he said, voice low, steady. "I don't care about the past. What I care about is this us."
Her heart pounded.
"This isn't about power," he continued. "It's not about control. It's about the fact that you are the only woman who has ever made me feel something real." His grip on her tightened slightly. "And I'm not letting you walk away from that."
Eve's throat tightened.
She wanted to say yes.
But the fear was there, lingering beneath the surface.
Could she really trust this? Trust him?
She took a shaky breath. "I just need time," she whispered.
Damian studied her for a long moment, and then, to her surprise, he nodded.
"Fine," he said. "I'll give you time."
But then he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he murmured, "But don't think for a second that I'm letting you go."
A shiver ran down her spine.
Because deep down, she knew.
Neither of them would ever be the same after this.
Running from the Inevitable
Eve needed space.
She had told Damian she needed time, but the moment those words left her lips, she had seen something shift in his gaze something possessive, something relentless.
So she did the only thing she could.
She left.
By morning, she had packed a small bag and slipped out of his penthouse, catching a cab back to her tiny apartment across the city.
Her heart pounded the entire ride.
What had she done?
She wasn't rejecting him she just needed to breathe, to think without the weight of Damian's presence pressing in on her.
But the second she stepped into her apartment, she felt it.
The emptiness.
The silence.
She had gotten so used to him to his touch, his voice, his intensity that being without it now felt… wrong.
Still, she told herself it was the right decision.
She just needed time.
She just needed,
A sharp knock at her door made her jump.
Her stomach twisted.
She knew who it was before she even reached for the handle.
Slowly, she opened the door.
Damian stood there.
Tall. Unshaken.
And completely unamused.
"You really thought you could run from me?" His voice was smooth, but the danger laced within it sent a shiver down her spine.
Eve swallowed. "I"
Damian didn't wait for an answer.
He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
And suddenly, the small space felt suffocating.
"I told you I'd give you time," he murmured, stalking toward her, his presence overwhelming. "But disappearing in the middle of the night?" His lips curved into a smirk. "That was a mistake."
Eve took a step back, but Damian caught her wrist, pulling her flush against him.
His voice was dark, promising.
"You can run, Eve." His fingers traced her jaw. "But I will always catch you."
Her breath hitched.
Because the truth was,
She wanted him to.
No More Denying It
Eve's pulse pounded as Damian held her close, his grip firm but not forceful.
"You can't keep running from this," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.
Her body betrayed her she leaned into him without thinking, her fingers gripping his shirt as if letting go would shatter something inside her.
"I'm not running," she whispered.
Damian's lips curved in amusement. "No?" His fingers tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Then tell me why did you leave?"
She swallowed hard. "Because I'm scared."
It was the truth.
Of him. Of what she felt. Of how deeply he had already consumed her.
Damian's expression didn't change, but something in his gaze softened just a fraction.
"Eve," he said quietly. "I've spent years feeling nothing. Wanting nothing." His thumb brushed over her bottom lip. "Until you."
Her heart clenched.
"You think this is fast?" His voice was low, rough. "Maybe it is. But when you find something that finally makes sense, you don't waste time doubting it."
Tears pricked her eyes. "Damian"
"I love you."
The words slammed into her, stealing her breath.
He had never said those words before.
Not once.
Not to anyone.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her chest tightening, and suddenly.
The fear vanished.
Because deep down, she had already known.
She had always known.
Slowly, she placed her hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
And then,
"Yes," she whispered.
Damian's eyes darkened. "Say it again."
She exhaled shakily. "Yes. I'll marry you."
A slow, wicked smile spread across his lips.
And then he kissed her deep, consuming, sealing the promise between them.
There was no more running.
No more fear.
Because she was his now.
And she wanted to be.