The mansion felt different now.
Evelyn had spent days immersed in Damian Voss's world, witnessing firsthand how effortlessly he controlled everything-people, businesses, entire empires. He was untouchable, a force of nature cloaked in tailored suits and an iron will.
But tonight, for the first time, she saw something else.
She saw cracks.
Not in his power. Not in his empire.
In him.
---
A Moment Unraveled
The hour was late, the sky dark and endless, stretching above the city skyline like an abyss. Evelyn found herself wandering the halls of the mansion, unable to sleep. She had seen too much, learned too much.
Every time she thought she understood Damian, he surprised her.
He wasn't a good man.
But was he beyond saving?
She didn't know.
And that terrified her.
Then, as she neared the study, she heard something unexpected-glass shattering.
Her breath caught. She hesitated for half a second before stepping closer, peering through the slightly open door.
Damian stood in the dim light, his back to her, his hand clenched into a fist. At his feet, a crystal tumbler lay shattered, amber liquid pooling on the expensive floor.
But it wasn't the broken glass that made Evelyn freeze.
It was his expression.
For the first time since she had met him, he looked lost.
His shoulders weren't as squared, his breath uneven. There was no controlled smirk, no calculated gaze. Just exhaustion. Frustration. Something dangerously close to regret.
Evelyn didn't think. She acted.
"You okay?" she asked, stepping into the room.
Damian's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto hers.
For a moment, something flickered behind his mask. But then-it was gone.
He exhaled, straightening. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Not when there's glass breaking in the middle of the night," she said, nodding toward the floor.
Damian let out a low chuckle, but there was no real amusement in it. He stepped over the mess and moved toward the decanter, pouring himself another drink.
"You shouldn't be here," he murmured.
Evelyn folded her arms. "And yet, here I am."
He took a slow sip, watching her over the rim of his glass.
"You really don't know when to walk away, do you?"
"Not when I see something worth staying for," she shot back before she could stop herself.
His grip on the glass tightened.
A heavy silence filled the space between them.
Then-he moved.
Before she could react, Damian closed the distance between them, his presence overwhelming, too close. His hand came up, fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
Evelyn's breath hitched.
"You don't know what you're playing with, Evelyn," he murmured.
Her pulse raced. "Then tell me."
He exhaled sharply, his jaw clenching. For the first time, he looked like he wanted to.
Like he wanted to let her in.
But then-he pulled back.
Whatever weakness had cracked through him was sealed shut once again.
"Go to bed, Monroe," he said, turning away.
Evelyn studied him for a long moment before exhaling.
She should have walked away.
She should have left him in his storm.
But she didn't.
Because for the first time, she realized Damian Voss wasn't just a villain.
He was a man drowning in his own darkness.
And against all logic, against everything she had believed-
She wanted to pull him out.
---
A Deal in Blood
The next day, Evelyn found herself in Damian's office-the one place he had warned her not to enter.
She hadn't intended to, but when one of his men ushered her inside, she knew something was wrong.
Damian sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable as he studied the documents before him. Across from him stood another man-one Evelyn recognized instantly.
Adrian Costa.
A name whispered in the city's underbelly, a businessman with ties to gun-running, trafficking, and assassinations.
A man even more dangerous than Damian.
Evelyn's stomach twisted.
Damian finally looked up. "Evelyn, meet Mr. Costa. He and I were just discussing business."
Costa smirked, his gaze sliding over her in a way that made her skin crawl. "She's as stunning as they say," he mused. "And here I thought you didn't keep distractions around, Voss."
Damian's entire demeanor shifted.
A darkness swept over him so fast it made the air turn ice-cold.
"You'd do well to watch your words, Costa," he said smoothly, but there was venom in his tone.
Costa chuckled, raising his hands. "Relax. I'm just saying-it's unlike you to let anyone close."
Evelyn felt Damian's gaze flick toward her for the briefest moment.
Then, he stood, buttoning his jacket. "Our business is done."
Costa's smirk faded slightly. "Just like that?"
"You got what you came for," Damian said. "Now leave."
The room grew heavy.
Costa exhaled, giving Evelyn one last look before turning toward the door. "Be careful, sweetheart," he murmured as he passed her. "Men like him don't break. But women like you? They shatter."
Then he was gone.
Evelyn let out a slow breath, turning back to Damian. "What the hell was that about?"
Damian was already pouring himself a drink, his jaw tight. "That was a reminder."
"A reminder of what?"
He took a sip, then met her gaze with something dark, something dangerous.
"That in this world, attachments are weaknesses."
Evelyn swallowed. "And is that what I am to you?"
Damian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, his gaze locked onto hers.
"You tell me," he murmured.
Her heart pounded.
Because in that moment-she didn't know.
She didn't know if she was Damian's weakness.
Or if he was becoming hers.