Chapter 166: Chapter 168: Morning After
DAMIEN’S POV
Damien woke before dawn, as he always did. But this morning was different. This morning, he woke to the sight of Aria sleeping beside him, her face peaceful, her breathing soft and even.
She was back. In his bed. In his home. Where she belonged.
He’d barely slept despite his exhaustion, too afraid that if he closed his eyes for too long, she’d disappear again. That he’d wake to find her gone, her side of the bed cold, another note saying she was sorry.
But she was here sleeping beside him.
Damien propped himself up on one elbow and just watched her sleep. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across her face. She looked young like this. Vulnerable. Nothing like the woman who’d hacked into his security systems, who’d infiltrated his home with false credentials, who’d stolen from him without hesitation.
But she was also that woman. Was all of those things and more.
And he loved every version of her. Even the ones that terrified him.
His mind was already working, already planning. How to make sure she never left again. How to bind her to him so completely that the thought of leaving would be impossible.
He’d meant what he thought last night....he would make her addicted. To his touch. To his body. To the way he made her feel. He’d tie her to him with pleasure and possession until she couldn’t function without him.
Was it manipulative? Yes. Was it wrong? Probably. Did he care? Not even a little.
Because the alternative....losing her....was unacceptable. He’d survived one month without her and it had nearly destroyed him. He wouldn’t survive a second separation.
So he’d do whatever it took to keep her. Even if that meant using her body’s responses against her rational mind. Even if that meant leveraging her love for him to override her fears.
She belonged to him. Everything about her belonged to him. And he would make sure it stayed that way.
He leaned down and kissed her face...soft, tender, completely at odds with the dark thoughts running through his mind.
Aria stirred, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, she looked confused, disoriented. Then she focused on his face, and a smile curved her lips.
"Good morning," she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Good morning, Aria." Damien kissed her again, this time on the lips.
"Have you been up for long?"
"I woke up a while ago and couldn’t resist watching you sleep."
Aria smiled and moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest. They stayed like that for a while, just breathing together, existing in the quiet intimacy of early morning.
But Damien could feel her thinking. Could sense the wheels turning in her mind. Could practically hear the questions she wasn’t asking.
His hand tightened around her shoulders. "What are you thinking about, Aria?"
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face....taking in the sharp angles of his jaw, the intensity in his dark eyes, the face she claimed to love.
"I’m thinking about how much I know about you," she said quietly. "And if I even know you at all."
Damien’s expression didn’t change, but something cold settled in his chest.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean....." She shifted slightly, propping herself up so she could look at him properly. "For the whole situation of our relationship, I have never taken the time to actually know you. Beyond this whole facade. Beyond the infiltration, the fight, the reconciliation, and loving you. I am starting to think that I never took the time to actually know you."
There it was. The fear. The doubt. The beginning of the questions that could lead her to leave again.
Damien looked at her face, then her lips. He kissed her, hard and possessive, then drew her near. Held her face to his chest again.
"Do not overthink things, Aria," he said, his voice firm. "What matters is that I love you and would never hurt you."
He held her closer, feeling her heart beat against his chest, feeling the way she relaxed into his embrace despite her questions.
But he could still feel her thinking. Could still sense the doubt lingering.
******
ARIA’S POV
Aria lay against Damien’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, trying to quiet the thoughts racing through her mind.
Yes, she knew that he loved her. Knew that he would never hurt her. Knew that in his own complicated, intense way, he cherished her.
But was she ready to love the side of him she barely knew? The side that could drive spikes through someone’s hands without flinching? The side that orchestrated torture with the same cold efficiency he used in business deals?
And how complicated was it? How much darkness was she signing up for?
She’d always known that Damien wasn’t a man to be trifled with. Had known it way before she infiltrated his estate. His reputation in business circles spoke for itself....ruthless, calculating, willing to destroy anyone who crossed him.
But was he more dangerous than she thought? And how dangerous exactly?
What else was he capable of that she hadn’t seen yet? What other darkness lurked beneath the surface of the man who made love to her so tenderly?
These weren’t questions she could ask directly. Weren’t conversations they could have over breakfast. Because asking meant acknowledging that she was afraid. Meant admitting that part of her was still running even while her body lay in his arms.
And Damien.....Damien would see that fear as a threat. Would work even harder to bind her to him, to make her dependent, to ensure she couldn’t leave even if she wanted to.
She could feel it in the way he held her now. Too tight. Too possessive. Like he was afraid she’d vanish if he loosened his grip even slightly.
"Damien," she said softly.
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
She felt him tense beneath her. "Of course."
"Victoria. Is she—" She couldn’t quite bring herself to ask if Victoria was alive. Couldn’t voice that particular fear. "Is she okay?"
"Define okay," Damien said, his voice carefully neutral.
"Is she going to survive? Are her hands....will she be able to use them again?"
Damien was quiet for a long moment. Then: "She’s alive. In intensive care at Mount Sinai. Marcus has been monitoring her condition. The doctors are optimistic about her survival, but her hands...." He paused. "The damage was extensive. She’ll likely regain some function, but not full. She’ll need months of physical therapy. Multiple surgeries. And even then, she’ll never have the dexterity she had before."
Aria closed her eyes, processing that information. Victoria would live. Would recover, mostly. But would be permanently marked by what Damien had done.
"How do you feel about that?" she asked carefully.
"Satisfied that she’ll never type another defamatory article. Never use those hands to scheme against you again. Never forget what happens when someone threatens what’s mine."
The coldness in his voice made her shiver.
"Does it bother you?" she asked. "What you did to her? What you’re capable of?"
"Should it?" Damien asked her.
