A Deadly Obsession
1088 Words
Chapter 5 — A Deadly Obsession
(Dual POV — Aria & Damian)
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Aria’s POV
The night air was sharp, the city’s neon lights blurring as Damian’s car sped down the highway.
I should have been terrified after what happened in my office — the shattered glass, the men with guns, the way Damian fought like a predator protecting his prey.
But I wasn’t terrified.
I was… conflicted.
Part of me wanted to scream at him for dragging me into this world.
Another part couldn’t ignore the way his hand still rested on mine, steady and possessive, as if daring me to pull away.
I didn’t.
“Who were they?” I finally asked, breaking the tense silence.
Damian’s jaw flexed. “People who think they can hurt me… by getting to you.”
My throat tightened. “I didn’t ask for this, Damian. I didn’t choose any of this.”
“You stepped into my world the moment you took that case,” he said flatly, his gaze never leaving the road. “Whether you like it or not, Aria, you’re part of it now.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine.
I wanted to argue, to deny it, but deep down I knew he was right.
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The car finally slowed as we approached a towering glass building. The Blackwood Tower — Damian’s empire.
Inside, the marble lobby gleamed, but it wasn’t the luxury that made my pulse race. It was the cold stares from his men in black suits lining the hallway.
Every single one of them had a weapon.
And every single one of them knew who I was now.
Damian led me to the private elevator, his hand pressing against the small of my back. I stiffened at the touch, hating the way my body reacted to him.
“You’re safe here,” he said, his voice softer this time. “No one can touch you under this roof.”
Safe.
That was funny coming from him.
Because nothing about Damian Blackwood felt safe.
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Damian’s POV
She didn’t belong here.
Her wide, nervous eyes gave her away, but she tried to hide it.
She was stubborn, brave — and it was going to get her killed if she wasn’t careful.
The elevator doors opened to my penthouse — the top floor, my sanctuary, my war room.
But tonight, it felt different.
Because I’d brought her here.
“Stay close to me,” I said, walking ahead.
Aria followed reluctantly, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
She glanced around — the sleek black leather couches, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, the grand piano in the corner. Everything screamed power. Control.
Her gaze landed on the bar where two of my men stood, waiting for instructions.
“Report,” I ordered sharply.
“Three men, all ex-Hale syndicate,” one of them said. “They were sent to grab her. Orders came from Victor directly.”
Aria froze behind me. “Victor?” she whispered.
I turned to her slowly. “He’s my former business partner,” I said, my tone controlled but edged with steel. “Now he’s my enemy. And apparently… yours.”
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Aria’s POV
I couldn’t breathe.
This wasn’t just about Damian anymore — I was in the middle of something dangerous, something I didn’t understand.
Victor Hale. A name I didn’t know, but one that suddenly felt like a threat carved into my skin.
“Why me?” I demanded. “Why target me? I’m just a lawyer—”
“You’re my lawyer,” Damian interrupted, his tone clipped. “That’s enough reason.”
His gaze locked on mine, intense and unyielding. There was no apology in his voice, no regret for dragging me into this.
“You need to stay here,” he continued, stepping closer until my back brushed against the glass wall. “Where I can protect you.”
I swallowed hard, heat crawling up my neck. “I can’t just stay locked away like some prisoner.”
“You’d rather be dead?” he asked, his voice low, dangerous.
I flinched. He saw it — and regretted it instantly.
“Aria…” His hand lifted as if to touch me but stopped short, curling into a fist instead. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Even if you hate me for it.”
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Damian’s POV
I hated the fear in her eyes.
I hated that she looked at me like I was part of the danger — because I was.
And yet, I couldn’t let her go.
Not now. Not ever.
I walked toward the balcony, staring out at the city lights, trying to rein in my temper. Every move Victor made was calculated. If he’d sent his men after Aria, it meant one thing:
He’d figured out she mattered to me.
That made her a weapon.
And I didn’t allow weapons to be used against me.
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Aria’s POV
Later that night, I sat curled up on the edge of the massive leather couch, Damian’s penthouse feeling too big, too cold, too dangerous.
Sofia called three times before I finally answered.
“Aria! Where the hell are you? I saw the news — armed men at your office? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I whispered, glancing toward the balcony where Damian stood, a dark silhouette against the city skyline. “I… I’m staying somewhere safe.”
“Safe where?”
I hesitated.
Something in Sofia’s tone felt… off.
She sounded worried — but there was something else, something I couldn’t place.
“Just… trust me, I’m okay,” I said finally, cutting the call short.
But later, as I drifted toward the bedroom Damian had given me, I heard something that froze my blood.
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Cliffhanger Ending
From the hallway, faint but clear, I heard Damian’s voice on the phone:
> “If Sofia makes another move… I want her watched. She’s working with Victor. I’m sure of it.”
My breath caught.
Sofia.
My best friend.
Betrayal burned in my chest, sharp and suffocating.
And then Damian’s next words sent a chill down my spine:
> “If she doesn’t back off… eliminate her.”
I stumbled backward, hand clamped over my mouth, heart pounding in my ears.
The room spun.
The walls felt like they were closing in.
I didn’t know what terrified me more —
that my best friend was betraying me…
or that Damian Blackwood might be planning to kill her.
- Writer
