The Enemy Within
934 Words
Luna Hart — POV
“…inside the house?”
The words didn’t make sense.
They couldn’t make sense.
I looked from the man to Damien, waiting for one of them to say something that would make this less… insane.
No one did.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Real.
“That’s not possible,” I said finally, though even I didn’t sound convinced.
Damien didn’t respond.
That was worse.
Much worse.
Because if he wasn’t denying it—
Then it was true.
A slow, uneasy feeling settled in my chest.
“This place is supposed to be secure, right?” I asked, my voice quieter now.
“Yes.”
“Then how is someone already inside?”
His gaze shifted slightly.
Thinking.
Calculating.
I could see it happening again—the way his mind worked, always a step ahead, always searching for something deeper.
“That’s what we’re about to find out,” he said.
Not reassuring.
Not even close.
---
Damien Cross — POV
A breach from inside.
Clean.
Fast.
Precise.
That means access.
And access means trust.
Which narrows things down.
A lot.
“Lock down all internal communications,” I ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
“No one leaves. No one enters.”
The man nodded and stepped away quickly.
I turned slightly, my attention shifting back to her.
Luna.
She looked tense now.
Not just confused.
Alert.
Good.
She’s adapting.
Faster than most would.
“Stay close,” I said.
Her brows furrowed immediately.
“That sounds like an order again.”
“It is.”
She opened her mouth to argue—
Then stopped.
Because deep down, she understood.
This wasn’t a normal situation anymore.
This wasn’t something she could walk away from.
Not yet.
“…fine,” she said quietly.
Temporary agreement.
I’ll take it.
---
Luna Hart — POV
I didn’t like this.
Not the way he took control.
Not the way everyone listened to him without question.
Not the way this house suddenly felt like a trap instead of a safe place.
But I stayed.
Because leaving felt worse.
We moved through the hallway together.
My steps were slower now.
More careful.
Every sound felt louder.
Every shadow felt suspicious.
“Who has access to this place?” I asked.
“Very few people,” he replied.
“That’s not specific.”
“It’s not meant to be.”
I exhaled sharply.
“You’re impossible.”
He didn’t react.
Didn’t even look at me.
Which somehow made it worse.
Then—
We stopped.
At the end of the hallway.
Two guards stood outside a door.
Tense.
Alert.
“Report,” Damien said.
“One of the staff is unaccounted for,” one of them replied.
My stomach dropped.
“Who?” Damien asked.
“House assistant. She was on shift earlier tonight.”
My mind flashed back.
The woman.
The one who showed me to my room.
A chill ran through me.
“She…” I started slowly, “she was the one who took me upstairs.”
Damien’s gaze shifted to me instantly.
Sharp.
Focused.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then—
“Open the door,” he ordered.
---
Damien Cross — POV
The door opened.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The room was empty.
Too empty.
No signs of struggle.
No signs of presence.
Just—
Gone.
“She had access,” I said quietly.
“To the guest wing. To her room.”
Which means—
She placed the phone.
She sent the message.
Or she was working for someone who did.
“Find her,” I added.
“Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Footsteps moved quickly behind me.
Efficient.
Trained.
But my attention stayed forward.
Because this—
This wasn’t just infiltration.
This was a message.
Someone got inside my space.
My control.
My system.
And that?
That doesn’t happen by accident.
---
Luna Hart — POV
My heart was racing again.
Faster this time.
Because now—
This was real.
Not just outside.
Not just strangers.
Inside.
Close.
Too close.
“She was right there…” I said softly. “She didn’t look suspicious at all.”
“They never do,” Damien replied.
That didn’t help.
At all.
I wrapped my arms around myself slightly, trying to steady the feeling building inside me.
“Why me?” I asked suddenly.
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
“Why are they after me?”
Silence.
Again.
But this time, I didn’t look away.
I held his gaze.
Waiting.
Demanding.
Because I was done being in the dark.
“…I don’t know yet,” he said.
Yet.
That word stood out.
“You think there’s a reason,” I said.
He didn’t deny it.
Of course he didn’t.
My chest tightened.
“Then find it,” I said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
“I will.”
---
Damien Cross — POV
She’s holding on.
Barely.
But she is.
That’s enough.
For now.
My phone vibrated again.
I checked it.
Then my expression changed.
Slightly.
Just enough.
“She’s been found,” the message read.
Location attached.
I looked up.
“It’s not over,” I said.
Her brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
I met her eyes.
“They want us to follow.”
---
Outside the estate, hidden in the darkness, a figure watched the gates silently.
Unmoving.
Patient.
Inside their hand—
A small device blinked softly.
Active.
Connected.
And already sending one final message:
“Phase two complete.”
A pause.
Then—
“Proceed to phase three.”
---
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