Chapter Two: The Man Behind the Trigger
1510 Words
Elena Vale did not sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the gun.
Not the wedding.
Not the flowers.
Not the hundreds of expensive candles glowing beneath the crystal chandeliers.
The gun.
And Damian Cross holding it.
She sat alone at the edge of the enormous bed in the room that was supposed to belong to newlyweds, still wearing the white dress she had been married in hours ago.
Her fingers trembled as she stared at the bedroom door.
Locked.
She had locked it twice.
It made no difference.
If Damian truly wanted her dead, a wooden door would not save her.
Her eyes dropped to the folded piece of paper hidden beneath her pillow.
YOU HAVE TWELVE MONTHS TO MAKE HER TRUST YOU.
THEN KILL HER.
She had read it so many times that the words seemed burned into her mind.
Twelve months.
Why twelve months?
Why her?
And why would Damian agree to marry her if his real intention was murder?
A soft knock came from the other side of the door.
Elena froze.
Another knock.
“Mrs. Cross?”
It was Damian's voice.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She didn't answer.
“Elena.”
Her hand tightened around the note.
“Go away.”
Silence.
Then Damian spoke again.
“I know you're awake.”
She stared at the door.
“How?”
“I can hear you breathing.”
Her blood ran cold.
She slowly stood.
“What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“I don't want to talk to you.”
“That makes two of us.”
Her eyebrows pulled together.
“What does that mean?”
The door handle moved.
Elena stepped backward.
“Damian!”
He stopped.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then he said quietly, “You locked the door.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“You're asking me why I locked my bedroom door after my husband pointed a gun during our wedding?”
“I didn't point it at you.”
“You had a gun!”
“I always have a gun.”
“That isn't comforting.”
“I wasn't trying to comfort you.”
Elena's jaw tightened.
Of course.
Cold.
Arrogant.
Unbelievably calm.
That was Damian Cross.
The man everyone in Vespera feared.
The man who had just become her husband.
“What do you want?” she asked again.
“Your attention.”
“You have it.”
“No. You have fear. That's different.”
Elena went silent.
Damian's voice softened slightly.
“Open the door.”
“No.”
“Then I'll wait.”
She frowned.
“You're not leaving?”
“No.”
“How long?”
“As long as it takes.”
Elena stared at the door.
She hated that she believed him.
Finally, she unlocked it.
But she didn't open it completely.
Damian stood on the other side wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His dark hair was slightly messy, and there was something different about his expression.
He looked tired.
Human.
For the first time since she met him, he didn't look like a monster.
Then she remembered the note.
Her heart hardened.
“What?”
Damian looked directly into her eyes.
“You haven't eaten.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You haven't eaten since the wedding breakfast.”
“How do you know?”
“I pay attention.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Elena blinked.
Damian seemed to realize what he had said because his expression immediately became unreadable again.
“I had food brought upstairs.”
“I don't want it.”
“You need to eat.”
“You're not my father.”
“No.”
His eyes darkened.
“I'm your husband.”
The word made Elena's stomach twist.
Husband.
It sounded wrong.
Dangerous.
Temporary.
A lie.
She stepped into the hallway.
“Why did you marry me?”
Damian's expression changed.
Just for a second.
Something flashed across his eyes.
Pain.
Hatred.
Regret.
Then it disappeared.
“Because I had no choice.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You're Damian Cross. Everyone says you control half of Vespera.”
“People say many things.”
“So you're telling me you were forced?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
He didn't answer.
Elena stepped closer.
“Who forced you?”
Damian looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said, “Someone more powerful than you realize.”
Before Elena could ask another question, a voice came from the end of the corridor.
“Sir.”
Damian turned.
One of his men stood several meters away.
“Speak.”
“We found something.”
Damian's face immediately hardened.
“What?”
“The security footage from the Vale estate.”
Elena's heart skipped.
“What about it?”
The man hesitated.
Damian looked at him sharply.
“Say it.”
“The footage from the night Mrs. Vale died has been altered.”
Elena stopped breathing.
Her mother's death.
Seventeen years ago.
Everyone had told her it was an accident.
A tragic accident.
A fire.
Her mother had died inside the Vale estate.
At least, that was what Elena had always believed.
“What do you mean altered?” Damian asked.
“The original footage was erased. But our team recovered fragments.”
“Show me.”
The man handed Damian a tablet.
Elena moved closer.
Damian looked at her.
“You shouldn't see this.”
“That's my mother.”
“Elena—”
“Show me.”
His jaw tightened.
Then he turned the screen toward her.
The footage was damaged.
Black and white.
Flickering.
But Elena could still recognize the entrance of her childhood home.
A figure appeared on the screen.
Someone wearing a dark coat.
The person entered the house minutes before the fire started.
Elena leaned closer.
“Who is that?”
“We don't know,” Damian said.
The figure turned slightly.
A silver ring glinted on one finger.
Elena's breath caught.
She knew that ring.
Her father had one exactly like it.
“No…”
Damian looked at her.
“Elena?”
She stepped backward.
“My father…”
The screen suddenly went black.
The man holding the tablet frowned.
“The file just corrupted.”
Damian's eyes narrowed.
“Impossible.”
He took the tablet.
The screen remained black.
Then a message appeared.
STOP DIGGING.
Elena stared at it.
Her blood ran cold.
Damian's expression became murderous.
“Who sent that?” she whispered.
“I don't know.”
Another message appeared.
SHE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS.
Elena looked at Damian.
“What does that mean?”
He didn't answer.
“Damian.”
Still nothing.
“What does it mean?”
His eyes met hers.
And for the first time, Elena saw genuine fear in them.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for her.
“Go back inside,” he said.
“Why?”
“Now.”
“I want answers.”
“And you'll get them.”
“When?”
“When I know who is watching us.”
Elena stared at him.
“Who is watching us?”
Damian stepped closer.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“Everyone.”
A sudden gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.
Elena screamed.
Damian immediately grabbed her and pulled her against his chest.
“Stay behind me.”
Another gunshot.
Then another.
His entire body changed.
The cold billionaire disappeared.
The feared Damian Cross returned.
He pulled a gun from beneath his shirt.
Elena stared at the weapon.
The same kind of weapon he had held at the wedding.
Damian looked down at her.
“Don't move.”
Then he walked toward the stairs.
Elena watched him disappear into the darkness.
Her heart was pounding.
She should have run.
She should have locked herself inside.
Instead, she followed him.
Quietly.
Carefully.
She reached the staircase and looked down.
Two men were fighting near the entrance.
One of them raised a gun.
Damian fired first.
The attacker dropped.
Elena covered her mouth.
Damian turned.
Their eyes met.
For one terrifying second, neither moved.
Then Damian rushed toward her.
“Why did you follow me?”
“I wanted to know what was happening.”
“You could have been killed!”
“You were holding a gun at my wedding!”
His face tightened.
“That wasn't aimed at you.”
“Then who was it aimed at?”
Damian went silent.
Elena's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
He slowly looked toward the dead man.
Then back at her.
“The man who came here tonight wasn't trying to kill me.”
Elena swallowed.
“Then who was he trying to kill?”
Damian stepped closer.
His voice was barely audible.
“You.”
And somewhere outside the mansion, hidden in the darkness, another gun clicked into position.
Elena didn't know it yet, but the twelve-month countdown had already begun.
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