Chapter 14: The Night He Chose Me
1029 Words
Bring Damien Blackwood to Pier 17 tomorrow night. Alone.
Or he dies before she does.
My hands shook.
The phone suddenly felt too heavy.
Too dangerous.
Damien immediately noticed my expression.
"What happened?"
I hesitated.
For exactly two seconds.
Then handed him the phone.
His eyes scanned the message.
The moment he reached the last line, every trace of warmth disappeared from his face.
The man from the balcony vanished.
The billionaire alpha returned.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Deadly.
"Absolutely not."
The answer came instantly.
I blinked.
"What?"
"We're not going."
His jaw tightened.
"It's a trap."
I folded my arms.
"No kidding."
Damien shot me a look.
This was not the time for sarcasm.
Unfortunately, sarcasm was my favorite coping mechanism.
"They have Olivia."
His expression darkened.
"I know."
"Then we need to—"
"No."
The force behind the word stunned me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Damien took a deep breath.
As if trying to control something dangerous inside himself.
"I am not letting you anywhere near them."
The statement surprised me.
"They asked for you."
"They threatened me."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"No."
The intensity in his gaze made my pulse quicken.
"They threatened you."
The realization settled heavily between us.
Damien wasn't worried about himself.
He was worried about me.
Again.
---
The next morning was chaos.
Security teams filled the estate.
Phones rang nonstop.
Meetings happened behind closed doors.
Plans were discussed.
Rejected.
Discussed again.
Nobody trusted the message.
Nobody trusted the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, I sat in Damien's office pretending to read a file.
Pretending being the important word.
Because my attention remained entirely focused on the man standing near the window.
Damien hadn't slept.
I could tell.
The slight shadows beneath his eyes gave him away.
Yet somehow he still looked infuriatingly attractive.
Life was unfair.
"You've been staring at me for five minutes."
My eyes widened.
Caught.
Wonderful.
"I have not."
One dark eyebrow lifted.
I immediately knew he didn't believe me.
Unfortunately, he was right.
I had been staring.
A lot.
His mouth twitched.
"You're a terrible liar."
I pointed at him.
"You're distracting."
The words escaped before I could stop them.
Silence.
Immediate silence.
My face heated.
Oh no.
No.
No.
No.
I had not just said that.
Damien slowly turned around.
The look in his eyes made my heartbeat stumble.
"Distracting?"
His voice was lower now.
Rougher.
Dangerous.
I suddenly became very interested in the carpet.
Unfortunately, Damien wasn't letting me escape.
"Aria."
I swallowed.
"Yes?"
His gaze never left mine.
"What exactly about me is distracting?"
The man was enjoying this.
The absolute menace.
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because there was no safe answer.
His smile widened.
Victory.
Pure victory.
I hated him.
At least, I tried to.
---
That evening, a storm rolled across New York.
Dark clouds covered the sky.
Thunder echoed in the distance.
The perfect setting for a terrible decision.
Which explained why I was making one.
I stared at the estate map spread across my bed.
Pier 17.
The kidnappers wanted Damien there.
Alone.
Everything about it screamed trap.
But Olivia was running out of time.
And nobody had found her.
Not yet.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
The door opened before I could answer.
Damien stepped inside.
Immediately, my pulse betrayed me.
Again.
At this point, my heart deserved its own villain arc.
His eyes moved to the map.
Then to me.
Then back to the map.
A dangerous silence followed.
"You were planning something stupid."
I gasped dramatically.
"Wow."
His expression remained flat.
"Aria."
"Okay, maybe."
The billionaire closed his eyes briefly.
Probably praying for patience.
I wasn't making it easy.
"We are not going to the pier."
I stood.
"And if Olivia dies?"
The words hit harder than I intended.
Pain flashed across his face.
Instantly.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
For the first time, I realized how exhausted he truly was.
How scared.
How desperate.
Not for himself.
For his sister.
My anger disappeared immediately.
"Damien..."
His gaze dropped.
The sight broke something inside me.
Without thinking, I walked toward him.
Closer.
Then closer still.
Until we stood only inches apart.
The air shifted.
Neither of us moved.
Neither of us looked away.
"You'll find her."
The words came quietly.
Honestly.
His eyes lifted to mine.
For a moment, he looked vulnerable.
The sight stole my breath.
"How are you so sure?"
Because you never stop fighting.
Because you've spent days protecting me.
Because beneath all that arrogance, you're a good man.
I didn't say any of those things.
Instead, I smiled softly.
"Because you're Damien Blackwood."
Something changed in his expression.
Something powerful.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips.
My heart nearly stopped.
The room felt smaller.
Warmer.
Dangerously intimate.
One second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Neither of us stepped away.
Slowly, his hand rose.
His fingers brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
The simple gesture sent electricity through my entire body.
My breath caught.
His eyes darkened.
"You're dangerous."
The words were barely a whisper.
I smiled nervously.
"Me?"
"You."
His thumb brushed my cheek.
Gentle.
Possessive.
Devastating.
My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
Then he leaned closer.
And suddenly all I could think about was him.
The warmth of his hand.
The intensity of his gaze.
The way he looked at me like I mattered.
Like I was precious.
Like losing me would destroy him.
The distance between us disappeared.
My eyes fluttered shut.
And finally—
His lips met mine.
Soft.
Careful.
As if he was afraid I'd disappear.
The kiss lasted only seconds.
Yet it changed everything.
When we finally pulled apart, neither of us spoke.
Neither of us could.
Because nothing would ever be the same again.
Then Damien rested his forehead against mine.
And quietly said the words that made my heart completely surrender.
"I should have stayed away from you."
I smiled.
"Probably."
A rare laugh escaped him.
Then his expression became serious.
His hand tightened around mine.
And for the first time since we'd met, Damien Blackwood admitted the truth.
"I'm not sure I can."
- Writer
