married to the ruthless ceo

chapter 10

*Married to the Ruthless CEO - Chapter 10: Docks at Midnight*

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The car smelled like rain and tension.

Damien hadn’t spoken a single word since we left the penthouse.

His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. My wrist still throbbed where he’d grabbed me.

"Who sent that text?" He finally asked. Voice flat. Dangerous.

"I don’t know!" I snapped, hugging myself. "I blocked every number from my past. Maybe it’s one of your business rivals? You made half of the city hate you, Damien."

His eyes flicked to me. Cold. "Don’t."

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t act like you don’t know what this is about." He pulled into the dark dockyard. Fog rolled over the water. "Someone knows about the baby."

My breath caught. "How—"

The car stopped.

Under the single flickering light stood a man in a long black coat. Hands in pockets. Face shadowed by a cap.

Damien was out of the car before I could blink. He yanked my door open and pulled me out, tucking me behind him.

"Stay. Behind. Me."

My heels clicked on the wet concrete. My heart was hammering so loud I was sure the man could hear it.

The man chuckled. The sound echoed.

"Damien Voss. Ruthless CEO. And look at you... playing bodyguard for a woman."

"Who are you?" Damien’s voice could cut glass.

The man tipped his cap up slowly.

And the world tilted under my feet.

Adrian.

My ex. The man who’d disappeared 3 years ago after telling me he was going "overseas for work". The man whose funeral I cried at.

"Hey, Lia." He smiled like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn’t broken me. "Long time no see."

I couldn’t breathe. "You’re... you’re dead."

"Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated." He looked me up and down. Then his eyes dropped to my stomach. Still flat under my coat, but he knew.

"And congrats. Heard you’re pregnant." He grinned. "Hope it’s mine."

The air left my lungs.

Damien went completely still beside me. I felt the rage rolling off him in waves.

He turned his head to me. Just an inch. "Is it?"

"Adrian, I haven’t seen you in 3 years!" My voice cracked. "How could it—"

BANG.

The gunshot made me scream.

Damien tackled me to the ground, his body covering mine. Concrete scraped my palms.

"Stay down!" He growled in my ear.

More shots. Tires screeching.

I peeked up. 3 black SUVs had screeched into the dock. Men in masks jumped out with guns.

Adrian was already running, laughing like this was a joke. "Catch you later, baby! Tell Damien I said hi!"

"Who are they?" I whispered, shaking.

Damien pulled me to my feet. His suit was dirty, his eyes were furious. But not at me. At them.

"They’re not here for me." He said quietly.

"Then who—"

"They’re here for you."

Before I could answer, one of the masked men lifted his gun and pointed it straight at my head.

Damien stepped in front of me.

And whispered, "If anything happens to you, the baby dies with you."

The last thing I saw was the muzzle flash.

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