Chapter 9: Enemy Within
458 Words
Aria stood silently in the grand entrance of Damien’s mansion, taking in her surroundings.
The marble floors gleamed beneath the crystal chandeliers, and elegant paintings decorated the walls. Everything about the mansion reflected wealth and power. Yet despite its beauty, the place felt more like a fortress than a home.
“This place is heavily guarded,” Aria observed.
“It has to be,” Damien replied as he walked beside her. “Too many people want to see me fall.”
A housekeeper warmly welcomed Aria and showed her to a spacious guest room overlooking the gardens. It was larger than her entire apartment.
“If you need anything, just let us know,” the housekeeper said before quietly leaving.
Aria placed her bag on the bed and sighed. Everything was happening so fast that she barely had time to think.
Later that evening, she wandered through the mansion, hoping to clear her mind. As she passed the library, she heard raised voices coming from Damien’s private office.
“You should have told her the truth!” a man argued.
“I’ll tell her when the time is right,” Damien answered firmly.
“There may not be a right time. The enemy is already inside.”
Aria’s heart skipped a beat.
Enemy?
She instinctively stepped closer to the door, trying to hear more.
“The leak is coming from someone we trust,” the man continued. “Someone inside this house is feeding information to our rivals.”
Damien’s face hardened.
“I want every employee investigated. No exceptions.”
“And Miss Aria?”
Damien answered without hesitation.
“She stays out of this.”
Before they could continue, the wooden floor beneath Aria creaked.
Silence filled the room.
The office door swung open.
Damien stepped out, his sharp eyes immediately meeting hers.
“How long have you been standing there?” he asked.
“I… I wasn’t trying to listen,” Aria admitted nervously.
Damien studied her face before letting out a quiet breath.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
“So it’s true?” she asked. “Someone in this mansion is betraying you?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
A chill ran through Aria’s body as she looked around the hallway.
The smiling housekeepers…
The polite security guards…
The loyal staff…
Could one of them really be working for Damien’s enemies?
Before she could ask another question, every light in the mansion suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the hallway.
Then came the sound of a single gunshot from somewhere inside the house.
Someone screamed.
And Damien instantly pulled Aria behind him, shielding her with his body.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered.
“Whatever happens… don’t let go.”
- Writer
