the stranger’s truth
704 Words
The alley was still, shadows stretching like claws across the walls. Damian’s body was tense, shielding Lucas and me. Every instinct screamed danger—but there was something different about this new figure.
The stranger stepped forward, hands raised, unthreatening. The light finally caught their face: a woman, tall and composed, with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce right through me.
“Who… who are you?” I whispered, clutching Lucas tightly.
She gave a faint smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “My name is Serena. I… came to warn you.”
Damian’s gaze didn’t soften. Instead, it sharpened, protective and calculating. “Warn us? Or threaten us?”
Serena’s eyes flicked to Lucas, then back to Damian. “Neither. I’ve been tracking the people after your family… and I can help you.”
The Revelation
I blinked, disbelief etched across my face. “Help… us?”
“Yes,” Serena said. “They’re not just ordinary criminals. They’re after Lucas because of who he is. They know about the inheritance—about Damian’s family connections—and they won’t stop until they get him.”
My stomach sank. Damian had said the threat was serious, but hearing it from someone else made the danger real. Immediate. And terrifying.
Damian’s Protective Instincts
Damian stepped closer to me, gray eyes smoldering with intensity. “You stay behind me,” he commanded softly, yet there was no mistaking the underlying possessiveness. “No one touches him. No one touches you.”
I nodded, swallowing hard, aware of the heat radiating from his body. My chest tightened as he instinctively adjusted Lucas in his arms, holding him like a precious gem.
“Calla,” Damian muttered under his breath, voice low, almost possessive. “You’ve done well keeping him safe. But from now on… we face this together.”
I felt my heart stutter. Together. The word resonated deep within me.
Lucas’ Perspective
Lucas, oblivious to the full danger, peeked up at Serena. “Are you… nice?”
Serena smiled faintly. “Yes, Lucas. I’m on your side.”
The little boy’s grin eased some of the tension in my chest. Even in chaos, Damian’s son was capable of forming trust—and it was growing steadily, right alongside his bond with his father.
Romantic Tension Under Threat
As Damian consulted Serena, giving instructions in his low, dangerous tone, I noticed the way he kept glancing at me. Every protective motion, every subtle touch—even just brushing against my hand as he moved—sent shivers down my spine.
“You belong with me,” he murmured softly, almost a whisper only I could hear. “All of you. And I won’t let anyone take that away.”
I swallowed hard. Even amid chaos, I felt the undeniable pull of him, the mixture of fear, desire, and trust that had built between us since Lucas’ revelation.
Preparing for the Next Move
Serena outlined a plan, pointing to escape routes and safe houses. Damian listened, calculating, nodding, his jaw tight. “We move at nightfall. We can’t risk staying here. The next strike… they’ll be more prepared.”
I watched him, my heart swelling with a mixture of awe and fear. Damian Vale was relentless, powerful, protective—and utterly devoted to us.
“I trust you,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.
Damian’s eyes flicked to mine, gray depths filled with intensity. “Good. Because there’s no turning back now.”
Cliffhanger – The First Strike Is Coming
Night approached, and the city lights flickered like distant stars. Serena’s warning echoed in my mind: the attackers wouldn’t stop. They knew who Lucas was. They were coming for him—and for us.
Damian tightened his grip on Lucas, eyes scanning the streets. “Tonight, we fight,” he said, voice low, dangerous, and possessive. “And I promise… no one will touch my family.”
I held Lucas close, trembling, yet a strange sense of strength pulsing through me. Together, with Damian by my side, we were ready—or at least, we had to be.
And in the shadows, the enemy waited, preparing for the strike that would change everything.
- Writer
