Owned By The Devil's Heir

Targets

Chapter Nine – Targets

The week dragged on, each day heavier than the last. Damian’s shadow followed me everywhere—even when he wasn’t there.

At school, people whispered louder now, no longer caring if I heard. Some girls avoided me completely, while others glared openly, their envy sharp enough to cut.

It was worse when Damian showed up to class. He never hid it. The way he sat close. The way his hand brushed mine as if by accident. The way his gaze lingered too long.

And everyone noticed.

By Friday, the hostility reached a boiling point.

I was gathering my books when a voice purred behind me. “Going somewhere, princess?”

I turned to find the same brunette from the cafeteria, her two shadows flanking her. Their smiles were cruel.

I forced a polite one. “Excuse me.”

She blocked my path. “You think you can walk in here and steal everything? His attention. His time. Do you know how long we’ve been waiting for him to notice someone? Anyone?”

My pulse quickened. “I didn’t steal anything. I don’t even want—”

“Liar.” Her eyes glinted. “You want it. You love that he looks at you. That he chooses you. But let me warn you—being his favorite isn’t a prize. It’s a death sentence.”

Her words made my chest tighten. Did she know something? Or was it just jealousy twisting into cruelty?

I tried to step past, but she shoved me lightly, her smile widening as I stumbled. “Careful. Accidents happen here.”

I steadied myself, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me fall. “I don’t want trouble.”

“Too late,” she said sweetly. “It’s already found you.”

Before I could respond, a familiar presence cut through the hallway.

Damian.

His steps echoed, slow and deliberate, and the crowd parted like water around him. His gaze landed on me first, sharp and searching, before sliding to the girls.

The brunette’s confidence faltered, but she forced a smile. “Damian, we were just—”

“Testing her?” His voice was quiet, but the menace in it made the air crackle.

The girls froze. Damian stepped closer, his shadow swallowing theirs.

“Try it again,” he said softly, almost kindly. “I dare you.”

No one moved. No one breathed.

Then he turned to me, his hand brushing my lower back as he guided me past them. Possessive. Protective. Dangerous.

My legs trembled as we walked away, his presence a shield I didn’t ask for but couldn’t refuse.

“You see now?” he murmured, low enough for only me. “The world is full of enemies. But as long as you’re mine, no one will touch you.”

I swallowed hard, the memory of the brunette’s words still haunting me.

Being his favorite isn’t a prize. It’s a death sentence.

And for the first time, I wondered if she might be right.