Beneath His Vows

Whisper's Beyond The Gates

Damien’s POV

The flight back from San Francisco was a blur of meetings, numbers, and faces that meant nothing to me. By the time I stepped into the mansion, my head was pounding. I didn’t bother with greetings—I never did. The staff parted like shadows, bowing slightly, whispering low.

Straight to the study. My sanctuary. My battlefield.

I loosened my tie and dropped into the leather chair, scrolling through reports, the red numbers glaring back at me. But it wasn’t the failing contracts that pressed against my chest—it was the damn phone call.Mother.

I hesitated for a second, then picked up.

“Damien,” her voice was crisp, cutting through the room. “Remember your vow to me. It’s time to fulfill it.”

That was all she said—no greeting, no endearment, no patience. The call ended before I could respond.

I let the phone drop on the desk, pouring a drink to drown the tension clawing at my chest.

Another vibration rattled against the desk.

Marcus Harthorne.

Of course. The bastard had been sniffing at my deals for months, waiting for a c***k. Tonight, he’d decided to push.

I should’ve ignored it. But something in me wanted blood. I answered.

“You sound tired, Veylor,” Marcus sneered down the line. “Too tired to keep your empire safe. Word is, you’ve got… distractions at home.”

My jaw flexed. “Choose your words carefully.”

“Don’t play dumb,” he chuckled. “A maid? Really? Bold of you. She looks like trouble. Wouldn’t want Clara—or the press—to hear about that little… indulgence, would you?”

I leaned back in my chair, letting the silence stretch until it crackled. My voice dropped lower, each word cold enough to cut.

“Marcus… if you so much as breathe her name again, I’ll bury you so deep your men will forget they ever served you.”

The laugh on the other end faltered. He recovered too quickly, but I’d heard it—the slip. The tremor.

“Your business is everyone’s business, Damien,” he pushed, though the confidence had thinned. “One mistake, one weakness, and everything your father built will collapse. I’ll make sure of it.”

The line cut.

I sat there, the silence louder than before. My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles ached.

How the hell did he even know about her?

The walls of this house had always carried secrets, but if Marcus had seen Selene, if her name was already circling outside these gates…

I exhaled slowly, forcing my hands to unclench. One vow was already threatening to choke me. I couldn’t afford another weakness slipping into the wrong hands.

And yet, when I closed my eyes, it was her face that lingered.

Selene Hart.

The very distraction Marcus had warned me about.