Shadows of the Past
829 Words
Chapter 18
Serena sat in the backseat of the limousine, her hands trembling as she clutched the envelope that had been slipped under her penthouse door. The paper inside was crisp, but the words written on it dripped with venom:
"You think you're safe? Secrets don’t stay buried forever."
Her breath hitched. It was a whisper from the past, a ghost clawing its way out of the grave she had tried so desperately to cover.
Across from her, Damien Kingston’s chiseled face was unreadable. The billionaire CEO sat like a king on his throne, his fingers steepled, eyes dark pools of calculation. His mere presence was a storm contained within a man—silent but brewing with the power to strike at any moment.
"You’re unusually quiet," Damien remarked, his baritone voice smooth yet laced with steel. "Who sent that note?"
Serena hesitated. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford—not when every step she took felt like walking on broken glass. But as she met Damien's gaze, something inside her wavered. He had saved her before. Could he do it again?
"It was anonymous," she finally murmured. "But I know it’s from someone who wants me to suffer."
Damien’s jaw clenched. "You’re under my protection now, Serena. Anyone who dares threaten you is signing their own death warrant."
His words were not a promise. They were a verdict.
A Night of Unease
The limousine pulled up to Kingston Tower, Damien’s empire standing tall against the night sky like an indomitable fortress. As they stepped into the private elevator, Serena’s pulse quickened.
She had spent her life running from danger, but now, she was caught between a billionaire who could make the world bow with a flick of his wrist and an enemy lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
When the doors slid open, the air inside Damien’s penthouse was thick with something unspoken. It wasn’t just luxury—it was power, control, dominance. But beneath the grandeur, Serena sensed something else. A restlessness.
Damien loosened his tie, his movements sharp, his mind clearly elsewhere. "Stay here," he ordered. "I need to make some calls."
Serena nodded, but the second he disappeared into his study, her fingers curled around the letter again. The words burned into her skin.
She had thought she was safe after escaping the nightmare of her past, but danger had a funny way of creeping back in—like smoke seeping through the cracks of a locked door.
Then—
A creak.
A whisper of movement behind her.
Serena’s stomach dropped.
Someone was inside the penthouse.
A Game of Cat and Mouse
Her breath came in shallow bursts as she turned her head, every nerve in her body screaming at her to run. But she knew better than to make a reckless move. Whoever was in the room with her was waiting, watching, savoring the fear thickening in the air.
Slowly, she reached for her phone, but before her fingers could close around it—
A hand clamped over her mouth.
The world tilted. Serena struggled, her heart slamming against her ribs like a caged beast.
"Shh," a voice rasped against her ear. "Scream, and I’ll make sure you never do it again."
Cold terror slithered down her spine. The grip was unrelenting, the presence behind her radiating menace.
Then—
A gun c****d.
The low, deadly sound cut through the silence like a knife.
"Let her go," Damien’s voice was a dark promise of violence.
The attacker stiffened, and in that split second, Serena elbowed him in the ribs with everything she had. The grip loosened just enough for her to twist free.
Then chaos erupted.
Damien moved like a predator unchained. One second he was across the room, the next, he had the intruder pinned against the wall, his gun pressed against the man’s skull.
"Who sent you?" Damien’s voice was lethal, an assassin’s whisper.
The intruder smirked. "You already know."
Serena’s blood ran cold.
Damien’s grip tightened. "Tell me before I decide you’re not worth keeping alive."
The intruder laughed—a low, guttural sound filled with arrogance. "You can kill me, Kingston, but it won’t change a thing. She was never meant to be yours."
Damien’s finger twitched on the trigger. But then—
A sudden BANG!
The room exploded into movement.
The intruder lunged. Damien fired. The shot rang through the air like a thunderclap.
A body hit the floor.
Serena’s scream lodged in her throat.
Damien stood over the now-lifeless man, his face unreadable, his breathing controlled. Slowly, he turned to Serena, his gaze piercing through the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
"You’re mine, Serena," he murmured, his voice a dangerous vow. "And I’ll burn this world to the ground before I let anyone take you away."
But deep inside, Serena knew this was just the beginning.
Somewhere in the darkness, someone was still watching.
And they weren’t done with her yet.
- Writer
