HIS DARK OBSESSION: Sold to Devil

Episode 16: The secret

The next morning, I opened my eyes only to find him sitting on the floor beside the bed. His back was against the mattress, head tilted slightly to the side. He looked so peaceful like that. The devil of the city, asleep on a cold floor like he didn’t have a million-dollar bed upstairs.

My fever was gone. The warmth that had trapped me all night was finally gone, replaced by something lighter. Something warm that spread in my chest and made it hard to breathe for a different reason.

I shifted, just a little, to get a better view of him. The movement must have been enough, because his eyes opened. Dark, alert, and immediately finding me.

"Good morning, Snow White," he said. His voice was deep and rough from sleep, like gravel and velvet at the same time. It did things to my stomach.

My cheeks heated up instantly. "Good morning," I whispered. My voice was small, almost like I was afraid if I spoke too loud, the moment would break.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. His palm was warm. Steady.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his brows pulling together slightly. "Should I call the doctor?"

The gentleness in his voice didn’t match the man I knew. It felt like a dream. One of those dreams you know you’ll wake up from, but you fight to stay in anyway.

"No," I said quickly. "I’m fine. Were you... were you here all night?"

The moment our eyes met, my heart did a stupid, traitorous flip. Like it had forgotten how to behave around him.

His hand moved from my forehead to my cheek. He cupped my face gently, his thumb brushing just under my eye. I could feel his pulse under his skin. It was racing. Just like mine.

"Snow White," he said quietly. So quiet I almost missed it. "I love you. I love you more than anything. More than myself. And I am a man of my word."

My breath caught.

He leaned in closer. My eyes fluttered shut on their own. I thought — I really thought — he was going to kiss me. Properly. The way I’d imagined a hundred times.

And he did kiss me.

But not on my lips.

On my forehead.

Soft. Gentle. Tender. Like I was something fragile and precious.

It was a gesture no one else would ever see. A gesture reserved only for a devil like him.

When he pulled back, I was grinning like an i***t. "Isn’t this you?" I said, my voice coming out lighter than I felt. "The one who said he didn’t have a heart?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He tilted my chin up with two fingers. I was still sitting on the bed while he stood beside it. His hair was a mess from sleep, falling over his forehead, and somehow it made him look even more handsome. Dangerous, but softer.

"And isn’t this you?" he murmured. "The one who said I _do_ have one?"

I had no answer to that.

He leaned down and brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. His fingers lingered for half a second too long before he pulled away.

Then he turned and walked to the bathroom. I heard the sound of the shower start running. The sound of water hitting tile.

My face was burning. I couldn’t believe this had happened. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and smiled like a complete fool at the ceiling.

Ten minutes later, he came out. Already dressed. Black shirt, black suit, tie in his hands. The softness from earlier was gone, replaced by the Damien Blackwood the world knew. Cold. Composed. Deadly.

"Snow White," he said as he finished fixing his tie. "I have something very important to deal with today. I’ll be late."

He walked over to me and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. It was casual, but it made my whole body go still.

I decided to tease him. I needed to, or I’d drown in how soft he’d been. "Now who’s the devil?"

He stopped and looked at me. That slow, dangerous smile appeared.

"I’m still the devil, Snow White," he said. "The difference is, now I’m the devil to the rest of the world. And for you… I’m the one who would burn the whole world just to keep you with me."

And then he was gone.

I heard the car engine start outside, and then the sound faded down the driveway.

He left me here. Flustered. Smiling. And with a secret pressed to my forehead that no one else would ever know about.

---

*Damien’s Warehouse*

The air smelled like metal and oil.

"Sir, I got information that she’s coming back to the country," one of his men said, standing stiff with his hands behind his back.

Damien didn’t look up right away. He was checking a weapon, running a cloth along the barrel with slow, deliberate movements. A slow smile played on his lips.

"Let her come," he said. His voice had changed. All the warmth from that morning was gone. In its place was something cold. Something like venom. "I’ll show her what real revenge means. And unlike her, I don’t give people an easy death."

The guard bowed his head. "What’s the plan, Mr. Blackwood?"

Damien finally looked up. And he smiled.

It was the kind of smile that made people shiver. The kind that made grown men tremble in fear.

---

*On a Phone Call*

"What? You’re coming?" The voice on the other end was sharp with surprise. "Why suddenly?"

"Yes," the other voice replied. Calm. Too calm. "I have some important work to deal with. That’s why I didn’t get the time to tell you earlier."

There was a pause.

"Okay. See you then."

The call ended with a click.

---

*Leo Mansion*

The mansion was too quiet.

"Sir, she’s asking about the deal," one of Leo’s guards said, bowing low.

Leo slammed his glass down. "What the hell? I told you to fix a time to meet him. In person!" His voice echoed off the high ceilings, bouncing back at him.

"The secretary went to fix the meeting," the guard said quickly, his voice trembling. "But he refused to meet with you. He said... he said if you show your face, he won’t hesitate to give you a death that’s anything but easy."

Silence.

Then: "GET THE f**k OUT OF HERE!"

The guard scrambled out of the room.

Alone, Leo picked up a glass vase from the table and smashed it against the wall. Shards flew everywhere.

"Damien Blackwood," he spat. "Diana Forrest."

His jaw clenched.

"I’ll show you both just how far I can go for revenge."