The dinner went perfectly. The restaurant lights were soft, music low, and for the first time in a long while, Damien felt alive again. Gwen laughed easily, her eyes glowing under the light. Every time she smiled, something in him stirred, something he thought he had buried.
He couldn’t stop looking at her. Every movement, every word, every glance reminded him why he fell for her in the first place. For the first time in months, he felt like a man again, not a machine fueled by rage and vengeance.
Hours later, they drove back home in comfortable silence, Gwen’s hand resting on his.
Meanwhile, across town, Jace stood in a dim warehouse with three men. The air reeked of oil.
“So, did you get her?” Jace asked, voice low.
“Yes, sir,” one of the men replied. “She’s in with my men already.
