Chapter 11 – Unspoken Warnings
395 Words
Elena could still feel Daniel’s lingering gaze on her long after he had walked away. Something about him unsettled her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Who is he?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
Damon took a sip of his whiskey, his expression unreadable. “No one you need to worry about.”
Her stomach twisted. “That’s not an answer.”
His dark eyes flickered at her, sharp and assessing. “It’s the only one you’re getting.”
Elena clenched her jaw. Damon had a way of shutting her out whenever things got serious, and it was infuriating.
Before she could push further, a woman approached—tall, blonde, and draped in an emerald-green dress that screamed money. Her red lips curled into a knowing smile as she looked between Elena and Damon.
“Well, this is new,” she mused, amusement dancing in her tone. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you with a plus-one, Damon.”
Elena felt Damon’s grip on her waist tighten slightly.
“Victoria,” he greeted smoothly, though there was an edge to his voice.
Victoria’s gaze swept over Elena, curiosity sparking in her blue eyes. “And who’s the lucky girl?”
“Elena,” Damon said simply.
Something in Victoria’s expression shifted. Her smile remained, but there was something sharper behind it now.
“Be careful, darling,” she said, her voice sickly sweet. “Men like Damon… they don’t keep things. They own them.”
Elena stiffened, but before she could react, Victoria turned on her heels and disappeared into the crowd.
Damon exhaled, his patience clearly thinning. “Ignore her.”
Elena wasn’t sure she could.
First Daniel. Now Victoria.
It was becoming increasingly clear that Damon’s world was built on power plays and unspoken threats. And she was caught in the middle of it.
“You don’t like people asking questions,” she observed.
Damon’s smirk was faint, but there was no humor in it. “No. I don’t.”
“Because you have too many secrets?”
His gaze darkened, but instead of answering, he leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.
“Careful, princess,” he murmured. “Curiosity can be dangerous.”
A shiver ran down her spine.
She wasn’t sure if it was from fear.
Or something else entirely.
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- Writer
