Chapter 11 — The Man She Couldn’t Escape
1387 Words
“Twenty-four hours starts now.”
The screen went black.
Adaeze couldn’t breathe.
“Chike.”
Her voice shattered as panic ripped through her chest.
No.
No no no.
They couldn’t have taken him that fast.
Damien grabbed the nearest table and slammed it violently against the wall.
Glass exploded across the penthouse.
Every guard went silent instantly.
Because Damien Black looked furious.
Not controlled furious.
Murderous furious.
“Find the signal source,” he barked.
“We’re trying, sir—”
“Try faster.”
The dangerous calm in his voice made the entire room move quicker.
Adaeze stared at the blank screen with tears burning her eyes.
That was her brother.
Her little brother.
The same boy who used to wait outside her classes with snacks because he hated seeing her stressed.
The same boy who defended her when Richard first raised his voice at her.
And now he was tied to a chair because of her.
“This is my fault,” she whispered shakily.
Damien turned toward her instantly.
“No.”
“Yes!”
Her voice cracked loudly.
“If I never took that stupid drive—”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have!”
Pain exploded through her chest.
“I ruin everybody around me.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence followed immediately.
Heavy silence.
Then Damien walked toward her slowly.
“Adaeze.”
“No.” She stepped back, shaking her head rapidly. “My father died. Richard destroyed my life. Now Serena almost got killed and Chike got kidnapped because of me—”
Damien grabbed her shoulders suddenly.
Firmly.
Not painfully.
But enough to stop her spiral.
“Look at me.”
She didn’t want to.
Because tears were already falling now and she hated crying in front of people.
Especially him.
“Adaeze.”
His voice lowered.
Dangerously soft.
When she finally lifted her eyes to his—
She froze.
Because Damien was looking at her like her pain physically hurt him.
“You are not responsible for evil people,” he said quietly.
The words hit her straight in the chest.
Nobody had ever said something like that to her before.
Not like this.
Not with this much certainty.
Her breathing became uneven.
“Then why does everything around me keep getting destroyed?”
Damien’s jaw tightened slightly.
“Because people like Richard destroy what they cannot control.”
Silence stretched between them.
Close.
Intimate.
And suddenly Adaeze became aware of his hands still holding her.
The warmth of them.
The strength.
The terrifying safety she felt near him.
It scared her.
Because this was how dangerous men trapped people.
By becoming the only place that felt safe.
Damien slowly released her.
But his eyes never left hers.
“I’m getting your brother back.”
The certainty in his voice almost broke her completely.
“How?”
His expression darkened.
“By becoming worse than the men who took him.”
A chill ran through her instantly.
Because he didn’t sound dramatic.
He sounded honest.
One of the guards rushed forward suddenly.
“Sir. We traced part of the signal.”
Damien turned sharply. “Where?”
“Apapa docks.”
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Every guard straightened.
Weapons appeared discreetly.
Movement.
Preparation.
War.
Adaeze’s stomach twisted violently.
“You’re going there?”
Damien grabbed his jacket calmly.
“Yes.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You stay here.”
“My brother was kidnapped!”
“And you are exactly why this is happening.”
The words sliced through the room sharply.
Pain flashed across her face instantly.
Damien noticed immediately.
Regret flickered again.
Tiny.
Rare.
But before he could speak—
Adaeze stepped back angrily.
“You don’t get to decide everything!”
“Yes, I do.”
The cold authority in his voice snapped something inside her.
“I am tired of you acting like I belong to you!”
The room went silent again.
Every guard suddenly found the walls extremely interesting.
Damien stared at her.
Completely still.
Then slowly—
“You think this is about ownership?”
“What else would you call it?!”
His jaw tightened sharply.
“You want the truth?”
The dangerous quietness in his voice made her heartbeat slow.
“Fine.”
He stepped closer.
“One night.” His eyes locked onto hers intensely. “One night around you and suddenly I’m moving security across cities, threatening men, bleeding for people I barely know—”
Adaeze stopped breathing.
“—and every time something happens to you,” Damien continued quietly, “it feels like someone is setting fire directly under my skin.”
The confession shattered the air between them.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because Damien Black did not sound like a man in control anymore.
He sounded obsessed.
The realization hit Adaeze hard.
And somehow—
Somehow her body reacted to it.
Her pulse quickened.
Heat crawled slowly up her neck.
Damien noticed instantly.
Of course he did.
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Adaeze…”
The way he said her name this time felt dangerous.
Intimate.
Hungry.
Then suddenly—
Chioma walked into the room.
And froze.
Her eyes moved between them immediately.
The tension.
Their closeness.
The way Damien was looking at Adaeze.
Jealousy burned openly across her face now.
“Sir,” she said carefully, “the cars are ready.”
Damien didn’t look away from Adaeze immediately.
The silence stretched too long.
Then finally he stepped back.
And the atmosphere broke slightly.
“You’re staying here,” he repeated coldly.
Adaeze folded her arms stubbornly.
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“This is not a negotiation.”
“And I’m not your prisoner.”
“No,” Damien said quietly. “You’re my responsibility.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Before she could answer—
Chioma suddenly spoke.
“She shouldn’t come.”
Both of them looked toward her.
Chioma’s expression remained controlled, but bitterness sharpened every word.
“She’s the reason all of this is happening.”
Adaeze went still.
Pain stabbed through her chest instantly.
Because deep down—
Part of her believed it too.
Damien’s face hardened dangerously.
“Careful, Chioma.”
The warning in his voice was lethal.
But Chioma continued anyway.
“Sir, people are bleeding because of her. Your sister was kidnapped because of her.”
“Enough.”
“No, because everybody is pretending not to notice what’s happening.” Chioma’s eyes moved toward Adaeze sharply. “You’re risking everything for a woman you barely know.”
Silence exploded across the penthouse.
Then Damien said something that changed everything.
“I know enough.”
The room froze.
Even Adaeze.
Because the way he said it—
Like he already decided she mattered.
Chioma looked genuinely hurt now.
And suddenly Adaeze understood.
Chioma loved him.
Maybe secretly.
Maybe hopelessly.
But definitely painfully.
Damien ignored it completely.
“Prepare the convoy,” he ordered.
Chioma nodded stiffly before walking away quickly.
The second she disappeared—
Adaeze spoke quietly.
“She’s in love with you.”
Damien barely reacted. “Irrelevant.”
“That’s cold.”
His eyes returned to hers slowly.
“Not colder than the things people are doing to reach you.”
Her chest tightened again.
Before she could answer—
Damien reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
A small silver key.
Adaeze’s blood froze instantly.
The locker key.
The memory crashed back fully now.
London train station.
Her shaking hands.
The locker number.
She stared at the key in horror.
“How did you get that?”
Damien’s gaze darkened.
“It was hidden inside your old apartment.”
Fear slid down her spine slowly.
“You searched my apartment?”
“Yes.”
“That’s insane!”
“And necessary.”
Always necessary.
Always control.
But this—
This was different.
Because now he held the exact thing powerful men were hunting them for.
Damien stepped closer slowly.
His voice lowered.
“Tell me where the locker is.”
Adaeze looked at the key.
Then at him.
Then finally whispered the words that made Damien’s entire expression change.
“It’s in London.”
- Writer
