Chapter 5—The Way He Looked At Her
1445 Words
“Come here.”
Adaeze hated that her body reacted before her mind did.
Hated the way Damien’s voice wrapped around her spine like a command her body already understood.
She moved toward him slowly.
The second she reached his side, Damien’s hand settled against her waist possessively.
Not gentle.
Protective.
Territorial.
Tunde noticed it immediately.
And the smile on his face disappeared.
Interesting.
For the first time tonight, he looked uncertain.
Damien’s eyes never left him.
“You seem confused about something,” Damien said calmly.
Tunde folded his arms. “And what exactly is that?”
Damien’s fingers tightened slightly against Adaeze’s waist.
“Her.”
The room fell silent.
Adaeze’s heartbeat became painfully loud in her ears.
Because there was something terrifying about the way Damien said it.
Not romantic.
Not soft.
Like a man warning another predator away from what he considered his.
Tunde laughed once, though it sounded forced now.
“You barely know her.”
Damien tilted his head slightly.
“And yet I already know enough.”
Something dark passed between both men.
Something dangerous.
Adaeze suddenly understood this wasn’t about jealousy.
It was about dominance.
And somehow, she had become the center of it.
Tunde looked at her again. “You really trust him?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Good.” His eyes sharpened. “Because Damien Black is not the kind of man women survive.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because deep down—
Adaeze already knew that.
Damien’s expression remained unreadable.
But the air around him turned colder.
“You talk too much,” Damien said quietly.
“And you hide too much.”
A dangerous silence followed.
Then Damien smiled slightly.
It wasn’t human warmth.
It was a warning dressed beautifully.
“You should leave before I stop being polite.”
Tunde held his stare for a long second.
Then finally looked at Adaeze.
“This isn’t over.”
Her stomach tightened instantly.
Because she believed him.
Tunde brushed past Damien and walked out of the restroom.
The second he disappeared, the tension in the room remained.
Heavy.
Alive.
Damien still hadn’t removed his hand from her waist.
Adaeze slowly stepped away from him.
“You can stop doing that now.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Doing what?”
“Acting like you own me.”
The words should have annoyed him.
Instead, something almost amused crossed his face.
“You think that’s what this is?”
“What else would you call it?”
Damien moved closer again.
Too close.
Always too close.
“I call it protection.”
Adaeze scoffed softly. “You keep saying that like it excuses your behavior.”
“And you keep pretending you don’t feel safer when I’m near.”
Her breath caught.
Because once again—
He was right.
And she hated it.
Damien studied her face carefully.
“You’re afraid of him.”
“No,” she lied instantly.
“Yes.”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“Fear changes the eyes first.”
Adaeze looked away.
She didn’t want him seeing things inside her.
Not those things.
Not the ugly memories.
Not the weakness.
“Stop analyzing me.”
“You’re impossible not to analyze.”
The lowness of his voice made heat crawl up her neck unexpectedly.
God.
What was wrong with her?
This man was controlling, obsessive, terrifying—
And yet every time he looked at her like that, her body betrayed her.
Damien noticed the shift instantly.
Of course he did.
The corner of his mouth tilted slightly.
“Interesting.”
Adaeze frowned. “What?”
“You react to me.”
She immediately stepped back again.
“You’re arrogant.”
“I’m observant.”
“No. You’re insane.”
A soft laugh escaped him.
Actual laughter.
Deep.
Dangerously attractive.
And somehow that unsettled her more than his coldness.
Because monsters weren’t supposed to laugh.
Her phone suddenly vibrated inside her purse.
She checked the screen.
Chike Calling.
Her protective younger brother.
Adaeze answered immediately. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” Chike asked sharply.
“At a work dinner.”
“With Damien Black?”
Her stomach dropped.
“How do you know about Damien?”
Silence.
Then—
“Richard came looking for you again.”
Fear twisted painfully inside her chest.
“What?”
“He showed up near my campus asking questions.” Chike’s voice darkened. “Who exactly is this billionaire?”
Damien’s eyes sharpened immediately from where he stood nearby.
Listening.
Always listening.
“It’s complicated,” Adaeze whispered.
“Then uncomplicate it.”
“Chike—”
“No.” His voice became harder. “Men like Richard don’t fear people unless those people are worse.”
Damien’s gaze locked onto hers at those words.
Cold.
Still.
Dangerously unreadable.
“Are you safe?” Chike asked quietly now.
Adaeze hesitated.
And somehow Damien noticed that hesitation too.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Before she could answer—
Damien gently took the phone from her hand.
Adaeze’s eyes widened instantly.
“Damien—”
He placed the phone against his ear calmly.
“She’s safe.”
Silence.
Then Chike’s angry voice exploded faintly through the speaker.
“You stay the hell away from my sister.”
Damien’s expression didn’t change.
“She’s under my protection now.”
Adaeze’s heartbeat stumbled.
Under my protection.
Again.
Always those possessive words.
“My sister doesn’t belong to anybody,” Chike snapped.
Something flickered in Damien’s eyes then.
Something dark.
Something personal.
“She belongs wherever she’s safest.”
And before Chike could respond—
Damien ended the call.
Adaeze stared at him in disbelief.
“You cannot just take my phone!”
“I just did.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
She snatched the phone back angrily.
“You have serious control issues.”
Damien stepped closer slowly.
“And you attract dangerous men.”
The words sliced through her instantly.
Pain flashed across her face before she could hide it.
Damien noticed.
Immediately.
Regret flickered briefly in his eyes.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
But there.
Then the restroom door opened again.
Chioma.
Her gaze instantly moved between them.
The tension.
Their closeness.
The charged silence.
And hatred burned sharper across her face.
“Everyone is waiting,” she said coldly.
Damien didn’t look away from Adaeze.
“Give us a minute.”
Chioma’s jaw tightened. “The investors—”
“A minute,” Damien repeated calmly.
The finality in his voice silenced her instantly.
But before leaving, Chioma looked directly at Adaeze.
And Adaeze saw it clearly now.
This woman hated her.
Not professionally.
Personally.
The door shut behind her.
Silence returned again.
Damien finally exhaled slowly.
“You should go home after this dinner.”
Adaeze frowned slightly. “Why?”
“Because Richard won’t stop tonight.”
Fear crawled back into her stomach immediately.
“What did he do?”
Damien’s expression darkened.
“He tried accessing your apartment building again.”
Her blood went cold.
“What?”
“I had security watching the area.”
Adaeze stared at him.
“You had people watching my apartment?”
“Yes.”
“That’s insane!”
“That’s necessary.”
“You don’t get to decide what’s necessary in my life!”
Damien suddenly stepped closer so fast her breath caught.
“You think I enjoy this?” he said quietly.
Something in his voice had changed now.
Less controlled.
More real.
“Men are hunting you, Adaeze.”
The words sent chills through her body.
“And the only reason they haven’t touched you yet…”
His fingers tilted her chin upward gently.
“…is because they know you’re standing beside me.”
Her pulse became erratic.
Because the terrifying thing was—
She believed him.
Every word.
Damien stared at her mouth for one dangerous second before looking back into her eyes.
The tension between them thickened sharply.
Too intimate.
Too close.
And for one reckless moment—
Adaeze thought he might kiss her.
But then his phone rang.
The moment shattered instantly.
Damien answered calmly, never taking his eyes off her.
“Yes?”
Silence.
Then his entire expression changed.
Cold.
Deadly.
“What do you mean she’s missing?”
Adaeze frowned slightly.
Missing?
Damien’s jaw tightened violently.
“When did it happen?”
Another pause.
Then slowly—
His gaze returned to Adaeze.
And something about the way he looked at her made fear bloom inside her chest again.
Because suddenly—
She knew this had something to do with her.
- Writer
