Chapter Two
1038 Words
Ariella was deeply lost in memories, so much so that she didn’t realize when they reached Damien’s mansion. The sudden halt of the car and the sharp blare of the horn were what pulled her back to reality.
The building stood tall and imposing, perfectly built in a way that made it no different from a castle. Its glittering glass reflected the fading light of the evening, and the massive golden gate radiated the aura of a royal palace.
Damien hit the horn again, this time more aggressively, the sound echoing through the compound like a warning. His face was twisted with anger, faint lines forming on his forehead as he bit down on his lower lip.
Ariella flinched slightly at the sound. She quickly wiped the tears from her face with the back of her palm, trying to compose herself before anyone could notice her state.
The gate finally flung open.
Without a second thought, Damien sped into the compound at a terrifying speed, the tires screeching slightly as he made his way toward the garage. The movement was so sudden it made Ariella grip the edge of her seat for balance, though she said nothing.
The car came to an abrupt stop in the garage, where several expensive cars, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and a limousine were neatly arranged like a luxury showroom.
Before the engine had fully settled, Damien was already out of the car.
He didn’t look back.
He didn’t say a word.
He simply walked straight into the house.
Ariella remained seated for a moment, staring blankly ahead, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of her dress.
“Madam…” one of the maids called gently.
The presence of the staff snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked and slowly turned her head.
The maids had already gathered beside the car, as they were instructed to do whenever she arrived.
Ariella let out a quiet breath before opening the door.
She stepped out carefully, holding her damaged shoes in one hand, her bare feet touching the cold ground. The slight contact sent a faint shiver through her body, but she ignored it.
The maids stood in a neat line before her, waiting.
Waiting for instructions.
Waiting for her voice.
But Ariella didn’t feel like someone who should be giving orders.
She looked at them briefly, then lowered her gaze.
“Take the groceries from the trunk to the kitchen,” she said softly.
“Yes, madam,” they responded in unison.
One of the maids moved quickly to open the trunk, while the others began unloading the bags.
Another maid’s eyes fell on Ariella’s bare feet.
“Madam… your feet…” she said hesitantly.
Before Ariella could respond, the chief maid had already rushed off at full speed.
“She’s going to get you slippers,” another maid explained quietly.
Ariella gave a faint nod but said nothing.
Her body felt heavy.
Everything felt heavy.
The events at the mall, Damien’s reaction, the way he had spoken… it all weighed down on her chest like something she couldn’t shake off.
She began to walk toward the entrance.
Each step felt slower than the last.
Unsteady.
Dizzy.
The world around her seemed to tilt slightly.
She paused for a moment, placing a hand lightly against her head.
“Madam, are you alright?” one of the maids asked, stepping forward.
“I’m fine,” Ariella replied quickly, though her voice lacked strength.
She wasn’t fine.
But she didn’t want to make a scene.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
She forced herself to keep walking.
The grand entrance door stood just a few steps away now.
Almost there.
But as she reached out her hand toward the handle, her vision blurred.
The door seemed to double.
Her hearing dulled, replaced by a faint ringing sound.
Her fingers trembled slightly in the air before she could even touch the handle.
“Madam…?”
The voices around her sounded distant.
Far away.
Her body swayed.
And before she could understand what was happening,
Everything went dark.
She collapsed.
Her body hit the ground with a dull thud.
“Madam!”
The maids screamed in panic.
The bodyguard stationed nearby reacted instantly, rushing forward and dropping to his knees beside her.
“Call the doctor!” he barked.
“Yes!” one of the maids replied, already running inside.
Another knelt beside Ariella, her hands shaking slightly as she tried to lift her head.
“Madam, can you hear me?”
There was no response.
Upstairs, Damien stood by the large glass window, his gaze fixed on the scene below.
He had seen everything.
From the moment she stepped out of the car… to the moment she fell.
Yet, he didn’t move.
Not even an inch.
His expression remained cold, unreadable.
But his eyes…
His eyes betrayed something else.
A flicker.
A hesitation.
His fingers curled slightly into his palm.
For a brief moment, his body leaned forward, almost as if he was about to move.
Almost.
But then he stopped.
A voice echoed in his mind, sharp and clear.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
His jaw tightened.
“Are you going to run to her now?”
His breathing slowed, but his chest felt tight.
“After everything that happened earlier… you want her to see you as weak?”
Damien’s gaze hardened.
“She’s fine,” he muttered under his breath.
“She’s just pretending.”
But even as he said it, his eyes remained fixed on her unmoving body.
The bodyguard carefully lifted Ariella into his arms.
“Be careful!” one of the maids said anxiously.
“I’ve got her,” he replied.
Damien’s fingers tightened further.
For a split second, his composure cracked.
His foot shifted slightly backward then forward again.
He could go downstairs.
He could check on her.
He could
“No.”
The word came out firmer this time.
He straightened.
Cold.
Detached.
Untouchable.
“She’ll be fine,” he said again, this time more convincing.
Or perhaps… he was trying to convince himself.
Without another glance, Damien turned away from the window.
He walked toward his bedroom.
And this time
He didn’t look back.
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