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Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: You Want Me to Move In?

Aria stepped into the grand foyer of Damien Blackwood's penthouse, her heart pounding. Noah clung to her as he gaped at the marble floors and high ceilings. Damien approached from the living area, striding forward to meet them.

"You're here," Damien said quietly, a subtle relief in his tone.

Noah peeked from behind Aria's leg. She set her four-year-old down gently. "Go on, sweetheart," she murmured, nudging him.

Damien knelt to Noah's level, surprising Aria. In his hand he held a plush teddy bear with a navy blue bow. "I got this for you," he said, voice gruff with an almost awkward gentleness.

Noah's eyes lit up. He accepted the bear and then flung his small arms around Damien's neck. "Thank you, Daddy!" he exclaimed.

Damien went still for a heartbeat, clearly startled by the hug and the word Daddy. Slowly, he returned the embrace, patting Noah's back. "You're... welcome," he managed softly.

Aria's chest tightened. She hadn't expected such tenderness from Damien. Warmth unfurled inside her despite her wariness.

Clearing his throat, Damien rose and took Noah's hand. "Let me show you your rooms," he said, leading them down the hall.

He guided them through the luxurious penthouse, pointing out the living room with its wall of glass overlooking the city. Aria noticed a basket of Noah's toys by the couch and a child-sized chair – touches he must have arranged in advance. Her throat tightened with unexpected gratitude.

When they reached a door decorated with a colorful nameplate reading Noah, Damien pushed it open. Inside was a child's dream: sky-blue walls with a mural of friendly animals, a red race car bed piled with cushions, and shelves filled with books and toys.

"Wow! Mommy, look!" Noah gasped, racing into the room with his teddy. "Is this all for me?"

"It's all yours," Damien affirmed, hovering by the doorway as if unsure of his welcome.

Aria was speechless. She turned to Damien, eyes warm with surprise. "This is… amazing. Thank you for doing this for him."

Damien shifted, almost embarrassed. "He should be comfortable here. If anything's missing, let me know. I want Noah to have everything now..." His voice trailed off, a hint of regret beneath the resolve.

Aria understood: he was making up for lost time. "He's happy," she said softly. "That's what matters."

A housekeeper appeared to announce that dinner was ready. Noah reluctantly left his new room, and the three of them headed to the dining area. The mahogany table was set for an intimate dinner for three. To Aria's relief, the meal was simple and child-friendly – roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, likely at Damien's instruction.

For a while, the only sounds were the clink of cutlery and Noah's cheerful chatter to his teddy bear (seated in the chair beside him). Aria stole glances at Damien. He appeared calm and composed, but he scarcely ate. His attention kept drifting to Noah, as if still marveling that the little boy was really here under his roof.

Aria mustered the courage to break the silence. "Noah seems to be settling in well," she said quietly. "He's usually shy in new places, but… he already looks comfortable."

Damien inclined his head. "I want him comfortable. This is his home now, and whatever he needs, I'll provide." His tone was firm, and Aria suspected he wasn't just talking about toys and rooms—he meant giving Noah the stability and family he'd missed.

She nodded, a mix of relief and caution swirling inside her. "That's… good. I appreciate it."

Before she could say more, Noah held up a broccoli floret. "Look, Mommy! I'm a dinosaur eating trees!" he declared, chomping it with a playful growl.

Aria laughed, the tension easing. "Ferocious indeed," she praised, wiping a bit of potato off his cheek.

Damien actually chuckled, a real smile on his face at Noah's antics. When his eyes met Aria's, her pulse skipped.

On impulse, Damien reached across the table and covered Aria's hand with his own. "You've done a wonderful job with him," he said quietly. "Noah is happy and healthy… because of you."

Aria's breath caught at the warmth of his palm and the sincerity in his voice. "Thank you," she whispered, cheeks flushing. "I… I did my best. It wasn't always easy, but he's worth it."

His thumb brushed over the back of her hand. "You won't have to do it alone anymore," he said, promise ringing in his tone. "I'm here now. We'll raise him together."

Emotion swelled in Aria's chest – comfort and terror all at once. Depending on someone, especially him, meant risking heartbreak. She managed a faint, shaky smile and gently withdrew her hand to steady herself. "One day at a time," she agreed softly.

By the time Noah finished his meal, he was drooping with sleep. "Mommy, story time?" he mumbled around a yawn.

Aria rose and scooped Noah up. "Let's get you into bed, honey."

To her surprise, Damien spoke up, already standing. "I can read to him tonight," he offered, trying to sound casual.

Before she could protest, Damien gently took Noah from her arms. Noah giggled and snuggled against his father's shoulder. Aria trailed behind, heart fluttering at how natural they looked together.

In Noah's new room, Aria pulled back the covers while Damien settled the drowsy boy in bed. Noah fought to keep his eyes open for the story as Damien sat on the edge of the bed with a picture book. Aria hovered by the door, watching in quiet awe.

Damien read in a low, soothing voice. Noah listened with a sleepy smile, but before the story's end, his eyes slid shut. The teddy bear was still clutched in his arm as he drifted off mid-story.

Damien's voice trailed off when he realized Noah was sound asleep. He set the book aside and gazed at the sleeping boy—his son—with an expression of wonder and quiet remorse that made Aria's chest ache. He bent down and pressed a hesitant kiss to Noah's hair. Aria's throat tightened at the tender sight.

Together, they tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door ajar. In the hushed hallway, Aria turned to Damien with a soft smile. "Thank you for tonight. He loved the story."

"My pleasure," Damien murmured. A hint of amazement colored his voice. "Believe it or not, that was my first bedtime story."

"You're a natural," Aria said softly. "He already adores you, you know."

Damien's eyes met hers. "The feeling is mutual," he admitted, voice low. "I know I can't get back the years I missed, but I'll do my best from now on."

Something in his earnest tone tugged at Aria's heart. "You're here now. That's what matters," she said softly.

They fell silent, realizing how close they were standing. Damien's hand twitched slightly, as if he wanted to reach out. Aria's fingers tingled with the mirrored urge to touch him. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears.

In Damien's eyes, she saw yearning and uncertainty mingled with a flicker of the same fear that held her captive. He leaned in almost imperceptibly, his face inclined toward hers. Was he going to kiss her?

Aria's breath hitched. Part of her yearned for him to close that final inch and banish her lingering loneliness. But another part screamed for caution—this was a business arrangement, not a true romance. If she forgot that and let him in…

Aria suddenly stepped back, just enough to break the spell. Damien blinked, retreating behind a polite mask almost instantly. "Good night, Aria," he said quietly, stepping back.

"Good night," she whispered, her voice uneven.

Without another word, Aria slipped into the bedroom that had been prepared for her and closed the door. Leaning back against it, she let out a shaky breath, her heart fluttering wildly.

This was exactly what she was afraid of – letting her guard down, letting him in. Because once, that had led to heartbreak.

But as she crawled into the plush bed, one thought echoed in her mind: You won't have to do it alone anymore. A tiny spark of hope bloomed in her chest. Maybe she wasn't alone now. The thought comforted her as much as it frightened her.

For the first time in a very long time, she fell asleep thinking she might not have to face tomorrow completely alone. The thought soothed and scared her in equal measure.

---

Across the hall, Damien stood in the shadows of his own bedroom, staring out at the glittering city beyond the window but seeing nothing. His mind was still in the hallway, replaying the moment he'd nearly kissed Aria. He let out a slow breath. It was going to be a challenge – having her here, under his roof, so close every day.

He had vowed to protect them, to be a father to Noah and a partner to Aria in whatever way she needed. But he hadn't expected a simple evening together to affect him so deeply. Her soft laughter at the dinner table, her fierce love for their son, the way she'd looked at him in the dim hallway – it was all chipping away at the walls he'd built around his heart.

Keep it together. He had to be careful. If he pushed her too hard or too fast, she would only retreat further behind her emotional walls. Both of them were afraid to repeat the mistakes of that one night – mistakes that had entangled them in ways they were still navigating.

This time, he vowed silently, things would be different. He would give Aria every reason to trust him, to depend on him. But he would also keep his own feelings in check, for now. They had a long road ahead before their marriage – their family – would truly feel real.

With one last look at the city lights, Damien turned away. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges. The world would soon know of their engagement, and with that would come scrutiny that could easily spook Aria. He had to be ready to shield her and Noah as best he could.

For tonight, at least, they had peace under this roof.

He closed his eyes and lay down, determination hardening within him. Whatever it took, he would keep his promise. He would not let anything shatter the fragile trust he'd seen kindling in Aria's eyes.

And with that resolve, Damien drifted into a restless sleep, the faint memory of her gentle smile lingering in his mind as both comfort and torment.

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