Chapter 24 – Shadows of His Past
The text from Professor Callahan glowed on Aria's screen like a warning flare.
She stared at it long after Damien's footsteps faded from her hallway, her thumb hovering above the keyboard. She didn't reply. Couldn't. Not yet.
Instead, she slipped the phone into her pocket and walked to the window. Outside, the city glimmered, each light a pulse in the sprawling night. Somewhere out there Damien was moving like a storm, all control and chaos wrapped in an immaculate suit.
She pressed her forehead against the glass.
What are you hiding from me, Damien?
---
Damien's penthouse was dark except for the glow of the fireplace. He sat alone on the leather couch, elbows on his knees, a tumbler of whiskey untouched in his hands. The city skyline stretched before him like a painting he couldn't step into.
On the glass table, an old photograph lay face-down.
He reached for it, fingers hesitating before flipping it over. A much younger Damien stared back — barely eighteen, hair longer, eyes fierce but unguarded. Beside him was a man in a gray suit with a cruel smile and a hand on Damien's shoulder.
The caption, scrawled in black ink at the bottom, read: "Family first. Always."
Damien exhaled sharply and threw the photo back down. His phone buzzed. A text from his head of security:
> Security: We've identified him. Professor Callahan. No clean record. Funded by an old investor tied to your father's firm. Should we dig deeper?
Damien's grip tightened around the phone. Callahan.
Of course. Nothing in his life was ever coincidence.
He typed back:
> Not yet. Watch him. Quietly.
Then he stood, staring out at the skyline, jaw tight.
He could feel it — his past bleeding into his present. The old empire, the old enemies, the promises he'd tried to bury. And now Aria, caught in the middle without even knowing it.
He whispered her name, almost a prayer, almost a curse.
"Aria…"
---
Back at her apartment, Aria lay awake, her mind racing. Damien's touch still lingered on her skin, his words echoing in her chest. Lines in the sand.
But she couldn't ignore the way Professor Callahan had looked at her — protective, curious, maybe even dangerous in his own way.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, a voice message. She hesitated, then pressed play.
> "Aria. I know you think I'm just your professor. But Damien Black isn't who you think he is. Be careful. If you ever feel unsafe, I can help."
Her blood ran cold. She sat up, staring into the dark.
Outside her window, a sleek black car idled for a moment before driving off. She didn't see it. But Damien was inside, watching her apartment one last time before disappearing into the night.
Two men.
Two worlds.
And a past that was about to catch up to all of them.