The next morning, Lena was just getting used to things when Vanessa showed up once more. Not in some calm coffee spot this time - nope, it was inside the exclusive Blackwood lounge near the city center, somewhere Lena didn't know she could enter.
Lena was attempting to relax - this peaceful break felt unusual - yet Vanessa's words sliced in without warning.
"Lena! Fancy seeing you here."
Her gut dropped. Vanessa's grin felt slick, somehow exact - like a quiet dare hiding behind it.
"I… I didn't know you'd be here," Lena said, trying to sound casual.
Vanessa moved closer, speaking quieter.
"Funny how we always seem to cross paths… especially when someone's watching."
Lena's breath caught. Her eyes darted left, then right - pulse racing. Out of nowhere, Damian stood there, still as stone.
Slouched by the rail at the far end, his dark gaze stuck to her - sharp, unblinking. His whole frame hummed with tightness, coiled like a spring.
Vanessa spotted him right away, grinning slightly.
"Oh, so that's the infamous Damian Blackwood. Obsessed much?"
Lena's cheeks flamed.
"Vanessa, quit it," she snapped.
Yet Vanessa paid no attention, shifting her gaze to Damian instead.
"I mean… anyone would be obsessed with you. Look at him. He can't take his eyes off you."
Lena's chest squeezed shut. Yet her heartbeat raced, pounding hard against her bones.
Damian moved easily, each step firm. In only a few paces he reached the middle - right between Lena and Vanessa. Around him, things changed subtly, like pressure building before a storm. Tension clung to his presence, sharp and quiet.
"Back off from her," he muttered, tone sharp - cold.
Vanessa chuckled, though it came out shaky.
You ain't got her, she muttered, fighting to hide how shaky she sounded.
"I do," Damian said, quiet but lethal. "In every way that matters."
Lena's face warmed - less about shame, more about how boldly he spoke. Her heart kicked up, while a odd shiver moved down her skin.
Vanessa's smirk faltered.
"This… is insane."
"Yeah," Damian whispered, moving near Lena till just a breath separated them. Yet it's also about how bad he needs her
Lena froze. Her legs begged to flee. Yet something held her back - curiosity maybe, or fear, she couldn't say. He stood too close, way too close. Still, a quiet urge tugged her forward instead of away. His nearness sparked heat, sharp and sudden. The thrill scared her, honestly, but it also lit her up inside.
Vanessa backed off at last, lifting her palms like she was giving up.
"Fine… I see how it is," she muttered. "You're not going to be free, are you?"
Lena held Damian's stare. His fingers skimmed near her lower back - just shy of crossing a line, yet still sending chills through her.
You're not," he said quietly, like he was thinking out loud.
Lena's legs wobbled. Her heartbeat thudded loud, each breath hitched tight, pulses flaring whenever he moved.
Then it hit her - she finally saw things clear
No one - not a single person - could ever stand in their way.
Not her. Nobody else.
Became clear when Damian Blackwood started staring - no, it wasn't just a glance. He was locked on her.
He kept watch over her. Staked his claim on her. So fixated she felt scared... yet found herself craving it deeper.
The club's lights spun out of focus all around, yet her eyes stayed locked on him - her skin tingling with his presence instead.
She was sure, deep down, that no force around - nope, not one thing - could ever put out the spark now burning inside both of them.