The rest of the day passed slowly, heavy with unspoken worry.
Ariana tried to distract herself—
helped Mrs. Rowan fold laundry, organized her small bookshelf, even watered the flowers in the hallway—
but nothing chased away the feeling in her chest.
Someone had been outside.
Someone had watched her.
Someone had dared to come close to the Steele mansion.
Damian didn't leave her side for long after that.
Every few minutes, he checked her location, her mood, her breathing.
Not suffocating—
but protective in a way that felt grounding.
As evening arrived, the sky darkened with a deep purple glow, and Ariana sat on the sofa, hugging a pillow to her chest.
Damian stood by the window, talking quietly on the phone.
"Yes. I want the surveillance extended to the forest edge."
A pause.
"No. Not just guards—cameras. Thermal scanning. Motion sensors."
Another pause.
"If they step one foot near the perimeter again, I want to know before they blink."
Ariana swallowed hard.
He wasn't playing.
This wasn't paranoia.
This was Damian going into war mode.
When he hung up, he looked at her immediately.
"You didn't rest."
Ariana offered a weak smile.
"I tried."
Damian walked over and sat beside her—close, but not intimidating.
"You're scared," he said quietly.
"I think anyone would be," she whispered.
Damian's gaze softened.
"You can talk to me, Ariana. About anything. You don't have to hide it."
She looked down at her hands.
"It's just… I keep thinking I'm the reason you're in danger."
Damian turned fully toward her.
"You are not a weakness," he said firmly.
"You're the reason I'm finally seeing who my real enemies are."
Ariana blinked.
Damian continued:
"People hide when they fear me.
But now that you're in my life…"
He paused, eyes intense.
"They're showing themselves. And that makes them easier to destroy."
Ariana shivered.
Not because his words scared her—
but because she realized how deeply he was willing to fight for her.
She whispered:
"Damian… what if the person behind this comes closer? What if they try something worse?"
He didn't answer immediately.
He reached out and gently took her wrist, feeling her pulse flutter beneath his fingers.
"Ariana."
She looked up.
"I don't want you to be afraid of the unknown," he murmured.
"Be afraid of me if I ever allow anything to happen to you."
Her breath caught.
"I would never be afraid of you," she said honestly.
Damian's shoulders lowered slightly—relieved, but conflicted.
"You should be," he whispered.
"Not because I'd harm you… but because of what I become when someone threatens you."
Ariana felt her heart twist at his words.
He wasn't exaggerating.
She had seen glimpses of the monster he could become—
the one men whispered about,
the one elites feared,
the one his enemies never returned from.
But none of that frightened her.
Because he never aimed that darkness at her.
Only for her.
"Damian," she whispered, "I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."
"It's too late," he said quietly.
"Someone already has."
Ariana froze.
"You mean… the man you caught?"
Damian nodded.
"He wasn't the mastermind. Just a pawn. But I can't ignore what he did."
Ariana hesitated.
"Did you… hurt him badly?"
Damian held her gaze.
"Does it matter?" he asked gently.
Her lips parted.
She didn't know how to answer.
Damian leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"I won't pretend to be gentle, Ariana. Not where your safety is concerned."
Her heartbeat quickened.
This man—
the most feared man in the country—
was sitting next to her, speaking truths no one else dared to say.
And yet, his voice was soft.
His eyes were warm.
His touch was gentle.
He wasn't dangerous to her.
He was dangerous for her.
Ariana whispered,
"I don't want to stop you from being who you are."
Damian stared at her for a long moment—
something raw flickering in his eyes.
"Don't ever say that," he murmured.
"Because the man I am now… is changing because of you."
Ariana felt her breath tremble.
Damian's hand moved from her wrist to her cheek—slowly, carefully, as if asking permission without words.
But then—
A sharp knock echoed through the hallway.
Damian instantly stiffened.
His hand dropped.
A guard's voice came through the door.
"Sir. Urgent update."
Damian rose to his feet.
Ariana stood too.
He turned toward her, voice low.
"Stay here."
Her voice trembled.
"Damian—"
He looked over his shoulder.
"I'll come back."
Then he stepped out of the room.
And Ariana's whole body went cold.
Because the guard's expression, in the brief second she saw it…
Wasn't calm.
Wasn't routine.
It was fear.
Something had happened.
Something big.
Something that would change everything.