Aria had never seen a place like this before.
The gates alone were enough to make her hesitate.
Tall. Black. Imposing.
They opened silently as Damian's car approached, revealing a long driveway lined with perfectly trimmed trees and soft golden lights that illuminated the path like something out of a dream.
Or a trap.
Her fingers tightened in her lap.
"You're quiet," Damian's voice cut through the silence.
She didn't look at him.
"I'm thinking."
"About running?" he asked calmly.
Her lips pressed together.
He chuckled softly.
"You won't."
Her gaze snapped to him.
"You sound very sure of yourself."
"I am."
The confidence in his tone made her chest tighten.
Aria turned her attention back to the window as the mansion came into view—
And her breath caught.
It wasn't just a house.
It was massive.
Elegant.
Cold.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflected the night sky, while the structure itself stood like a symbol of power and control.
"This is where you live?" she asked quietly.
"For now," he replied.
For now?
Before she could question it, the car came to a smooth stop.
A driver quickly stepped out to open the door.
Aria hesitated.
This was it.
Once she stepped out of that car… everything would change.
"Don't overthink it," Damian said, already stepping out.
Easy for him to say.
This was his world.
Not hers.
Taking a deep breath, Aria followed.
Inside, the mansion was just as overwhelming.
Everything was sleek. Perfect. Untouched.
Like no one truly lived there.
Her heels echoed softly against the polished floor as she walked beside him, feeling smaller with every step.
"Your room is upstairs," Damian said.
She stopped.
"My room?"
He turned slightly, his expression unreadable.
"You didn't think you'd be sharing mine, did you?"
Heat rushed to her face instantly.
"I didn't think anything," she said quickly.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Good."
Her heart skipped.
Why did that sound like a warning?
The room he led her to was… beautiful.
Soft lighting. A large bed. Floor-length curtains. A balcony overlooking the city lights.
It felt warmer than the rest of the house.
More human.
Aria stepped inside slowly.
"This is too much," she said under her breath.
"It's necessary," Damian replied from behind her.
She turned.
"Necessary for what?"
"For you to understand something."
Her brows frowned slightly.
"And what is that?"
He stepped closer.
Slow. Measured.
"That you're not going back to the life you had before."
Her stomach twisted.
"I never said I wanted to stay forever."
"You don't need to."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"You just need to stay long enough."
Something about that unsettled her.
"Long enough for what?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze drifted over her face… lingering just a second too long on her lips.
Then—
"You'll find out."
Her pulse quickened.
The air between them shifted.
Thicker.
Heavier.
Aria suddenly became very aware of how close he was.
Too close.
"You should rest," he said finally, his voice lower now.
She nodded quickly.
"Yes… I think I should."
But neither of them moved.
Not right away.
Because something was there.
Something unspoken.
Something dangerous.
His hand lifted slowly—
And for a second, she thought he was going to touch her face.
Her breath caught.
But instead…
He stopped.
His fingers brushing lightly against her shoulder as he moved past her.
The contact was brief.
Barely there.
Yet it sent a wave of heat through her body.
"I'll have someone bring you clothes," he said, his tone returning to calm control. "You have dinner with me tomorrow."
Dinner.
That sounded normal.
Too normal.
"Is that part of the contract?" she asked.
He paused at the door.
Then glanced back at her.
"Yes."
A small silence passed.
Then he added—
"And Aria…"
Her heart skipped.
"Don't try to leave."
Her chest tightened.
"Or what?"
His gaze darkened slightly.
"You won't like how I stop you."
And with that—
He walked out.
Leaving her alone.
Aria stood there for a long moment.
Trying to steady her breathing.
Trying to understand what she had just stepped into.
This wasn't just a deal.
It wasn't just protection.
It was something else.
Something deeper.
Something that felt dangerously close to losing herself.
She walked slowly toward the bed and sat down.
Her fingers brushed against her wrist—
The same place he had held her earlier.
It still felt warm.
Still felt like his touch hadn't left.
"Get it together," she muttered softly.
But her heart betrayed her.
Because beneath the fear…
There was something else.
Something she didn't want to admit.
Curiosity.
And a pull she couldn't explain.
Downstairs, Damian stood by the window, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
His expression was calm.
But his thoughts weren't.
"She agreed too easily," a voice said behind him.
Damian didn't turn.
"She didn't have a choice."
"And you like that?"
A pause.
Then—
A faint smirk.
"I like that she thinks she'll leave."
His grip tightened slightly around the glass.
"But she won't."
His eyes darkened as he looked out into the night.
Because for the first time in a long time—
Something had caught his interest.
And Damian Blackwood never let go of things that interested him. And she did.