Boundaries and Unspoken Desires

Alessia should have walked away.

Every instinct in her body screamed at her to put distance between herself and Damian, to remind herself that he was a dangerous man, not someone she should ever feel comfortable around.

But she didn’t move.

Not when he stood so close, his dark gaze holding hers captive. Not when the low timbre of his voice echoed in her ears, making her heart pound for reasons she didn’t want to name.

"Losing something that matters."

His words replayed in her mind, leaving an unsettling weight in her chest. What had he meant by that?

Her voice was quieter than she intended. "And what exactly matters to you, Damian?"

Something flickered in his eyes, a brief crack in his usual unreadable expression. But just as quickly, it was gone.

"Stay close to the house," he said instead, dodging her question completely.

Annoyance flared inside her. "You still haven’t answered me."

He exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting toward the high walls that enclosed the estate. "I don’t owe you answers, Alessia."

A part of her wanted to push him further, to demand the truth. But what would she do with it?

Would knowing make any difference?

Would it stop the way her pulse quickened when he was near?

She hated how aware she was of him.

He wasn’t just a powerful man. He was dangerous—dangerous in the way he could make her feel things she had no business feeling.

"You can’t keep me here forever," she finally said, forcing strength into her voice.

Damian’s smirk returned, slow and calculated. "Can’t I?"

His confidence made her uneasy.

"You have no right to control my life."

He tilted his head slightly. "And yet, here you are. Still standing in my home. Still breathing because of me."

Her stomach twisted. "I never asked for your help."

Something dark flickered in his gaze. "No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that without it, you wouldn’t have made it through the night alive."

The reminder sent a chill down her spine.

As much as she hated to admit it, he wasn’t wrong.

She had been in real danger, and if Damian hadn’t stepped in, she might not have survived. But that didn’t mean she had to accept this—accept him.

She took a slow breath, gathering what little defiance she had left. "You can’t control me, Damian. No matter how much power you think you have."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. "You mistake control for protection."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Do I? Because from where I’m standing, they look exactly the same."

His gaze burned into hers, and for a moment, she thought he might close the distance between them, might force her to see the world through his eyes.

But then, he did something unexpected.

He stepped back.

The absence of his warmth made her feel colder than she wanted to admit.

"You want your freedom?" he said, voice deceptively calm. "Fine. The doors aren’t locked. Walk out if you want."

She froze.