The walls between Us

Alessia stood frozen long after Damian had walked away, her breath still uneven, her pulse hammering in her ears.

What the hell just happened?

One second, she was challenging him, testing the limits of his control. The next, he had her caged against the desk, his touch burning her skin, his words igniting something dangerous inside her.

She exhaled sharply, pushing a hand through her hair. This isn’t real.

It couldn’t be.

Damian Russo was a man who ruled with power and violence. He wasn’t kind. He wasn’t safe. And yet…

He hadn’t hurt her.

Instead, he had pulled back.

That should have reassured her, but it only left her with more questions—ones she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to.

Needing space to clear her thoughts, Alessia left the study and wandered through the estate.

The house was quiet, the halls dimly lit. It was strange, knowing that just outside these walls, there were men stationed, armed and dangerous, ready to eliminate any threat.

A golden cage is still a cage.

The thought made her chest tighten.

Eventually, she found herself in the library. The massive room was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the scent of old paper and leather-bound novels filling the air.

She trailed her fingers over the spines of the books, feeling oddly comforted by the silence.

But she wasn’t alone.

"I didn’t take you for a book lover," Damian’s voice came from behind her.

Alessia turned sharply, her heart stuttering in surprise. "Jesus, do you always sneak up on people?"

He smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Only when they’re lost in thought."

She narrowed her eyes. "I’m not lost."

His gaze flickered over her. "Aren’t you?"

The weight of his words pressed against her, making her stomach tighten.

She turned back to the shelves, pretending to examine the books. "I just needed some space."

Damian’s footsteps were silent, but she could feel him moving closer.

"You think space will change anything?" he asked, his voice low.

Alessia swallowed hard. "I think it helps me think."

He was right behind her now. Close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"What are you thinking about?"

She hesitated, gripping the edge of the bookshelf.

You.

The thought sent a rush of heat through her, but she refused to say it aloud.

"How I got here," she said instead. "How none of this was supposed to happen."

Damian was quiet for a moment. Then, to her surprise, he reached past her, pulling a book from the shelf.

"The things we don’t plan for," he murmured, "are usually the ones that change us the most."

She turned to face him, their eyes meeting in the dim light.

"Is that what this is?" she asked softly. "Change?"

His jaw tensed slightly, his gaze locked onto hers.

"Maybe," he admitted.

The air between them crackled, heavy with something unspoken.

Then, as if sensing the shift, Damian stepped back.

"You should get some rest," he said, his voice controlled once more.

Alessia exhaled slowly, watching as he walked away.

And this time, she didn’t stop him.

But deep down, she knew something had shifted.

And there was no turning back now.

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