Chapter 3: Behind Closed Doors

The afternoon sun spilled weakly through the classroom windows, but Sienna couldn’t concentrate on anything the teacher said. Her notebook remained blank, her pen untouched. All she could think about was Damien—his eyes, his words, the way he had claimed her so boldly in the hallway.

“No one touches what belongs to me.”

Those words echoed in her mind like a dangerous promise. Why did they make her heart race instead of recoil? She was only sixteen. She shouldn’t feel this way. And yet… she did.

When the final bell rang, Sienna gathered her books quickly, hoping to slip out unnoticed. But as she stepped outside, her breath caught—Damien was leaning against the black car parked by the gate. Arms crossed, gaze fixed only on her.

Her heart thudded painfully. “Damien,” she whispered, glancing nervously around, “what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you,” he said simply, his deep voice leaving no room for argument. His eyes softened for the briefest second, but then hardened with a dangerous glint. “Get in.”

“I—” she hesitated. Her instincts told her to walk away, but something stronger—an unexplainable pull—dragged her toward him. Before she knew it, she was seated inside his car, the scent of leather and his cologne wrapping around her like a forbidden embrace.

The drive was silent. Damien’s hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, his jaw tight, as though he was restraining emotions he didn’t want her to see. Sienna dared not ask where they were going, until finally, he pulled up near a quiet, secluded spot by the river.

He killed the engine, then turned to face her. His eyes, dark and intense, locked onto hers.

“You don’t belong in their world, Sienna,” he said quietly, almost bitterly. “You’re too fragile for them. Too… pure. They’ll ruin you.”

Her breath hitched. “And you won’t?”

The question slipped out before she could stop herself. Damien’s lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “I might, little one,” he admitted, his voice low and husky. “But at least when I ruin you… you’ll be mine.”

Her chest tightened, a mix of fear and desire swirling inside her. She wanted to protest, to tell him he had no right to say these things. But when he leaned closer, his breath warm against her cheek, her words tangled in her throat.

“Why me?” she whispered, trembling.

His hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair from her face, lingering near her jawline. The touch was gentle—too gentle for a man who looked like he could destroy her with ease. “Because you woke something in me, Sienna. Something dark. Something I can’t control. And I don’t want to control it.”

Her heartbeat hammered wildly, every nerve in her body screaming danger, yet craving more. The closeness, the intensity in his voice—it was consuming her.

Damien leaned in, his lips just inches from hers, his gaze flickering between her eyes and her mouth. “Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice thick with restraint.

Sienna’s breath shuddered. She should say no. She should push him away. But her silence—her inability to resist—spoke louder than any word.

And then, just as his lips brushed hers, a loud knock startled them both.

Sienna jerked back, eyes wide. Someone was standing outside the car, peering in.

Damien’s jaw clenched, fury flashing in his eyes. His hand tightened possessively over hers. “They shouldn’t have seen this,” he muttered, voice dangerously low. “Now they’ll know you’re mine.”