The mansion felt colder after that night.
Damian hadn't spoken to Evelyn since they had returned. No sarcastic remarks, no power plays, no quiet amusement laced with hidden threats.
Just silence.
She had won.
She had stopped him from pulling the trigger.
But at what cost?
Because now, Damian Voss wasn't just looking at her like she was a challenge.
He was looking at her like she was a liability.
And Evelyn wasn't sure which was more dangerous.
---
The Ice Between Them
Days passed in a blur of tension and unspoken words.
Evelyn tried to act like nothing had changed, but she felt it-the weight of Damian's distance.
He had let her in, for just a moment.
She had seen the man beneath the armor.
And now?
Now he was building his walls back up.
One morning, she walked into the main hall to find him speaking with his men. Something was wrong.
The air was charged, tight. Conversations were clipped, shoulders stiff.
When Damian turned and saw her, his expression hardened.
"You need to leave," he said abruptly.
Evelyn's stomach dropped. "What?"
Damian exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at her. "It's not safe here anymore."
Evelyn folded her arms. "I don't buy that."
His jaw clenched. "You don't have to."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, Damian turned to one of his men. "Get her out of the city."
Evelyn stepped forward instantly. "Don't you dare."
Damian looked at her then, and for the first time, he looked-tired.
"Evelyn," he said, his voice quieter. "Please."
Please.
It was the first time he had ever asked her for anything.
And that's when she knew-this wasn't just about her.
Something bigger was happening.
Something Damian wasn't telling her.
And if he was pushing her away?
That meant whatever was coming was about to destroy him.
---
A Choice She Couldn't Make
Evelyn didn't leave.
Of course, she didn't.
She had spent too long chasing Damian Voss-hating him, fighting him, trying to expose him.
And now?
Now, she couldn't just walk away.
She needed answers.
So that night, she did something reckless.
She followed him.
---
The Truth Unveiled
The city felt different under the cover of darkness-alive, restless, filled with shadows that whispered secrets.
Evelyn stayed hidden as she trailed Damian's car, her pulse pounding.
She had no idea where he was going.
Until they stopped.
A dockyard.
Abandoned. Silent.
And waiting for something deadly.
Evelyn stayed low, watching as Damian stepped out, his face unreadable.
Then-Costa arrived.
Her breath caught.
This wasn't business.
This was war.
"You made a mistake, Voss," Costa said, his voice smooth. "A very costly mistake."
Damian didn't flinch. "And what mistake was that?"
Costa smirked. "You let someone change you."
Evelyn's heart stopped.
Costa didn't mean a business deal.
He meant her.
"You think you can hesitate now?" Costa continued, stepping closer. "You think you can play hero? You're either a king, Voss, or you're nothing."
Evelyn barely had time to react before she saw the gun.
Costa raised it without hesitation.
Damian didn't move.
He just-stood there.
Like he was ready for this.
Like he wasn't going to fight back.
Evelyn's blood ran cold.
No.
Not like this.
Not now.
Not when she had just started to see him-really see him.
Before she could think, before she could stop herself-
She moved.
She stepped into the light.
---
The Breaking Point
Costa's eyes widened.
Damian's head snapped toward her.
And just like that, everything collapsed.
"Get out of here, Evelyn," Damian growled.
She didn't.
Because Costa wasn't looking at Damian anymore.
He was looking at her.
"You shouldn't have come, sweetheart," Costa mused, tilting his gun slightly. "Now you've given him something to lose."
Evelyn swallowed hard.
Costa's smirk widened. "And the best way to break a man like Damian Voss?"
He raised the gun.
"Is to take what he loves."
A gunshot rang out.