Tamed in her Arms.
Damien, who had been lost in thought, blinked when she closed the distance between them. But before he could react, her hand shot up, plucking the cigarette from his lips. She snuffed it out with an almost insulting casualness, then crushed the glowing tip into the ashtray before tossing it into the trash, dismissing it as though it was nothing more than a worthless filth.
Before he could say a word, she reached for his tie, the same crooked tie she had tried to fix for him earlier, resulting to him pushing her. This time there was no gentleness. Her movements were sharp, almost punishing, jerking the fabric like she might strangle him with it if she pulled just a little harder.
She didn't even look at his face.
"Don't smoke again." Her voice was low, but firm, threading through the air like a quiet command. "Smoking isn't good for the health. You're a man built like a pillar, everyone needs your health to be in top gear. So, " she tightened the knot just enough for him to feel it, "...don't ever touch that thing again."
Only then did her eyes lift to his. For a moment, he saw something fierce there, care disguised as defiance.
He didn't move. Didn't breathe. His lips had been parted the whole time, caught between shock and something else he couldn't name.
Without breaking his gaze, she pushed his thermos closer, adjusted his cutlery, then turned away. She reached the door, and paused again.
"Don't fire Cathy," she said softly. "She's my friend."
And then she was gone.
Damien remained frozen, staring at the door long after it closed. Stunned_bewildered_Disarmed_searching for words that simply wouldn't come.
He had always been the one in control. People deferred to him. People had always handed him the front seat without question, even his parents had treated him like a god, he had always been treated as if he were untouchable. No one had ever made him feel so small. Subdued. Overpowered. Weak.
Until Eva.
He couldn't even name the storm in his chest. All he knew was that, he would never touch a cigarette again, just as she'd demanded. And he wasn't going to fire anyone from her department, either. Who knew how many allies she had besides Cathy?
But a question lingered, burning in his chest; where did she find that kind of courage? Where did Eva get the nerve to treat him like that?
The logical reaction was anger_ hell. That was his instinct. When Seraphina had challenged him in the past, Seraphina had in fact done far less, and he'd given her a harsh slap, the first and only time he'd ever struck a woman.
Yet with Eva, the thought of even raising his voice or hand to her felt impossible, it was unthinkable. He couldn't even muster anger.
And for strange reasons, whatever she just did, he loved it.
He liked the way she could disarm him so effortlessly, how she treated him like a spoiled child, like a baby, unafraid, unshaken, as if she were the one in control.
And just like that, the irritation that Tyler's memory had stirred within him all day dissolved into thin air. His mind cleared, his focus returned, and he found himself working without the weight of that familiar grumpiness pressing down on him.
Eva left early that evening, saying she needed to check on her mother at the hospital. Damien drove home alone, the silence in the car heavier than he expected. By the time she returned, it was late, too late, and it felt as if she had been deliberately avoiding him.
She ate her dinner in the kitchen, bathed in her old bedroom, and was about to settle there for the night when he overheard her voice, sharp with frustration, clashing with Gina's. But Gina, in her usual sly tone, refused. Gina was insisting she couldn't stay there, claiming the boss would fire her if Eva slept anywhere but his room. Left with no choice, Eva returned to his bedroom.
Damien was leaning back against the headboard when she walked in. She gave him a quick, barely-there greeting without meeting his eyes, then slipped into bed, turning her back to him and shutting her eyes as if to will herself elsewhere.
Damian stared at her, almost incredulous at the quiet stubbornness in her little tantrum. Still, he couldn't deny the truth, he'd been awful to her today. From the moment at the restaurant when his mood had soured without warning, to the silent drive to work, to the careless shove that had sent her tumbling onto her butts, and finally to the spectacle of firing half a dozen staff in one day and yes, he'd screwed up. Badly. And he knew it.
She had every right to be upset. But letting her stay angry at him? That was out of the question. No way was he going to give Victor even the slightest opening to make her believe she'd made a mistake by marrying him.
So, without a word, he shifted, reached for her, and in one swift motion pulled her into his chest. She stiffened, startled.
Inside, Eva's heart twisted with guilt. Every moment she spent hurting Damien felt like a blade slicing her apart. Damien didn't deserve any of this, not the lies, not the deception. He had been nothing but kind to her, yet she had stolen from him and left him haunted by the bitter memory of Tyler. If just the mention of that name could darken his mood so quickly, she dreaded to imagine what he would do when he finally discovered the truth about who she really was. Maybe... maybe Victor had been right all along.
She stayed pressed against his chest, her body rigid, as though touching him was both comfort and punishment. His warmth seared through her skin, making her pulse race. She held her breath, terrified that even the sound of it might betray her. A thousand frantic thoughts crashed and collided in her mind until, at last, exhaustion pulled her under, dragging her into the fragile escape of dreams.
Once she drifted into sleep, her body grew restless. Soft mumbles slipped past her lips, broken, and Damien was going to pet her to calmness until he heard Eva's mumbling and trembling some strange words and Damien pause, his hand hovering midair.
"Forgive me... I'm sorry... forgive me, please..." she whispered, her face twisting in distress.
Damien's brows furrowed. Forgive her? For what? What could that mean? He wondered,
Then came the words that tightened his jaw.
"Take my life and forgive me. I can't do this anymore..."
Damien's chest constricted. Why would she even say something like that? What in the world was going on with her?
Then she said the one that shook him.
"Forgive me, Damien..." The moment she called the name 'Damien,' a tear slipped from the corner of her closed eyes. And in that instant, Damien's mind snapped.
Me? Why is she apologizing to me? What did she do?
"Eva?" His voice was sharp as he called her name, but she only stirred, chewing faintly in her sleep, then slipped deeper into her dreams. His frown deepened as a flood of wild possibilities stormed his mind.
When she began to thrash restlessly again, he pulled her trembling body closer, arranging her tousled hair before stroking her back gently. He leaned close, his voice low and soothing in her ear.
"Relax, Eva. It's okay. I'm right here. And I'll forgive you, no matter what it is, no matter what you've done. As long as you stay with me... okay?"
To his shock, she mumbled back in a drowsy voice, "Mmm... you promise?"
"Yes, my sweet wife," he whispered firmly. "I promise".
"Mmm..." she breathed, and just like that, the storm inside her quieted. Her body softened against his, no longer restless, finally sinking into a deep, peaceful slumber. Damien exhaled, a heavy sigh of relief.
But his mind refused to rest.
He thought he had seen it all with Tyler, her restless nights, her heavy secrets buried under forced smiles. Yet here was Eva, and though she looked different, felt different, he sensed the same weight pressing down on her soul. Just like Tyler, she was hiding something. Just like Tyler, she carried a darkness she never spoke of.
And that thought terrified him.
He prayed Eric was wrong about Eva. He prayed this wouldn't be another Tyler Ross.
But amidst the chaos in his chest, Damien made a silent vow. No. Not this time.
Whatever the truth was, whatever secrets she held, he would not let history repeat itself. He would do anything, fight anyone, change fate itself, just to keep her with him. Eva would remain his wife. No matter what.
The next morning, the weekend sun already warm, Damien woke to the sweet, savory aroma drifting through the air. The bed beside him was empty, and he knew instantly she was the one creating that magic.
Dragging himself up, he freshened quickly before strolling toward the kitchen. Sure enough, he found his little wife flitting about, busy in his kitchen while Gina stood off to the side, offering only minimal help.
Damian's heart fluttered the moment his eyes found her. That sight alone was the sweetest he'd seen in a long while, her tiny frame moving about the kitchen, her lovely face glowing as she chatted with Gina, her smile soft and effortless. The way she sprinkled thyme over the omelette with such style, her straight elegant legs, the playful sway of her body, it was enough to undo him.
Today she wore a short mini homely gown that hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her shapely figure and long legs. Her hair was tied in a neat bun, exposing the delicate line of her neck, her pretty ears, and her collarbone. Just looking at her stirred a heat inside him, and when he noticed the bulge in his trousers, he facepalmed inwardly. His body was completely sold to her, no doubt.