The night was still.
The penthouse glowed under the soft amber lights. Rain tapped gently against the towering windows like a metronome to the tension building inside.
Ariana entered the living room quietly, wearing a simple silk robe over her evening dress, hair loosely falling over her shoulders.
Damien stood by the bar, pouring himself a drink. The sound of liquid filled the silence as his eyes lifted and found her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
But something shifted in the air.
Ariana stepped forward, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You've barely looked at me tonight."
Damien's jaw flexed.
"I've been trying not to."
She stopped just a breath away from him. The space between them crackled.
"Why?" she asked softly, her voice trembling not from fear, but from the weight of something unspoken.
His eyes darkened, voice rough.
"Because every time I look at you, Ariana... I want to forget everything else."
Her breath hitched. She reached up slowly, fingers grazing his chest tentative, searching. His heartbeat was strong beneath her touch.
"Maybe... you should."
Her words were soft, dangerous.
For a second, he did.
Damien's hand lifted, fingers threading into her hair, pulling her gently closer. Their lips brushed light, tentative. Then again deeper this time.
Her hands gripped his shirt as his arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her fully into him. The kiss grew urgent, desperate, as weeks of buried emotion ignited.
Their bodies molded together instinctively, Ariana arching into his touch as his hands traced the curve of her spine.
For a moment, the world disappeared.
But then Damien froze.
A battle raged behind his eyes.
He exhaled sharply, breaking the kiss, his breath uneven. His forehead pressed against hers as he fought for control.
"You're like her," he whispered hoarsely.
Ariana blinked, confused.
"Who?"
He shut his eyes tightly.
"My mother."
The words trembled from his lips raw, unexpected, brutally honest.
"The only person I ever... trusted. The only one who could break me."
Ariana's breath trembled against his.
"Damien…"
But he stepped back, releasing her gently, as if afraid of what might happen if he didn't.
"We can't... not yet."
His voice was distant, fighting his own desires.
Ariana stood still, breathless, watching him walk away the heat between them lingering in the empty space like a forbidden flame.
Far away, behind encrypted screens, Vivienne observed silently.
Her lips curled into a knowing smile.
"They're unraveling," she whispered.
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