Juliette has just seduced Lucien Thorne, the architect of the Garden, and uncovered a dangerous truth. But now, the story pivots—back to Damien Cross, the billionaire whose obsession with Juliette is no longer just romantic. It's primal. Possessive. And threatened.
Explores Damien's unraveling, Juliette's return to him, and the Garden's first demand: a choice that could fracture everything.
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Damien Cross hadn't slept.
He stood in his penthouse office, staring out at the skyline he once ruled with quiet confidence. But tonight, the city felt different. Juliette was somewhere out there—wrapped in silk, danger, and the arms of another man.
Lucien Thorne.
Damien clenched his jaw. He knew what Lucien wanted. He knew how the Garden worked. But what he didn't know—what terrified him—was how deeply Juliette had gone.
And whether she'd come back.
---
The Return
At 2:17 a.m., the elevator chimed.
Juliette stepped into the room like a storm returning to sea. Her trench coat was damp from the night rain, her lipstick smudged, her eyes unreadable.
Damien didn't speak.
She walked to him, slowly, deliberately, and placed her hand on his chest. "I did what I had to."
Damien's voice was low. "Did he touch you?"
Juliette leaned in, her breath warm against his neck. "I let him."
Damien's hands gripped her waist, pulling her into him with a force that bordered on desperation. "You're mine."
Juliette kissed him—hard, fierce, claiming. "Then prove it."
---
The Obsession
They didn't make it to the bedroom.
Damien lifted her onto the desk, papers scattering like confessions. Her coat fell open, revealing crimson lingerie—lace, sheer, and chosen for him. His fingers traced her thighs, her hips, her ribs, memorizing every inch like a man trying to reclaim territory.
Juliette gasped as he kissed her neck, her collarbone, her lips. His touch was rough, reverent, relentless. She arched into him, her body alive with fire, her mind spinning with secrets.
It wasn't just sex.
It was war.
It was worship.
It was obsession.
---
The Garden's Demand
Afterward, wrapped in silk sheets and silence, Juliette handed Damien a card.
Black. Embossed. Sealed.
He opened it.
> The Garden has chosen. You will deliver Allegra Voss to us. Alive. Unaware. By midnight.
Damien stared at the card, then at Juliette. "They want her silenced."
"They want her controlled," Juliette said. "And they want me to do it."
Damien sat up, his voice cold. "Then we burn the Garden."
Juliette touched his face. "We can't. Not yet."
Damien's eyes darkened. "Then I'll burn Lucien."
Juliette is caught between two obsessions: Lucien's empire and Damien's love. The Garden has made its first demand. And now, she must decide—deliver Allegra, betray Damien, or destroy the game from within.
Damien stared at the card like it was poison.
> Deliver Allegra Voss. Alive. Unaware. By midnight.
The Garden didn't make idle threats. If he refused, they'd come for Juliette. If he obeyed, he'd betray a woman who once saved his life.
Juliette watched him, her expression unreadable. "Allegra's not innocent," she said. "She's been feeding intel to Lucien for months."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "You knew?"
"I suspected. Now I'm sure."
He turned away, fists clenched. "Then we use her."
---
The Setup
By 10:43 p.m., Juliette was in Allegra's apartment, dressed in a tailored suit and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Allegra Voss was elegance wrapped in ambition. She greeted Juliette with champagne and suspicion. "To what do I owe this late-night pleasure?"
Juliette handed her a folder. "Lucien's latest acquisition. Thought you'd want to see it before the board does."
Allegra flipped through the pages, her brow furrowing. "This is... explosive."
Juliette leaned in. "And it's yours—if you come with me."
Allegra hesitated. "Where?"
Juliette smiled. "To meet the man who wants to make you a queen."
---
The Betrayal
Damien waited in the black SUV, engine humming like a heartbeat. When Juliette slid in beside him, Allegra followed, clutching the folder like a lifeline.
"Where are we going?" Allegra asked.
Damien didn't answer.
Juliette reached over, gently brushing Allegra's hand. "Just trust me."
At 11:57 p.m., they arrived at the Garden's gates—hidden beneath the city, guarded by shadows.
Allegra stepped out, heels clicking against marble. "This isn't a boardroom."
Juliette kissed her cheek. "No. It's a throne room."
The gates opened.
Allegra walked in.
And the Garden swallowed her whole.
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Aftermath
Back in the penthouse, Damien poured two glasses of scotch. He handed one to Juliette, his eyes dark.
"She's gone," he said.
Juliette sipped. "She was never ours."
Damien studied her. "And you? Are you still mine?"
Juliette walked to him, slow and deliberate. "I'm not yours, Damien."
She placed her glass down.
"I'm your obsession."
---
Allegra Voss has been delivered. Juliette has proven her loyalty—or has she? And Damien Cross is beginning to realize that the Garden doesn't just take people. It takes pieces of your soul.