Sapphire's POV)
"Stanley."
The name left Damian's mouth like a rock dropping into water.
And for a few seconds, no one moved.
Then something in my husband's posture shifted, not welcoming or soft, but less lethal.
He slowly lowered the gun in his hand, but did not holster it immediately.
His bodyguard did not lower theirs as every other weapon in the room was still aimed directly at the strange intruder.
Stanley, meanwhile, looked amused. Like he was going to start laughing any moment.
"You always did know how to make a man feel welcomed, my boy." He grinned at Damian.
My boy? Who was this man? Did he have a death wish?
His voice was irritatingly calm for someone who had multiple guns staring down at him.
Damian finally slid the weapon into the back of his waistband as he signaled his bodyguards to drop theirs.
"What are you doing here?" He asked flatly. "And at this hour?"
I felt like he wasn't asking the right questions.
How did this Stanley guy get into the house?
Stanley took a few steps forward.
"I needed to see you." There was suddenly no trace of playfulness on his face. He had become very serious. "It's important and it couldn't wait."
Damian studied him for a long time with narrow and calculating eyes.
Whatever history ran between them, it was obviously deep.
Finally, Damian spoke without taking his eyes off of Stanley.
"Fernandez." He called out.
One of the guards stepped forward immediately. "Yes, sir."
"Take our guest to one of the guest rooms, he will be staying for a while."
Stanley raised an eyebrow. "No interrogation or anything? I'm almost offended." He grinned.
Damian hit him at the back of his head. It was almost playful. "We will talk in the morning, now cut the crap and go sleep. I will let your father know you're with me." He told him.
Stanley groaned. "I am over thirty years of age, man."
"Then stop being a child." My husband snapped at him.
Stanley chuckled and followed Fernandez up the stairs.
But he stopped abruptly.
He was looking at me with wide open eyes.
A slow whistle slipped from his lips.
"Well," he said, sounding genuinely impressed. "You didn't mention this part."
I watched as Damian's jaw tightened.
Stanley walked closer, ignoring the guards' tense reactions.
"My friend, your wife is easily the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my wonderful eyes on!" He exclaimed. "And I have seen a lot of beautiful women in my lifetime."
Heat rushed to my face so fast that my skin felt like it was burning, but I said nothing and neither did my husband.
"I am suddenly very curious," Stanley continued, smiling at me with shameless charm, "how exactly you managed to pull someone like her."
I couldn't help it, a small startled giggle escaped me.
Damian's head snapped towards me so fsst it was almost frightening.
"Go to your room, Stanley." He said in a very cold voice.
I felt a shiver go down my spine.
But Stanley grinned widely, "of course, your royal majesty."
Then he winked at me, actually winked, before following Fernandez to his room.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then Damian walked past me.
"Come."
There was something in his tone that allowed no argument, so I followed at once.
Together, we climbed the stairs in tense silence.
At my door I hesitantly asked, "w…who is he?"
Damian looked at me for a long moment before answering, "an old friend." He didn't say more or explain.
That was all I was getting.
"Good night." He said and walked away.
"Good night." I whispered to no one. Then slipped into my room and shut the door behind me.
My mind was spinning and heavy.
I just couldn't understand why.
____________
Sunlight was already in every corner of the room when I woke up.
I lazily stood up and had a very long shower to relax my mind and wash my hair, then dressing up in a short shorts and a tank top, I let my hair fall so it could dry faster.
When I got downstairs, the house was eerily quiet.
"Good morning, ma'am." A voice greeted me from behind.
"Good morning, Sophie."
"Coffee, madam?" She asked.
"Yes, please! Thank you!" It was a need.
The housekeeper laughed and walked into the kitchen.
An hour later, I after Sophie had fed me enough food to feed an entire army, I lazily wandered outside.
The orchard behind the house stretched farther than I had realized.
Rows and rows of trees heavy with delicious looking fruits. The air was sweet and clean.
For the first time since arriving here, I felt like I could breathe freely, so I took a long deep breath and relaxed my shoulders and my mind.
"Careful," a male voice said behind me, "you might actually relax for real."
I gasped and spun around.
Stanley leaned casually against one of the trees, hands in his pocket, looking entirely too comfortable for someone who had invaded a billionaire's fortress overnight.
"You!" I pressed a hand to my chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He winced dramatically. "Terrible way to start our friendship, I apologize."
"We are not friends."
"Yet." He grinned boyishly.
Despite myself, I smiled.
Up close he was striking in a very different way from Damian. While my husband was cold, Stanley was all charm and laughter.
He sort of reminded me of my best friend, but they obviously did not swing the same way.
I also felt very relaxed in my best friend's presence, but Stanley gave me the chills and I didn't know why.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked, studying me closely.
"I suppose."
"Excellent! That means my dramatic midnight entrance did not traumatize you too much."
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
And once I started, I couldn't stop. He said ridiculous things, exaggerated stories about Damian's childhood experiences, and made silly impressions so accurate that I had to clutch my stomach.
"I can't… I can't breathe." I gasped between laughs.
He beamed like he had won something.
"There!" He laughed. "That's the face you should wear more often."
And something warm flickered in my chest.