Fatal DesireS

Jessica stepped out of the car, her fingers still curled around the folded picture in her hand.

Damien had barely spoken since they arrived at his apartment. He had parked underground in the private lot, away from prying eyes.

He hadn't even looked at her since turning off the engine.

The tension between them was suffocating.

But Jessica wasn't going to be the one to break first.

Not this time.

She turned toward the elevator, her heels clicking softly against the pavement. The underground parking was silent. Too silent.

Jessica barely had time to register the feeling before it happened.

The sound of a single, heavy footstep behind her.

Then...

A sharp pull.

Jessica gasped as she was yanked backward, her heart lurching.

A hand covered her mouth, muffling her scream.

Instead kicked in, and she twisted, struggling against the iron grip.

Her attacker, a man dressed in all black, masked.

Jessica's pulse pounded. This wasn't a random mugging.

They were waiting for her.

Panic surged through her, but before she could react further...

A gunshot rang out.

The grip on her loosened.

Then, a thud.

Jessica barely had time to process before she was suddenly yanked away, this time, into Damien's chest.

His body was tense, protective, shielding her as another shot echoed.

The second man dropped before he could reach them.

Silence.

Damien didn't move. His breathing was controlled and measured.

Jessica, however, was shaking.

The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air.

Then, Damien finally spoke. "Are you hurt?"

Jessica tried to find her voice. "No. I..." She swallowed. "What... who..."

Damien's grip on her tightened.

"They weren't after me," he said, his voice low. Dangerous. "They were after you."

Jessica froze. The weight of his words sank in, slowly, chillingly.

The masked men hadn't even gone for Damien first.

They had come straight for her.

Scene Two; The Fire in His Eyes

The elevator ride up was silent.

Jessica stood near the wall, arms wrapped around herself, feeling the weight of everything crash down on her.

Damien stood next to her, his posture rigid, his hand still gripping his gun.

The moment that entered the apartment, Jessica turned to face him.

"I need answers," she said, her voice barely steady.

Damien exhaled, but he didn't argue.

He poured himself a drink, taking a slow sip before finally looking at her.

"You were right," he admitted.

Jessica frowned. "About what?"

"I've been keeping things from you."

Jessica's stomach twisted.

Damien placed his glass down. "Whoever those men were, they weren't common criminals." His voice was calm, but that was an edge beneath it.

Jessica swallowed. "Then who were they?"

Damien hesitated for only a second.

Then... "I don't know."

Jessica felt something cold settle in her chest. "You're lying."

Damien's jaw clenched. "I don't have the full picture yet."

Jessica exhaled shakily. She wanted to believe him. But at the same time...

Damien wasn't a man who was ever caught off guard.

She could still feel the heat of his body pressed against hers in the garage, the way he had reacted without hesitation.

Like he had expected this. Like he had been waiting for it.

And that scared her. Because what if...

What if the man she had saved that night wasn't the one in danger?

What if she was?

Scene Three: The Thin Line Between Protection and Distance

Jessica turned to face him fully.

Damien's blue eyes met hers, and for the first time since she met him, she saw something there... something raw. Unfiltered.

Something she wasn't sure she was ready for.

"You know this was coming, didn't you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Damien didn't answer immediately. Then...

"Yes."

Jessica's breath caught.

He took a slow step closer, his presence overwhelming, but she held her ground.

"You need to leave the city," he said.

Jessica blinked. "What?"

"You're not safe here."

Jessica let out a disbelieving laugh. "And you think running will fix this?"

Damien's expression darkened. "I think staying will get you killed."

Jessica's heart pounded.

She took a step toward him now, closing the distance between them. "I'm not leaving," she said firmly.

Damien's jaw ticked. His hand lifted slightly like he wanted to touch her, but at the last second, he stopped.

Jessica saw the hesitation. The war inside him.

For the first time, she saw not just Damien Theduson, the businessman, the enigma, the shadow.

She saw the man. A man who was trying so damn hard to push her away. And failing.

Jessica inhaled slowly. "I'm not going anywhere," she whispered.

Damien's eyes darkened.

The space between them felt smaller, suffocating, electric.

Then...

The sound of a phone ringing broke the moment.

Damien turned, jaw clenched.

Jessica exhaled, her pulse racing.

He answered the call. "What?" His voice was clipped.

A pause.

Jessica watched as something flickered across his expression.

He ended the call after a few seconds.

Then, in a voice cold as ice, he said... "Pack a bag. We're leaving."

Jessica stared at him. "What? Where?"

Damien grabbing his jacket, slipping his gun back into place. "Somewhere safer."

Jessica's stomach twisted. Because deep down, she knew...

Now that Damien had stepped in, now that he was making moves...

This was only the beginning. And there was no turning back.