The next night, lights blazed inside the Blackwood estate. Inside the grand room, a party unfolded - crystal drops from hanging lamps scattered color on smooth stone underfoot. People in shiny dresses or sharp jackets moved about, chatting while glasses tapped, voices rising like tunes you hum without thinking.
Lena picked her outfit slow, went with a quiet yet classy look - nothing flashy. She figured flying under the radar might let her relax tonight, just avoid him. Still, inside, she was sure it wouldn't work.
Damian stood by the bar, just like she knew he would, sharp in an all-black suit. Moving past people slow and deliberate-like, gaze sweeping left - then stopping dead when it hit her.
The instant their eyes locked, Lena's heartbeat jumped. His nearness hit her like warmth spreading through the space between them - strong, pulling, something she couldn't brush off. Not a step closer, still standing there - but each second he stared, her breath caught again.
She kept trying to focus elsewhere, chatting lightly with her mom or whoever was nearby - still didn't help. Each chuckle, look around, twitch of motion dragged her mind right back to him.
Then she spotted her - Vanessa.
She'd slipped through without anyone noticing at first - still stood out like a flare in the dark. Their eyes met across the room, Vanessa locking onto Lena right away. That grin? Cold. Sharp. Said everything without words: got your number, saw what you're doing, tonight's about to go sideways.
Lena's gut clenched. She got it - Vanessa was pushing her buttons, trying to crack her composure, seeing how far Damian would go.
Vanessa showed up, holding bubbly, then slipped beside Lena - seemed relaxed, but wasn't quite.
"Well, well," Vanessa said softly, glancing at Damian - now on the far side of the room - watching quietly. "Huh, never thought I'd catch you seeming… this tense."
"I'm not scared," Lena blurted, faking a grin that felt wrong.
Vanessa laughed lightly. "Sure. Nervous or not, he's watching you. Can't you feel it? The way he looks at you? Like you're the only thing in the world that matters?"
Lena felt her face heat up. She tried to argue back, yet before she could speak, Damian somehow felt stronger. Over there, he started walking their way - pace steady, every move focused, pulling eyes his direction while staying quiet.
Vanessa saw it as well. Her grin slipped a bit, then shifted into a brief hint of worry.
Damian halted near them, squinting slightly, checking out Vanessa like she didn't belong there. After that, he looked at Lena - his expression changed a bit, just for her.
"Having a good night?" he said softly, his tone hushed yet cutting through the party's hum so she could catch every word.
"I… yeah," Lena said softly, but her words shook from how he was looking at her.
Vanessa cocked her head, pretending she didn't get it. "You two are tight, huh?" she asked - tone sugary, yet cutting.".
Lena noticed Damian's jaw clench - just a bit. Moving in, he let his shoulder graze hers, like marking space without words. Warmth poured off him, thick and close. The silence between them hummed with something sharp, left unsaid.
"More than you'd expect," he muttered, tone sharp - like ice. Yet quiet. Almost dangerous.
Vanessa's eyes opened a bit wider, yet she covered it with an easy grin. "Got it. Then again, certain connections can feel... messy."
Lena's heart pounded. Each phrase, each look, yet a brush of Damian's arm on her skin left her bare, shaky, but charged all at once.
Then came that moment.
A guest approached, unaware of the tension, and casually commented to Damian, "You must be very proud of her, having her live with your family now. Must be… complicated, though?"
The words stayed there, just like a spark close to tinder. Then Damian looked up fast - his gaze locked onto the one talking, cold and edgy.
"Yeah," he replied, just like that. "It's... not so straightforward."
His eyes jumped to Lena, yet she sensed it - the full weight of his focus, each bit of claim and craving he usually hides.
Vanessa, sensing the shift, stepped closer, lightly brushing her hand against Lena's arm. "See? He cares more than he lets on. I could tell from the way he looks at you tonight."
Lena froze. She tried to step back, yet Damian shifted his hand just slightly, grazing her fingertips - so light nobody else would notice, though it made her heart jump instantly.
"I'd quit now," he muttered, gaze sharp like ice, fixed on Vanessa - otherwise things might get ugly
Vanessa chuckled, but there was still a flicker of worry beneath it. "Things don't always go your way, Damian - neither I nor she belong to you."
His eyes turned shadowy. A thick tension filled the space nearby - almost electric. He shifted a bit nearer to Lena, voice dropping low so only she could catch it:
"Don't let her touch you. Don't let anyone touch you. I won't forgive it."
Lena froze mid-breath. The weight of his words pressed close, filling the air around them. Her body reacted without thinking - panic mixed with want, blended into restless ache. Everything inside spun out of control.
Vanessa pulled away slowly, getting that she couldn't win against Damian's cold stare. She kept her gaze on Lena - anger mixed with jealousy showing clear. "We're not done," she said low, then vanished among the people.
The space seemed less heavy after she left - yet the strain stayed, just shifted straight to Damian and Lena. Moving nearer, he grazed past her once more, near enough that she sensed his warmth though nothing really touched.
"You feel it too," he murmured, voice low, rough with restrained emotion. "You feel it, and you can't hide it. Don't try."
Lena gasped for air. A small nod was all she managed, words stuck deep inside. Her eyes gave it away - so did her shaky hands, the quick pulse in her neck. It wasn't just attraction; they couldn't pull apart if they tried. One pulled when the other moved closer. No force out there stood a chance.
"Good," Damian said softly, a dangerous edge in his voice. "Because I won't stop. Not for anyone, not for rules, not for… anything."
Lena's heart pounded. Around her, the party sounds turned fuzzy and distant. Only he stayed clear in her mind. Not love - something sharper pulled her close. A risky craving neither could escape.
In that instant, a wild thought hit her - scary yet thrilling - he should keep going. Yet deep down, she hoped he wouldn't pull away.
Because she had feelings for him.
All of him.
Nothing - not her, nobody - could ever shift that.