Maya's POV
Damien was following me.
Not subtly. He wasn't even trying to hide it. After the board meeting, I'd felt his presence tracking me through Sinclair Global's halls, into the elevator, through the lobby.
When I stepped outside into the Manhattan afternoon, I turned and faced him.
I said you could shadow me during work hours. This is stalking.
He didn't look apologetic. Someone broke into your apartment and threatened your life. I'm not letting you walk around unprotected.
I can take care of myself.
Can you? He moved closer, and God, why did his proximity make my pulse race? Because from where I'm standing, you're one impulsive decision away from getting killed.
Then stop standing so close, I snapped.
His eyes darkened. Make me.
The challenge hung in the air between us, electric and dangerous.
Maya! Reyna's voice broke the moment. She appeared beside me, eyeing Damien suspiciously. Everything okay?
Fine. Mr. Cross was just leaving.
No, I wasn't, Damien said calmly. I'm escorting you both home.
We don't need
It's not optional. His tone left no room for argument.
Reyna looked between us. Okay, what did I miss? Since when is broody security guy your personal bodyguard?
Since I agreed to let him shadow me for a year.
You did WHAT?
It was part of the deal to investigate the heirs.
Maya. Reyna grabbed my arm. Can we talk? Privately?
Damien's jaw tightened, but he stepped back. I'll be in the car. Silver Mercedes. Don't try to run.
He walked away, but I could feel his eyes on us from across the street.
Are you insane? Reyna hissed. You're letting one of your suspects follow you everywhere?
It's strategic. Keep your enemies close.
Or it's suicidal. Maya, look at how he looks at you.
He looks at me like a threat.
He looks at you like a man who's either going to kill you or kiss you, and I genuinely can't tell which. Reyna's eyes were worried. Be careful. Don't let attraction cloud your judgment.
I'm not attracted to him.
Reyna gave me a look that said she didn't believe me for a second.
My phone buzzed.
Damien: Get in the car. Now. Black sedan just circled the block twice. They're watching you.
I looked up. Across the street, a black sedan with tinted windows idled at the curb.
My blood ran cold.
Reyna. We need to move.
We hurried to Damien's Mercedes. He already had the engine running, passenger door open.
I slid in. Reyna took the back.
Damien pulled into traffic immediately. Seatbelt.
I buckled up, watching the black sedan in the side mirror. Are they following?
Yes. His hands were steady on the wheel, but his jaw was granite. They've been following you all day. I've been following them.
All day? Why didn't you tell me?
Because you would have done something reckless.
He wasn't wrong.
Damien took three quick turns, then merged onto the highway. The black sedan stayed with us.
They're not even trying to be subtle, Reyna said from the backseat.
They want her scared. Damien's eyes met mine. They want you to know you're being hunted.
Well, it's working. My hands shook.
His hand covered mine on the armrest, just for a second, warm and steadying. Then he pulled it back like the touch burned.
I'm taking you to a safe house.
No.
Maya
I said no. I'm not hiding.
Then you're being stupid. His voice was rough. Someone is trying to kill you. Let me protect you.
By locking me away? That's exactly what my father did—treated me like I was too fragile to handle reality. I won't do that again.
Your father tried to keep you safe!
And look how that ended! The words exploded from me. He's dead, Damien. His protection didn't work. So maybe it's time I stop being the helpless princess everyone thinks I am.
Damien's knuckles went white on the steering wheel.
We drove in tense silence until he pulled up to Reyna's building.
The black sedan was gone.
They know where you are now, Damien said quietly. They'll come back.
Then I guess you better keep protecting me. I opened the door.
His hand shot out, catching my wrist. Maya. Please. Let me help you properly. Not this half-measure where you fight me at every turn.
I looked down at where his fingers circled my wrist—not restraining, just... holding. Like he couldn't bear to let me go.
Why do you care so much? I whispered.
His eyes met mine, dark and intense. Because I failed your father. And if I fail you too... He stopped. I wouldn't survive it.
The rawness in his voice made my heart clench.
I'll be careful, I said softly.
That's not good enough.
It's all I can promise.
He released my wrist slowly, reluctantly. Then I'll be parked outside all night. If anything happens—anything—you call me. Understand?
I nodded and got out.
As Reyna and I walked to her building, I could feel Damien's eyes on me the whole way.
Inside Reyna's apartment, she immediately locked the door. Okay. That was intense.
Tell me about it.
Maya. She turned to face me. Be honest. Do you trust him?
Did I? I didn't know anymore.
I trust that he wants to protect me, I said finally. Whether that's because he's innocent or because he's playing a long game... I don't know.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number: Sweet how he pretends to care. But ask yourself—why is Damien REALLY so desperate to stay close to you? Protection? Or making sure you don't discover what he's hiding?
Another message:
Check your email. I'm sending you something that will change everything you think you know about your knight in shining armor.
I opened my email with shaking hands.
New message. No sender name. Subject: THE TRUTH ABOUT DAMIEN CROSS.
One attachment.
I clicked it.
Video file. Security footage.
I pressed play.
The footage showed a parking garage. Eight months ago—the timestamp said it was two hours before my father died.
Damien Cross appeared on screen, talking to someone off-camera.
No audio. But I could read his lips clearly:
It's done. The car is ready. He won't make it past Mountain Ridge Road.
My phone slipped from my hands.
Reyna caught it, looked at the screen, and went white.
Maya—
He killed him. My voice didn't sound like my own. Damien killed my father.
The footage kept playing. Damien accepting an envelope. Shaking hands with someone.
Someone whose face was just out of frame.
We don't know if this is real, Reyna said quickly. It could be doctored. Edited. Someone trying to frame him—
My phone buzzed again.
Now you know. The man who's been protecting you? He's the one who killed your father. The question is: what are you going to do about it?
I looked out the window. Damien's silver Mercedes was parked across the street.
Waiting. Watching.
Protecting me.
Or hunting me.
I grabbed my coat.
What are you doing? Reyna demanded.
Getting answers.
Maya, no! If that video is real
Then he's a murderer who's been lying to me. And I'm going to look him in the eyes and make him admit it.
I was out the door before she could stop me.
I crossed the street with my heart in my throat. Knocked on Damien's car window.
He rolled it down immediately, eyes alert. What's wrong?
I held up my phone, showing him the frozen frame of the video.
His face went completely still.
Get in the car, he said quietly.
No.
Maya. Get in the car. Please.
The please made me hesitate. Then I opened the door and slid in.
He rolled up the windows, sealing us in together.
Where did you get that? he asked, voice carefully controlled.
Someone sent it to me. Is it real?
Silence.
Damien. My voice cracked. Is it real? Did you kill my father?
He turned to face me, and the look in his eyes made my breath catch.
That footage is real, he said.
My world shattered.
But it's not what you think.
Then explain it to me! Tears burned my eyes. Explain why you're on camera two hours before my father died, talking about sabotaging his car!
I wasn't talking about sabotaging his car. I was talking about FIXING it. He pulled out his phone, fingers flying. The full footage. Unedited. Thirty seconds before what you just saw.
He turned his phone toward me.
The footage showed someone else entering the frame—a mechanic. Handing Damien a report.
With audio this time:
Mechanic: Found the problem. Brake lines were cut. Professional job. Someone wants him dead.
Damien: Can you fix it without them knowing?
Mechanic: Already done. Replaced the lines, installed backup systems. The car is ready. He won't make it past Mountain Ridge Road... without full brake functionality. He'll be safe.
Damien on screen accepting an envelope—no, handing it to the mechanic. Payment.
They shake hands.
I stared at the screen, my whole body shaking.
Someone edited the footage, Damien said quietly. Cut out the context. Made it look like I was the one sabotaging the car when I was trying to save him.
But he still died.
I know. Pain cracked through his voice. Because whoever wanted him dead didn't just sabotage the brakes once. They did it again. Somewhere between my repair and the drive. They cut the backup lines too. And I didn't check again. I thought he was safe. I thought— He stopped, jaw clenched.
Why didn't you tell anyone? I demanded. Why didn't you go to the police with evidence of tampering?
Because the mechanic disappeared the next day. No body. No trace. Like he never existed. And I had no proof except my word, which means nothing against a killer smart enough to erase evidence and frame me at the same time.
I stared at him, trying to see the lie. Trying to find the crack.
But all I saw was grief.
Show me your phone, I said. The full footage. Let me see the metadata. The timestamp. Everything.
He handed it over without hesitation.
I checked everything. The footage was genuine. Unedited. The metadata matched.
Either he was innocent, or he was the best liar I'd ever met.
Who sent you the edited version? Damien asked quietly.
I don't know. Anonymous.
Someone wants you to think I'm the killer. Someone wants to drive a wedge between us. His eyes met mine. Because you and I working together? We're dangerous. We might actually figure out who really did this.
Or you're playing me. My voice shook. Making me trust you so I don't see the truth.
Then why would I show you this? He gestured at his phone. Why not let you believe the edited version and run? Why not kill you right now, when we're alone and no one would know?
He had a point.
I don't know what to believe anymore, I whispered.
Damien reached out slowly, giving me time to pull away. His hand cupped my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone.
Believe this, he said softly. I'm either the man trying to save you, or the monster trying to destroy you. You have to figure out which. But Maya— His voice dropped. —if I'm the monster, I'm the best kind of liar. And you won't see me coming until it's too late.
That's not reassuring.
It's honest. His thumb traced my jaw. I can't prove I'm innocent. I can only promise that whether I am or not, I won't let anyone else hurt you. Even if I end up being the one you have to destroy.
The way he looked at me—like I was something precious and painful at the same time—made my heart stutter.
Someone's trying to turn us against each other, I said.
I know.
Which means they're scared of what we might discover together.
Yes.
So what do we do?
Damien's hand dropped from my face. We call their bluff. We work together. Publicly. Let them think their plan failed. And we watch to see who panics.
That's risky.
Everything about this is risky. His eyes burned into mine. Especially what's happening between us.
Nothing's happening between us.
Liar. The word was soft. You feel it too. This thing that's dangerous and probably going to destroy us both.
He was right. God help me, he was right.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number: So he showed you the full footage. Clever. But here's what he didn't tell you: check the mechanic's background. Check who paid him to disappear. You'll find Damien's fingerprints all over it.
Trust him if you want. But when he breaks your heart—and he will—remember that I warned you.
See you soon, Maya.
-The one who REALLY knows the truth
I looked up at Damien, my heart torn in two.
Trust him or destroy him.
Fall for him or expose him.
Love him or kill him.
And I had no idea which choice would save me and which would destroy me.
But I was about to find out.