Damien’s mood was dark, his rage simmering just beneath the surface as he barked orders to his men. The events of the day had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Mikhail’s interest in Luca had ignited a fire of possessive fury within him, and he would not let it slide.

“I want eyes on every move Mikhail makes,” Damien growled, his voice sharp as a blade. “Double security. No one gets in or out without my knowledge.”

His men nodded and scattered to execute his orders. The mansion became a fortress overnight—guards stationed at every entrance, hidden snipers on the roof, security cameras fine-tuned to capture every angle.

Yet, despite the increased protection, Damien knew Luca was the one slipping through his fingers. His beautiful, defiant captive was in his room, crying. And that—more than anything—unsettled him.

*********

Luca’s Room

Tears rolled down Luca’s cheeks, his body curled up against the headboard. His plan had failed. He had been so close to escape, only to be thrown into another nightmare, facing a man even more dangerous than Damien. The weight of his reality pressed down on him, and he felt suffocated, trapped in a world of crime and violence he wanted no part of.

A small knock at the door made him stiffen.

Then, a tiny voice. “Luca?”

The door creaked open, and Damien’s daughter Ava peeked inside. She was holding her favorite stuffed animal, her big eyes filled with concern.

“Are you sad?” she asked, stepping closer.

Luca wiped at his tears, forcing a smile. “A little.”

She climbed onto the bed and snuggled beside him. “ Papa says I should never cry alone. He says crying is okay, but not alone.”

Luca’s throat tightened. The innocence in her voice was a stark contrast to the dark world they lived in.

“Do you want to play a game?” she offered, holding up a deck of cards.

Luca hesitated before nodding. “Okay.”

They shuffled the cards, and soon enough, laughter filled the room. The weight on Luca’s chest lightened as the little girl’s giggles replaced his silent sobs. She cheated—obviously—but Luca let her win, enjoying the distraction she provided.

“You’re fun,” she declared, climbing into his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Can I sleep here?”

Luca hesitated, but before he could answer, she had already burrowed under the blankets, hugging her stuffed toy close. Her small fingers curled around his wrist, holding onto him even in sleep.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Luca felt warmth—not the forced heat of Damien’s presence, but something genuine, something innocent.

Outside the room, Damien stood in the shadows, watching through the slightly ajar door. His jaw clenched. His daughter had managed what he could not—soothe Luca’s pain.

And that only made his obsession stronger.

****** Damien's POV:-

Damien stood at the doorway, his sharp gaze locked onto the two figures curled up on the bed. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated Luca’s delicate features, his fair skin kissed by the dim light, his dark lashes fluttering slightly in his sleep. Beside him, his daughter clung to his arm, her small frame nestled against Luca as if she belonged there.

A strange warmth stirred in Damien’s chest, foreign and intoxicating. He had never seen something so disarmingly peaceful—so perfect. Luca, the man who challenged him at every turn, who pushed and fought and resisted, now looked so effortlessly serene. It was almost as if he had belonged here all along. His daughter, innocent and unknowing, had already accepted him in ways even Damien himself had yet to fully grasp.

His fingers twitched, the urge to reach out and touch him—touch them—burning under his skin. He took a slow step forward, his usual heavy gait softened as if not to shatter the scene before him. His breath hitched when Luca stirred slightly, shifting closer to the little girl beside him. Damien could see it now—his daughter would wake up and nuzzle into Luca’s warmth, laughing, playing, clinging to him in a way she never had with anyone else. Not even his own mother. The idea of someone else witnessing this sacred image filled Damien with a deep, possessive rage. No one else would see Luca like this. No one else would be allowed to experience his beauty, his tenderness, his calm.

In the depths of his mind, he saw it—Luca greeting him at the door, a soft smile on his lips, their daughter wrapped in his embrace, waiting for him to return home. He envisioned Luca standing in the kitchen, the scent of home-cooked meals in the air, calling his name with quiet affection. A domestic dream painted in the most sinful shades of obsession.

He exhaled, slowly, deeply, as he moved closer to the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight as he carefully slid in beside them, his arms instinctively wrapping around both his loves. Luca’s body was warm, intoxicatingly so, and Damien pressed his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the faint scent of him—something soft, something distinctly his.

His grip tightened ever so slightly.

Mine.

Luca stirred in his sleep, exhaling softly, his body unconsciously responding to Damien’s presence. His daughter, undisturbed, let out a tiny sigh, shifting in her sleep but remaining close to Luca. Damien smirked in the darkness, his hand ghosting over Luca’s waist, reveling in the softness of him. This was right. This was how it should always be.

His thoughts turned darker—no one would take this away from him. He would burn the world down before letting anyone, including Luca himself, escape him.

He kissed Luca’s temple, his voice a whisper against his skin.

“Sleep, moya lyubov’. You’re where you belong.”

And with that, he closed his eyes, his hold on them never loosening, as he drifted into sleep with his entire world locked in his arms.

*****