The Illusion of Freedom..

Eve’s body felt numb.

She had walked into a game she didn’t understand, a battle she never agreed to fight. And now, standing across from Damian, trapped beneath his gaze, she realized—she was losing.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

She wouldn’t admit it.

Not yet.

Because there had to be a way out.

Damian smirked, tilting his head slightly, watching her with a patience that felt more like possession than amusement. He had given her a choice—a lie wrapped in silk, an invitation disguised as freedom.

And she had already failed to take it.

“You hesitated,” he murmured, voice dangerously quiet.

Eve forced herself to swallow. “I—”

His smirk deepened. “Almost doesn’t count.”

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his presence settling over her like unseen hands wrapping around her throat. She had never met a man like him before—not one who took control without ever needing to raise his voice.

He didn’t force his dominance.

He simply was it.

And she felt it.

Every breath.

Every thought.

Every second spent standing before him, knowing she could leave and yet—not moving.

Because the truth was far more terrifying than his presence alone.

She didn’t want to escape.

She wanted to know how much further she could fall.

The Descent into Darkness..

Damian’s fingertips brushed against her wrist—barely a touch, barely a whisper of connection, but it sent chills racing through her spine. He had waited for this moment, had orchestrated it before she had even realized she was playing.

“You already know what’s happening,” he said softly.

Eve shivered.

Because she did.

She knew he had been watching. She knew he had pulled her into this deliberately, weaving his control around her with unseen strings, shaping her choices before she ever made them herself.

He was unraveling her, piece by piece, and she couldn’t stop it.

“I—” she tried again, but her voice betrayed her.

Damian leaned closer, breath steady, gaze locked onto hers.

“This isn’t a warning, Eve.”

She sucked in a sharp breath.

“This is the moment you realize there is no escape.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Because she knew—he was right.

She could have run. She could have fought back.

But the truth was she never had a choice.

Not since the moment she saw him in the shadows.

Not since the second he saved her.

Not since she felt him watching.

And now—she was his.

~TO BE CONTINUED....