She closed the door behind her slowly, leaning against it for a second as the faint click of the lock echoed through the room. The soft city lights spilled through the tall windows of her living room, casting long shadows across the polished floor.

For the first time that evening, Damien Hart was not standing somewhere near her and somehow, the absence of his presence felt louder than the noise of the city outside.

Arianna kicked off her heels near the door, rubbing the back of her neck as she walked deeper into the apartment.

Her mind wouldn't slow down. It kept circling back to him. The way he looked at her, the way his voice always carried that low, dangerous calm and most of all, the way he touched her.

She exhaled sharply and ran a hand through her hair. "Get a grip, Arianna," she muttered to herself.

But that wasn't the problem, the problem was that ever since Damien Hart walked into her life, nothing felt simple anymore.

What had started as a strange encounter in a lounge had somehow turned into something else entirely, something heated, something reckless, something that had her heart beating faster in ways she wasn't prepared for.

She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, leaning against the counter.

Her reflection stared back at her from the dark window, controlled, elegant and untouchable.

That had always been her. But tonight? Tonight she felt... shaken. Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she had seen him.

The intensity in his eyes. The way he had looked at her like she was something he had already decided belonged to him,a small shiver ran down her spine and then, annoyingly enough, she remembered the night before, the note he had left, the simple handwriting that had somehow stayed in her mind longer than it should have.

"I'll see you tomorrow." The confidence of it.

As if seeing her again wasn't a possibility.

As if it was inevitable. Her phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She glanced down and rolled her eyes immediately. It is Isla.

Arianna picked up the phone and unlocked it.

"The message read:

Bitch.

I called you like ten times last night and I don't want that happening to you anymore.

Are you alive or did the mysterious tall stranger kidnap you already?"

Arianna snorted softly. Her thumbs moved quickly over the screen.

"Relax, I'm alive."

Almost immediately the phone buzzed again.

"Wow.

So the queen responds just right on time."

Another message followed.

"Don't tell me you were drunk the entire night again."

Arianna smiled faintly.

"I was not drunk."

A pause.

Then Isla replied.

"That pause you took before typing says otherwise."

Arianna shook her head.

"Nothing happened."

Another pause

Then Isla sent a single message.

"Girl.

You are the worst liar I know."

Arianna laughed quietly under her breath. Sometimes she hated how well Isla knew her.

Another message came through.

"So tell me.

Did the tall dark and intense man behave himself tonight?"

Arianna leaned back against the counter, staring at the screen for a moment. Images from earlier flashed through her mind before she could stop them. Damien standing close to her. His voice low against her ear. That dangerous look in his eyes.

Her stomach tightened. She quickly typed back. "You are dramatic."

Isla responded instantly. "And you're avoiding the question."

Arianna sighed. "He's just a client."

Three dots appeared on the screen.

"Then:"

Yeah...And I'm the President of the country."

Arianna laughed again, shaking her head.

"Go to sleep, Isla."

We'll talk tomorrow. A moment later the final reply came.

"Fine.

But if that man breaks your heart I will personally ruin his life."

Arianna smiled faintly at that.

"Goodnight, Isla."

"Night, troublemaker."

The conversation ended. The apartment fell silent again. Arianna placed her phone back on the counter and finished the rest of her water.

Her mind drifted back to Damien one last time before she pushed the thoughts away.

This wasn't supposed to become something complicated. It was just an attraction. Just chemistry. Nothing more.

She turned off the kitchen light and walked toward the living room. That was when she heard it. A faint sound.

Arianna froze. Her brows pulled together slightly. She stood still for a moment, listening carefully but nothing was coming again.

She exhaled softly.."Probably the wind," she murmured.

Still, something about the apartment suddenly felt... off.

She walked slowly toward the hallway, her bare feet silent against the wooden floor. The faint light from the living room spilled into the corridor.

Her bedroom door was slightly open. That was strange. She was certain she had closed it before leaving earlier that evening.

A small knot formed in her stomach.

"Arianna," she whispered to herself, shaking her head lightly. "You're being paranoid." Still, she stepped closer.

The air felt colder somehow, then...a shadow moved. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs, before she could react, something strong wrapped around her from behind.

A hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

Arianna gasped, the sound muffled instantly.

Panic exploded through her body.

She struggled hard, twisting against the grip, but the person holding her was stronger.

Much stronger.

"Mm...!"

Her phone slipped from her hand, crashing loudly onto the floor. The screen lit up against the dark hallway.

Arianna kicked backward desperately, trying to break free. The stranger said nothing. Not a single word.

Only a firm, controlled grip..Something cold pressed against her neck. Her movements slowed instantly. Fear crawled down her spine.

The stranger leaned closer. A low voice whispered against her ear.

"Don't fight." The voice was calm.

Her stomach twisted with terror. Arianna tried to scream again, but the cloth pressed over her mouth suffocated the sound. Her vision blurred slightly as she struggled to breathe.

The hallway spun..Her strength began to fade.

The last thing she saw before darkness started creeping in was the glow of her fallen phone lighting up the floor.

A new message appeared on the screen.

Damien: I made it home safely, sweetheart.

Then everything went blank.

Chapter 8 SCARY AT DAWN.

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