She wanted to type out "No, I need help", but what could Lena do? Damien wasn't holding her hostage. He wasn't being cruel. If anything, he was offering stability.

And yet, the thought of handing over control of her life made her feel like she was suffocating.

She sighed, finally typing back:

Aurora: Yeah, just a lot going on. I'll call you later.

It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the truth, either.

Just as she set her phone down, Damien re-entered the room, his expression unreadable. He had changed out of his suit, now in a more casual black button-down and dark jeans, looking every bit as effortlessly powerful.

"Dinner will be ready soon," he said, his voice controlled. "Do you have any food preferences?"

Aurora blinked. "You're asking me?"

A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Contrary to what you think, Aurora, I don't plan to make all the decisions for you."

She scoffed. "Could've fooled me."

Damien sighed, walking over to the bar cart in the corner of the room. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, swirling the amber liquid before taking a slow sip.

"I know this isn't easy for you," he admitted, his gaze sharp as he watched her. "But this is bigger than either of us."

Aurora crossed her arms. "That doesn't mean you get to bulldoze your way into my life."

"I'm not bulldozing. I'm protecting."

"From what?" she challenged. "I've been taking care of myself just fine."

Damien set his glass down with a soft clink. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, you're barely getting by."

Aurora felt her temper spike. "Excuse me?"

"You're living paycheck to paycheck, in an apartment that's falling apart, working a job that barely covers your bills." He leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "That's not stability. That's survival."

Her fingers curled into fists. "I don't need your money, Damien."

His eyes darkened. "But our child does."

Aurora's breath hitched.

Damien saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes and pressed on.

"You can fight me all you want, but I'm not walking away from my responsibilities," he said. "And I won't let you struggle when I can provide a better life for you and the baby."

Her heart pounded.

Why did he have to make so much sense?

Why did he have to say the things that terrified her the most?

Because the truth was, she was struggling.

And a part of her was afraid-terrified-that she wouldn't be able to give her baby the life they deserved on her own.

"I'm not asking you to love me," Damien said suddenly, his voice softer. "I'm not even asking you to like me. But we're in this together, whether you want to be or not."

Aurora swallowed hard. "So what, you just expect me to play house with you?"

His lips curved into a smirk. "Not exactly."

Before she could press him on what that meant, his phone buzzed on the table.

He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening.

Aurora noticed the shift immediately. "What is it?"

Damien hesitated for a moment, then picked up his phone and answered.

"Talk," he said, his voice sharp and all-business.

Aurora watched as his jaw tightened, his entire body going rigid.

Whatever he was hearing-it wasn't good.

After a tense pause, he muttered, "I'll handle it," and hung up.

Aurora frowned. "What was that about?"

Damien exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand down his face before turning back to her. His gray eyes were unreadable, but there was something... dangerous lurking beneath the surface.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

She scoffed. "Yeah, because that doesn't sound suspicious at all."

Damien hesitated, then finally said, "It's business. A problem I need to deal with."

Aurora wasn't stupid. She knew enough about powerful billionaires to know that "a problem" could mean anything-from a bad investment to something much worse.

And the way his whole demeanor had changed?

Something told her this was serious.

"I need to step out for a bit," he finally said. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."

Aurora bristled. "I don't need a babysitter, Damien."

He smirked. "No, but you do need to rest."

She was about to argue, but then he turned and strode toward the door, leaving her standing there, filled with questions.

As the door clicked shut behind him, an uneasy feeling settled in her gut.

Something wasn't right.

And she had a feeling she was about to find out exactly what kind of man Damien Lexington really was.