Chapter 5 Ashes of the Forgotten

CHAPTER 5:

"Are you going to explain what the hell just happened out there?" she snapped as the entered his house. "Or should I start calling the cops now and report an attempted murder and a creepy rich psychopath with a locket that doesn't belong to him?"

Damien calmly finished taking his coat off, and hung it on a nearby rack. He rolled his cuffs up one after the other. "You're quite loud for someone who has nearly died twice in the last twenty-four hours."

"Oh, I'm sorry... should I have worshipped you? Thank you for not letting me get gunned down after you hit me with your murder-mobile last night?" She threw her hands up dramatically. "Jesus, I should've just stayed unconscious."

"You're welcome, by the way."

Aria paced furiously like a trapped storm. "You think this is funny? You think I'm some joke you can just toy with because I don't have a penthouse or designer shoes?"

"No," Damien said, already moving toward the kitchen. "I think you're a stubborn woman with a sharp tongue and very poor instincts. Fortunately for you, I seem to have found that combination... interesting."

She was stunned, but quickly snapped out of it. "Oh, do not flirt with me right now."

"That wasn't flirting," he said smoothly with a grin. "If I was flirting, you'd be blushing."

Her face went red, and something tingled inside her... Damn it.

He noticed, but said nothing... only smirked and brought his phone out from his pocket. He dialed a number and turned his back as he spoke, his voice filled with ice cold control.

"Lock it all down. West exit has been compromised. No contact until the courier is verified, and make sure the vault hasn't been breached." He paused for a second. "The girl's presence must have been noticed, be careful."

There was a tense silence as he put the phone away. Aria's head was spinning again... The girl's presence?

Was she the girl?

She didn't wait for any explanation before she attacked again. "You're making coded calls, you own a mansion, and someone literally tried to kill us at lunch. You better start talking, Damien, or so help me..."

"I told you I would." He walked past her towards a door she didn't even notice before. "Follow me."

"Not unless it's to a police station." she said stubbornly.

He stopped, turned just enough to let one of his grey eyes find hers. "Then you're not ready to find the truth."

She clenched her fists in anger, an anger that was battling with her curiosity. But damn it... her curiosity had always been louder.

She followed him.

He stopped at the door and produced a key from around his neck, unlocked the door and went in.

Inside the room seemed different from the rest of the house, it felt cold, and it wasn't about the temperature... just a weird feeling that made the hair stand on her neck. The room was filled with old bookshelves packed with dusty files and antique materials. A large table covered the center... Damien pointed to the chair in front of it. "Sit."

"I'll stand."

"Suit yourself then." He opened a locked drawer, and brought out a thick folder which he dumped on the table.

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Are we starting a book club?"

"Truth," he said, stepping back.

She opened the folder rudely, but she suddenly froze and her pulse suddenly started pumping madly.

The first thing she saw was a photograph of her mother, not from any memory she had of her, but a much younger version... She looked strong, radiant, and defiant.

Then she saw a newspaper clipping.

VALE FAMILY SCANDAL– MYSTERY MISTRESS IDENTIFIED?

Another article:

MYSTERIOUS FIRE DESTROYS DAMAS MANSION. GODFATHER AND GIRL MISSING.

Her hands trembled as she turned to the next photograph. It was of her and her mother on a swing set, and Aria looked like she was about four years old. Behind them... in the shadows... a man stood watching.

She looked up at him. "What the hell is this?"

He didn't answer.

Her eyes dropped back to the folder. More photos. One of a man who looked exactly like Damien... but older. Their eyes were the same.

"Who is he?" she demanded.

"My father."

"And why is he in pictures with my family? Why do you have my mom's locket... something that was buried with her? Who the hell are you?"

His voice remained calm as always as he answered. "Someone who has spent a very long time digging into shadows that both our families tried to bury."

She slammed her palms against the desk in fit of rage. "I've done my best to stay away from those shadows. I didn't choose any of this! I was a kid when she died... a fucking child! All I remember is fire and screaming and her telling me to run. And you..." She pointed at him. "You suddenly show up out of nowhere, run me down with your car, lock me up in your fancy castle, and what... you want to drag me through buried memories?"

Damien's face hardened. "I wasn't expecting anything much, but I also didn't expect the daughter of Celeste Damas to be so naive."

She staggered back from the desk, her hands were still trembling. "No. No, no, no... you're lying. You're trying to mess with my head, and you probably paid someone to fake those photos. Or maybe you're some psycho fan who got obsessed with a cold case..."

Damien stepped forward slowly, close enough for her to feel his heat. "I'm not obsessed, Aria. I'm entangled."

He was so close, and his breath was brushing against her cheek and igniting all the wrong kinds of fire within her... her stomach fluttered, and she hated it.

She shoved him back aggressively. "Don't get in my space."

"You're in my house." he snapped back.

"Then I'm leaving... I don't care if you call the pope or the president, I'm walking out of here and reporting all of this. Including your weird scrapbook of my childhood."

She grabbed the folder and headed for the door.

"Be my guest," Damien said coolly. "Go ahead, but tell me... what do you think they'll say when you show them a twelve-year-old case with your name on the body list?"

She froze, then turned around slowly.

"You're lying."

"I wish I were." He was so damned handsome with that frown. "You were declared legally dead, Aria. Your mother's body was confirmed, but yours was assumed... you were never meant to survive that fire."

She almost collapsed at the revelation. "That's not... That's not possible."

He watched her with a cold and curious stare, but something else was stirring inside him... something warm and unsure.

Then, almost gently, he said, "Your past isn't the only one with questions, I'm curious too." 😄

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