Chapter 3 NO MORE RUNNING

The city felt like a world I didn't belong in. Cold hit me straight through my coat, but it wasn't the cold that made my chest tight. My phone buzzed, and Lily's message was still there. Miss you. Stay safe. Like a tiny thread pulling me back to a place I barely recognize anymore.

Damian's words kept playing over in my head. She's under my protection. What does that even mean? A shield? Or just another cage? Because that's how it felt, like bars closing in, and me stuck inside.

I tried to breathe slower, but couldn't shake Ethan's eyes. Cold. Dangerous. Full of something I didn't want to name. His smile was poison. Knowing he was out there, still watching? It felt like a knife twisting deep inside. I can't go back to those nights, looking over my shoulder, my heart racing like I'm running from something that never stops chasing me. But trusting Damian? That's stepping into a new trap. A contract with a man whose power suffocates.

The lobby door clicked shut behind me. Just the cold and my thoughts now. I forced myself to walk, each step heavier than the last. Maybe Damian's right. Maybe this contract is my only chance. But what will I lose? Freedom? Pride? Maybe even... myself.

I thought about Lily, alone in that hospital bed. Her hand, small and weak, reached for mine. Her breath was shallow but steady when I was there. She's why I have to keep fighting-even if it feels like I'm losing.

My phone buzzed again. Another message from Damian. Come to the office tomorrow at nine. We start the paperwork.

No kindness. No softness. Just business.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and typed back, Okay.

Morning came too fast. My hands shook as I dressed. That contract hung over me, heavier than any weight I've known. The drive to Damian's office was quiet. The city woke around me, but my mind was a storm.

Inside the glass building, everything was too bright and sterile. I wanted to scream. The receptionist barely glanced up as we passed, eyes glued to her screen like she saw people like me all the time, broken, desperate, lost.

Damian didn't waste time. Straight to the glass-walled office where the desk felt like an altar for the sacrifice I was about to make. The chair creaked under me. I felt small. Fragile. Under his intense gaze.

"You know what this means," he said. Calm, but not unkind. "It's more than a signature. It's a promise. To me. To Lily. And to yourself."

My heart screamed No but I nodded.

"Good." He slid the contract toward me. "Read it carefully."

The paper looked endless. Full of confusing words meant to trap me. No secrets. No contact with Ethan. Total loyalty. Financial support for a public partnership.

Relief hit me first. Debts gone. Lily's bills are paid. Then dread, my life tied to someone else.

"Questions?" Damian's voice pulled me back.

I fought the urge to spill everything, the fear, shame, and anger burning inside. Instead, I whispered, "Why me? Why not someone else?"

He didn't flinch. "Because you didn't run. Not really."

That hit me harder than anything. I'd been running forever through dark streets, broken dreams, sleepless nights full of tears and trembling hands. But now, running wasn't an option.

The room felt smaller. Walls closing in like my past catching up.

Before I could speak, the door slammed open. A woman stepped in, tall, sharp-eyed, poised. Her presence filled the room like a storm ready to break.

"Naomi," Damian said, respect and caution in his voice.

Naomi's gaze landed on me. Cold. Calculating. "I'll manage your file, Ava. Make sure everything runs smoothly."

A plan. I wanted to scream. Whose plan? Mine was chaos. Broken pieces.

Naomi didn't wait. "You'll learn the rules fast. This isn't a game. No second chances."

Her words hit harder than the contract. Not protection anymore. Control.

She turned to leave, but Damian caught her arm gently. "Be patient. She's scared."

Naomi looked back at me. Softer. But guarded. "Scared is a luxury you can't afford."

The door closed behind her. Just me and Damian.

He sighed. Ran a hand through his hair. "You're stronger than you know, Ava. But strength doesn't mean you won't break."

I wanted to tell him I was already broken. Just waiting to shatter.

Instead, I nodded. "What now?"

He smiled. Quick. Real. "Day by day. Learn the rules. I protect you from outside dangers. You protect yourself from what's inside."

His words were a warning and a promise all at once.

The next days blurred, meetings, papers, and threats whispered in shadows. Ethan's presence lingered. My past wasn't gone. Damian was shielded and chained. Naomi's eyes missed nothing.

One night, sitting alone in the sterile apartment Damian gave me, the silence pressed down heavily. I traced the contract's edges. I wondered how much hope I had left before it turned to ash.

A knock broke the quiet.

I opened the door. A man in his early thirties, in a sharp suit, had eyes that were unreadable but not cruel.

"Mark Evans," he said, handing out. "Damian's right hand. I handle what he can't."

I shook his hand. Felt new alliances and dangers settling in.

As the door closed, I realized the terrifying truth:

No more running.

This fight had just begun.