Chapter 8 Tangled Hearts

"My spy told me that he saw you at the café, talking to a man." Damien said calmly.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked in a rather sharp and condescending tone.

"My--my uncle." Ava said stuttering.

"My uncle, Felix came to town and asked me to see him to discuss some family matters before leaving.He came to settle some business matters and left after we chatted."Ava said, hoping that he wouldn't get any more ideas.

"Okay." Damien said with his eyes scanning her for any traces of lies in what she just said.

Ava was relieved deeply.

"But you do know what will happen if what you say is otherwise or if you involve yourself with Mr Gray." Damien start in an intense tone with facial expression demanding a response.

"I am fully aware." Ava said and left his presence while Damien watched her leave still suspecting something.

Ava collapsed on her bed as soon as she enter her room. She was so relieved that Damien did catch her talking to Mr Gray otherwise, she'd be in the street by now as Damien won't take it lightly. But she still wants to visit Mr Gray even if it is the last visit to clear her mind.

"I'd see Mr Gray tomorrow no matter what it takes." Ava said to herself as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

The rain had stopped by the time Ava stepped out of Mr. Gray's office. She held her coat tighter, her heart still racing from their conversation.

"Be careful, Ava," he had said, his tone as calm as a still lake yet carrying the weight of a serious warning." Not everything about Damien is what it seems.He is a man who has left my women heartbroken. Do not get too attached to him so your heart won't be broken."

The words clung to her like damp clothes.

Mr. Gray had not explained what he meant, not entirely and hasn't told me everything about Damien. But before she could press him for more, he had stood, ended the meeting abruptly, and disappeared into the dim hallway beyond his office, leaving her with more questions that need answers.

She didn't know why, but she had the unsettling feeling she might never see him again.

By the time she returned to the apartment, Damien was waiting for her. He was lounging on the leather couch in the living room, holding a glass of red wine like a predator biding his time. His eyes tracked her every movement as she stepped inside.

"You're late," he said simply.

Ava set her bag down carefully. "I-there was traffic."

"Traffic." He sipped his wine. "In the rain. Convenient."

She swallowed, meeting his gaze. "Do you want me to lie to you instead?"

A shadow of something passed over his face. "That depends. Are you capable of lying to me, Ava?"

Her heart thudded. Yes. She could lie. She already was, but saying that aloud would be suicide.Instead, she crossed the room, shrugging off her coat. "I was out meeting a friend of mine. Is that a crime?"

Damien set his glass down, stood, and closed the distance between them in slow, deliberate steps. "That depends," he murmured, his voice low enough to curl along her skin. "Was this 'friend' a man?"

Her heart skipped a beat but it was enough. His lips curved into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

Dinner was quiet, but not comfortable. Damien watched her as though she were a unsolved puzzle . Every so often, his hand brushed hers when he passed the wine and every touch seemed to linger just a little too long.

She told herself it was nothing. Just the same unnerving control he always had.

But when he laughed at something she said. It was a genuine laugh, not his usual calculated smirk. Something inside her twisted. She hated how the sound lit a small, warm spark in her chest.She hated it more because she didn't entirely want it to go away.

Later, he found her on the balcony, the night wind pulling at her hair. She wanted to get some fresh air, but the moment she felt his presence, her lungs caught.

"You look cold," Damien said. He placed a blanket around her shoulders before she could protest, his hands grazing her arms. "You should be careful with this weather."

The gesture was unexpectedly gentle. And for a heartbeat, and for the first time, she saw him differently-not as the man who had humiliated her in public, not as the cold figure who seemed to own every room he walked into-but as a man who could be warm./

"You're staring," he said softly.

She blinked. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." He stepped closer, his breath brushing her ear. "And I'm wondering why."

Ava's pulse raced. "Maybe I'm trying to figure you out."

"Don't stress those eyes," he murmured. "Because if you look too closely, you might not like what you find."

But there was no threat in his tone this time.It was only something that felt like a confession. And she realized, with a start, that she wanted to know more about who he truly is.

When he finally stepped back, her body missed the close proximity they had briefly. She hated herself for that.

He smiled faintly. "Goodnight, Ava."

She went to bed restless. Somewhere, buried deep under the unease, was a dangerous truth:

She was starting to fall for him. And that was the most dangerous thing of all.

Across the city, in a dimly lit office, Mr. Gray stared at a file spread open across his desk.He is about to leave town to take care of some urgent business and was not sure on the time he'd be back.He picked his phone to text Ava.

"I'd be leaving town to take care of some urgent business and I'm not sure about the time I'd be back.Take care of yourself. Be safe."

Ava saw the message. Her mind went blank.She didn't know what to do anymore. She just closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

Mr. Gray's jaw tightened. "Then it's time I disappear."