Serena Mclane's P. O. V Chewing on my bottom lip, I glance from my lighted screen phone and then over to Damien's. It's been an easy going week but that still doesn't mean he'll be easy going himself. Pushing away the ignored pile of paperwork in front of me, I stand up and hesitantly make my way towards Damien. For some reason, these past few days, Damien's been weirdly.... protective over me. I have to be by his side all the time wherever we go, only at home was I allowed to be by myself. It's been quite strange. "Damien." I murmur as I make my way towards him, giving him a bright smile. Damien doesn't look up from his paperwork and instead grunts in response. I make a silly face at him but quickly compose it. I can't have him catching me acting like a child. That only works behind his back. "I'll be leaving in an hour. Can I?" I ask, crossing my fingers. It isn't that I need to ask permission to go somewhere but more like I actually kind of need to. It is working hours and technically I have to answer to Damien. But then again, technically I'm not working for him. Hell its not like I'm getting paid. Damien snaps his head up, "Where are you going?" I give him my brightest smile. "I'm meeting up with someone." Damien's eyes narrow. "With who exactly?" I roll my eyes at his interrogation. "With Amelia. The girl you met a while back. I was supposed to meet up with her the next day after the dinner at my father's house but someone kept me up late." I mutter in distaste as I eye him. Damien looks at me in thought before nodding his head. "I don't want you to be asking me. It sets bad prejudices so just tell me before hand. Like you're doing now. Okay?" He asks. My heart warms at his words and this time my bright smile is a hundred percent real. "Great. Thank you." I say happily, leaning down to peck his cheek. As my lips meet his smooth shaven face, the both of us stiffen up. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I expect Damien to push me away and curse me to get off of him but he doesn't. Instead, as I back away, he seems to be more relaxed and less tense. "Well I'll be going." I murmur with a blushing face, trying to escape the awkward atmosphere. "Wait," he calls out roughly, "Take a few guards with you. They'll be some downstairs in the lobby." He says. I turn to face him, shaking my head. Why would I need guards on me? "It won't be necessary. It'll be a short lunch and that's it. Do you want me to bring you something?" I ask hurriedly. One to change the topic and second, because he hasn't eaten all day and I can't help the twinge of worry that erupts within me. "Serena. Please listen to me on this," he says firmly and then shakes his head, "And no thank you. I'll send Max to get me something." I send him an amused smile but nod and say one last goodbye before leaving. Entering into the lobby, I see the not so inconspicuous security, decked out in black suits. Damien has definitely stepped up security. I think about it, hovering in the doorway for a minute before shaking my head. I'll only be an inconvenience to them and I'll feel bad for making them wait when they could be doing other, much more important work. Dodging their line of vision, I quickly hop into one of the company's car. Smiling as Damien's doorman waves goodbye at me. ********* "It feels like ages since we met and it's all your fault." Amelia sulks though I can see the blatant smile she's sporting. I smile sheepishly as I swirl my straw around in my smoothie, "You know I've been busy with everything that's been going on. Its all just so hectic, I don't think I've still gotten used to it all." I say, thinking everything over and through. Amelia nods and purses her lips at me. "So are you going through with it?" "With what?" I ask though I have a feeling I know what she means. "You and Damien getting married. The whole shebang ." She says, raising her hands and pointing them at me. I shrug as I let out a sigh, "I don't know. I don't think so. It all depends on the situation. But both Damien and I aren't too keen on it so most probably not." I say, absentmindedly chewing on my straw. "So you and Greg huh?" I say teasingly, trying to change the topic which works as she blushes bright red. "Nope. Nothing there." She admits, furiously shaking her head. I let out a low chuckle and the two of us banter back and forth. Amelia stops talking midway as a shadow looms over behind me. Her mouth drops open causing me to look over my shoulder. "Hello ladies." Comes a voice with quite a thick accent lacing through his words. My eyes narrow as I take in a green eyed black haired burly man, towering over me in my seat. Though I know even standing up, he'll still manage to be a good few inches taller than me. "Um, yes?" Amelia lets out hesitantly. "I just can't help but to notice as if I have seen you somewhere." Yup, definitely an accent there, an Italian one at that. "Me?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows, I've never seen this man in my life. "Hmm yes. Though I can't seem to fathom where." The man tilts his head and racks his eyes down over me making me a uncomfortably cross my arms. "Daniel. We need to go." Another voice says as someone else joins us. The man, Daniel, looks down at me and gives me a sinister smirk. I unfold my arms from my slightly weird position, thankful he's leaving. However his eyes immediately dart down to my hand, before looking up at me. "Ah, now I remember. Tell Damien I said hi. I hope to see you again." Without waiting for an answer, the man strides out of my sight. I glance back to an equally weirded out Amelia. "That was some weird shit right there." She comments. The rest of our lunch doesn't go well because the both of us are on edge. It seems so weird. How did he even know that I knew Damien? Stepping into his company building, I frown as I watch all the guards eyes dart to me before glancing away. I definitely feel weirded out now. I remain absent minded as I think of how he knows that I know Damien. My eyes continuously dart down to my ring but I shake my head. Damien was probably kidding around about all that stuff about the ring protecting me. I mean, it's a ring. How is it going to protect someone? Then again there's this nagging feeling inside me. From the small amount of time I've known him, Damien most certainly doesn't joke around. Nearing his office, I notice two guards step out and walk away, seeming more stiff and tense then usual. What's going on? Stepping into Damien's office, I close the door behind me and slowly turn to look at him. That man, Daniel's, words resonating as I take in Damien's blank expression. "I'm back." I murmur quietly. Don't act suspicious. It's nothing, just some guy who mistook you for someone else. "Serena." Damien says, standing up. His face not conveying any emotion at all. I smile hesitantly at him, slight fear now making its way through. "Yeah?" I ask nervously. Damien doesn't lash out at me as I was anticipating for him to do so. "Did you go out?" He asks nonchalantly as he approaches me. I try to take a step back with every step he takes forward, "Yes I did." I manage to answer without halting or stuttering in the middle. "And I'm assuming you took the guards along with you. Hmm." Damien says, tilting his head to the side and stepping closer to me, almost pushing up against me. Ah shit. I try to push myself as backwards as possible but his office desk stands in my way. "I- uh- I just thought that I'll inconvenience them and there wasn't really a- a need to." I trail off slowly as I take in Damien's narrowed eyes. However Damien straightens his head and smiles at me. My lips part as I take in his dazzling smile. Instead of it lighting up his entire face, it just makes his face ghastly and chilling. Shivers traveling down my spine. I let out a low gasp as he places both hands on my hips and pulls me towards him, "And I'm guessing, of course, that nothing happened yes? There was no need for them in the first place. Right?" He asks as he starts to trail one hand from my hips, up my arm and then grasps my face gently in his hand. I try to scoot away but at the same time want to nuzzle into his hand. "R-right." I stutter, not being able to comprehend what is actually going on. Damien leans in further, letting go of my face to stroke my cheek and then grasping onto my waist, applying enough pressure to make me squirm but not to hurt. "Then why is it," he leans in further, our faces just a hair widths apart. My harsh labored breathing blowing out of my parted lips can be heard as I wait for him to continue, "That when I asked my men if you had gone with them, they responded in the negative. Hmm? And why is that when some of my men had the sense to actually follow you that they saw you with a man? Now tell me Serena, do I need to trust them or you?" My mind goes blank as I realize this will definitely not got in my favor. Sighing, I look down and away from his piercing gaze. "There was a man, he said that he'd seen me somewhere and then I don't know somehow he found out that I knew you. I think maybe it was because of the ring but that's absurd right?" I whisper tentatively. Damien lifts my chin up and I can see the thread of impatience and annoyance he holds. "What was his name?" He murmurs. "Daniel."