Chapter 141 One forty one
Chapter 141 One forty one
Damien’s POV
The moment I saw her…
Everything stopped.
Gianna.
For a split second, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. That somehow, I was seeing things that weren’t there.
But no.
It was her.
Standing right there in front of me like a ghost from a past I had buried long ago.
My body went rigid, my steps halting instantly as recognition hit me like a punch to the gut.
What the hell is she doing here?
My jaw tightened, my eyes narrowing slightly as memories I didn’t want came rushing back without permission.
Gianna.
A one-night stand that should have stayed exactly that, one night.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
But she hadn’t let it end that way.
Not even close.
Before I could even process the situation fully, I heard Aria’s voice beside me.
“Auntie…”
Auntie?
I blinked, my head snapping toward her.
Auntie?
Then it clicked.
My stomach dropped.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I looked back at Gianna, really looked at her this time, and suddenly everything made a twisted kind of sense.
“So she’s…” I muttered under my breath, disbelief mixing with irritation. “…Aria’s aunt?”
A humorless scoff almost escaped me.
Of all the people in the world.
Of all the places.
It had to be her.
“Jeez…” I exhaled quietly, shaking my head slightly.
What were the odds?
No, this wasn't a coincidence.
This felt like some kind of cruel setup.
My gaze hardened as it settled back on Gianna.
And just like that…
The anger came rushing in.
Because the last time I saw this woman, she had done everything in her power to make my life a living hell.
All because of one night.
One mistake.
My fists clenched at my sides as flashes of the past surfaced, arguments, accusations, threats. The way she tried to twist things, to trap me, to drag my name through the mud when I refused to give her more than what it was.
Nothing.
That’s all it had been.
And that’s all it was ever going to be.
But she didn’t accept that.
And now…
Now she was standing here, looking at me like I was the villain in her story.
I couldn’t stand it.
Not for one more second.
Without thinking twice, I reached for Aria’s hand, gripping it firmly.
“Let’s go,” I said, my voice low but decisive.
“Damien…” she started, confusion evident in her tone.
But I didn’t wait.
Didn’t explain.
I just led her straight toward the car, every step fueled by the need to get out of there as fast as possible.
I wasn’t about to stand there and relive the past.
Not with her.
Not ever.
Behind us, Gianna’s voice rang out, sharp and furious.
“Leave my house!”
I ignored her.
Completely.
If anything, it only fueled the fire burning inside me.
We reached the car, and I opened the door for Aria, my movements quick, almost impatient.
“Get in.”
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, but eventually, she did.
Good.
I shut the door and moved around to the other side, ready to leave this place behind.
But of course—
Nothing was that simple.
“Don’t open that gate!” Gianna shouted at the gateman.
I paused, my expression darkening instantly.
“Don’t let them leave unless he lets her out!”
I let out a low, dangerous chuckle.
Seriously?
My gaze shifted to the gateman, who now looked stuck between fear and confusion.
I stepped slightly forward, my voice cold.
“Open the gate.”
He hesitated.
Big mistake.
Something in me snapped again, the anger bubbling over.
“I said open the gate,” I repeated, my tone dropping lower, more threatening this time.
Still, he didn’t move.
I exhaled sharply, running a hand over my face before letting it drop.
At that point, I didn’t care anymore.
If he didn’t open that gate—
“I swear—” I muttered under my breath, already calculating how fast I could get through without causing more attention than necessary.
I was ready to run the damn gate over if I had to.
That was how badly I wanted out.
Then suddenly—
The car door opened.
Aria.
She stepped out quickly, moving toward Gianna before I could stop her.
I clenched my jaw, watching the two of them.
I couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but I saw it.
The urgency in Aria’s movements.The tension in Gianna’s posture.
Whatever Aria said…
It worked.
Because moments later, Gianna went quiet.
Not calm.
But quiet enough.
She shot me one last glare—one filled with so much resentment it almost made me scoff—before turning and walking back into the house without another word.
Finally.
The gateman moved.
The gate creaked open.
And just like that—
We were out.
The drive back was silent.
Too silent.
I leaned back in my seat, my gaze fixed ahead, but my mind was anything but still.
It kept dragging me back.
Back to that night.
Back to everything that followed.
The club lights flashing.The music pounding.The way everything blurred into one reckless decision.
And then the aftermath.
Her expectations.
My refusal.
The chaos that came after.
“She really had the nerve…” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head slightly.
I could still remember how far she went.
The lies she tried to spin.
The way she almost ruined things for me.
All because she couldn’t accept that it meant nothing.
My grip tightened slightly on my thigh.
And now…
Now she was connected to Aria.
Of all people.
I glanced sideways at Aria.
She was quiet, staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts.
Probably confused.
Trying to make sense of everything.
I exhaled slowly.
How the hell was I supposed to explain this?
“Hey, your aunt and I had a one-night stand years ago, and she tried to ruin my life afterward.”
Yeah.
That would go well.
I looked away again.
No.
Not like this.
Not now.
I needed to think.
By the time we got back to the compound, the anger hadn’t fully left me.
It lingered.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
I stepped out of the car immediately after it stopped, not waiting, not speaking.
I just needed space.
Distance.
Anything.
I started toward the house, my mind still running in circles…
But then…
She stepped in front of me.
Blocking my path.
I stopped abruptly, my brows pulling together as I looked down at her.
Aria.
Her expression was firm.