Chapter 5 Last Breath
Aria's POV
The first sight that greeted me was the sunlight coming from the window. I felt a warmth from my body and decided to sit up . Damian's hands were all over me,like I was something he owned. I tried to remember every detail of what happened last night,that's when I remembered my brother is at home and Lila could have gone to her studio,he would be worried sick.
I tried to slip out of the bed quietly,but his grip was tightened. If I didn't get out now,I never would.
Carefully,I slid from beneath his arm and stood,my bare feet touching the cold tile floor. My heart raced as I reached for my dress from last night and quickly stepped it on.
I then checked my phone and saw a message from Lila,she’d left last night because a client had booked a shoot at the last minute, and the offer was too good to turn down.
I sighed.
I wonder how he is doing alone.
I walked towards the door,but the moment I opened the door,I was shocked.
Two men stood guard outside the hallway. Black suits. Stern expression.
“I need to leave,” I quickly said, trying to sound calm.
One of them shook his head without hesitation “ Not allowed”.
“ Not allowed?Who are you to tell me that?” I said ,anger building in my chest.
“Ma'am,no exit without Mr Damian's orders” The second man said.
I wanted to scratch their eyes out. But it was useless. They weren't men who could be moved by begging though.
“prison” I spat bitterly.
“ That's what this is. A gilded prison” I said this time louder.
The noise from my voice suddenly woke Damian,he didn't seem surprised. He just stood up and came to me.
“You're awake” he murmured,brushing his hand across my cheek
“Good”.
I jerked away “I want to go home,now”
His eyes seemed unreadable “you're my wife. Don't worry you'll see home,but not yet. You'll come to your husband's home.
And just like that he asked his guards to lead the way to his car,we drove.
The tinted windows shut out the world, leaving only the low hum of the engine and the quiet weight of his presence beside me.
I lowered the window,and then I saw something fascinating,it was like a dream.
An estate rose before me, tall iron gate,walls stretching into the sky, security,cameras everywhere.
And then we stopped at one house. The kind of house that makes you stop for a second just to take it all in.
The walls were painted a soft cream,spotless,with wide glass windows that caught the sunlight.
When we finally stepped down from the car, cameras started flashing, reporters had gathered at the front,calling out questions,their voices overlapping in the rust. The whole scene felt surreal like we were stepping into not just a house,but even a story everyone wanted to know.
“Tell me Aria,... isn't this the kind of house you once dreamed about?
I swallowed,unsure if I should nod or stay quiet.
He gave a faint smile.
“ Funny things about dreams…, sometimes they come true but not in the way you imagined. Sometimes,one careless word,an insult and suddenly you are sealed in them whether you like it or not”.
His words were dangerous. But what was in my mind was only about my brother. I was thinking of a way to sneak out.
But with all these cameras.
It felt impossible.
I reached for my phone, more out of habit than anything, and froze. Notifications were flooding in. Headlines. Posts. tearing the story apart.
Damian Blackwood secretly married?
After a sudden breakup with his long-time girlfriend—why, how, when?
@CityBuzzNews: Damian Blackwood ties the knot in a shocking secret ceremony. New bride spotted—identity revealed?
@StarDaily: After a sudden breakup with his long-time girlfriend, billionaire Damian Blackwood is officially married. Why? How? When?
@HotTeaUpdates: Fans are left reeling—who is the mystery woman Damian Blackwood just married?
They were talking about me. But we only signed a document, not some secret ceremony.
My breath caught. The words blurred on the screen, but one thing was certain: whatever this was, it had already gone public.
By evening,I couldn't take it,so I headed downstairs and lied to the cleaners that I wanted to explore the gardens.
Carefully,I moved around the garden keeping my head low.
At the side gate,I caught sight of some guards there. But they were laughing over something, probably their phone ,I guess it was about me. I slipped forward,pushed the gate softly and squeezed through, then I was outside.
I ran into the narrow road till I reached my home,my legs burned but I didn't care.
“Caleb” I called out.
“Caleb, I'm home”I didn't get a response.
I rushed to the bedroom. What I saw shuttered me. Caleb lay on the bed lifeless,foam around his lips. His chest was unmoving.
“ No,no,no” I cried
“Caleb, please don't do this to me”
“Please I'm begging you”
His hand was cold to cold.
As I clutched him tighter, something crinkled against my palm. My heart stumbled. Slowly, I reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded note, the edges damp from sweat. With trembling fingers, I opened it.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m better on this side”.
The words blurred through my tears.
Damian's POV
The moment I glanced at the monitor and Sophie's room was empty,my pulse spiked.
“ Where is she?” I snapped at the guys on duty.
“ Where is she?” I snapped at the guys on duty.
“Sir,she..”
“Find her now” my voice cracked.
Deep down,I knew she was gone. But I knew where to find her. Her home. She has probably left to find her brother.
I drove myself fast and recklessly until I reached her house.
The door was open,swinging gently as I stepped inside.
Then I saw her.
Aria was curled up,her hands tightly wrapped around a boy's body. Her face looked swollen,her lips trembling even in sleep.
“Isn't that Caleb” I thought as I moved closer.
“Aria, wakeup”I whispered softly
Then her eyes opened,she looked at me like I was someone else,hatred flared.
“You” she shouted.
“You did this…..,I begged you to let me see my brother. But what.., you let your dirty desires roll in just because you . You locked me away why my brother was dying” she cried.
“ He's dead because of you. Did you hear me? You killed him” she tried to hit me hard.
I caught her wrists.
I stood there like a statue not knowing what to
do.
“Don't even look at me,it's all your fault”
I felt powerless for the first time