Chapter 48 What he saw

Chapter 48 What he saw
"I don't think so," she replied quickly. "But he suspects something. He asked me this morning if Miss Elena was unwell. I told him she was sleeping soundly."

Damian exhaled slowly and cursed under his breath.

Caspian Volkov was dangerous - not in the same way Victor was, but dangerous nonetheless. The kind of man who noticed things. The kind of man who wouldn't ignore them.

"Thank you," Damian said finally.

The maid bowed and left, closing the door softly behind her.

He turned back to the window, the view of the morning fog rolling over the gardens doing little to calm his mind.

He had been careful for years - precise and ruthless. But one slip, one emotional mistake, and everything is coming crashing down.

"Get a grip, Cole."

But even as he told himself that, he couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of Elena's heartbeat against his chest. The warmth of her skin. The trust in her touch.

Meanwhile, across the hall, Elena finally woke up.

For a moment, she didn't remember how she had gotten into her room. She sat up slowly, blinking at the sunlight spilling through the curtains.

Her heart pounded when she noticed the faint scent on her body - not hers. It was... His.

Her face flushed crimson as last night's memories flooded back. The crying, the comfort, the way he had held her.

Her chest tightened. "He brought me back," she whispered to herself, her fingers brushing her lips unconsciously. "He didn't even let me stay..."

A faint knock on her door startled her.
"Miss Elena?" It was the maid again - the same one who had distracted Caspian.

"Come in," Elena said quickly, trying to compose herself.

The maid entered quietly with her breakfast tray. She smiled softly, though her eyes hinted at something deeper, a secret shared.

"You should eat, Miss," she said gently. "You look pale. And I don't think you would want to go downstairs for breakfast."

Elena smiled faintly. "Thank you, Mina."

The maid nodded, then lowered her voice. "Miss... about last night..."

Elena's fork paused midair. "You know?"

"I saw him carrying you, Miss. But I made sure no one else did." The maid's tone was earnest. "Master Volkov was nearby. I distracted him."

Elena's cheeks flushed. "Oh, Mina..."

"I won't tell anyone," the maid assured. "But you must be careful. If your father finds out, "

"I know," Elena cut her off softly. "He'll destroy him."

The maid hesitated, then nodded. "I just want you to be safe, Miss. You've suffered enough." With that, she left.

When Mina left, Elena sat in silence, staring at her untouched breakfast.
Safe? She didn't even know what that meant anymore until he came along.

All she knew was that when she was with Damian, she indeed felt safe.
Even when she shouldn't.



Downstairs, Caspian entered the study where Victor Lancaster was already seated behind his desk, reading through some files.

"Good morning, Uncle," Caspian greeted, his tone polite but distant.

Victor looked up and smiled. "Ah, Caspian! Good morning. How was your rest?"

"Peaceful," Caspian lied smoothly, though his mind replayed the faint shadow he had seen through the window last night - a tall figure carrying something... or someone.

He had convinced himself it was nothing, but the unease remained.

Victor gestured for him to sit. "We'll be visiting the eastern property later today. I want you to see how our joint project is progressing. My daughter will be joining us."

Caspian's eyes flickered briefly. "Elena? Is she all right? She seemed upset last night."

Victor frowned slightly. "Just tired, I suppose. Why?"

Caspian shook his head. "Nothing. I just... I thought I saw something unusual from my room last night."

Victor's gaze sharpened. "Unusual?"

Caspian met his eyes evenly. "Probably just the staff moving around. Forget it."

Victor leaned back slowly, suspicion crossing his features. "Hmm. I see."

Caspian smiled politely, masking his thoughts. But inside, his mind was racing.
Who was that man? What was he carrying?

He didn't have proof. Yet.
But something in his gut told him that the man he had seen - the shadow moving through the corridor with something in his arms - was Damian.

And that "something"... might have been Elena.



In his room, Damian found himself unable to focus on anything else.

Marcus called to discuss their upcoming operations, but Damien's responses were short, distracted.

At one point, Marcus sighed over the line. "You're off, man. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Damien said curtly.

"Don't lie to me," Marcus countered. "You've never been this distracted. It's not like you."

Damien closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just... things got complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"It doesn't matter," Damien muttered. "I'll handle it."

There was a pause on the line. Then Marcus's voice came softer. "Damien. Don't let anything cloud your judgment. Not now. We've come too far for that."

The line went dead.
But Marcus's words lingered.

He had spent sixteen years perfecting his plan. A man who had sworn never to feel again.

And yet, here he was - shaken by a woman who shouldn't matter.

He exhaled deeply. "You're losing it, Cole," he whispered. "You're really losing it."

Meanwhile, across the hall, Elena sat by her window, her knees drawn to her chest.

She hugged herself absentmindedly, remembering the warmth of his chest, the rhythm of his heart, and his gentle touch.

She smiled sadly. "What are you doing to me, Damien?"

But her smile faded as she remembered her father's words - that her marriage had already been decided. That she was nothing more than a pawn.

Tears welled in her eyes again.
And just like the night before, she whispered into the silence:

"Please, just let me be free."