Chapter 42 42
Lila spent the next few days in a haze, a suffocating cloud that refused to lift. Damien’s words echoed in her mind, over and over again, like a cruel lullaby. You belong to me. It felt like a truth she couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Every time she looked in the mirror, she saw the reflection of a woman caught between two worlds ... the one where she was free, and the one where she was his, bound to him by a thread of desire she couldn’t sever.
She tried to keep her distance, to stay in the guest room, to avoid Damien as much as possible. But it was impossible to ignore the way he seemed to always be there .. lurking in the hallway, standing just outside the door, his presence felt even when he wasn’t physically near.
That night, as the weight of exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep, Lila awoke to the familiar sound of the door creaking open. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Her body reacted before her mind had a chance to process, a nervous flutter in her chest as Damien’s footsteps drew closer.
"Lila," his voice was like silk, smooth and dangerous. "I’ve been patient, but I’m done waiting."
She stayed still, pretending to be asleep, hoping against hope that he would leave her alone. But the sound of his breath growing closer told her that was a futile wish. The bed dipped as he sat beside her, his scent overwhelming her senses. His hand brushed against her shoulder, the touch both tender and commanding.
"I know you’re awake," he whispered, his voice low and seductive.
Lila’s heart raced. She felt it again ...that attractive pull, the same one she had tried to fight for so long. His proximity made her feel both safe and terrified, and she hated it. She hated that he had this control over her, that she couldn’t seem to break free no matter how hard she tried.
"I don’t want this, Damien," she said, her voice barely a whisper, the words shaking as they left her lips. "Please. Just let me be."
Damien’s fingers traced the curve of her arm, sending a shiver through her body. "You don’t know what you want, Lila. You think you can control this, but you can’t." His tone shifted, darkening. "You’ve never been able to control it. You’ve never been able to resist me."
Lila sucked in a breath, trying to push away the tears that threatened to rise. She didn’t want to cry, not for him. Not for anyone. But everything felt so heavy, so overwhelming. She wanted to be free of this, free of him, but every time she thought she could break away, she found herself tangled in his web all over again.
"You’re wrong," she whispered fiercely, clenching her fists. "I cannot resist you. I can leave."
Damien’s chuckle was dark and knowing. "You think you can leave? After everything we’ve shared? After everything I’ve given you?" His hand slid down her arm to her wrist, to her legs gripping it tightly, almost possessively. "You don’t have the strength to walk away, Lila. Not from me."
Lila struggled against his hold, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. "You’re lying," she said, her voice fierce with desperation. "You’re lying to yourself if you think I’ll stay."
Damien’s grip tightened, and he leaned in close, his lips grazing the skin of her neck. "You don’t get it, do you?" he murmured, his breath hot against her ear. "I don’t need you to stay. I need you to understand. You belong to me. No matter where you go, no matter how far you run. I own you, Lila. And you’ll come back to me. Always."
Lila closed her eyes, trying to push the panic rising in her chest away. She had to get control. She had to break free. But his words..his touch.. the way he said them made her feel so small, so powerless.
"Please," she gasped, her voice breaking. "Don’t do this. I can’t take it anymore."
Damien’s expression softened, the cold edge in his eyes momentarily replaced with something that almost looked like pity. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumb tracing her lips as though he was savoring the moment. "I know you can’t, Lila," he whispered. "But you will. Because you need me. You’ll always need me."
For a moment, it felt as though the world had paused, as if time had stopped just for them. Her pulse raced, her heart aching with a confusion she couldn’t shake. Her body screamed for him, but her mind fought to break free. She knew Damien’s hold on her was more than just physical; it was psychological and emotional. And that terrified her more than anything else.
"I hate you," she spat, her eyes burning with unshed tears. "I hate what you’ve done to me."
Damien’s eyes darkened, a flicker of anger crossing his face before it was quickly replaced by a calculating calmness. "I know you do, Lila," he said, his voice almost tender now. "But it doesn’t matter. You can hate me all you want, but you’ll never leave. You’ll always be mine."
He kissed her then, a slow, possessive kiss that made her heart ache. His lips moved against hers with a practiced intensity, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All she could feel was him...his presence, his power, his control. It was as if everything inside her, every part of her that had been fighting to break free, was suddenly consumed by him.
When the kiss finally ended, Lila felt like she was drowning. Her mind raced, and yet, everything felt impossibly still. Damien pulled away slightly, his forehead resting against hers.
"You can’t escape this, Lila," he murmured. "You’re mine. Forever."
Her pulse pounded in her ears as she stared into his eyes, searching for something...anything...that would tell her this wasn’t the truth. But all she found was the cold certainty of his words, the unwavering belief that she was trapped in his world.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice cracking, she drew closer to Damien and started kissing him "Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered again in his eyes
Damien paused, his gaze softening just enough to show the faintest trace of vulnerability. "Because you're mine, Lila," he said quietly, his voice so raw that for a moment, she almost believed him. "I love you in a way that you’ll never understand. And I’ll do anything to keep you by my side. To make you see that we’re meant to be together." Damien said as he continued kissing Lila.
Lila’s heart shattered. The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at her.. the way he kissed her with love, it was everything she had ever wanted to hear. But she couldn’t let herself fall for it. She couldn’t let herself believe that love justified control, that passion justified manipulation.
"I can’t love you," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Not like this. Not when you’re destroying me," she said as she tried to remove Damien's trousers
Damien’s face hardened, the vulnerability vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. He gently wiped the tears from her cheek, his thumb tracing the path they left behind. "You will, Lila," he said, his voice unwavering. "You’ll come to understand. And when you do, you’ll thank me." And then Damian helped her pull his trousers.
Lila shook her head, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t be his. Not like this. Not when every part of her screamed to be free.
But Damien wasn’t done. He wasn’t going to let her go that easily. "You think you can walk away from this?" he asked, his tone dark and unyielding. "You think you can tear yourself away from me? You’re wrong. You’ll never leave me. You’ll never be free of me."now take what Daddy has
He said removing his big -Sammy from his boxers
Lila’s heart thudded painfully in her chest as she stared into Damien’s eyes. He wasn’t going to let her go. No matter how much she fought, no matter how much she cried, he was determined to keep her by his side. And somewhere deep inside, she knew he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
Her chest tightened with the weight of it all, the realization that she was trapped in a battle she wasn’t sure she could win. She didn’t know how this would end, but one thing was certain, Damien would fight to keep her, for better or worse.