The Internal Storm

Lyra's POV

It was oppressive to feel the hush that descended upon the room upon Ethan's arrival. Blood was throbbing in my ears and my heart was pounding as I struggled to process what was going on. As though he owned the room, Ethan stood there grinning like a monster. And then Damian, who had a hardened countenance as if he had been hit by an invisible blow.

"Did you miss me, Lyra?" With venomous remarks, Ethan's voice cut through the tension in the room.

My thoughts were racing, and I briefly lost my voice. In front of me was the person I had known, the person I believed I could trust, who appeared to be a villain in a perverse game I couldn't comprehend.

"Why in the world are you here, Ethan?" Finally, with a dry throat, I was able to whisper. My heart felt like it might explode from my chest, and my hands were shaking.

Damian initially remained silent. As though the air itself had grown too heavy to breathe, he stood motionless, his jaw clamped tightly. But then, in a low, almost menacing voice, he spoke. "Ethan, tell me what you want."

Ethan's smile continued to grow. Damian, you've been occupied with this tiny toy of yours. However, I believe it's time we spoke about past obligations and unfinished business. He gave me a chilly, calculating look. Regarding you, Lyra... I hope the truth is ready for you.

I stepped back, my heart pounding even harder. What did he have to say? The real thing? My chest ached as if someone had just stabbed through the part of me that still trusted and trusted protection.

“What is the truth?” With a trembling voice, I asked.

My skin crawled when Ethan let out a faint laugh. He narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Damian. "You haven't given her enough information, have you? About your role in it all and the true cause of her family's disarray.

I was slapped by the words. I could feel the blood dripping from my face as my stomach turned. I felt lightheaded due to the gravity of his charge and the implied meaning of what he was going to say. With hope and prayer, I turned to Damian and hoped he would deny it. He was going to inform me that Ethan was lying. However, the expression on Damian's face was enough to make my breath catch in my throat.

"I didn't want her to know," Damian whispered, his voice unvarnished, as if he were admitting to something more sinister than I could comprehend. He moved in my direction while keeping his eyes fixed on mine. Lyra, I never intended for you to know. But I'm at my breaking point. It's true, Ethan.

I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. "You—" The sentence was too short for me to complete. What happened thereafter was irrelevant. I had the impression that everything had suddenly fallen apart.

"Damian, tell her," Ethan snarled. Explain to her how your arrangement with my father ruined hers.

I had trouble breathing. The suffocating, dense air seemed to eat away at me from the inside out, as did the ache in my chest. What if this were true? Was Damian the actual reason I was hurting, the man I had trusted, the one I had started to love?

I turned to face Damian, looking for some clue that he hadn't been responsible for everything. But nothing was there. He didn't appear even startled. The storm in his eyes and the rigid set of his jaw were engraved with the guilt, the misery, the embarrassment.

He apologized in a quiet, nearly broken voice. "This is not what I intended to happen. This is my past, and I never wanted you to be involved. However, I'm to blame. I made the error. He gulped forcefully, briefly turning his gaze to Ethan. "Ethan is correct. I was a part of it. I didn't want this mess to catch you. It was too late, though. It had already begun, and I was powerless to stop it.

My brain whirled. I thought I was going to get sick. I was lying about what I thought I knew about him and everything I had believed. I felt a surge of wrath that threatened to overwhelm me like a tidal wave. In what way could he? What was he doing to me?

“I—” I tried to say the words, and my voice broke. "I'm not... Damian, I don't understand. You didn't tell me about anything. You inspired me to have faith in both of us. You've ripped everything apart now. My nails dug into my palms, my hands clenched into fists, and I struggled to contain the rage that threatened to explode. “How were you able to?”

"Lyra, I had no other choice." He spoke in a low, nearly whispery voice, and I could see the pain in his eyes. "I was unable to release you. I had to keep you close to me. I believed that I was shielding you from it all and protecting you. I was mistaken, though. I should've been honest with you.

The fragile moment between us was broken by Ethan's nasty laugh. Keeping her safe? Damian, you kept her as your minor prisoner. You believed you could manage her but now look at the mess you created. Malicious satisfaction gleamed in his eyes as he took a step forward. "You think that after everything, she will forgive you? Do you believe that after everything you did for her family, she will still want you?

The words were painful, but what made the knife turn was the expression in Ethan's eyes. I felt exposed as if my entire being was on display for him to see, and my feelings were all meaningless.

Damian's voice was now trembling as he replied, "I'm not asking for forgiveness." "I'm requesting an opportunity. An opportunity to correct the situation. Even though it's too late, I must let you know that I never intended to cause you any harm, Lyra. I make a vow to God.

I muttered in a scarcely audible voice, "I don't know if I can ever forgive you." It was too painful to endure. "If I ever trust you again, I don't know."

Ethan's smile got bigger. "Lyra, this is Damian Wolfe in real life. The man who exploits everyone around him for personal benefit. Your household. You. Anything and everything

I was now trembling and having trouble breathing, with my chest constricted. I tightened my teeth and said, "Get out, Ethan," my eyes burning with rage. "Get out of here, please."

Ethan stood there looking into my eyes for a time, as though he was enjoying the agony on my face. I was left alone with the man who had just torn my world apart when he turned on his heel and left the room without saying anything more.

After the door slammed, there was an unbearable silence. I had trouble breathing. I couldn't think. Standing there, paralyzed, trying to take it all in, was all I could do.

Damian remained still as well. He remained with his back to me, his hands clutching the edge of the desk as if he were clinging to a lifeline.

I gulped hard and walked shakily in his direction. "I—" said Damian. However, the words stuck in my throat.

He turned slowly, pain and shame mixed with something I couldn't identify in his eyes. His hand had a small tremble as he reached for me. “Please, Lyra.”

My chest was constricted by feelings I couldn't comprehend as I gazed at him. "I'm not sure I can do this anymore."

His face became white, and I could see the genuine fear in his eyes, the type that made him appear to have lost everything. His voice broke as he murmured, "Please," once again. "Don't abandon me. No, not yet. Not after everything.

For a brief while, I struggled to balance the rage and betrayal that were eating away at me from the inside out with the love I still had for him. I lunged for him, drawing him to me as if something inside of me had suddenly broken, and our lips crashed together in a passionate, frantic kiss that contained everything we couldn't express.

A final surrender to everything we had shared and what remained between us, the kiss was a vow. However, a storm started to rage outside as our bodies pressed closer together, with the wind roaring like a beast outside our window. It reflected my inner tempest, including my perplexity, grief, and longing to let go while holding on.

I was just about to draw away when I felt a cold, relentless grasp on my wrist.

Turning in surprise, I saw a man watching us from the doorway.

It was Ethan.

And he had something that chilled my blood in his hand.

A firearm.