[Damien POV]
I've never liked silence.
Not the kind that comes with peace — but the kind that follows a threat.
It creeps up behind you, settles on your shoulders, and waits for the moment you breathe wrong.
That's what today felt like.
The silence before a storm that's been brewing for years.
---
Julian knew something was off.
He kept glancing at me during our strategy meeting like he was watching a timer count down.
Veronica? She wasn't even pretending to be subtle anymore.
She walked in wearing blood-red heels and that smile she uses before someone ends up crying — or worse.
"I spoke to my father last night," she said casually, sipping something suspiciously amber from a crystal glass. "He says things are moving faster than expected."
My hand froze mid-turn of my pen.
Julian stiffened.
Lara looked up.
Only Florence kept typing — because Florence always knows everything before we do.
"Define 'faster,'" I said flatly.
Veronica grinned.
"Apparently, your little scholarship project has ruffled feathers. She's being watched now."
I didn't flinch.
Couldn't afford to.
But internally?
I wanted to break something.
---
After the meeting, I found Julian in the east garden.
He was pacing. Never a good sign.
"I thought we had more time," he muttered. "You said—"
"I know what I said."
"Then why is the Foundation watching Rosella?"
Because I broke the rules.
Because I touched something I shouldn't have.
Because I cared.
"She wasn't supposed to matter," Julian whispered. "That's the problem with you, Damien. You're supposed to use people. Not feel for them."
I looked at him then.
Hard.
Cold.
"She's not a piece on the board."
He scoffed.
"She is exactly a piece, and you just gave her to the other side."
---
Later that night, I sat alone in the lounge, staring at a folder I never wanted to open.
It was labeled: Morgan, Rosella – Level 2 Surveillance.
Inside?
Photos. Notes. A psychological profile.
Even her admissions essay.
It felt like betrayal in manila.
And the worst part?
I knew who approved it.
Veronica.
Which meant the Foundation was no longer neutral. They weren't watching Rosella out of curiosity.
They were hunting her.
Because she was asking questions.
And because I couldn't stop myself from protecting her.
---
There's a truth I've never said out loud:
Rosella reminds me of my mother.
Not in looks. Not even in attitude.
In fire.
In the way she walks into chaos and doesn't flinch.
In the way she questions everything, even when it's dangerous.
My mother did that too.
And she died for it.
---
I left the lounge and found myself walking.
Not to her dorm.
Not to the Thorns' suite.
But to the headmaster's office.
Because if the Foundation was circling, I needed to draw a new line.
A personal one.
One they couldn't cross.
---
The headmaster wasn't surprised to see me.
He was never surprised.
"Mr. Carter," he said, steepling his fingers. "I assume this is about Miss Morgan."
"She's off-limits," I said. No hesitation.
He smiled. "That's not your decision."
"It is now."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're willing to burn your future for her?"
No.
I'm willing to burn yours.
"Tell the Foundation to back off," I said. "Or I go public."
He laughed.
"Public with what? Rumors? Conspiracies? An elite secret society controlled by billionaire puppeteers? You sound like a bad Netflix plot."
I leaned forward.
"I have the files. The accounts. The donor records. And you know what the media loves more than secrets?"
I paused.
"Scandal."
His smile faltered.
Victory tastes like blood in your mouth sometimes.
---
I left without another word.
But I knew this wasn't over.
The Foundation wouldn't back off. Not completely.
But maybe… maybe they'd hesitate.
And hesitation buys time.
Time for Rosella to choose her next move.
Time for me to figure out how far I'm willing to go for a girl who was never supposed to matter.
---
Back in my room, I poured a drink I didn't even want and stared at the fire crackling in the hearth.
Rosella was in danger because of me.
And still?
If I had to choose all over again...
I'd dance with her.
I'd break the rules.
I'd look into her eyes and see a life not shaped by privilege, power, or politics.
Just... real.
And that?
That was worth every consequence.
---