They sat together on the edge of Damian's massive bed. Outside, rain had started to fall, tapping softly against the tall windows, blurring the city lights. The storm seemed to cocoon them, isolating them from the rest of the world.
Damian's hand was wrapped around Alina's, his grip so tight it almost hurt.
"You're sure you want to hear this?" he asked quietly, eyes fixed on the floor. "Because once I tell you, there's no pretending anymore. No going back to the way things were."
Alina drew a shaky breath. "I'm sure. I don't want the polished mask, Damian. I want you — even if it terrifies me."
---
His laugh was low and humorless. "It should terrify you."
Slowly, he began to speak. At first halting, then with a grim momentum, like once the dam cracked there was no stopping the flood.
He told her about the rival who had tried to undercut one of his first major investments — and how Damian had crushed his entire portfolio overnight, leaving the man bankrupt and publicly ruined. How that same man had later taken his own life, unable to face the disgrace.
About the hidden shares he controlled in companies with far darker reputations — firms that trafficked influence, crushed unions, laundered money through layers so thick even international regulators couldn't untangle them.
---
And about Celeste. How she hadn't just been a lover, but a business conduit, someone who used her connections in European banking to funnel Damian's capital into discreet, risky ventures that no legitimate firm would touch.
"She was smart, ruthless, willing to do anything," Damian said hoarsely. "Including share my bed to keep me compliant. I thought I could handle it. Thought I was too detached to be manipulated. Until I realized too late she had enough dirt on me to pull my entire empire down if she ever turned."
Alina's stomach twisted. "And now she's threatening you — threatening us — because she knows you're vulnerable with me."
"Yes." His eyes lifted to hers, hollow and haunted. "She knows I'd do anything to keep you safe. That's power she's never had over me before."
---
For a long moment, Alina couldn't speak. Her mind spun with images of ruined men, of fortunes built on secrets and silent threats. Of bloodless wars fought with contracts and leverage instead of knives.
And yet… when she looked at Damian now, he wasn't the cold titan the world whispered about. He was a man who trembled slightly as he held her hand, who looked utterly terrified that she might pull away.
She touched his cheek gently. "I won't pretend it doesn't scare me. It does. But what scares me more is the idea of you facing all of this alone. Of me walking away, leaving you to it."
A shudder ran through him. "I don't deserve you."
"Maybe not. But you have me anyway."
---
His breath caught. Then his mouth was on hers in a fierce, almost desperate kiss. It wasn't about dominance this time — it was about clinging to the one good thing in a life built on ruthless ambition.
He pulled her into his lap, burying his face in her neck. His hands were shaking where they gripped her waist.
"Promise me something," he rasped against her skin.
"Anything."
"If things ever get too dangerous — if it ever comes down to a choice between your safety and staying with me — you'll run. Don't wait for me to tell you. Just go."
Tears burned her eyes. "And leave you to fight alone? No. That's not who I am."
His hold tightened, almost painful. "Then I'll just have to make sure it never comes to that."
---
They didn't make love this time. They simply held each other, Damian stretched out on the bed with Alina curled into his side, their hearts beating in an uncertain, shared rhythm.
Outside, thunder rumbled distantly. Alina found herself pressing even closer, as though her body could somehow shield him from all the enemies circling beyond these walls.
She knew there would be more revelations. More threats. That loving Damian meant stepping into a world where loyalty was currency and betrayal was often lethal.
But as sleep finally tugged at her, one thought echoed through her mind:
He's worth it. Even if it destroys me, he's worth every risk.