Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Peace Feels Like a Trap

Three months after Hale disappeared, the world still hadn’t recovered.

Neither had Damon.

The city looked normal again on the surface.

Traffic.

Meetings.

Investors pretending scandals no longer mattered.

News anchors moving on to fresher disasters.

But beneath all of it

Something felt wrong.

Like the world was holding its breath.

Waiting.

Damon stood inside the boardroom of Moreau Innovations while executives argued across the long glass table.

“…public confidence is unstable.”

“We need stronger partnerships.”

“The company’s association with former syndicate figures is still damaging investor trust”

Damon stopped listening.

Because none of it mattered.

Not really.

The only thing that mattered lately

Was whether Luca came home safe.

That realization should have terrified him.

Instead

It exhausted him.

A woman across the table cleared her throat carefully.

“There’s also concern regarding your public relationship.”

Damon looked up slowly.

The room went quiet immediately.

“Concern,” he repeated calmly.

“Yes,” she said cautiously. “Your connection to Luca Raines continues attracting unwanted attention.”

Damon leaned back slightly in his chair.

Expression unreadable.

“Then let them look.”

Silence.

The woman hesitated.

“With respect, sir, public opinion matters.”

Damon’s gaze sharpened.

“So does loyalty.”

A beat.

“And only one of those survived the collapse.”

No one argued after that.

No one wanted to.

“Meeting adjourned,” Damon said coldly.

And walked out.

The hallway outside felt too quiet.

Too clean.

Too empty.

Damon loosened his tie slightly as he walked toward his office.

He was tired.

Not physically.

Something worse.

The kind of exhaustion that lived inside your bones after surviving too much.

His phone buzzed.

One message.

From Luca.

Eat something today.

Damon stared at the text

Then smiled despite himself.

Small.

Automatic.

Dangerous.

Another message appeared immediately after:

Coffee does not count as food.

Damon huffed softly.

Then typed back:

You sound domestic.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Don’t insult me.

Damon laughed quietly under his breath.

And just like that

The tension in his chest eased.

Only a little.

But enough.

Across the city

Luca sat on the roof of Damon’s penthouse building, cigarette burning between his fingers.

He hadn’t smoked it.

Not once.

The wind moved softly through his dark hair as he watched the city below.

Too alert.

Too aware.

Always.

Seraphine stepped onto the rooftop behind him.

“You know normal people sit inside apartments.”

Luca didn’t look at her.

“Normal people bore me.”

“You’re impossible.”

“That too.”

She moved beside him quietly.

Studying him.

“You haven’t relaxed once in three months.”

Luca stayed silent.

Seraphine sighed softly.

“You’re waiting for Hale.”

That got a reaction.

Small.

Barely visible.

But real.

“…he’s not the type to disappear forever,” Luca said quietly.

“No.”

A pause.

“But neither are you.”

Luca finally looked at her.

“I don’t get to stop watching.”

Because that was the truth.

Even now.

Even after everything.

Luca still felt like danger followed him everywhere.

And Damon

Damon loved him anyway.

That terrified him more than Hale ever did.

His phone vibrated.

Damon calling.

Luca answered immediately.

“…hey.”

“Did you eat?”

Luca rolled his eyes instantly.

“You’re obsessed with that question.”

“You avoid it too often.”

“Maybe because I enjoy irritating you.”

“That’s unhealthy behavior.”

Luca almost smiled.

Seraphine watched quietly beside him.

Not interrupting.

Because this version of Luca still surprised her sometimes.

Softer.

Warmer.

Alive.

“You sound tired,” Damon said.

Luca leaned back slightly against the rooftop railing.

“Long day.”

“You should come upstairs.”

Home.

That word again.

Still strange.

Still dangerous.

Still addictive.

Luca closed his eyes briefly.

“…yeah.”

A pause.

“I will.”

Silence settled between them comfortably.

Neither hanging up.

Neither wanting to.

Then Damon spoke again.

Quietly this time.

“Something feels wrong.”

Luca’s eyes opened instantly.

Cold instinct returning immediately.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

A beat.

“But I can feel it.”

Luca stood immediately.

Seraphine straightened beside him.

Noticing the shift.

“Lock the penthouse doors,” Luca said calmly.

Damon sighed softly through the phone.

“You know I hate when you do that.”

“When I’m right?”

“When you sound like you’re about to disappear.”

Silence.

Luca looked out over the city lights.

Every instinct screaming now.

“…I’ll be downstairs in two minutes.”

Not a promise.

Damon noticed.

Of course he did.

“Luca.”

But Luca had already ended the call.

Seraphine frowned immediately.

“What is it?”

Luca crushed the untouched cigarette beneath his boot.

“I don’t know yet.”

A pause.

His voice lowered.

“But peace has lasted too long.”

At that exact moment

Inside Damon’s penthouse

The lights flickered once.

Then again.

Damon turned slowly toward the dark television screen across the room.

It turned on by itself.

Static filling the silence.

Then

One sentence appeared across the screen in white letters.

DID YOU REALLY THINK HE CHOSE YOU FIRST?