Chapter four

Chapter Four

The Billionaire’s Secret Obsession

The message on Emma’s phone felt like a slap to the face.

Unknown Number: Leave now. You’re not safe.

Her pulse hammered as she clutched the device, her mind racing with questions.

Who sent this? How did they know where she was?

And more importantly—what did they mean by not safe?

Emma lifted her gaze to Damian, expecting to see concern, or at the very least, curiosity. But instead, his expression was unreadable. If anything, he looked amused.

A slow, almost lazy smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he leaned against the sleek marble counter, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

"Are you going to listen to them?" he asked, arching a dark brow.

Emma’s fingers tightened around her phone. "Should I?"

"That depends," he said, setting his drink down. "Do you scare easily?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Is this another one of your games?"

His expression darkened, the amusement vanishing. "No, Emma. This is reality."

A shiver ran down her spine.

Everything about Damian Wolfe screamed danger. The way he carried himself, the controlled power in his movements, the calculated way he spoke—like a man who had secrets buried beneath secrets.

And now someone was warning her to stay away.

She should run.

Any sane person would.

But Emma had never been good at walking away from a challenge.

She squared her shoulders. "You said this was a test. What exactly were you testing?"

Damian studied her for a long moment, then stepped closer. "I needed to know if you’d crumble at the first sign of trouble."

She scoffed. "What, because of an anonymous text?"

He tilted his head, his gaze sharp. "Not just that. You’ve been uneasy since you stepped into my world. You don’t trust easily. I wanted to see if that instinct would make you run."

Emma swallowed.

It was true—she had been on edge from the moment Hale picked her up. But that wasn’t just because of Damian. It was because something about this entire situation felt… orchestrated.

Like she was walking into a trap.

"Who sent the message?" she demanded.

Damian’s lips curled slightly. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters," she snapped. "If someone is warning me to stay away from you, then I’d say that’s pretty damn important."

A flicker of something passed through his eyes—something unreadable.

And then he sighed, as if she were being difficult. "There are people who don’t want you here, Emma."

Her stomach twisted. "Who?"

"Doesn’t matter," he said smoothly. "What matters is whether or not you trust me."

Emma let out a bitter laugh. "Trust you? I don’t even know you."

"Yet you’re still here."

His voice was calm, but there was an edge beneath it, something dangerous lurking beneath the surface.

Emma’s throat went dry.

Because he was right.

Despite the warning, despite every instinct telling her to walk away—she was still here.

Why?

Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was the undeniable pull of the unknown.

Or maybe it was because, deep down, she wanted to understand him.

"Who do you think I am, Emma?" Damian murmured, watching her carefully.

She met his gaze. "I think you’re a man who’s hiding something."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "And what do you think that is?"

Emma’s chest tightened. "I don’t know yet. But I plan to find out."

Damian held her stare for a moment longer, then exhaled softly. "You’re playing a dangerous game."

She lifted her chin. "So are you."

For a second, she swore something flickered in his eyes—approval, maybe even something deeper.

But before she could dissect it, the moment was shattered.

Because suddenly, the glass window behind Damian cracked.

A gunshot.

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the penthouse as Emma instinctively dropped to the floor, her heart slamming against her ribs.

Damian moved fast. Before she could blink, he was crouched beside her, shielding her body with his own.

"Stay down," he ordered, his voice deadly calm.

Emma’s breath came in ragged gasps as she looked at the shattered window. A clean bullet hole was now visible near the glass edge.

Someone had taken a shot at them.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

Damian’s jaw was clenched, his eyes scanning the room with lethal focus.

Then, he grabbed his phone and pressed a button. "Hale. Secure the building. Now."

Emma’s stomach twisted. "What the hell is going on?"

Damian turned to her, his expression unreadable. "It seems you were right."

She blinked. "About what?"

He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear.

"Someone does want you gone."

—

The next few minutes were a blur.

Armed security flooded the penthouse, scanning the area and checking every possible entry point. Hale appeared almost immediately, his sharp gaze sweeping the room before giving Damian a curt nod.

"Sniper was positioned in the building across from us," Hale reported. "But they’re already gone. Clean exit."

Damian’s expression remained unreadable. "Amateurs or professionals?"

"Too early to tell," Hale said. "But this wasn’t random."

Emma felt lightheaded.

This wasn’t random?

Someone had actually tried to kill them?

Her heart pounded as she gripped the edge of the couch, trying to steady herself. "Who would do this?"

Hale didn’t answer.

Damian turned to her, his gaze piercing. "Now do you see why I needed to test you?"

Emma’s stomach clenched. "You knew something like this would happen?"

Damian’s lips pressed into a thin line. "I suspected."

She inhaled sharply. "And you still let me come here?"

"I needed to know if you could handle it," he said simply.

Anger flared inside her. "You used me as bait?"

His gaze darkened. "I protected you."

Emma shot up from her seat, fists clenched. "You put me in danger!"

"Welcome to my world," Damian said, his voice chillingly even.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Emma’s hands trembled as she tried to process everything.

Someone had tried to kill them.

Damian had suspected it might happen.

And yet, he still brought her here.

She should be furious. She should leave.

But instead…

Instead, she found herself wanting to know more.

Who was after Damian? And why was she suddenly caught in the middle of it?

She took a shaky breath. "Tell me the truth, Damian. Who are you really?"

His gaze locked onto hers, something dark and unreadable lurking beneath the surface.

"You’re not ready for that answer," he murmured.

Emma lifted her chin. "Try me."

For the first time that night, Damian smiled.

Not the smooth, controlled smirk he usually wore.

But something real.

Something dangerous.

And then, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"If you stay, Emma, there’s no turning back."

Her pulse thundered.

Because the terrifying part?

She wasn’t sure she wanted to turn back.

To be continued…