Where Darkness Learned Breath by Rylor Dusk 89

89 Chapter 89: Four Hours Later 

Damien Pov 

I sat in my office, watching the sun set, making calls to set everything in motion. 

Additional security teams positioned around the penthouse. Background checks on every staff member who’d had access to the building this week. A private investigator to tail Vivian and document everyone she contacted. 

Every detail planned and executed. Vivian thought she was being clever. Thought she’d successfully gathered intel. Instead, she’d revealed her hand–and now we knew she is 

actively planning something. 

My phone rang it was Aria. 

“Hey,” I answered. “What’s up?” 

“When are you coming home?” Her voice was 

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soft, almost vulnerable. “Noah keeps asking” 

“Soon.” I softened my tone. “Maybe another hour, is everything okay?” 

“Yeah. Just…” She paused. “I miss you, is that weird to say?” 

My chest tightened. “Not weird. I miss you too.” 

“Even though you just saw me this morning?” 

“Especially because I just saw you this morning.” I smiled. “It reminded me of everything I want and 

can’t have yet.” 

“What do you want?” 

“Everything.” The word came out rough. “You, Noah, a real family. Mornings without fear. Nights without threats. Just us, being normal.” 

“That sounds nice.” She was quiet for a moment. “Damien? Vivian came to see you today, didn’t 

she?” 

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89 Chapter 89: Four Hours Later 

I froze. The leather chair creaked as I shifted 

forward. My hand tightened around the phone until my knuckles went white. “How did you 

know?” 

“Because I know my sister, she doesn’t make threats she doesn’t follow through on.” Her voice was carefully neutral. “What did she want?” 

I could lie. Could downplay it, could spare her the 

details. But we’d built this new foundation on 

honesty. I wasn’t about to undermine it now. 

I stood and walked to the window. The city stretched out below, lights flickering on as darkness crept in. My reflection stared back at me in the glass. I looked tired. The past few weeks had worn me down in ways business never 

had. 

“She tried to seduce me.” I kept my voice level. “Showed up in a revealing dress, said we had a connection, touched me without permission.” 

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There was silence on the other end. The quiet felt heavy, pressing against my ears. I could hear my own breathing. The hum of the air conditioning. The distant sound of traffic forty floors below. 

“Aria?” 

Still nothing. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. My breath fogged it slightly. 

“What did you say?” Her voice was tight. “To her seduction attempt?” 

“That I’d rather die than touch her again. That you’re worth a thousand of her. That I love you more than anything.” I stood, pacing. My shoes made soft thuds on the carpet. “And then I threw her out and banned her from the building.” 

More silence. I stopped pacing. Ran my hand through my hair. It felt wrong, this conversation. I wanted to be there with her. Wanted to see her face. Touch her hand. Make her believe me with more than just words over a phone line. 

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“Aria, talk to me.” 

“You love me?” The words came out small. “You 

told her you love me?” 

My throat went tight. I swallowed hard. “Yes. Because it’s true. I love you, Aria. Completely. Irrevocably. Even if you never love me back.” 

I heard a small sound on her end. A breath, maybe. Or a sob held back. 

“Damien…” 

“I’m sending you something.” I pulled up the security footage on my computer. The screen glowed blue in the darkening office. I clicked through folders, found the file. My hands felt clumsy on the keyboard. “The whole encounter. Video and audio. Because I want you to see–I need you to see that I meant every word.” 

“You recorded it?” 

“My assistant was on the line the whole time, that 

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is a security procedure for unscheduled visitors.” I hit send. The progress bar filled slowly. “Watch it, all of it. And then tell me if you still doubt me.” 

“I don’t doubt…” 

“Yes, you do.” I said it gently. My chest ached. “And I don’t blame you. But Aria, I need you to understand something. There is no one else. There will never be anyone else. It’s you, only you. Forever you.” 

I heard her breath catch. 

The office felt too empty. Too quiet. I wanted to be home. Wanted to hold Noah while he showed me his drawings. Wanted to sit next to Aria on the couch and just exist in the same space as her. 

“Watch the video,” I said quietly. “And I’ll be home soon then we can talk then.” 

“Okay.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Damien? Thank you. For choosing me.” 

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89 Chapter 89: Four Hours Later 

“Every time.” I meant it with everything in me. “Every single time.” 

We hung up. I sat there for a moment, my heart racing, hoping she’d believe me. Hoping the video would show her what words couldn’t. 

That I was serious about us. About her. About building something real. 

The phone felt warm in my hand. I set it down on the desk. The wood was cool and smooth under my palm. I took a breath. Let it out slowly. 

James appeared in my doorway. “Sir? Vivian finally left the building about twenty minutes ago.” 

“Good.” I stood, grabbing my jacket. The fabric was stiff and heavy. “Is the tracker still active?” 

“Yes, sir. She’s heading toward the financial district.” James looked grim. “But sir, we intercepted some calls she made from the 

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parking garage before she left. She contacted a private investigator.” 

My blood went cold. “What?” 

“She’s hired someone to dig into Aria’s past.” He showed me his tablet with the call logs. “Looking for ammunition. Custody vulnerabilities, business scandals, anything that could hurt her.” 

“She won’t find anything.” But doubt crept in. 

“Will she?” 

“Aria’s clean. But that doesn’t mean this investigator won’t manufacture something.” James met my eyes. “Sir, Vivian’s desperate. She spent an hour skulking around the building gathering intel, photographing security protocols. Desperate people are dangerous.” 

“Then we make sure she can’t hurt anyone.” I thought about Vivian’s words in my office–her threats about Noah, her venomous hatred of Aria. “Especially not Aria and Noah. Keep the 

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surveillance tight. I want to know everywhere she goes, everyone she meets.” 

“Already on it, sir.” James hesitated. “There’s one more thing. The calls she made–some went to an unknown number. Burner phone, probably.” 

“Marcus,” I said quietly. 

“That’s our assumption. She’s coordinating with someone, and given the timing…” He trailed off meaningfully. 

I looked out the window at the city below, jaw clenched. Vivian wasn’t just lashing out—she was planning something. And if she was working with 

Marcus… 

“Double security on the penthouse,” I ordered. 

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