Chapter 80

Aria’s POV
“NOAH!” I tore through the penthouse, my heart in my throat. “NOAH!”
Damien was right behind me, barking orders into his phone. “Lock down the building! Check all exits! Get security footage from the last ten minutes!”
I burst into the living room and stopped cold. Noah sat on the floor, building a tower with blocks, completely unharmed. He looked up at us with wide, confused eyes.
“Mama? Why are you yelling?”
My knees buckled. I collapsed onto the floor beside him, pulling him into my arms so tight he squeaked.
“Baby, where were you?” My voice shook. “You weren’t in your room”
“I came out here to play.” He pulled back to look at me. “You and Daddy were talking in the office, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“The window” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Security opened it.” Damien’s voice was deadly quiet. “Five minutes ago, they said they were checking the locks.”
He held up his phone, showing me the security footage. A man in a guard uniform entered Noah’s room, opening the window, then leaving.
A man who wasn’t part of his regular security team.
“Marcus,” I whispered.
“He got past our security. Again.” Damien’s jaw clenched. “Walked right in, opened that window, left. A message.”
The message was clear: I can take him whenever I want.
My phone buzzed, I already knew what it would say.
See how easy it was? Your new fortress isn’t so secure after all. Next time, I won’t leave him behind. Tick tock, Aria. -M
“That’s it.” I stood, still holding Noah. “We’re leaving.”
“What?” Damien stared at me.
“Leaving. The country. Tonight.” I headed toward the bedroom. “Pack whatever you need, Noah. We’re going somewhere safe.”
“Aria, wait” Damien followed me.
“No!” I whirled on him. “He got in, Damien! Past all your security, all your cameras, all your protection! He could have taken Noah and we wouldn’t have known until it was too late!”
“So we increase security.”
“It’s not enough!” My voice cracked. “Nothing is enough! He’s always one step ahead and I won’t—I can’t—” I couldn’t finish, couldn’t breathe.
“Mama?” Noah’s small voice cut through my panic. “Are we going on a trip?”
I forced myself to calm down, to smile. “Yes, baby. A surprise trip. Won’t that be fun?”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere far away, with beaches and sunshine.” I set him down. “Go pack your favorite toys. Quickly.”
He ran off, excited about the adventure, oblivious to the danger.
Damien caught my arm. “You can’t run. Marcus will follow.”
“Then I’ll keep running.” I pulled free. “I’ll run to the ends of the earth if that’s what it takes to keep Noah safe.”
“And leave me behind?”
“You’re the reason we’re in danger!” The words came out harsh, cruel. “If it wasn’t for you, for your family’s twisted history, Marcus wouldn’t be after us!”
He flinched like I’d slapped him. “You’re right, this is my fault. All of it.”
“Damien”
“But running won’t solve it.” His eyes were intense. “Marcus has resources, connections, money. He’ll find you wherever you go. The only way to end this is to face him.”
“And risk Noah in the process? No.” I moved past him toward my room. “We’re leaving.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
I stopped. “What?”
“You think I’m letting you and Noah disappear?” He moved closer. “If you run, I run. We do this together or not at all.”
“You can’t just abandon your company”
“Watch me.” His voice was cold. “I already lost you once because I chose wrong, I won’t make that mistake again.”
We stood there, the weight of everything between us, the doorbell rang.
Damien’s hand went to the gun I knew he kept in his waistband. “Stay here.”
He moved to the door, checked the security screen, and his shoulders tensed. “It’s Lucas Hayes.”
“What?” I came up beside him. “What’s he doing here?”
Only one way to find out.” Damien opened the door, his expression cold.
Lucas stood in the hallway, looking genuinely remorseful. No briefcase, no flowers—just him, hands in his pockets, shame written across his face.
“Aria.” His voice was quiet. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now, but I needed to apologize. Properly.”
“Lucas” I started.
“Please.” He held up a hand. “Let me say this. What I did the other day—grabbing you, not listening when you asked me to leave—it was completely unacceptable. I was out of line, and there’s no excuse for it.”
Damien’s posture went rigid beside me. “You grabbed her?”
“He left when I told him to,” I said quickly, putting a hand on Damien’s arm before he could do something violent.
“After you slapped him,” Damien’s voice was dangerously quiet. “Which means he didn’t leave until you forced him to.”
Lucas had the decency to look ashamed. “You’re right. And I’m sorry. Aria, you’ve made it clear multiple times that you’re not interested, and I refused to respect that. I convinced myself I was trying to help you, but really I was just being selfish.”
“You were,” I agreed. “But I appreciate the apology.”
Something occurred to me then, and I frowned. “Wait. Lucas, how did you even know where to find me? I don’t remember giving you this address.”
The color drained from his face. He looked down at his shoes, then back up at me. “I… I tracked you.”
“You what?” Damien’s voice dropped to something dangerous.
“After our confrontation the other day, after I left your house, I Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “I was worried about your safety. With everything going on with Marcus, I thought if something happened” He stopped, seeming to realize how it sounded. “I know. I know how that sounds, like a stalker.”
“Because that’s exactly what it is,” Damien said coldly.
“You’re right.” Lucas held up his hands. “You’re absolutely right. I had no business doing that. I told myself it was about keeping you safe, but that doesn’t make it okay. Nothing makes it okay.” He looked at me directly. “I’m really sorry, Aria. I crossed a line. Multiple lines, actually.”
I felt sick. “How long have you been tracking me?”
“Just since that day. I swear.” He pulled out his phone with shaking hands and showed me the screen. “I’m deleting the app right now. See?”
I watched as he deleted something from his phone, but I wasn’t sure if I believed him. How could I? He’d already violated my privacy in ways I hadn’t even known about.
“I also came to tell you something else.” He glanced at Damien, then back to me. “I’m withdrawing my company’s partnership offer. Not as revenge or anything petty—but because you need space, and I clearly can’t be professional around you.”
“Lucas, you don’t have to”
“I do.” He managed a sad smile. “You deserve better than someone who claims to care about you but can’t respect your boundaries. So I’m backing off. Completely. No more showing up uninvited, no more business entanglements, no more tracking where you go. Just… a clean break.”
I didn’t know what to say, part of me was relieved. Part of me felt guilty for the pain in his eyes. But mostly I felt angry that he’d been following my movements without my knowledge.
“Thank you,” I said finally, though the words felt hollow. “For understanding.”
“For what it’s worth,” Lucas looked at Damien, “she defended you. When I was at her house, when I tried to convince her to leave you—she stood up for you. Said you’d changed.” He paused. “Don’t prove her wrong.”
“I won’t,” Damien said quietly.
Lucas nodded and turned to go, then stopped. “Actually, there’s one more thing. Business-related, not personal.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’ve been hearing rumors. About Marcus Blackwood.” He pulled out his phone and showed us a screenshot. “He’s been making inquiries into private security firms, the kind that don’t ask questions.”
My blood went cold. “Mercenaries?”
“Essentially.” Lucas put his phone away. “I thought you should know. Whatever he’s planning, it’s escalating.”
“How did you find this out?” Damien’s eyes narrowed.
“I have contacts in that world, not because I use them,” Lucas added quickly, “but because I make sure to know who my competitors might hire.” He looked at me. “Be careful, Aria. Both of you.”
He left before either of us could respond.
I closed the door and leaned against it. The wood felt cool against my back. My hands were shaking but I pressed them flat against the door to steady them.
“He seriously grabbed you.” Damien’s voice was tight. “And you didn’t bother to tell me, rather you made it sound like he was just trying to force you to leave with him..”
“It wasn’t important,” I muttered.
“The hell it wasn’t.” He turned to face me, his hands on my shoulders were firm but not rough. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. I handled it.” I met his eyes. “I slapped him and he left, end of story.”
“It’s not the end.” His jaw clenched. I could see the muscle working there, the way his teeth ground together. “If he had hurt you”