Damian leaned against the sleek bar, the brandy glass in his hand reflecting the dim light of the penthouse above the club. The smooth amber liquid eased his throat but didn't soothe his mind.

Fucking Mike Marino.

The name festered in his thoughts, a bitter reminder of his mother. And now Gemma, aligning with that piranha? It twisted the knife deeper.

His phone buzzed on the bar. Gemma's name flashed on the screen.

> Keep your bitch at your heel. If she enters my home again, she'll be arrested.

His response was instant, cold.

> Don't start a fight you can't finish.

Three dots danced on the screen before her reply appeared.

> Fuck you, Damian. You'll wish you never let me go.

A bitter laugh escaped him as he fired back.

> Fuck off. That video? It's with my lawyers.

> What video?

> Chloe downloaded it. ;) Just in case.

There was a long silence. Then, finally:

> I know you still want me. Stop playing cat and mouse. I gave you what she never did.

Damian's grip tightened. Her words ignited a fire in his chest.

> Get over it. Move on.

Her final words taunted him. I gave you what she never did.

What the hell did she mean? Was it more than the sex they had before he and Chloe reunited? He shook his head, dismissing it as one of Gemma's twisted manipulations. She always knew where to stab the deepest.

He pocketed his phone and took another sip of the brandy, savoring the warmth that spread through his chest. Chloe risked everything for him yesterday, walking into Gemma's den like a lamb among wolves. The thought tightened the knot in his stomach. Gemma's descent into madness was something he couldn't have anticipated. Once, her seduction had blinded him.

Now, all he saw was rot beneath the surface.

***

The soft click of heels on polished marble pulled Damian from his thoughts. He didn't need to turn around; Val's vanilla scent—sultry, familiar—announced her presence before she appeared at his side.

"Drinking alone, Damian?" Val's voice was a mix of silk and steel, her sapphire eyes probing.

"I needed the quiet," Damian replied, his tone clipped as he took a deliberate sip from his glass.

Val studied him, her eyes scalpel-sharp. She reached for the bottle, pouring herself a drink with the practiced grace of someone who'd done this a thousand times. Turning to face him, she leaned back against the bar, her posture relaxed but her eyes keen. "Hiding isn't your style."

"Neither is unfinished business," Damian muttered, noticing her nipples peaking under her flimsy top. "And I'm not hiding."

Val tilted her head, letting her blonde hair cascade over one shoulder. "What's eating at you, Dami? I can feel the tension from across the room."

His jaw tightened. He set the glass down with a sharp clink against the marble, the sound slicing through the silence. "Mike Marino."

A flicker of something passed through Val's eyes—perhaps concern mingled with caution. "What about him?"

"He's still playing his filthy games."

Val took a slow sip, never breaking eye contact. "You always knew Saira's sins wouldn't stay buried forever."

Damian's face hardened, the mention of his mother's name striking like a lash. "She was cruel to those kids, Val. I didn't know how deep it went."

"How could anyone forget?" Her eyes softened with something that might have been regret.

Damian stared into the depths of his glass as if the answers he sought were at the bottom. "From the news? Yeah. It was still circulating at the time we met. Do you remember? I was twenty-one."

A small, guarded smile tugged at Val's lips, her eyes flickering with a hidden truth. "That's what I tell everyone—we met in the club. But think further back." She paused, watching Damian's expression shift. "My name was Breanne. You were eleven, and I was fourteen. I was a brunette. "

The world tilted for a moment as the memory snapped into place. "Bree? Goddamn... I always wondered what happened to you." The realization hit him like a sucker punch. She was one of the girls he'd helped escape through his bedroom window all those years ago.

"You saved my life," Val—no, Bree—said, her tone weighed with old wounds. "I hid for years after that, bouncing from shelter to shelter, too scared to go back into the system. An education saved me. Your father, Alistair, gave me a job to pay for my college tuition fees."

Damian raked a hand through his hair, trying to reconcile the fierce woman before him with the terrified girl from his past. "And you became Val."

"I became whoever I needed to be to survive." Val's smile was thin, bitter at the edges. "Stripping, bartending, escorting—it paid the bills. And here? I've always felt like a queen. You know that."

The memory of that night—finding Bree, the terror in her eyes—squeezed Damian's chest like a serpent. "I couldn't sleep for days after. What they did to you..."

Val set her glass down beside his, stepping closer. "Just another lost foster kid. Invisible. Abused. But I survived, thanks to you."

"It's a big relief knowing you survived. You helped me too, Val," Damian admitted. "You pulled me out of deep waters when I was drowning in Gemma's lies. You understood me."

"But that was a different time," Val said, her tone gentler now, a quiet acknowledgment of what had been. "A different Damian."

Damian sighed. "Chloe's new to this world. I let her go once, thinking I was protecting her. Biggest mistake of my life."

"Then don't make it again, Dami," Val urged.

"I won't," he vowed. "But I'm scared for her. I won't let anyone hurt her. Not even Chase. We fought tonight. She met him for lunch. I asked her, 'Are you fucking kidding me? Was it a date?' I lost it."

"How did Chloe react?"

"She didn't say a word. Just stared at me, then walked away. She met with Chase, not Lisa or any of her friends. Why him? What does he have over her?"

Val laughed, the sound dark and velvety. "Ah, Chase Miller. He's a regular here. Cute, charming, and still searching for his happily ever after. He offered to take me flying in his private plane."

"Make sure he gets plenty of 'happy endings' when he's here. I want him to forget Chloe. I don't want him near her."

"Jealous?" Val teased, her eyes gleaming with something sharper.

"Damn right. Chloe says they're just friends, but guys like him? They want more."

"What's stopping him?"

"His uncle, Angelo. Lucky's loyal to my family. He needs us—for the money, for the political and legal connections. Drugs and gambling? Sure, that's his territory. But human trafficking? Even that's beneath him. He'll help us fight against it. I don't need a stone in my shoe. That's what his nephew is."

"Chase is harmless," Val said, a smirk playing on her lips.

"He wants Chloe. He undresses her with his eyes, and I want to punch his smug face. To make it unpretty. He's a player."

"And you weren't?" Val teased. "I remember you in college before Chloe. Quiet, seemingly shy, but underneath? Predatory," Val said, her hand brushing his arm, a ghost of what they once were. "Some things... some things stay the same."

Damian studied her, her words pressing down like an anvil before he reached for his glass again. The brandy was cool on his tongue, but it did nothing to extinguish the flames inside him.

"I'm not the man I was with Bella or even with you. Chloe's brought something out in me I didn't know I had. She's given me hope. And I won't betray that."

A faint smile touched Val's lips. "I wouldn't expect you to, Dami. She's your future."

"And you're part of my past," Damian replied, his voice firm but not unkind.

Val nodded. "I'll always be here if you need me. I made the same promise to Chloe."

"I know," Damian said. "I'll always have your back."

"So, you want me to distract Chase? Keep his mind off Chloe?" Val questioned, grinning.

"Do whatever it takes," Damian responded, his tone hardening.

"I'll do it on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You seduce Chloe."

"But she's already my—"

"Your what?" Val arched an eyebrow.

"My wife," Damian muttered.

Val's eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face. "You're married? And you didn't tell me?"

"It's a secret for now. We'll go public soon. Chloe's also pregnant. We trust you to keep it quiet."

"Damian Scott, a married man and a father-to-be. And yes, you should seduce her. Let her see all of you, even the parts you've kept hidden. She deserves that."

Damian let out an amused chuckle. "We haven't been married long. We have plenty of—"

"Time? Dami, don't let it slip away. Strengthen your bond before it's too late. Especially with Gemma still lurking. I was with Chloe when she got that video. It was a low blow. Chloe will need all the strength she can pull from your marriage."

"I'll gladly seduce my wife. Again and again."

"And I'll play my part. I'll have fun with Chase," Val said, her grin wicked.

She stepped back, finishing her drink in one smooth motion. "Go home, Dami. Chloe needs you more than I do."

Damian glanced toward the bookcase filled with thrillers and biographies. "Chloe and I need space after our argument. She needs time to cry it out. I'll sleep here tonight to cool off."

***

The soft clatter of chess pieces greeted Damian as he entered the house on Sunday morning. Chloe's warm, melodic voice drifted through the open doorway to the back garden. He paused, leaning against the sunlit doorframe, his eyes locked on the scene before him.

Chloe sat across from Mina at the outdoor chess table, guiding her through the game. "Remember, it's all about thinking ahead," Chloe said, her fingers lightly grazing the queen. "You have to anticipate your opponent's moves."

Mina's brow furrowed as she contemplated her next move. "Like this?" she asked, shifting her knight forward.

"Exactly," Chloe encouraged, her smile bright. "Now, what do you think I'll do next?"

Damian's heart swelled as he watched them, the calmness of the moment filling him with a rare sense of peace. Chloe's natural warmth radiated, and Mina soaked it up, her eagerness to learn a reflection of Chloe's gentle guidance.

He stepped onto the patio, the cool morning air brushing against his skin. Diva, their Doberman, noticed him first. Her tail wagged as she trotted over, her movements slightly hindered by the dog diaper she wore.

"She's in heat," Chloe explained, glancing up from the game. "Don't want her spotting on the furniture."

Mina grinned, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "We took her to the park this morning. She was a handful—every male dog couldn't resist her, even a chihuahua!"

Damian chuckled, crouching down to scratch Diva behind the ears. She rolled onto her back, paws in the air, reveling in the attention. "Well, Diva, you've got quite the fan club."

Diva barked happily, then took off after a rabbit that darted across the lawn, her playful barks echoing through the garden.

Chloe moved a piece on the board, her focus momentarily shifting from the game to Damian. "We missed you at breakfast. Late night?"

Damian's smile faded, replaced by a scowl. "You know where I was."

Chloe's eyes met his, a flicker of challenge in them. "So, what's with the sour face?"

Mina, sensing the tension, glanced between them. "Uh, I'm gonna head out. Didn't sign up for relationship drama."

Chloe laughed softly, trying to ease the tension. "Don't mind him, Mina. He can be grumpy sometimes."

"Why?" Mina asked innocently, looking to Damian for an answer.

Damian smirked, the humor returning to his eyes. "Yeah, Chloe. Why don't you tell Mina about your lunch with Chase?"

Chloe's playful demeanor shifted, her eyes narrowing. "Not now."

Damian stepped closer. "Why not now? You're just friends with him, right?"

Mina quickly stood, realizing it was time to give them space. "Okay, I'm out. I'll leave you two to it. Maybe I'll find Diva and join her in the chase."

As Mina walked away, the tension between Damian and Chloe simmered. He felt his possessiveness rise, not as anger but as an undeniable need to remind her who she belonged to.

"Chloe," Damian began, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry for what I said, but you need to understand something. I can't stand the thought of anyone else looking at you like I do."

Chloe's eyes softened, the fight in them dissipating. "Damian..."

He cupped her face, his thumb brushing gently across her cheek. "Damn it, Chloe, you belong to me. I'll remind you of that daily if I have to."

Chloe leaned into his touch. "I know, Damian. I'm yours."

***

The steam from the hot bath curled around them moments later, soothing the tension from their bodies. Damian held Chloe close, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered reassurances.

"Feeling better?" he asked, his hands caressing her breasts. His thumbs circled her nipples, now darker and more prominent.

Chloe nodded, her head resting against his chest. "The anti-nausea medication from my ob-gyn is helping... but having you here helps more."

Damian smiled, pressing a kiss to her damp hair. "Good. Because I'm not going anywhere."

They talked quietly about the baby and the future until Chloe's hand stilled on his thigh. "Mina's happy here," she said, her voice thoughtful. "She needs stability. I want her to feel like she's part of our family."

Damian's chest tightened with emotion, a rare vulnerability surfacing. "I think she'll want to stay. Family is something she's been missing. We could give that to her."

Chloe smiled, her hand resting on his cheek. "Then let's talk to her. We'll see what her case officer, Marissa, says on Monday."

Damian kissed her softly as she rubbed his muscled thighs. His thoughts shifted to his plan as they lay back in the warm water. Chloe was his, and he would remind her of that in every way possible. He'd seduce her, worship her, make her crave him as much as he craved her.

Because as much as he loved her, he needed her to know that no one else—no Chase, no past, nothing—could come between them. And he'd ensure that Chloe understood, in the most intimate way, that she was his and his alone.

He wanted her to beg for him, to forget Chase existed. But when he saw the way her hand lingered on her belly, the fatigue in her eyes, and the nausea that sapped her strength, his feelings softened.

He needed her, yes—but she needed him now more. Getting her through this pregnancy mattered most.

***

A/N: I'm toying with pushing the boundaries with Chloe and Damian later in the story - a consensual menage scene with Val. Do you think it's a good idea? 

Or should I leave the couple to explore other new things?

Here's a romantic song for the second half of this chapter when Chloe and Dami make up: 

https://youtu.be/0YtaBMplKNI