Page 26 of Secrets Of Blackwood

“Ah, but we do,” she insists, rising to her feet. “You see, I worry about you, Damien. And Lily,” she adds, as if an afterthought, yet I feel her words like a viper’s bite. “Such innocence. Is she really what you need? Can she truly understand your… complexities?”

He stiffens, and I sense his defenses rise like fortress walls. “Leave Lily out of this.”

“Of course,” she purrs, circling him like prey. “But I can’t help wondering if she knows the real you. The things you’ve done. The darkness you carry. It’s only a matter of time before it consumes her too, don’t you think?”

His silence is a tangible thing, heavy with unsaid fears. I can almost hear his thoughts spiraling, the way mine did when he left me alone in the dark.

“Damien, darling, remember who you are. Remember who made you.” She reaches out, her fingertips brushing the lapel of his jacket, a mocking gesture of intimacy.

“Enough,” he snaps, stepping back from her touch. “I won’t let you do this.”

“Let me?” She laughs, a sound devoid of humor. “I don’t need your permission. But do consider what you’re risking. You wouldn’t want to lose everything, would you?”

—-

“Mel,” I breathe out, clutching the phone tightly against my ear. I’m curled up on my bed, knees drawn to my chest, seeking comfort in the familiar surroundings of my room. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey, hey,” Melissa’s voice comes through steady and sure, a lifeline amidst the storm. “Start from the beginning. What happened?”

“Damien… he’s different. Distant. It’s like he’s shutting me out, and I don’t understand why.” My voice shakes, and I hate how vulnerable I feel.

“Did something happen between you two? An argument?” She’s digging, trying to piece together the puzzle of my fractured relationship.

“Sort of. It’s not just us, though. It’s Victoria. She’s always there, lurking in the shadows, whispering doubts into his ear, and now I feel them creeping into mine.”

“Listen to me, Lily,” Melissa implores. “You’ve got to trust your instincts. Damien loves you—I’ve seen it in the way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching. Whatever Victoria’s saying, it’s only to get under your skin.”

“But what if she’s right? What if there are things about Damien I don’t know? Things that could hurt me?” The questions pour out, each one adding weight to the uncertainty crushing my chest.

“Then you’ll deal with them together. You’re strong, Lil. Stronger than you realize. Don’t let someone like Victoria shake your foundation. And for God’s sake, talk to Damien. Really talk to him. He’s not the monster she’s making him out to be.”

“Okay,” I whisper, drawing strength from Melissa’s unwavering conviction. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good. Now get some rest. We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

I hang up, feeling marginally better. The resolve in Melissa’s words acts as a balm, soothing the raw edges of my fear. Damien and I have something worth fighting for, and I’ll be damned if I let Victoria—or anyone else—destroy it.

7 - 8

Damien’s POV:

The night bleeds into my study, shadows clinging to the corners where the dim light of the desk lamp doesn’t reach. I stand by the window, fists clenched at my sides, staring out at the oppressive darkness that mirrors the turmoil inside me.

I love her. God, how I love Lily, with a ferocity that frightens even me. But it’s that very intensity that threatens to devour us both. Victoria’s venomous words coil around my thoughts, suffocating me with doubt and self-loathing. The past I’ve fought so hard to bury now claws its way to the surface, hungry for the light of the present.

I can’t let it touch Lily. I won’t.

But every moment away from her is a shard of ice piercing my chest. The distance I put between us is meant to be her shield, yet I feel it cutting into me instead, leaving me exposed and bleeding out all the warmth she’s given me.

“Damien,” I whisper to myself, a plea for the strength I’m not sure I have. “You have to do this. For her.”

Lily’s POV:

The resolve in Melissa’s voice still echoes in my head as I storm down the hallway, the rage and determination pulsing through my veins like a battle cry. I will not cower in the face of Victoria’s manipulation. I need answers, and I need them now.

Victoria’s door looms before me, and without hesitation, I push it open. The room is a stark contrast to the chaos within me—elegant, ordered, everything in its place, just like Victoria herself.

“Ah, Lily, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Her voice drips with feigned sweetness, but her eyes are sharp, calculating.

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