The limousine pulled up to the mansion's private entrance, lights dimmed, security tightened.
Damian stepped out first, scanning the area with eyes sharp as steel.
Only when he was certain it was safe did he extend a hand to Ariana.
She took it.
Her hand was small and cool in his.
His was warm—steady.
A guard approached.
"Sir, the perimeter has been doubled. No one unauthorized can get near the estate."
"Good," Damian said.
"Leave no blind spots."
Ariana looked up at him.
"Is it really that serious?"
Damian didn't answer immediately.
He turned to her with a gaze she had never seen before—
something between concern and simmering fury.
"Yes," he finally said.
"It is."
****
Inside the Mansion
Once the doors closed behind them, Damian exhaled slowly, loosening the tension in his shoulders.
Ariana removed her shoes carefully, sinking onto the sofa, the weight of the gala finally hitting her.
Damian watched her quietly for a moment.
Then he knelt in front of her.
Ariana's eyes widened.
"Damian—you don't have to—"
"I want to," he said simply.
He removed the other shoe for her and placed it aside.
Ariana's heart fluttered wildly.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.
"No… just overwhelmed."
Damian softened.
"I know."
He reached into the drawer of a nearby cabinet and returned with a small blanket, placing it around her shoulders.
"Better?"
Ariana nodded, touched beyond words.
****
A Moment of Honesty
Damian sat beside her—but not too close.
He didn't want to overwhelm her further.
"Ariana," he said quietly,
"I need you to tell me something."
She looked up at him.
"Were you frightened tonight because of what happened—or because of me?"
Ariana blinked.
He was giving her a choice.
Permission.
A safe space.
She hesitated, then spoke honestly:
"I was scared… of the situation. The threats. The photo. The people watching."
She paused.
"But not of you."
Damian's eyes softened, tension slipping from his frame.
"I'm glad," he murmured.
Ariana took a breath.
"But… earlier… when you confronted that man… you looked terrifying."
Damian turned his head slightly.
"I was," he admitted.
"But you didn't scare me," she continued softly.
"You scared them. And you were doing it for me."
Damian's jaw tightened with restrained emotion.
"They disrespected you.
They endangered you."
His voice dropped.
"I can forgive many things, Ariana… but I will never forgive harm toward you."
Her heart thudded.
But a fear of her own grew quietly.
"Damian… what if this gets worse? What if the threats keep coming?"
He looked at her directly—
with a certainty she had never seen in anyone's eyes.
"Then I will protect you harder."
Ariana swallowed.
"And if I become a burden?"
"You won't."
"But if—"
"You won't," Damian repeated, voice firmer.
Ariana lowered her gaze.
"I just don't want to ruin your life."
Damian leaned closer—just a breath away.
"You are the only part of my life that isn't broken."
Ariana's heart stopped.
"Don't take that away from me," he whispered.
Her breath trembled.
"Damian… I didn't know you felt—"
He shook his head slightly, looking away.
"I shouldn't be saying this. Not yet."
Ariana's chest tightened.
She didn't want him to pull back—not when she'd heard the sincerity in his voice.
But Damian wasn't done.
"There's something else," he said slowly.
"I'm staying here tonight."
Ariana froze.
"S-Staying? Here? In the mansion?"
"In your room if I must," he said calmly,
"on the couch. On the floor. It doesn't matter."
Her cheeks burned.
"I don't want to leave you alone after what happened," Damian continued.
"And there are too many unanswered questions. Too many threats."
Ariana whispered,
"But… you've never stayed in the same room with me before."
Damian met her eyes.
"I know. That's why I'm asking."
Her breath caught.
She felt safe with him.
She felt calm with him.
She felt something she couldn't name yet.
"Okay," she whispered.
"I want you to stay."
Damian's expression softened—not dramatic, not shocked—
just quietly relieved.
"Then I will."
****
That Night
Ariana changed into soft pajamas while Damian waited respectfully outside the door.
When she returned, he had placed a cushion and blanket on the couch beside her bed.
"You don't have to sleep on the couch," she murmured.
"Yes, I do," he said gently.
"Until you trust me more than you fear the world."
Ariana felt warmth bloom in her chest.
She slipped under the blanket and watched as Damian settled on the sofa.
He leaned back, exhaling deeply.
Ariana whispered into the dim room:
"Damian?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you… for staying."
His voice lowered to a soft, intimate murmur:
"I would stay beside you for a lifetime if you let me."
Ariana's breath shook softly.
He didn't see her smile.
But he heard it in her silence.
And long after she fell asleep,
Damian stayed awake—
eyes open, alert, guarding her like the most priceless thing he had ever been given.