Damian led Ariana toward his room, but before they reached the hallway, a guard hurried in their direction.
He stopped immediately upon seeing Ariana.
The man bowed deeply.
"Sir… urgent matter. It concerns last night."
Damian didn't hesitate.
He turned to Ariana, voice soft.
"Ariana, give me a moment. I'll be right back."
She nodded, trusting him completely now.
"I'll wait," she whispered.
Damian's expression softened — just for her —
then he walked away with the guard, his posture straightening into the cold, powerful man the world feared.
Ariana watched him disappear around the corner before returning to the sitting room, unaware of the storm happening behind the study door.
******
Mr. Sato and two other security heads were waiting, a large monitor already lit with surveillance footage and files.
Damian entered, closing the door behind him.
"What happened?" he asked, voice smooth but deadly.
Mr. Sato bowed.
"Sir, the envelope we received contains the identity of the staff member who received a bribe from Roseline Hartford."
Damian's eyes sharpened.
"Name."
"Harper Linton. Worked in the east-wing garden."
"And the amount?"
"Twenty thousand pounds, sir."
Damian's jaw flexed once.
"And what information did she attempt to give?"
"She tried to sell Mrs. Steele's movement schedule. When she couldn't get enough, she attempted to take a picture of her window at night.
We intercepted the transmission."
Damian's voice dropped to ice.
"Is she contained?"
"Yes, sir. We detained her quietly. No rumors."
"Good." Damian leaned forward. "Destroy her access to every elite household. Make sure her name is red-flagged in every hiring agency. She will never work in any home connected to my network again."
"Yes, sir."
"Next."
Mr. Sato clicked the screen.
A second photo appeared:
Roseline Hartford entering a private lounge, accompanied by two other elite daughters.
"She is planning something bigger, sir," Mr. Sato said.
"When her bribery attempt failed, she approached a private intel broker."
Damian's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Who?"
"A man known as Felix Brand. High-level information trader. Very discreet."
"Not discreet enough if I know his name," Damian said coldly.
Mr. Sato swallowed.
"We already traced his payment records. He received a deposit from Roseline to 'acquire personal leverage on Mrs. Steele.'"
Silence filled the room.
Cold, suffocating, heavy.
Damian spoke calmly.
"How much leverage?"
"A minimum of two attempts, sir."
Damian exhaled slowly.
"Attempts at what?"
Mr. Sato hesitated.
"Sir… one of the attempts was last night's shadow at the garden."
Damian's entire aura changed.
The air tightened.
His presence darkened.
"Was he the one watching her?" Damian asked quietly.
"No, sir. He hired someone. A scout. But we caught him before he reached the inner grounds."
Damian's voice was terrifyingly soft.
"And the scout?"
"Being interrogated, sir."
"Results?"
"He confessed. He was paid by Felix, under Roseline's request. The intention was to observe Mrs. Steele's routine and record her vulnerabilities."
Damian's blood boiled beneath his calm exterior.
"She wanted to know… how to get to my wife."
"Exactly, sir."
Damian lifted his gaze slowly.
"Prepare a file on Felix Brand. Freeze all his assets. Shut down his trading channels. Then send a message to every elite family:
Anyone who hires him again becomes my enemy."
Mr. Sato bowed. "Yes, sir."
"And Roseline Hartford?"
"Sir… she still has her family name, her resources, and her connections."
"Not for long," Damian said quietly.
"I want a list of every Hartford investment connected to Steelenex, SteelCore, and SteelTech."
"That's… nearly fifty percent of their revenue, sir."
"Good."
Damian's eyes glimmered coldly.
"Cut every partnership. End every contract. Pull out every asset. Quietly, but efficiently."
Mr. Sato hesitated.
"Sir… that will cripple the entire Hartford empire."
Damian didn't blink.
"She threatened my wife."
Mr. Sato nodded sharply.
"It will be done."
Damian straightened his cuffs, all calm again.
"Make sure Ariana hears none of this."
"Of course, sir."
"And bring me the completed files by nightfall."
"Yes, sir."
Damian left the study with the same silence he entered with — but the world he stepped back into was one where Ariana remained protected…
and Roseline Hartford's life was about to crumble.
*****
Ariana was arranging cushions when Damian returned.
He walked to her calmly, the softness returning to his eyes like a switch only she could control.
She looked up anxiously.
"Everything… okay?"
Damian nodded, brushing his knuckles along her cheek.
"It's fine," he said gently.
"Just an update about last night."
Ariana swallowed.
"About me?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"But it's handled now. You don't need to worry."
Ariana exhaled shakily.
"Are you sure?"
Damian leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sure."
She believed him immediately.
Damian wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her gently toward his bedroom.
"Come," he said softly.
"You're moving in today."
Ariana felt the flutter return to her chest.
But for the first time, the fear was gone.
Because Damian handled the storms —
and brought her only the calm.