CHAPTER 28 — THE BATTLE INSIDE HER
Eva walked out of Derek's penthouse in a daze.
She didn't remember how she got to the elevator.
Didn't remember the driver speaking.
Didn't remember the city blurring past the window.
Every part of her felt torn.
Chosen.
The word echoed in her skull like a bell struck too hard.
You weren't an accident… You were chosen.
Chosen for what?
For one of Derek's "secret arrangements"?
For something darker?
For something dangerous?
Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her lap.
But beneath the fear… desire coiled quietly, refusing to die.
Because she couldn't forget his kiss.
His protectiveness.
His fury when someone threatened her.
How could one man make her feel terrified and wanted at the same time?
Back at Work
Her coworkers' voices drifted around her, but she barely heard them. She sat at her desk, staring at her computer screen, but the letters blurred.
She replayed everything.
Every word Derek said.
Every shadow she'd seen in his eyes.
Every tenderness, every danger, every contradiction.
He had a file on her.
He'd known her before they ever "met."
And still…
Still she felt drawn to him.
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
"What is wrong with me?"
You want him.
That's what's wrong.
Her desire whispered it mercilessly.
But another voice—cooler, rational, scared—whispered back:
You barely know him. He hides things. Serious things. Dangerous things.
She could feel both sides pulling on her chest like ropes tied too tight.
Her Phone Buzzed
A message.
Derek.
Derek:We need to talk. I'll pick you up after work.
Eva stared at the screen.
Part of her wanted to slam her phone face-down and run.
Part of her wanted to go to him right now.
She locked her phone instead, heart pounding.
Her Mind Returned to the Office Scene
The way Derek looked at the man.
The threat in his voice.
The desperation.
And the words—
You can't protect her from us.
Us.
A group.
An organization.
A world she knew nothing about.
Yet Derek had stood up for her.
He'd refused to give her up.
He'd taken a risk for her.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"Why?" she whispered.
Why would a billionaire with a thousand options stand between her and danger?
Why would he care enough to protect her?
Unless—
A new thought hit her hard.
What if she wasn't just chosen?
What if she was important to him in a way he hadn't intended?
Eva pushed back from her desk, needing air. She walked to the restroom, gripping the sink as she met her reflection.
Wide eyes.
Shaken expression.
Breathing uneven.
"You can't fall for him," she whispered.
"You can't."
But her reflection didn't agree.
Her reflection looked like someone already falling.
After Work
Eva walked outside, telling herself she'd react normally if his car wasn't there.
But it was.
Waiting.
Black.
Sleek.
Perfect.
Like everything he touched.
The driver stepped forward to open the door, but Derek climbed out himself before he got the chance.
He was in a dark coat, collar up, shadows clinging to him like smoke. His eyes found hers instantly—rich, dark, intense.
Not cold.
Not distant.
But worried.
Her breath caught.
"Eva," he said softly, taking one step toward her.
She froze.
He stopped too—like he could feel her hesitation.
"I know you're angry," he said, voice low.
"I know you have questions. You should. You deserve answers."
She swallowed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.
His jaw flexed.
"Because I thought I could protect you without dragging you into it."
"You should have let me choose," she said, barely audible.
Derek's expression cracked—very slightly, but enough.
"You're right."
The honesty—simple, stripped-down honesty—hit her harder than she expected.
He stepped closer again.
Slowly.
Letting her see him coming.
Letting her decide.
When he was close enough, she could feel his warmth. His scent. His presence wrapping around her like a storm she wasn't sure she wanted to escape.
"You're scared of me now," he murmured.
"No," she whispered.
He blinked.
Surprised.
"I'm scared of how I feel," she confessed.
A muscle tightened in his jaw. His voice dropped, rough with emotion.
"Eva…"
She shook her head, stepping back a fraction.
"You made decisions about my life before I even knew you. Before I could understand what I was stepping into."
His brows pulled together—pain, guilt, something deeper.
"I know," he said quietly. "And I'll spend as long as you need making that right."
Her heart fluttered against her will.
"But you're also…"
She hesitated.
"Also what?" he pressed gently.
"Dangerous," she breathed.
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he exhaled like he'd been holding a truth for too long.
"Yes. I am."
Her stomach tightened.
"But I would never hurt you," he said, voice low and fierce.
"Not physically. Not emotionally. Not ever."
Her eyes stung. "But you already have."
He closed his eyes as if the words physically hit him.
When he opened them, they were raw.
"You're right."
He reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away.
She didn't.
His fingers grazed hers—light, almost trembling.
"Eva… I want you. More than I should. More than is wise. And I don't want to walk away from this. Not from you."
Her breath shook.
"But you have to choose," he finished quietly.
"Do you want me to take you home… or come with me?"
A choice.
Finally.
But her heart and her mind tore in opposite directions.
Her Desire Spoke First
She looked at him—at his eyes, his mouth, the way he stood like he'd break apart if she said no.
She wanted him.
Wanted him with a hunger she didn't understand.
Wanted to touch him.
Wanted to feel that kiss again.
Her desire begged:
Go with him.
Let him explain.
Let him hold you again.
Her Caution Screamed
He was dangerous.
He hid things.
He had a file on her.
A file.
On her.
Her caution clawed:
Run.
Don't get pulled deeper.
Don't let him destroy you.
Eva inhaled shakily.
Derek watched her—unmoving, waiting, eyes filled with a tension that made her chest ache.
She opened her mouth.
Her voice barely escaped:
"I… I don't know."
Pain flickered in Derek's eyes.
"I'll wait," he said softly.
But the tension between them stretched tight—too tight—ready to snap at the slightest pull.
Her desire and her caution both whispered different paths.
And for the first time…
Eva realized she might lose something no matter what she chose.