"I am definitely leaving this place today. I can't believe I was a fool to think that Jessica would be backing me in any way. I never dragged him with her. It's okay if she gets married to him, so what is her problem with me?" Aiden ranted angrily, shoving his leftover clothes into an empty box.
"Where are you going?" Damian's voice finally broke the silence.
I froze, wide-eyed, as I heard him.
"Why are you packing up in a hurry?" he asked again.
"Because I… I am leaving," I finally said, the words catching in my throat. "I'm going back to Amsterdam. I'm done here."
Damian closed the door behind him and moved closer, slowly, deliberately, until he stood in front of me. "Have you always been this mischievous? Or is this something new?" he asked coldly, a brief, unreadable smile on his lips.
"What the hell are you saying? I said I want to go back to school, don't you get it?" I snapped.
Damian sat down on a chair facing me as I paced back and forth, arranging my clothes. My movements were frantic, my jaw clenched tight—a clear sign of my rising frustration.
"I just want to go home and go back to my normal life," I admitted, finally sitting down. I ran a hand through my hair, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. "This whole situation with Jessica… it's just too much."
"You want to go home? We'll leave tonight then," Damian said, standing up. He paused, his expression softening slightly. "But are you sure about this, Aiden?"
"Of course, yes! I really want to go home," I exclaimed. "I'm tired of being locked up in this mansion and kidnapped by people I don't even know. I've never been so attractive that someone would kidnap me!"
"Get ready by 7:00 PM," Damian said and left the room.
I muttered to myself while packing the last of my clothes, "He finally said something reasonable. I can't stand staying here, and that Jessica will boss my life around, thinking I'm disturbing her fiancé. Who cares? She can have him to herself."
Meanwhile, Damian lingered by the door, listening intently to my words. He held a finger to his lips, signaling for Charlie to be quiet. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face, though he kept his expression cool and detached.
---
Later, Rex's voice broke into Damian's thoughts:
"What? You mean you are leaving? I don't blame him for being cranky toward you. If you know you don't love him, just let him go. There are plenty of other options out there that you will meet—and that will meet your needs anytime. If you keep holding him in, he will continue to be in danger."
Damian's expression darkened, but he remained silent.
A knock sounded on his door.
"Come in," he sighed, already impatient.
Charlie entered, concern etched on his face. "Damian, we need to talk about Aiden," he said.
"I don't have time for this, Charlie," Damian cut him off.
"This is important, Damian. You need to let him go," Charlie persisted.
"We're leaving tonight at 7:00 PM," Damian replied, trying to end the conversation.
"That's not what I want to talk about. I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're making the right decision?" Charlie pressed.
"It's none of your concern, Charlie," Damian said firmly.
Charlie continued anyway. "Damian, I know you just saved Aiden, but you can't keep him prisoner here. He has a life back in monaco."
"I said it's none of your concern, Charlie!" Damian raised his voice. "We're leaving at 7:00 PM, and I need some privacy. Can you just leave me alone?"
Charlie hesitated, then, realizing Damian wouldn't listen, turned and walked away.
---