Chapter 16 – The Vault Cracks (or How to Argue with a Man Who Never Raises His Voice)
The hum of the vault was the only sound between them—low, constant, mechanical. Cold blue light washed over steel walls, reflecting fragments of their faces like broken glass.
Arielle stood by the reinforced door, her breath still uneven, her pulse drumming against the silence. Damian hadn't said a word since they got here. He'd keyed in a dozen security codes, checked hidden monitors, deactivated alarms, and still—silence.
Until now.
"What were you thinking?" His voice wasn't loud. It didn't have to be. It sliced cleaner that way.
Arielle spun around, meeting eyes so sharp they could've carved the air itself. "I was thinking about staying alive," she shot back. "You're welcome, by the way."
Damian's jaw flexed. "You moved when I told you not to move."
"I moved because someone was shooting at us!"
He turned away, muttering something low—more to himself than to her. The screens on the far wall flickered, showing grainy thermal feeds of the city above. He pressed a hand to the glass, steady but shaking just enough for her to notice.
For the first time, he didn't look unshakable.
Arielle took a step closer. "You said this place was secure."
"It is."
"Then why does it feel like a coffin?"
He turned sharply. "Because it's meant to keep people out." A pause. "And sometimes, in."
The words hung between them—heavy, too intimate, too true.
Arielle folded her arms, trying to mask the chill crawling up her spine. "You know what's crazy? You still think control will save you. But it won't."
Damian's eyes flicked up. "And you think chaos will?"
"I think honesty might be a start," she snapped. "Who were those men, Damian? Why did they know your name? Why did you have a gun under your seat?"
He looked away, silence stretching, tight as a noose.
Her voice softened—anger trembling into fear. "You said this was business. That I was safe with you. Was that ever true?"
He stepped closer—too close. "You are safe with me."
"Then tell me the truth!"
"I can't," he said—quietly, but the word broke through the hum like thunder.
Arielle froze. The rawness in his tone wasn't defiance—it was defeat.
"Can't," she repeated, voice shaking now. "Or won't?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached past her, typing something into the wall console. A hidden panel slid open, revealing a sleek glass case of weapons—pistols, encrypted phones, small vials of what looked like tech prototypes.
Her heart sank. "You're not just a businessman, are you?"
His shoulders tensed. "You don't want the answer to that."
"Try me."
He turned, and for a moment the mask slipped—his composure cracked just enough for her to see it: the exhaustion, the rage, the guilt. Whatever empire he built, it wasn't clean.
He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Everything I've done was to keep people like them away from me—and now from you."
"Then tell me who they are!" she demanded. "You owe me that much."
He didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed a black earpiece from the console, fitted it in, and glanced at the live feeds. Every camera blinked red. Static. Then—dark.
Arielle's stomach twisted. "What just happened?"
Damian's head snapped toward the door. "They found us."
The vault lights flickered. One by one, screens went dead. In the distance, the faint metallic clang of an outer gate sounded—measured, deliberate.
He moved instantly, pulling her by the wrist toward the inner chamber. "Stay behind me."
"Damian—"
"Now!"
The door sealed behind them with a hiss. He pressed a code into a secondary panel, activating a wall of reinforced glass that shimmered faintly blue.
"Don't move," he said again, voice lower, calmer, lethal.
Arielle swallowed hard, trying to keep her breathing quiet as he positioned himself between her and the entry. The sound of boots on steel echoed outside—slow, confident.
She whispered, "You said it was impossible to breach."
His eyes stayed fixed on the door. "It was."
The lights dimmed to crimson.
Outside, a muffled voice called his name. "Vale."
Arielle's blood ran cold.
Damian didn't answer. Didn't breathe.
Another clang. Then silence.
He turned slightly, whispering under his breath. "When I tell you to run, you run. Do you understand?"
She gripped his sleeve. "I'm not leaving you."
His eyes flicked to hers—something desperate in them. "You'll have no choice."
And then—
The lights went out.
Xoxo Eloura 😘😍😍