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DAMON'S POV:

I watched her drift off to sleep, her body finally fully relaxing against mine.

It was in moments like these that I found a peculiar solace, a kind of peace I rarely experienced in my line of work.

Everything about her from her name to her fiery spirit was a stark contrast to the usual compliance I encountered.

Her defiance intrigued me, stirred something deep within that I hadn't felt in a long time. She was a paradox, a bug in the system, fragile yet unyielding, and it fascinated me.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, her breathing evening out as I found myself wondering what dreams occupied her mind.

Did she dream of a different life, one far from the chaos and violence that surrounded us? Or had she, like me, accepted this reality as the only one?

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the new door I had Dallas install for moments like these. Carefully, I extricated myself from Astrid's embrace and threw on a pair of pants before making my way to the door, opening it just enough to see who it was.

"Boss, there's a situation," Laufy, my right-hand man, whispered urgently. His face was etched with concern, a rare sight for someone usually as composed as him. "Keep it down. I'll kill you if you wake her," I replied pinching the bridge of my nose, stepping out into the hallway. "What could possibly be going on at this time?"

"It's the Enricos. They're making moves we didn't anticipate. We need to act quickly, or we'll lose our foothold in the territory."

My eyes widened. "Hold on, the Enricos? There's no way they would do that, or they would be breaking the contract." Laufy shook his head, "According to the actual document, the contract isn't actually activated until you get married meaning... they're completely in their rights, Boss." I sighed, the weight of responsibility settling back on my shoulders. "Those fuckers. Get the men ready. I'll be there in a moment."

I turned around to close the door only to see Laufy's arm pushing through the crack. "One more thing," he handed me a stack of papers as I raised my eyebrow, "Your woman, Astrid. It was tricky but we finally found information on her."

"What?" I snatched the stack from his hand flipping through the pages as he spoke. "She is professionally trained Damon, as we suspected. But not because she's his daughter, but because she's an...assassin." My eyes widened, "so you're saying..." His eyes met mine, "it might only be a matter of time-" I cut him off, veins clustering at my skull. "Take these back." I shoved them into his chest. "Get rid of them. Burn it! Do what you have to do. No one can know about this."

Returning to the room, I glanced at Astrid once more, anger subsiding beneath my skin.

Could she really be here just to kill me?

Could this all be an act?

No... there was no denying that these feelings for me were real, but the question was how real?

I palmed my forehead, pulling the covers over her body to replace my warmth.

I hated to leave her, but duty called. I scribbled a quick note and left it on the bedside table.

Astrid,

Had to step out for business.

Stay here, stay safe.

Damon

With one last look, I stepped out into the night, the door closing softly behind me.

The darkness outside was a familiar companion, but tonight it felt heavier, more oppressive.