Bound To The Devil

chapter 32

Nothing else mattered.

Now, as he leaned against the doorway of their bedroom, arms crossed, he watched his little family get ready. Ava was running around the room excitedly, clutching two matching outfits in her tiny hands.

“Luca, wear this one!” she demanded, holding up a soft cream-colored sweater. “And Papa, you wear this one!” She shoved a black sweater into Damien’s hands. “They match!”

Luca smiled as he took the sweater from her. “You want us to match, huh?”

Ava nodded furiously. “Yes! We have to look cute together!”

Damien chuckled darkly, staring at the clothes. Matching outfits? If anyone dared to suggest such a thing in the past, he would’ve shot them on the spot. But now? With them?

He slipped the sweater on without another word.

Ava beamed, clapping her hands as she twirled in her little cream-colored dress, the same shade as Luca’s sweater. “Now we all look like a family!”

Damien’s eyes darkened at that. His possessiveness coiled around his heart like a vice.

A family.

Luca, oblivious to Damien’s obsessive thoughts, finished dressing and turned to Ava. “Alright, sweetheart, are you ready?”

“YES!” Ava cheered, running up to grab both of their hands. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Damien let out a breath, glancing at the two of them.

Luca and Ava, standing together, their clothes complementing each other, their smiles bright, their eyes filled with excitement.

They looked so… perfect.

His heart ached in a way he couldn’t describe.

Mine.

They were his. They belonged to him, and no one—no one—was ever going to take them away.

He followed them out, his hand never letting go of Luca’s wrist as they stepped into the car. The moment they were inside, Ava started bouncing in her seat, excitedly talking about everything she wanted to see.

Luca, just as eager, chimed in with his own ideas, laughing softly when Ava dramatically gasped at the mention of penguins.

Damien said nothing, only watching them with an unreadable gaze.

They were both too cute. Too perfect.

His Luca—usually so stubborn, usually so fiery—was acting just as excited as Ava. Their matching expressions of joy made Damien's chest tighten unbearably.

No one else deserved to see them like this. No one else deserved to hear Luca’s bright laughter or witness Ava’s sweet smiles.

They’re mine.

But for now, he let them have their little moment of excitement, even if his mind was already calculating the best way to keep them safe during this trip.

Because no matter how much he loved seeing them like this…

He wasn’t stupid enough to let his guard down.

“PAPA, LUCA, LOOK!” she squealed, pointing at everything at once. The Ferris wheel, the carousel, the food stalls—it was all too much for her little heart to handle.

Luca chuckled at her enthusiasm, crouching down to fix her scarf. “Okay, sweetheart, where do you want to go first?”

Ava’s eyes went impossibly wide. “EVERYWHERE!”