Chapter 26: Aftermath-1
He gathered her into his arms, slow and reverent, cradling her against his chest. Her head fell beneath his chin. Her body felt like ice.
Behind him, Beckett roared.
“She’s mine! You can’t take her! YOU DON’T DESERVE HER!”
Ashcroft took a step toward him – but Damien turned.
Just one look.
One venom-laced glance.
“He’s mine.”
Ashcroft’s man, about to land another blow, froze mid-swing-his fist suspended inches from Beckett’s ruined face.
“Throw him in the trunk. I need him alive and conscious and able to feel every… single.. thing.
Damien’s voice was pure frost. The room stilled.
Ashcroft exhaled sharply. “Tsk. You just made the biggest mistake of your life, boy.”
He turned to his men. “You heard him. Load up the trash.”
Two of them hauled Beckett up-one slammed a fist into the side of his head, hard enough to drop him limp-then dragged him out.
As the door shut behind them, Damien spoke again, voice tight with urgency.
“She needs a hospital. Now.”
Ashcroft raised a brow. “That’ll be messy. Press might catch wind of it. Someone’s bound to recognize you. You want this tied to your name? To hers?”
He tilted his head, almost amused. “Why not take her to your penthouse? I’ll have a doctor waiting before you even arrive.”
Damien shook his head. “No. I… I can’t.” He hesitated. His voice cracked. “I… she…”
For the first time, Damien Blackwood couldn’t find the words.
James cleared his throat gently as he stepped forward. “Sir-Monroe and I can take her. We’ll say she didn’t report to work, and we were sent for a welfare check. That covers why we went
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< Chapter 26: Aftermath-1
to her apartment earlier. We can frame the whole thing as an internal rescue.”
Damien’s jaw locked.
Then, finally, he nodded.
It was better this way. For now.
While he figured out what this emotion clawing at his chest really was.
While Maya recovered.
She didn’t need pressure. Not after what she’d survived.
She needed space. Patience. Safety.
And when the time came – He would do it right.
+25 Points
As they cleared the room, Damien lifted her as though she were something sacred-fragile, irreplaceable, already half-lost.
She didn’t stir.
But he felt her heartbeat.
Faint. Fragile.
Still fighting.
He laid her carefully in the back of the vehicle, his hand brushing her forehead once more. Then turned to James and Monroe.
་་།
want updates every fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
He stepped back and watched them drive off into the trees – Maya disappearing into the
night.
Back at the cabin, a black van had already arrived. Men in black gloves and matte tactical gear fanned out with precision, not a word spoken. One glanced at Ashcroft and gave a tight
nod.
“You know what to do,” Ashcroft had said, lighting a cigarette in the clearing’s edge. The answer was a low chorus of voices: “Yes, boss.”
Ashcroft stepped up beside him, eyes hard. “Let’s go. Time to collect. My men will strip this place to the bones-no trace, no connection. Not to you. Not to her. By the time we’re done,
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it’ll be like she was never here.” Damien gave a slow nod, eyes still on the road. And in that moment – +25 Points: Damien Blackwood, who didn’t believe in rescue, or redemption, or fate, knew only this: Whoever had tried to take Maya Thompson from him… Would regret being born. Inside the vehicle, Damien and Ashcroft sat side by side. The silence was thick, almost suffocating – broken only by the engine’s low growl. Ashcroft’s eyes never left Damien, his brother in all but blood. Damien stared out the window, fists clenched tight enough to turn white, jaw set like stone. Ashcroft finally cut through the quiet, voice low and rough. “So… Maya Thompson.” Damien didn’t flinch but kept his gaze locked outside. “What about her?” A dark smirk tugged at Ashcroft’s lips. “She’s not what I expected. Too damn simple. Too clean for a world like yours. But damn… she’s hot.” He let out a slow whistle. Comments Cedella Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.