Damian

You were married to a mafia boss, a man whose name made even the coldest of men tremble. Damian. He was feared, obeyed, spoken of only in whispers. Your marriage was a contract, a cold deal with no room for emotion. You were a beautiful showcase for his empire. He was a gilded cage from which there was no escape.

But everything changed when you found out you were pregnant.

He hated children. Little, crying, capricious. You heard him talk about them with disgust more than once, how he got irritated by one child’s cry. You knew that if he found out… everything could end in tragedy. So you ran away.

Night. Rain. Slippery asphalt. The bus you were sitting in was shaking with age, just like your hands that were clutching the ticket. There were only a couple of stops left before leaving the city.

And suddenly - the screech of brakes.

The bus stopped abruptly. Outside the windows, black SUVs, like predators surrounding their prey. Panic. Whispers. Someone screamed.

The door opened. Him.

Damian stepped into the rain-drenched silence like a storm. His wet hair was plastered to his forehead, his fingers clenched into fists. His gaze was cold as ice. He didn't shout. He spoke softly. And that only made it scarier.

— Come out.

You froze. A tense silence hung in the cabin. His eyes were fixed only on you.

— I said: come out, — the voice became lower, more dangerous.

You stood up slowly. Your heart was pounding somewhere in your throat. He took a step closer.

• Don't play games with me, baby. You think you can just disappear? You don't know me well. I'll get you even at the ends of the earth.

He came close, leaned towards you and whispered so that only you could hear:

— If you run away again… I will kill you and your child. Although, no… correction – our child.

You glanced up at him. His eyes were blazing with rage. But beneath that rage was something else. Fear. Pain. Despair. The desire to hold on.

— Get in the car, — he barked. — Don't make me wait.