His Wife By Midnight

‎"Mia... we need to talk."

‎Those five words slid into the room like a cold draft.

‎Damon stood at my door, one hand braced against the frame, his sleeves rolled up, his jaw tight like he was fighting an argument inside himself.

‎Or a confession.

‎My fingers tightened on the handle of the door. "About what?"

‎His eyes flicked to the phone in my hand.

‎The one still glowing with Collins' messages.

‎He saw it.

‎He absolutely saw it.

‎My stomach knotted.

‎Damon's voice didn't rise, but something in it sharpened. "Who has been messaging you tonight?"

‎My heart pounded so loudly I wondered if he heard it.

‎No.

‎Not yet.

‎I couldn't confront him when I didn't know the truth.

‎"I don't want to talk about that right now," I whispered.

‎He exhaled harshly through his nose controlled, but dangerous. "Then I'll ask differently. Are you hiding something from me?"

‎I swallowed. "Are you hiding something from me?"

‎His jaw flexed.

‎We stared at each other in the dim hallway, the tension thick enough to wrap around my throat.

‎The lights above flickered just once, but enough to make me shiver.

‎Finally, Damon stepped inside the room and shut the door gently behind him.

‎Not slamming. Just... sealing.

‎"Someone entered your mother's hospital room."

‎He didn't sit. Didn't lean.

‎He stood in front of me as if bracing for impact.

‎"We got a CCTV alert an hour ago" he said. "A masked figure loitered around her floor for seven minutes."

‎My breath caught. "Did they go into her room?"

‎"No. My security reached the corridor before they could."

‎He paused.

‎"But they were headed toward her."

‎My knees weakened, and I sat on the edge of the bed.

‎"Why would anyone target my mother?"

‎"Because they can't reach you directly." Damon's eyes darkened. "Not yet."

‎Not yet.

‎Those words chilled me worse than anything else.

‎"Why me?" I asked. "I'm a nobody."

‎He stared at me like he wished I believed that.

‎"You're my wife now, Mia. And to some people... that makes you leverage."

‎Leverage.

‎In the world outside, that word meant pressure.

‎In Damon Black's world, it meant danger.

‎I rubbed my palms together to stop the shaking. "We didn't make this marriage public but how come they know about it"

‎He sighed, a slow, dark sound.

‎"We don't have to make it public before they finds out"

‎"They?... Who do you mean by they?"  I asked.

‎Then he sighed again as he lowered himself to sit on the edge of the small desk beside the bed.

‎"This is because of Black Corp?"

‎"Damon... what exactly is happening inside your company?"

‎"Some of my shareholders are working with someone they shouldn't" he said. "Someone who wants control over everything my father built."

‎"Who?"

‎He hesitated.

‎

‎For the first time since I met him... he looked uncertain.

‎

‎"I'm not sure," he admitted quietly. "But the person behind all this is connected to a lot of things. And very few of them are legal."

‎

‎A tremor ran through me.

‎

‎"Why would that involve me?"

‎"Because the moment the marriage was exposed" he said, leveling his gaze at me, "they started digging into you. Into your school. Your history. Where you sleep. Who you talk to."

‎My lungs froze.

‎"You're saying they're watching me?"

‎"I'm saying," Damon replied tightly, "they already watched you."

‎The room spun.

‎"And your mother's recent test results caught their attention" he added.

‎I stared at him in disbelief. "Her tests? Why?"

‎"That file was accessed twice tonight. From outside the hospital system."

‎I covered my mouth with my hand. "You said she was okay. That she was safe."

‎"She is safe," he said firmly. "Because I had her moved before any of this happened."

‎Moved?

‎"Moved where?"

‎"To a private location no one outside my team can access."

‎My heart stuttered. "Damon where is my mother?"

‎He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, expression softening only slightly.

‎"She's safe Mia. That's all you need to know tonight."

‎"No" I whispered, shaking my head. "I want to see her."

‎"You can't."

‎"Why?"

‎His tone dropped into something low and unshakeable.

‎"Because whoever altered her diagnosis file is still inside that hospital. Someone with access. Someone who wants her vulnerable."

‎My hand went cold around my phone.

‎Collins' words echoed in my mind.

‎Her real condition is worse.

‎Someone covered it up.

‎I think it's connected to Damon.

‎But now...

‎Now I wasn't sure who to fear more.

‎The shareholders?, The masked intruder?, The person inside the hospital? Or Damon?

‎"You're not telling me everything."

‎The words slipped out before I could stop them.

‎Damon looked up slowly, like a man deciding which truth was safe to give.

‎"I'm telling you what you need to survive the night" he answered.

‎"Then tell me this" I whispered, unable to control the tremble. "Did you have anything to do with my mother's diagnosis changing?"

‎His eyes flared shock, then anger, then something wounded.

‎"No."

‎The word was sharp and immediate.

‎But too sharp.

‎Too controlled.

‎I stepped back. "You didn't hesitate before controlling everything else in my life. Why would tampering with medical records be different?"

‎His expression hardened. "Because I'd never use your mother to manipulate you."

‎I stared at him, searching his face for even a crack of a lie.

‎He didn't look away.

‎"Mia," he said quietly, "if I wanted to force you into this marriage, I could've done it without touching your mother."

‎That was what scared me.

‎The cold truth was... he wasn't lying.

‎He didn't need tricks. He had power.

‎Enough to cage me with a signature, a ring, and a look.

‎"So why marry me?" I whispered. "Why me? Why not someone else? Someone who fits your world?"

‎He stood.

‎Walked to the window.

‎Pressed his palm against the glass.

‎The city lights cut across his back, casting him in shadows.

‎"Because you weren't connected to anyone inside Black Corp," he said softly. "Because I needed someone clean."

‎Clean.

‎My breath cracked.

‎"So all this... was about your shareholders."

‎"Yes," he said. No hesitation. "Mostly."

‎Mostly.

‎That word stabbed harder than the truth.

‎Before I could respond, the lights flickered again twice this time.

‎Damon's head snapped up.

‎His hand went to the phone in his pocket instantly.

‎"What's happening?" I asked.

‎He didn't answer.

‎He dialed a number and spoke fast.

‎"Suite motion sensors just triggered. Who entered the 42nd floor?"

‎My blood froze.

‎He listened. His jaw clenched.

‎Then he said "Check the feed again. Someone's here."

‎Here.

‎Inside the penthouse. Inside our floor.

‎A chill tore through me.

‎He hung up and looked at me, all softness gone.

‎"Mia," he said quietly, "stay behind me."

‎

‎My heart thudded painfully. "Who's here?"

‎

‎"I don't know."

‎The lights flickered a third time.

‎This one lasted longer.

‎Too long.

‎The room went dim.

‎Silent.

‎Damon stepped toward me, grabbing my wrist firmly. Then open the door.

‎His voice turned into steel.

‎"They found us."

‎My breath caught.

‎"Who?" Then a sharp beep interrupted me.

‎The security panel on the wall flashed red.

‎UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

‎ELEVATOR OVERRIDE ENGAGED

‎I stumbled back.

‎Damon's grip tightened protectively.

‎"Mia," he whispered, eyes locked on the elevator down the hall, "listen to me very carefully."

‎The numbers on the elevator display began to change.

‎39...

‎40...

‎41...

‎Climbing toward us.

‎Closer.

‎Closer.

‎"Mia," he murmured, his voice eerily calm, "run only when I say so."

‎My pulse hammered violently.

‎42.

‎The elevator dinged.

‎The doors slid open and a shadow stepped out.