Damon hesitated. He didn’t want what he was about to say to reveal too much about his true identity. But after thinking for a few minutes, he decided it wouldn’t. He just needed to tell her a little—enough to test her reaction.Maybe then, he’d know how she would take it when he eventually told her everything about who he was.“Damon?” Celia called softly, breaking his thoughts.“It was many years ago,” Damon began. “We were just kids. That’s why you don’t remember. But I could never forget—not in this lifetime.”Celia nodded quietly, her curiosity deepening with every passing second. She was eager to hear the story of how she once helped Damon when they were still children.“Years ago,” Damon continued, his voice low, “I was living on the streets. No family. No home. Food was like a punishment... I had to fight for every bite. I didn’t even know why my family threw me out then, what I did to deserve it. Every day, I dealt with thugs who thought I was a weak kid they could bully or ki

Just as Serena raised the knife, its tip inches from Mrs. Thorne’s throat and a cruel smile twisting her lips, her hand began to tremble.“What the fuck!” Her eyes widened in shock. “What’s wrong with me?”The tremor spread instantly, first through her arms, then her legs, then her entire body, as if gripped by a violent chill. Dizziness crashed over her like a wave, and the room spun.Mrs. Thorne, still struggling to call for help, could only manage a weak, breathy cry, her throat tightened, her lungs starved of air. But seeing Serena falter gave her a sliver of hope. Still terrified, she couldn’t shake the thought: *What if she regains her strength?*“You think you’ve escaped death?” Serena hissed, her voice trembling but laced with venom. “Maybe tonight—but mark my words: when I’m myself again, I’ll kill you with my own hands. You insulted me. You tried to keep Michael from marrying me. And that… will not go unpunished.”She reached out blindly, grasping at the air for something to

Damon stared at his phone screen, his jaw tightening as he read the message again. The words burned into his mind. *"You took something that belongs to me. I want her back."* *"Enjoy her while you can. You won't have her for long."* He wasn't scared. Fear wasn't something Damon did. But surprise? Yeah, that hit him hard. Who the hell was this? And more importantly, how did they get his personal number? He scoffed, tossing his phone onto the couch. Typical cowardly move, hiding behind anonymous messages instead of facing him directly. But the real question nagging at him was simple: who were they talking about? Had to be Celia, right? She was the only woman close to him right now. The whole fake girlfriend thing they had going on. But who else wanted her? And did Celia even know about this psycho? Lucas was the obvious suspect. But he's also in jail so definitely it can't be him. Damon grabbed his phone again and pulled up Anthony's contact. His finger hovered over the call butt

Michael's stomach dropped. "Congratulations for what?"The doctor's smile widened. "Your girlfriend is pregnant. About six weeks along."The words hit Michael like a truck. His mind went blank. Pregnant? Serena was pregnant?"That... that can't be right," Michael stammered. "Are you sure?""We ran tests last night after she collapsed," the doctor explained. "The results are clear. She's definitely pregnant."Michael felt like the room was spinning. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not when he was planning to destroy her."Is that why she passed out?" Michael asked, trying to keep his voice steady."Partially. The pregnancy made her body more vulnerable to stress. Whatever happened yesterday overwhelmed her system." The doctor checked Serena's chart. "She needs rest and shouldn't be under any pressure. Stress could harm both her and the baby."Michael nodded numbly. The doctor said something else, but Michael barely heard it. His thoughts were racing too fast.When the doctor and n

Damon crushed the card in his fist and tossed the black roses into the trash. His mind was already working through possibilities, eliminating suspects one by one. Lucas was locked up. Serena was in the hospital. Michael didn't have the resources to pull something like this off from Sydney."Damon, you're scaring me," Celia said quietly. "Who is this person? Why do they keep saying I belong to them?"He turned to face her, forcing his expression to soften. "I don't know yet, but I'm going to find out. Did you see who delivered these?""No. I heard the doorbell and when I opened it, the flowers were just sitting there. No delivery person, no car, nothing."That meant whoever did this had been watching the house, waiting for the right moment. They knew Damon had left for the meeting with Edward. They knew Celia was alone.Anthony appeared in the doorway, his phone pressed to his ear. He ended the call and looked at Damon. "Security footage shows a courier van dropping off the package, bu