The CEO's Rejected Wife And Secret Heir novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Meeting The Devil

Aria POV

Enjoying the park? It’s a beautiful day for a family outing. Perfect last memories before tonight.

Marcus.

My blood ran cold. The phone’s screen blurred as my hands began to shake. I looked around wildly, scanning faces in the crowd, searching for anyone watching us. A jogger. A man with a newspaper. The woman feeding pigeons.

Damien noticed immediately. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his voice sharp with instant alertness.

I showed him the phone, my arm trembling. I watched his jaw clench, his whole body going rigid with fury and fear. His fingers closed around the phone’s edge, knuckles whitening.

"He’s here," I whispered. "Somewhere in the park, he’s watching us."

"Noah," Damien called out."Come here, buddy. Time to go."

"But I didn’t finish telling you about the duck princess!" Noah protested, his small voice confused. Bread crumbs dusted his fingers.

"You can tell us in the car," Damien said firmly, already moving toward the parking lot. He scooped Noah up in one smooth motion, his muscles tense beneath his shirt. "Come on, we need to go home."

"Why?" Noah’s face crumpled, his lower lip trembling. "We just got here!"

"Because I said so," Damien snapped. The harsh tone made Noah’s eyes fill with tears that spilled down his round cheeks.

"Damien," I said softly, touching his rigid shoulder. "You’re scaring him."

He stopped mid-stride, visibly forcing himself to calm down. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths. "You’re right. I’m sorry." He turned to Noah, his voice gentler now, though strain still threaded through it. "Buddy, something came up. Adult stuff. But we’ll come back to the park soon, okay? And we’ll spend the whole day with the duck king."

"Promise?" Noah sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

"Promise," Damien said, his voice breaking slightly. He kissed Noah’s forehead, lingering there for a heartbeat. "Now hold onto Mama while I get the car."

He handed Noah to me and strode toward the parking lot, his movements tight with controlled violence. Each step radiated barely contained rage. Security guards surrounded us, forming a protective barrier.

"Mama, why is everyone acting weird?" Noah asked against my collarbone, his breath warm on my neck.

"We’re just being careful, sweetheart," I murmured, holding him tighter. His small body fit perfectly against mine. "Like we talked about this morning. Remember?"

"Because of the shadow man," Noah said, burying his face in my neck. His voice muffled against my skin. "I hate the shadow man."

"I know, baby. I know," I whispered, breathing in the sweet scent of his shampoo.

The drive home was tense and silent. Noah fell asleep in his car seat, exhausted from the excitement and emotional whiplash. His head lolled to the side. Damien drove with white-knuckled intensity, checking mirrors obsessively. The leather steering wheel creaked under his grip.

"He’s escalating," I said quietly, watching streetlights blur past. "Getting bolder."

"He wants us rattled before tonight," Damien stated, his jaw tight enough to crack teeth. "Wants us scared and off-balance."

"It’s working," I admitted, my voice hollow.

"I know." He glanced at me, his eyes dark with worry. "Aria, we don’t have to do this. We can still call Agent Martha, set up a proper operation."

"And risk him disappearing and making good on his threats?" I shook my head, feeling the weight of the decision. "No. We end this tonight."

"Even if it means walking into a trap?" he pressed, his voice rough.

"Even then," I said firmly.

We pulled into the driveway, gravel crunching under the tires. Security was everywhere—on the roof, at the gates, patrolling the grounds with weapons visible. The house looked more like a fortress than a home.

Damien carried sleeping Noah inside, heading straight up to his room. I followed, our footsteps muffled on the carpet. We entered the darkened room where Noah’s nightlight cast soft stars across the ceiling. Damien carefully laid our son in bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin, tucking it around his small shoulders.

"He looks so peaceful when he sleeps," Damien whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Like nothing bad has ever touched him."

"But it has," I said, standing beside him. Both of us watched Noah breathe, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. "Marcus touched him. Traumatized him. And tonight we make sure he can never do it again."

"Tonight," Damien agreed. He straightened, his hand finding mine in the dimness of Noah’s room. His palm was warm, slightly rough. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Whatever happens," he said quietly, his thumb tracing circles on my skin, "I need you to know something."

"Damien" I started, my throat tightening.

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