Chapter 286 Damian left

Chapter 286: Chapter 286 Damian left

Aria’s POV

"Settling?"

The word hit me like a slap across the face.

I’d been shocked, yes. What I saw today—what happened with Damian—it wasn’t something I could just digest in an instant.

But I’d tried. I’d pushed through my own fear and confusion just to comfort him.

And now he was dismissing all of it? Everything we’d shared these past weeks—every moment of tenderness, every quiet morning, every night tangled together—he could just take it all back with one sentence?

Was all that kindness, all that warmth he’d shown me, something he could withdraw the second things got hard?

He’d done it with Vanessa. Was he doing it with me now too?

A horrible thought struck me then, cold and sharp: maybe all he really needed was someone to make him feel safe. Anyone would do, as long as they could keep the darkness at bay.

"I don’t want to make this hard on you," Damian said quietly.

His voice was rough, empty.

I went silent.

We sat there in the living room for what felt like hours, neither of us moving. Finally, I stood and held out my hand.

Damian stared at it for a moment, then at me.

"The floor’s cold," I said softly. "Your body hasn’t fully recovered. You can’t afford to catch a chill."

He didn’t take my hand. He pushed himself up on his own.

I didn’t say anything else. I turned toward the dining table, thinking I’d at least clean up before bed, but Damian stopped me.

"Leave it. The staff will handle it tomorrow."

"Your hand isn’t—"

But I’d already turned away, heading back to the bedroom before he could finish.

I heard him let out a slow breath behind me, but I didn’t look back.

---

I barely slept that night.

Damian never came back to bed. Somewhere around midnight, I heard the front door close.

I waited a long time before I finally slipped out of bed and turned on the lights. The apartment was empty.

It was three in the morning.

I wanted to call Elena, but I didn’t want to wake her. After hesitating for what felt like forever, I sent Rick a message instead.

If Damian had left, Rick would’ve been the one to pick him up.

Rick replied almost immediately.

Rick:[Alpha’s not feeling well. Didn’t want to disturb your rest. He’s back at the estate now.]

I stared at the message for a long time.

The phrase *not feeling well* stood out. Rick had added that on purpose, I was sure of it. He was trying to soften the blow, make it sound less like Damian had walked out and more like he’d been considerate.

But it still made my chest ache.

I fired off a dozen follow-up questions. Rick assured me that the private doctor had already seen him, given him something to help him sleep, and that Damian was resting now.

I set my phone down and pressed my palms against my eyes.

My hand throbbed beneath the bandages.

---

Author’s POV

Rick let out a long exhale and rubbed his temples.

It wasn’t the late nights or the workload getting to him—it was the lying.

When Damian had called him in the middle of the night demanding a pickup, Rick had assumed they were heading back to the Blackwood estate.

Instead, Damian had him drive to one of the private apartments near Blackwood branch.

The company kept two standalone units nearby for emergencies—places where Damian could rest between meetings or host high-level guests. They were sleek, minimal, almost clinical in their precision. Clean. Quiet. Soulless.

On the drive over, Rick had tried to get something—anything—out of him.

But every attempt died before it left his mouth.

Damian had just sat in the back seat, eyes closed, jaw tight, radiating the kind of cold fury that made the air feel suffocating.

The only instruction he’d given was to stock the apartment with essentials. He’d be staying there for a while.

Not at the estate. Not with Aria.

Just... there.

Rick didn’t ask why. He didn’t dare.

It wasn’t until Aria’s message came through that Rick’s suspicions were confirmed.

They’d fought.

He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Even the most devoted couples fought eventually. Even Damian Blackwood and his fated mate weren’t immune.

Once Damian was settled, he’d sent Rick away with a single warning: *Don’t say a word to anyone.*

Rick understood. Damian didn’t want Aria to know where he really was. And he definitely didn’t want Grace or Andrew finding out they’d fought—especially not Grace, who would descend on them both like an avenging angel with a lecture prepared.

So when Aria messaged him, Rick had done what he had to. He’d lied.

He’d emphasized that Damian wasn’t feeling well, hoping it would push Aria to reach out first.

But the more she asked, the more Rick realized this wasn’t just a normal argument.

*Well, whatever,* he thought, rubbing his face. *Couples fight. They make up. It’s not like one fight means divorce.*

Right?