Damien Sterling

Chapter 18: She's Shutting Me Out, and I Hate It

(Damien's POV )

Ava was furious.

Not just angry—beyond pissed.

I had seen her mad before.

Hell, I had made it a habit to piss her off.

But this?

This was different.

Because she wasn't just fighting anymore.

She was shutting me out.

And I hated it.

---

The moment Richard finished his little speech, Ava's face crumbled.

And then—

She ran.

Straight up the stairs, her heels clicking against the marble, her hair swaying behind her.

And when she reached her room—

She slammed the door so hard the walls shook.

I clenched my jaw, my fists tightening at my sides.

I should have let her go.

I should have walked away.

But instead?

I stood there, staring at the closed door, my pulse pounding.

Because that look on her face?

That was the first time I had ever seen her break.

And I wasn't sure how the hell I felt about it.

---

By the time dinner rolled around, I had convinced myself that she would come down.

That, no matter how pissed she was, she wouldn't be able to ignore me.

I was wrong.

The dining table was full.

Richard sat at the head, sipping his whiskey.

Eleanor and Sophia exchanged glances, noticing the empty chair.

And me?

I just stared at it.

I exhaled sharply, setting my fork down. "She's really not coming?"

Sophia smirked, cutting into her steak. "Wow. You actually care?"

I ignored her.

Eleanor sighed softly. "She's upset, Damien. Can you blame her?"

Richard scoffed. "She'll get over it."

I clenched my jaw. "Maybe you shouldn't have spoken to her like that."

Richard raised a brow. "Since when do you care?"

I didn't answer.

Because I didn't know.

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor.

"I'll handle it," I muttered.

Sophia smirked. "Good luck."

I didn't need luck.

I needed her to open the damn door.

---

I knocked.

No answer.

I knocked again, harder. "Ava. Open the door."

Silence.

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the wood. "You can't ignore me forever."

More silence.

Then—a muffled voice.

"Watch me."

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temple. "Damn it, Sinclair."

Nothing.

I was losing patience.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Ava shot up from the bed, her eyes red, her face still streaked with dried tears.

My chest tightened.

Because she had really cried.

And for some reason, I hated that.

Her expression turned icy. "Get out."

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. "Not happening."

She clenched her fists. "You don't get to control me."

I sighed, trying to stay calm. "I just—"

"You just what?" she snapped. "Want to make sure I'm still your little puppet? Want to see if I've accepted that I'm trapped here?"

I clenched my jaw. "That's not what this is."

Ava let out a bitter laugh. "Really? Because it sure as hell feels like it."

I exhaled sharply. "I told my father to back off."

She froze for half a second, then scoffed. "Oh, so I should be grateful? You expect me to thank you for saving me from your own father?"

I narrowed my eyes. "That's not what I—"

She shook her head, voice shaky but strong. "You don't get it, Damien. This isn't your prison. It's mine."

My chest tightened again.

I hated hearing her say that.

I hated that she thought I wanted this—to own her, to control her.

I took a slow step forward, lowering my voice. "You think I don't feel trapped too?"

She scoffed. "Oh, please. This is your world. You thrive in it."

I stared at her, my pulse pounding. "You think I wanted this?"

She didn't answer.

Because she didn't know.

Because for the first time, I wasn't sure if I knew either.

I exhaled sharply, stepping back. "You don't have to like this, Sinclair. But you're here. And so am I."

She crossed her arms, eyes burning. "And what exactly does that mean?"

I smirked, but it didn't reach my eyes. "It means you're stuck with me."

She exhaled, frustrated. "I hate you."

I tilted my head. "Yeah?"

She glared. "More than anything."

I took one last look at her before turning toward the door.

I didn't say it.

But for the first time, I wasn't sure if that was true.

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