From Chains to Forever

Evelyn's heart thundered in her chest, the cold barrel of the producer's gun glinting in the dim light of the storage unit. His face—older, harder, but unmistakably the man who'd promised her a role years ago at her first audition—twisted into a sneer. "You should've stayed in that trailer park, Evie," he said, his voice dripping with venom, the same voice that had taunted her over the phone. "You thought you could run from who you are?"

Damian's arm was a steel band around her, pulling her behind a stack of boxes, his body a shield between her and the gun. Lila crouched beside them, her breath shallow, her eyes wide with panic. The air was thick with dust and fear, the storage unit's clutter—her mother's diary, the locket, the photo of Evelyn as a kid—mocking her with memories she'd tried to bury.

"Let her go, Grayson," Damian said, his voice low, lethal, his own gun raised, steady in his hand. "This ends now."

Grayson. The name hit Evelyn like a punch. Richard Grayson, the producer who'd leered at her during that audition, who'd hinted at "private meetings" for a role, who'd vanished when she'd turned him down flat. She'd been sixteen, desperate for a break, but not desperate enough to sell her soul.

"You know him?" she whispered to Damian, her voice shaking, her body pressed against his, his warmth both a comfort and a chain. She hated how much she needed him right now, how his possessive grip made her heart race in ways that scared her.

"Later," Damian growled, his eyes never leaving Grayson. "Drop the gun, or I drop you."

Grayson laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "You think you can protect her, Blackwood? She's already mine. She's been mine since the day she walked into my office, thinking she could be a star without paying the price."

Evelyn's stomach churned, rage overtaking fear. "I didn't owe you anything," she spat, stepping out from behind Damian, ignoring his sharp intake of breath. "You're the one who couldn't handle rejection. Is that what this is? Some sick revenge?"

Grayson's eyes narrowed, the gun steady in his hand. "Revenge? Oh, Evie, it's bigger than that. Your mother—she was mine too. Until she chose those pills over me. You're just like her, thinking you can run from what you owe."

Her breath stopped, the world tilting. Her mother? Grayson? The pieces didn't fit, but they cut deep, slicing open wounds she'd thought were healed. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice breaking. "You knew my mom?"

"More than you think," Grayson said, his smile twisting. "I loved her, Evie. Paid for her trailer, her booze, her pills. But she threw it all away, and you—you left her to die. Now you're going to pay for it."

Evelyn's knees buckled, but Damian's arm caught her, his grip fierce, possessive. "You're done talking," he said to Grayson, his voice a growl that sent a shiver through her. "Hurt her, and you're a dead man."

Her heart pounded, torn between the shock of Grayson's words and the fire in Damian's eyes. He was a wall of strength, his need to protect her so intense it was suffocating, yet it lit something inside her she couldn't ignore. She was losing control, her defiance crumbling under the weight of his presence, and she hated how much she wanted to lean into it, to let him claim her.

"Evie, stay back," Lila whispered, tugging at her sleeve, but Evelyn couldn't move, her eyes locked on Grayson, her past colliding with her present.

"You're lying," she said, her voice trembling but fierce. "My mom was a mess, but she didn't owe you anything. And neither do I."

Grayson's smile faded, his gun rising higher. "You'll see," he said. "The world's about to know the truth—about her overdose, about you leaving her to die. The tabloids are ready. Your career's over, Evie. Unless you come with me."

Damian's body tensed, his gun steady, but his voice was a low promise meant only for her. "You're not going anywhere with him, Evelyn. You're mine to protect, and I'll tear him apart before he touches you."

Her breath hitched, his words igniting a fire in her chest, a mix of anger and desire that made her head spin. She wanted to snap back, to tell him she wasn't his, but the truth was, she was out of options. Grayson's gun, Vincent's threats, Tommy's betrayal, Clara's taunts—her world was collapsing, and Damian was the only one standing between her and ruin.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes locked on Damian's. "I'll marry you. But it's a deal, not a surrender. I'm still me."

His eyes softened, a flicker of triumph mixed with something deeper, something that made her heart ache. "A deal," he said, his voice low, reverent. "But I'll make you mine, Evelyn. In time."

Her body trembled, the weight of her words sinking in, the pull of him overwhelming. She was giving in, not because she wanted to, but because she had to. And yet, the way he looked at her—like she was his everything—made her want to believe it could be more.

Lila's jaw dropped. "Evie, are you serious? You're—"

"Not now," Evelyn cut in, her voice sharp, though her eyes never left Damian's. "We need to deal with this first."

Grayson laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "A wedding won't save you, Evie. Not when I've got everything—photos, records, your mother's letter. You're finished."

Damian stepped forward, his gun trained on Grayson. "Last chance," he said. "Drop it, or I end this."

But before Grayson could respond, a loud *crash* echoed from outside the storage unit, followed by the screech of tires. Evelyn's heart leapt as she heard voices—Damian's security team, shouting commands. Grayson's eyes widened, his gun wavering, and in that split second, Damian lunged, tackling him to the ground.

The gun skidded across the floor, and Evelyn dove for it, her hands shaking as she grabbed it, pointing it at Grayson. Damian pinned him down, his knee on Grayson's chest, his face a mask of fury. "You're done," he growled.

Evelyn's hands trembled, the gun heavy, her mind a mess of fear and rage. She wanted to pull the trigger, to end the man who'd dug up her past, who'd threatened to destroy her. But Damian's voice cut through, steady and commanding. "Evelyn, don't. He's not worth it."

She lowered the gun, her breath ragged, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Damian's team burst in, restraining Grayson, but his words echoed in her head: *Your mother was mine. You're just like her.*

---

They were back in Damian's SUV, the city a blur of lights as they sped away from the storage unit. Grayson was in custody, handed over to Damian's team, but the threat wasn't over. The tabloids, the photos, the truth about her mother's overdose—it was all still out there, waiting to explode. Evelyn sat in the back, Lila beside her, silent for once, while Damian drove, his hands tight on the wheel.

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror, his voice softer now, but still laced with that possessive edge that made her heart race.

"No," she admitted, her voice raw. "Grayson… he said he loved my mom. Paid for her life. I didn't know. All those years, I thought she was just… broken."

Damian's jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something like pain. "He's a liar, Evelyn. Whatever he did, it wasn't love. And you're not her. You're stronger."

Her chest ached, his words hitting deeper than she wanted. She was stronger, but right now, she didn't feel it. She felt like Evie, the scared girl from the trailer park, not Evelyn Hart, the rising star. And Damian, with his fierce need to protect her, was making her question everything she'd built herself to be.

"I'm marrying you," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. "But it's temporary. A shield, like you said. Don't expect more."

He nodded, but his eyes said he'd fight for more, and the thought sent a shiver through her, a mix of fear and longing she couldn't shake.

Lila squeezed her hand, her voice low. "You sure about this, Evie?"

"No," Evelyn said, her eyes still on Damian. "But it's the only way."

They pulled up to Damian's penthouse, the city glittering below, but as they stepped out, Evelyn's phone buzzed. A new email, no subject. Her heart sank as she opened it, Damian and Lila crowding close. It was a photo—not of her, but of Damian, taken tonight, outside the storage unit, his gun raised. And scrawled in red: *You can't protect her forever.*

But it was the sender's name that stopped her heart: *Clara Reynolds.*

Clara, her mother's nurse, wasn't just a pawn. She was the one pulling the strings, and she wasn't done. As Evelyn's eyes locked on Damian's, a new sound broke the silence—a low, ominous hum, like an engine idling nearby. And then, from the shadows of the parking garage, headlights flared, a car speeding straight toward them.