Love At First Death

Damien's eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Elysia, his shoulders tense. "I don't recall inviting you, Lila."

Lila arched a perfectly shaped brow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Oh, Damien, you don't have to invite me. I'm like death itself– I show up unannounced and ruin everyone's day." She let her gaze slide over to Elysia, who stood just behind Damien. "Although I see I've been beaten to it."

Elysia blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Damien let out a cold stare, but Lila ignored him and stepped closer, her sharp heels clicking against the wooden floor. "Tell me, darling, are you here willingly, or did Damien forget to give you an escape route?"

Elysia narrowed her eyes, her cheeks flushing. "I'm standing right here. If you're going to insult me, at least do it directly."

Lila's smirk deepened as she leaned closer, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. Let me rephrase: Are you a guest here, or just another unfortunate soul Damien dragged into his mess?"

Damien stepped forward, his towering frame cutting off Lila's advance. "She's off-limits, Lila. And you know better than to push me."

Lila's laugh rang out like shattered glass. "Push you? Oh, Damien, darling, if I wanted to push you, you'd be over the edge already."

"Try it," Damien said, his voice low and threatening.

The tension in the room was heavy, but Elysia refused to be sidelined. "I'm right here, you know," she said, waving her arms in mock frustration. "It's like watching two toddlers argue over a toy."

Both Damien and Lila turned to her, startled. Lila blinked, then laughed again, this time genuinely amused. "I like her," she said, glancing at Damien. "She's got spunk. How much for her?"

Elysia recoiled. "I– I'm not for sale!"

Damien's voice was like ice. "Leave. Now."

Lila held up her hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll go. But you might want to keep her on a tighter leash, Damien. She's... fragile."

Elysia stepped forward, her jaw tight. "Fragile? Says the woman who looks like she'd crumble under the weight of a compliment."

For a split second, there was silence. Then Lila burst out laughing, a rich sound that filled the room. "Oh, Damien, you've got your hands full with this one. I'll admit, she's entertaining. Don't break her too quickly."

Damien's expression darkened as Lila sauntered toward the door. She paused, casting one last glance over her shoulder. "Oh, and Damien? If you ever need... assistance, you know where to find me."

The door clicked shut behind her, and the tension seemed to dissipate. Elysia let out a long breath, realizing she'd been holding it the entire time. "Who was that?"

Damien ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. "Someone you don't need to worry about."

Elysia crossed her arms. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting," Damien said sharply.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But next time she shows up, I'm not hiding behind you. And for the record, I'm not fragile."

Damien turned to her, his lips twitching in what could have been a smile– or a grimace. "You're something else, Elysia."

"And you're still terrible at compliments," she shot back.

For the first time that day, Damien chuckled. It was low and brief, but it was enough to make Elysia's heart skip a beat.