♥ Chapter 11 ♥

Damien Darkmore.

17:00 '' Office. '' Eldoria.

I'm in my office, finishing off some reports before finally going home. It's been a long day, and my mind is tired, but a doctor's routine never really ends. While I'm reviewing some records, my cell phone vibrates on the table next to me. I pick it up and see that it's Magnus calling. I answered immediately.

''Magnus, what's wrong?'' I ask, keeping my voice low.

''Kael has discovered something interesting about our sweet Yara. '' He begins, and I automatically put the pen away, concentrating on the conversation.

''I'm listening.'' I say, leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the information.

'' She's married to Ronan Blake, a businessman in the construction sector. Their marriage was arranged by their parents as an agreement between families to strengthen their companies. '' Magnus said, his voice carrying a tone of disdain.

'' Married to Ronan Blake… '' I repeat, letting the information settle in my mind. An arranged marriage, without love, without choice… That explains a lot about her submissive ways.

'' Exactly. '' Magnus continues. ''That means she's trapped in a relationship that is certainly loveless, living with a man who only cares about his own image and business. He probably sees her as a possession, a plaything to keep up appearances, without giving a damn about her wants or needs.

I take a deep breath, feeling the tension building inside me. Not only has Yara caught our attention, but now we know she's in a situation that makes her even more vulnerable. This only intensifies our desire to have her and to free her from this soulless marriage.

'' And what else has Kael discovered? '' I ask, wanting to know all the details.

'' That's all for now, but it's enough for us to know that she's an interesting woman. As I said to Kael, we're going to stick to the plan and take things slowly, if she gives in to the three of us, there'll be no turning back. But first, we need to know how she feels about her marriage—does she love him? Even if she does, she'll still be ours.

I ended up laughing.

''You're no good, brother.'' He laughs lightly on the other end of the line.

''And since when are we any good, brother? '' I cross my legs.

'' Seriously, now we really need to take it easy with this obsession of ours. It reminds me of our old girlfriend.

He growled angrily from the other side.

''That bitch died for us when she cheated on us.'' I take a deep breath.

''I'm not talking about the fact of the betrayal, I'm talking about the obsession. Remember how we became so obsessed with her that we even lost, let's say, our senses? We caused her fear; our obsession needs to be controlled, otherwise we'll make the same mistake we made before.

He sighs on the other side.

'' Yes, you're right. Now I have to go.'' He hung up without saying another word.

I let out a long sigh, letting the tension gradually dissipate. Magnus has always had a volatile temper, and when we touch on this particular subject, it's like opening a wound that never fully heals. The memory of what happened back then still haunts me.

Her name was Isabelle. We met at college, and right from the start, there was something about her that drew us like moths to a flame. She was beautiful, intelligent, and, above all, different from the others. We began to get closer to her slowly, winning her trust and becoming a constant presence in her life. The more we got to know her, the more the obsession grew inside us. We investigated every detail about her, her tastes, her habits, and her friends. Nothing went unnoticed.

At first, Isabelle seemed to enjoy the attention. She smiled and looked at us with that sparkle in her eyes that told us we were on the right track. Eventually, we started dating, and for a while, everything seemed perfect. But obsession is an insatiable beast, and we soon began to suffocate it with our desire for control. We wanted to know where she was every minute, who she was talking to, and what she was doing. We didn't realize that instead of drawing her closer to us, we were pushing her away.

In the end, she betrayed us. One of our friends from college, someone we trusted, ended up becoming the new target of her attention. Magnus was beside himself when he found out. If it hadn't been for me and Kael, he would have killed that bastard on the spot. After that, Isabelle disappeared from our lives. We never saw her again, and since then, we've tried to keep our obsession under control, avoiding getting attached to any woman so intensely. We started sleeping with various women without getting emotionally involved, just indulging our desires and moving on.

But now, with Yara… I feel like that old flame is rekindling. And the most dangerous thing is that we all feel the same way about her. This could end very badly if we're not careful. I try to push the thoughts away and go back to focusing on the papers in front of me, but the feeling that we're about to repeat the mistakes of the past won't leave me alone.

I take a deep breath, pushing away the memories of Isabelle and the obsession that almost drove us crazy. Furthermore, I need to focus on work. I still have a few things to finish before I can go home. I turn my attention to the papers on my desk, filling in reports, reviewing medical records, and trying to keep my mind occupied with what really matters. But even so, the image of Yara continues to hang over my head, like a shadow that refuses to go away.

Finally, I finish what I need to and get up. I'm ready to leave. On the way to the door, some nurses greet me with polite smiles, which is normal. But I know what's really going on in their heads. I'm not naïve. Even though I like to sleep with different women, I would never get involved with someone at work. That would be complicating things too much, and I don't mix pleasure with business.

I arrive at the parking lot and get into my car. As I drive towards the mansion where I live with my brothers, my mind wanders again. Our parents are always traveling and so much in love that sometimes it's a bit annoying. But at the same time, I envy the simplicity of their relationship. Will I ever find something like that? Probably not, considering how screwed we are.

Then I remembered something important. “Do we choose what she does?” I think out loud, imagining Yara inside our house. “To make it easier to have her around... I think we should make her a cleaner.” A smile appears on my face as I think of her cleaning our rooms and offices. It would be the perfect way to keep her under control and close at hand.

Before I know it, I'm home. I press the button on the roof of the car to open the garage door and get in. I park the car and get out, feeling the cold night air envelop me. Furthermore, I enter the mansion and am immediately greeted by Mrs. Thompson, our housekeeper.

'' Welcome, my lord. '' She says with a polite curtsy.

''Thank you. Are my brothers already home? '' I ask, knowing the answer but wanting to confirm it.

'' No, my lord. Master Kael hasn't been back since yesterday, and Mr. Magnus left early for the company. '' She replies, maintaining her usual impeccable posture.

I nod thoughtfully and then remember the plan.

''Did Magnus tell you about the new maid?'' I ask casually.

She agrees with a slight shake of her head.

''Yes, he mentioned that the new employee is arriving tomorrow evening and asked me to choose where she would fit in best.

I smile, already knowing exactly where I want Yara to be.

'' Put her as a cleaner. She should clean our rooms and offices.

Mrs. Thompson's eyes widen in surprise.

''But, sir… Mr. Kael doesn't like new people coming into his room, except for me.

I give her a slight nod, reassuring her.

''Don't worry, I've already talked to him. He won't mind.

She hesitates for a moment, but eventually agrees.

''All right, if Mr. Kael doesn't mind, I'll put you to work as a cleaner.

'' Good. '' I say, satisfied, before retiring to my room, already anticipating what's to come.

I can't wait to start putting our plan into action. The anticipation of seeing her move around our space, so innocent and oblivious to what we're planning, makes me anxious for what's to come next.

Tomorrow will be the start of something that goes far beyond anything she could have imagined.