♥ Chapter 16 ♥

Damien Darkmore.

Monday.

I'm standing in the middle of the room, watching the door through which Yara has just rushed. A mischievous smile forms on my lips that is almost impossible to contain. She's almost given in. Her rapid breathing and the way her eyes couldn't look away from me didn't fool me. She's attracted to us, but something's stopping her. Could it be fear? Maybe because she's married. Well, I don't care. The fact that she almost gave in shows that she also feels desire and attraction, which makes it even easier for me.

I walk towards my closet, still with a smile on my face. I chose dark jeans, a white button-down shirt, and a pair of black leather shoes. A casual look, but still elegant. I put on my wristwatch, a silver Rolex, and grabbed my cell phone and wallet before leaving the room.

As I walk down the steps, I feel the growing excitement of what happened just a few minutes ago. I head towards the dining room, where my brothers are already gathered. When I open the door, I see Kael and Magnus having coffee. Kael looks up when he sees me enter and makes a slightly sarcastic remark:

''You're very late, Damien.

I smile broadly, taking a seat at the table as I pour myself a cup of coffee.

''I had a wonderful date in my room,'' I say casually, drawing their attention.

Kael and Magnus stopped eating for a moment and looked at me curiously. Magnus is the first to ask, arching an eyebrow:

''What an incredible meeting!

I take a sip of my coffee, savoring the anticipation, before answering.

''I ran into Yara in my room,'' I begin, noticing their immediate interest. ''I had just come out of the bathroom, still in my towel, when I saw her. She had no idea I was there.

Kael lets out a low laugh, and Magnus just watches, waiting for me to continue. I'm amused by their anticipation.

'' The look she gave me—the obvious nervousness—only made me more excited. And the best thing of all, brothers, is that she almost gave in. '' I continue, satisfaction evident in my voice. ''If I had stepped forward to kiss her at that moment, I'm sure she would have given in.

Magnus leans forward, more interested.

''And why didn't you?

I shrug, an even more confident smile appearing.

''Because she seems to be afraid of something. Maybe because she's married to that Ronan guy. But I don't care. The fact that she already has feelings for us means it's only a matter of time. Her fear will only make things more interesting. The fear of being something so forbidden is too exciting.

Kael laughs again, shaking his head.

'' Always so calculating, Damien.

'' Just realistic. '' I reply, giving him a wink.

Magnus remains silent for a moment, pondering what he's heard. After a while, he finally speaks.

''I bumped into her last night,'' he says. '' She really is attracted to us. He didn't take his eyes off my body, especially as I was only wearing a tank top. I saw something else in her eyes, but we have to be careful not to cross the line too soon. We don't want to scare her off too soon.

I nod, understanding what he means. The last thing we want is for Yara to run away before we have a chance to fully explore this situation.

'' Don't worry, Magnus. I can take it easy when I want to,'' I reply, calmly.

''You?'' Kael laughs. ''I'm the only calm one in the family.

I shrug, but the smile on my face reveals that I'm enjoying the teasing.

Suddenly, Kael looks at us, with a more serious expression than usual. He's not the type to let his emotions get the better of him, but I can see that the subject in question is stirring something in him.

''And what are we going to do about her husband?'' Kael asks, straight to the point. ''She may well continue to refuse us because of him. We need to know if she loves him. We need to be aware of everything.

His words echo in my mind. He's right, as always. If Yara has any kind of affection for Ronan, it could get in the way of our plans. What we have to do is find out how strong that bond is, and how far she's willing to go to preserve it.

''We need to probe this very carefully,'' I begin, analyzing the possibilities. ''If she loves him, it could be an obstacle, but not one we can't get around.

Magnus, who until then had been silent, finally speaks, his voice low and firm.

''She will be ours,'' Magnus says without hesitation. ''No other man will take her from us, even if she is married. Ronan won't be a problem for long, if he hasn't already.

Magnus' tone leaves no doubt about his determination. When he decides he wants something, he goes all the way to get it. I feel a smile appear at the corner of my lips. It's good to have brothers who share the same goal, who understand the objective, and who are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

''What we need to do now is find out more about this marriage. '' I continue, already mentally plotting the next steps. ''If her love for him is genuine, we'll have to be creative. But if she doesn't feel anything for him in this relationship. '' I continue, making the plan clearer: ''We can help her get rid of this guy. Kael, you can take care of the divorce papers, since you're a judge.

Kael nods, agreeing with the idea.

'' Sure, I can take care of that without any problems. But we need to make sure she's really willing to get rid of him before we take that step. Her fear may be an advantage, but we need to understand if it's just fear or if there's still some remnant of feeling for her husband.

Magnus, who until then had been silent, finally speaks, his voice deep with conviction.

''It doesn't matter how she feels about him. If it's fear, we'll use that to our advantage. If it's something else, we can turn that feeling into doubt. But one thing I'm sure of is that she'll be ours. Even if she's married.

I agree with Magnus, feeling the determination growing inside me. The road may not be easy, but Yara is already closer to us than she realizes.

''Let's keep our eyes open and be strategic. '' I say, reaffirming our approach. ''We need to know everything about her—what motivates her, what scares her, and, above all, what makes her hesitate. The more we know, the easier it will be to break down any remaining barriers.

Kael and Magnus nod, and I feel that we are more aligned than ever with this goal. Yara will be ours, and no obstacle, not even Ronan, can change that.