The Maid's Deception-Chapter 57 - 56: She almost confessed

DAMIEN’S POV

Damien was barely holding on to his control. Every instinct screamed at him to thrust deep, to claim her completely, to bury himself inside her until neither of them could tell where one ended and the other began.

But not like this. Not when she was still holding back the most important parts of herself.

He pulled out completely, ignoring her cry of protest, and flipped her over so she was sitting on the edge of the table, facing him.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She did, her eyes filled with tears of frustration and need.

"I want you so badly I can barely breathe," he said, his hands framing her face. "But I won’t take your virginity...won’t make you completely mine....until you trust me enough to be honest with me. Until you stop hiding."

"I’m not..."

"You are." His thumbs wiped away her tears. "And I understand why. I understand you’re scared. But Sarah..." He kissed her softly. "I need you to understand something. When I finally take you...when I make you mine in that final way.....it’s going to mean forever. It’s going to be a promise. A commitment. And I can’t make that commitment with someone who’s still lying to me about who they really are."

"You know who I am," she whispered.

"Do I? Or do I just know the version of yourself you’ve decided to show me?"

She flinched like he’d struck her.

"I know you’re an artist," he continued quietly. "I know you’re brilliant and strong and carrying something heavy. I know you make me feel things I’ve never felt beforeBut there are still parts of you that are closed off. Still secrets you won’t share. And until you’re ready to give me all of you..." He pulled away slightly. "I can’t give you all of me."

"That’s not fair," she sobbed. "You’re punishing me for..."

"I’m not punishing you. I’m protecting us both." His hand slid between her legs, three fingers pushing inside her. "But I will give you this. Will give you pleasure. Will give you everything except the one thing that would bind us permanently."

His fingers worked ruthlessly, curling to hit that perfect spot while his thumb found her clit. She was so wound up from the shallow penetration that it took less than a minute before she was coming apart, crying out his name as the orgasm tore through her.

But instead of the satisfaction she craved, it just made the emptiness worse.

"Please," she begged when she could speak again. "Please, Damien. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep wanting you and not having you. I can’t keep..." Her voice broke completely. "I can’t keep living like this. Torn between what I need to do and what I want. Between saving someone I love and being with someone I..." She stopped, horrified at what she’d almost said.

******

ARIA’S POV

"Someone you what?" Damien prompted gently.

Aria looked at him....at this impossible, complicated, incredible man who’d somehow become the center of her world...and the words spilled out before she could stop them.

"Someone I love," she whispered. "I love you. I’m in love with you. And it’s destroying me because I know....I know I’m going to lose you. I know I’m going to do something that will make you hate me. And I don’t know how to stop it. Don’t know how to choose between the person who..."

She was sobbing now, the words pouring out in a desperate rush.

"My mother is....." She stopped, terror flooding through her. She’d said too much. Revealed too much.

Damien’s expression was unreadable. "Is what?"

"I can’t...I shouldn’t have said...."

"Finish the sentence, Sarah." His voice was steel wrapped in velvet. "Your mother is what?"

She pressed her lips together, shaking her head frantically. She’d come so close to confessing everything. Too close.

Damien stared at her for a long moment, and she could see the frustration warring with tenderness in his eyes.

"You almost trusted me," he said quietly. "You were right there. Right at the edge. And you pulled back again."

"I’m sorry..."

"Don’t apologize." He pulled her into his arms, holding her while she cried. "But Sarah..if something is wrong with your mother, if there’s something that can save her...why won’t you just ask me for help? What do you think I’ll do? Say no? Turn you away?"

"I don’t know," she sobbed against his chest. "I don’t know what you’ll do. And I’m too scared to find out."

"So instead you’ll just...what? Let her die? Give up?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"No!" She pulled back to look at him. "I won’t give up. I’ll find a way. I have to find a way."

"Even if that way involves doing something you know is wrong? Even if it means betraying someone?"

The question was too pointed. Too specific. Like he knew. Like he’d somehow figured it out.

"I don’t..I’m not..." She couldn’t form a coherent sentence.

"It’s okay," Damien said, pressing a kiss to her forehead even though his jaw was tight with frustration. "You don’t have to tell me. Not yet. But when you’re ready..when you finally trust me enough to be honest...I’ll be here."

He helped her down from the table and held her while she dressed with shaking hands. Then he cupped her face one more time.

"I love you too," he said quietly. "And I’m going to save you. Whether you want me to or not. Whether you trust me or not. I’m going to save you from whatever impossible choice you think you have to make."

"How?"

"You’ll see." He kissed her softly. "Now go. Rest. And tomorrow..." He paused. "Tomorrow, come find me. I’ll have something for you."

"What?"

"Trust me," he said with a slight smile. "Just trust me."

After she left, Damien pulled out his phone and made a call.

"It’s time," he said when the person answered. "She’s at breaking point. She almost confessed tonight. We need to move now before she does something desperate."

He listened to the response, then nodded.

"Yes. Prepare the treatment. I’m having the Vitalis Radix samples sent to Mount Sinai tonight. Start the protocol immediately. I don’t care if the daughter hasn’t consented. The mother’s life takes priority."

Another pause.

"And send me everything you have on Aria Chen’s movements over the past week. I need to know if she’s planning anything. If she’s going to try to take the plant herself."

He ended the call and sank into a chair, his head in his hands.

He’d almost lost control tonight. Almost told her he knew everything. Almost ruined his entire plan because she’d looked at him with those tear-filled eyes and told him she loved him.

She loved him. Despite everything. Despite the lies and the secrets and the impossible situation.

And he loved her. So much that he was going to save her mother even if she never forgave him for it.

Even if she hated him for taking away her choice.

Even if it meant losing her forever.

Because that’s what love meant. Saving the people you loved, even when they couldn’t save themselves.

Even when it cost you everything.