Married To The Ruthless Billionaire For Revenge-Chapter 20: The Shadow That Breathes

The east wing felt colder than the rest of the mansion, as if the air itself recoiled from the message left behind. Mara couldn’t tear her eyes away from the blood-stained white rose, its delicate beauty twisted into a silent threat that dug deep beneath her skin.

Damian’s arm slid firmly around her waist—not possessively, but protectively—guiding her back from the crate as the forensic team rushed in. Their gloves snapped sharply in the silence, their equipment clicking, humming, flashing.

"Take it to the lab. Immediate priority," Damian ordered, his voice a low command that brooked no argument.

"Yes, sir."

The moment the box was removed, the room seemed to breathe again, but Mara couldn’t. Her lungs felt tight, as if the fear lodged inside her had grown roots.

Damian turned to her.

"Mara."

She looked up. His eyes were dark steel, but beneath the hardness she saw something she had never seen before—pure, rattling fear. Not for himself.

For her.

"We’re done standing back," he said. "I’m tightening security to the highest level. No one moves without clearance. Not even staff with ten years of service."

She nodded, though her hands trembled. "Damian... that rose—"

"I know." His jaw flexed. "Someone wants to remind you they’re close. Too close." His voice dropped lower. "They touched something meant for you. That alone is enough for me to hunt them down."

The guards dispersed, following his commands with urgency.

The moment they stepped out of the storage area, Damian leaned down slightly and muttered, "We’re going to my private wing. It’s the most protected part of the mansion."

Mara felt the intensity in every word.

"Is it safe?" she asked quietly.

His answer wasn’t words.

It was the way his hand tightened around hers, pulling her closer.

As they walked, the mansion’s hallways seemed to shift—familiar, but suddenly sinister in their quietness. Every shadow felt alive. Every flicker of light made Mara’s pulse quicken.

Halfway through the corridor, a voice called out—

"Sir!"

Lucas came jogging up, slightly out of breath—a rare sight for him.

Damian stopped. "What now?"

Lucas handed him a neatly folded report. "The list of the seven staff with access to the circuit panels."

Mara held her breath.

Damian opened the paper.

His eyes scanned it once.

Twice.

Then slowly, his expression sharpened to a blade.

Mara stepped closer. "Who are they?"

Damian didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at Lucas. "Where are they right now?"

Lucas swallowed. "Six are in their assigned positions. The seventh... is missing."

Mara’s heart jolted painfully.

Missing.

Already gone.

Already ahead of them.

Damian’s voice turned deadly calm. "Search the entire property. No one leaves until he’s found."

Lucas nodded and rushed off.

Mara grabbed Damian’s sleeve. "Who is it?"

He finally handed her the paper.

Her eyes trailed down the list until they landed on the seventh name—

Evan Hale.

Maintenance Engineer.

Six months working in the mansion.

Cleared by previous background check.

But her breath froze.

"It can’t be him..."

Damian’s eyes flicked sharply to her. "You know him?"

Mara nodded slowly, terror climbing her spine. "He... he spoke to me once. The day I arrived. I didn’t think much of it. He was polite. Quiet."

Damian’s expression turned stormy.

"You should have told me someone approached you alone."

"I—I didn’t know it mattered. It felt innocent."

He closed his eyes for a moment as if fighting the urge to curse the universe.

"Mara, nothing involving you is innocent anymore."

Before she could respond, another guard ran toward them.

"Sir! You need to come to the south balcony immediately!"

Damian stiffened. "What happened now?"

The guard looked pale, shaken. "It’s... another message."

The words slammed into Mara’s chest.

Another message.

Her knees felt weak. Damian immediately curled an arm around her and guided her toward the balcony.

When they arrived, two guards stood aside, revealing the long marble railing overlooking the garden.

And sitting on the railing—

Was a small silver locket.

Closed.

Pristine.

Untouched by dust or weather.

Damian approached it slowly, as if it might explode.

Mara’s breath hitched as he opened it.

Inside was a picture.

Not of her.

Not of Damian.

But of the mansion.

Taken from the outside.

With a red X marked on one of the windows.

Mara’s window.

Her room.

Her space.

Damian’s chest rose and fell sharply.

"He was outside," Mara whispered. "Watching me. Watching my room."

"It means he’s comfortable on the grounds," Damian muttered. "Confident. Moving freely. He knows the blind spots."

Lucas arrived, breathless again. "Sir, Evan Hale’s phone was found in the tool shed. He left it behind intentionally."

Damian stared down at the locket again.

"He’s not hiding," he said slowly. "He’s toying with us."

Mara’s legs almost gave out.

Damian turned sharply to Lucas. "Double the guards on every entry and window. I want all patrols overlapping. Nobody moves alone. And find him."

Lucas nodded. "Yes, sir."

When he rushed away again, Damian turned to Mara.

His eyes were dark fire.

"I won’t let him touch you," he said. "Not a hair. Not a breath. Not a shadow."

Her voice cracked. "Why me? Why is he doing this?"

Damian hesitated, his jaw tight.

"There’s something you don’t know yet," he finally said. "Something about why you’re in danger."

She stepped back. "Damian... what are you hiding?"

He opened his mouth—

But a sudden loud bang echoed from the far hallway.

A door slamming.

A guard shouting.

Then another yell—

"He’s inside the mansion! We saw him on the second floor!"

Mara froze.

Damian grabbed her hand.

"Get behind me."

Her heart pounded so violently she thought it might break. Every sense sharpened. Every instinct screamed.

Somewhere in the mansion—

Footsteps ran.

A shadow moved.

A whisper brushed the walls.

And for the first time...

Mara realized the truth.

The danger wasn’t outside anymore.

It was in the house.

With them

Right now.

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