♥ Chapter 28 ♥

Magnus Darkmore.

I'm in my office, going over some paperwork I need to sign. It's a silent night, and the only thing you can hear is the sound of a pen scratching on paper. My worries revolve around the company's business and our sweet Yara, but suddenly the sound of a notification on my cell phone interrupts my thoughts. I pick up the device and see that it's a message from Damien:

''I found Yara. She was at the bus stop, alone and wet to the bone. I'm taking her home now.

My heart races as I read it. Why on earth was Yara alone at a bus stop at this time of night? A wave of worry overwhelms me, and I get up immediately, leaving the papers scattered on the desk. I rush out of the office and straight into the living room.

As soon as I reach the living room, I sit down on the sofa, trying to control the anxiety that is consuming me. My feet tap the floor repeatedly in a futile attempt to relieve the tension. I can't understand what could have happened for her to be alone, and from the tone of Damien's message, I know that the situation is serious.

After a few minutes of waiting, which seemed like an eternity, I finally hear the sound of Damien's car entering the garage. I stand up quickly and keep my eyes open. My hands are clenched into fists at my sides, my blood boiling with a mixture of worry and anger.

Damien enters the room, carrying Yara in his arms. She's asleep, her face pale and wet, and I realize that her clothes are soaked through. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable, makes my worry grow even more. Something has gone very wrong.

Damien looks equally worried. He approaches, and I keep my voice down so as not to wake her:


''What happened?'' I ask, trying to stay calm, but my voice comes out strained.

Damien shakes his head, clearly shaken:

''We'll talk later, brother. She needs to get out of those wet clothes. She's exhausted from crying.

Hearing this makes my heart squeeze even tighter. The thought of her crying makes me even angrier. Whoever did this to her will pay dearly. I try to keep my expression controlled, but I know my eyes are burning with anger.

'' Right. '' I mutter, trying not to explode right then and there.

I watch Damien walk past me, taking Yara to his room. I turn around and stand there in the living room, taking deep breaths, trying to control the anger growing inside me. Ronan. He's the only person I can imagine doing something like this to her.

When Damien comes back, we'll find out exactly what happened. It's all I can think about as I wait in the living room. I'm restless, pacing back and forth, my gaze fixed on the staircase leading upstairs. Every second that passes seems like an eternity.

Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and Kael rushes in. His face is marked by concern, and he gets straight to the point:

''What happened to Yara?'' he asks, his voice urgent. ''I got a message from Damien saying he found her at the bus stop. What's going on?

The questions come one after the other, without pause. I understand his anxiety. I feel the same way.

''I don't know yet, brother. '' I reply, trying to remain calm. ''Damien has taken her to her room. We'll find out as soon as he comes down.

Kael lets out a heavy sigh and runs his hand through his hair, clearly nervous. His eyes reflect the same mixture of anger and worry that I feel. He starts pacing the room impatiently, his gaze always returning to the stairs.

Suddenly, we hear footsteps coming down from upstairs. Our gazes immediately turn to the stairs. It's Damien, at last. He's coming down with a serious look on his face, and I know he has something to tell us. My whole body tenses up, ready for what's to come.

Kael steps forward, his expression a mixture of impatience and concern.

''What happened to her, Damien?'' asks Kael, his voice filled with anxiety.

Damien sighs deeply, and the sound of his sigh makes us feel an even greater weight on our shoulders. He looks at us with a seriousness that says more than words can express.

''I found her at the bus stop, as I mentioned.'' He begins, his voice heavy with frustration. ''It looks like Ronan did something to her—that son of a bitch.

Kael and I exchange a worried look. Damien's expression only confirms what we feared.

''She begged me to talk to you, Kael, so that you could help her with the divorce. '' he continues, the anger evident in his tone. ''As if we weren't already preparing for this. And it looks like the bastard hit her.

Shock and anger mix inside me, and I can't control myself. Indignation bursts out of me.

'' What? '' I shout, my voice echoing around the room. '' That son of a bitch dared to hit her?

The anger is palpable, and my mind starts to spin with the idea of revenge. Kael also looks furious. His face is red, and he clenches his fists, clearly struggling to maintain control.

''Damien, what else do you know?'' asks Kael, forcing calm into his voice. ''How is she?

'' She was very down and cold, and she was shivering and crying a lot. '' he replies, his expression hard. ''I took her to her room, and she's resting now. We'll talk to her tomorrow.

''What about the marks?'' I ask, my voice heavy with tension. ''Did you see anything?

Damien shakes his head, his gaze a mixture of disgust and determination.

'' I couldn't see many things clearly, but she had a reddish mark on her cheek. That was enough to make me lose my temper. If Ronan did this, he'd pay dearly.

Kael stepped forward, his gaze cold and resolute, as if he were about to carry out a sentence.

''This ends today,'' Kael says firmly. ''The mark on his cheek is overwhelming proof. I'll call Lorenzo and ask him to come here tomorrow. We'll get everything ready for the divorce right away. I'm tired of taking things slowly.

Damien takes a step forward, his face still charged with the tension of the moment.

''Kael, you're right. We need to speed up the divorce.

Kael nods, his gaze remaining intense.

'' Exactly. I won't tolerate anything more. I'll act quickly. Those marks on her cheek are proof that he's crossed every line.

'' Count on me, brother. Whatever you need, you can ask.'' I say it coldly. The anger is still pulsing.

Kael takes a deep breath, his gaze still serious.

''Don't worry, brother. That bastard will never come near her again, and if he does, he will go to prison.

I smile.

'' Very well.

Kael looks at both of us.

'' Then let's get started. Lorenzo will have all the details tomorrow, and I won't rest until that bastard pays for everything he's done to our Yara.

Your tone leaves no room for doubt. We're going to do everything we can to get her away from that son of a bitch.