The Billionaire’s Secret Guardian

Chapter Five: Closing In

Damian clenched his jaw as he stared at the address Caleb had given him. His fingers tightened around the edge of the hospital bed, his patience wearing thin. He had spent weeks confined to this room, recovering from an accident he barely remembered, while somewhere out there, a woman who knew more than anyone else was trying to disappear.

Not anymore.

He swung his legs off the bed, testing his strength as he pushed himself up. A dull ache ran through his ribs, but he ignored it. He had been through worse. Right now, pain was just another obstacle—one he wasn’t willing to let slow him down.

Charles, who had been sitting across from him, sighed. "You just got out of a coma, Damian. Maybe take a breath before jumping headfirst into this."

Damian shot him a sharp look. "You know me better than that."

Charles shook his head. "Yeah. That’s what worries me."

Damian grabbed the paper with the address and slipped it into his pocket. "I’m done waiting. Either you’re with me, or you stay out of my way."

Charles sighed again but stood up. "Fine. But you’re not going alone."

Damian didn’t argue. He was going to find her tonight.

And this time, she wasn’t going to disappear.

The Watchers

Elena sat in the dark of her apartment, staring at the phone in her hands. The messages hadn’t stopped coming.

Unknown Number: You need to leave. Now.

She knew she should listen. The walls were closing in. Damian was looking for her, and so were they.

Her enemies.

The people who had made her run in the first place.

But running again meant leaving behind everything. She had already erased herself once, and now she had built a life—quiet, controlled, and safe.

Until Damian woke up.

Now, everything was falling apart.

A knock at her door made her breath hitch.

Too late.

She reached for the knife she kept under the table, her heartbeat steady despite the fear curling in her stomach.

"Who is it?" she called.

No answer.

The knock came again.

Elena moved silently, pressing herself against the wall beside the door. She could hear faint breathing from the other side—controlled, measured.

Not Damian.

Someone else.

She gripped the knife tighter.

Whoever they were, they had made a mistake coming here.

Damian’s Arrival

Twenty minutes later, Damian’s black SUV pulled up outside the apartment complex. He scanned the area, his sharp eyes taking in the rundown building, the flickering streetlight nearby.

"This is the place?" he asked Caleb.

Caleb nodded. "She’s been staying here for months. Kept a low profile, no credit card trails. If she’s still here, she’ll know someone’s coming for her."

"Good," Damian muttered, stepping out of the car.

He adjusted the cuff of his jacket, ignoring the lingering soreness in his muscles. He wasn’t here for a fight—unless she gave him one.

Charles followed him to the entrance, his expression wary. "Damian, if she ran from you, there’s a reason. Maybe you should—"

"I didn’t come here for maybes," Damian cut in. "I need answers."

Caleb stepped ahead and jimmied the old lock on the front door. It gave way with a quiet click.

The building was silent as they moved inside, their footsteps barely making a sound.

But as they neared the apartment number Caleb had tracked, Damian’s gut told him something was wrong.

The door was slightly open.

And the lights inside were off.

Damian exchanged a glance with Caleb before pushing the door open.

The apartment was empty.

No bags, no clothes, nothing.

Whoever had been here had left in a hurry.

Or been taken.

The Confrontation

Elena crouched low in the alley behind her apartment, her breathing controlled. She had left through the back window moments before they arrived.

She had recognized Damian’s voice the second she heard it.

He was here.

And that changed everything.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she weighed her options. If Damian was this close, it meant he had a lead—and that meant she had made a mistake.

But running wasn’t an option anymore.

If she kept running, the people hunting her would find her before Damian ever could.

And she wasn’t ready to die.

So instead of slipping away, she did something she never thought she would.

She walked back inside.

Damian was scanning the empty room, trying to make sense of it, when a voice cut through the silence.

"You never did know when to quit."

He turned sharply.

And there she was.

Standing in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes locked onto his like she had never been gone.

His breath caught for half a second—just long enough for her to notice.

"Elena," he murmured.

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t waver.

"Looking for me?" she asked.

His hands curled into fists at his sides. "You tell me."

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "You should have stayed in your hospital bed."

"And you should have stayed by my side," Damian shot back.

The words came out sharper than he intended, and for the first time, something flickered across her face. Guilt? Regret? He couldn’t tell.

Elena took a step inside, keeping the distance between them. "You don’t know what you’re getting into, Damian."

"Then tell me," he said, his voice low.

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

A crash outside.

Gunfire.

Elena moved first, grabbing Damian’s arm and yanking him down just as a bullet shattered the window.

The room exploded into chaos.

Charles dove behind the couch, pulling out a gun. Caleb had his own weapon drawn, scanning the area.

Elena cursed under her breath. "They found me faster than I thought."

Damian’s mind raced. "Who are they?"

Elena turned to him, eyes burning with intensity.

"The people who want you dead."

Then, without warning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the back exit.

"Run," she said.

And for the first time in his life—

Damian Steele did exactly that.