Chapter 3 - Shadows in the Rearview
The first three weeks passed in a rhythm of quiet productivity.
Natalie transformed Ava’s routine. She introduced structured visual schedules using magnetic boards, created a specialized weighted blanket using heavy crushed velvet, and helped Ava master two grade levels of reading without triggering a single sensory meltdown.
For the first time in years, the DeLuca home felt peaceful.
Even Damian seemed to change when he was around Natalie. The cold, ruthless posture he maintained with his lieutenants melted whenever he sat down for dinner with Ava and Natalie in the family dining room. He asked about Natalie's sister, listened intently to her ideas about Ava’s educational development, and ensured that every resource she requested was delivered within hours.
However, the reality of Damian’s world was never far beneath the surface.
On a rainy Thursday evening, Natalie was driving her new company-provided sedan back to her apartment after completing her evening shift.
As she pulled off the highway onto North Clark Street, she noticed a gray SUV trailing three cars behind her. It had been there since she left Lake Forest.
Her heart began to beat faster.
She remembered Damian’s warning: If someone approaches you, report it to me immediately.
Instead of driving home to her apartment building, she turned into a brightly lit gas station parking lot and pulled up to a pump. The gray SUV slowed down along the curb, stopped for three seconds, and then accelerated into the night.
Natalie’s hands were shaking as she pulled out her phone and dialed Damian’s private line.
He answered on the second ring. "Natalie. Is Ava alright?"
"Ava is fine, Mr. DeLuca. I'm on my way home... but a gray SUV followed me from the estate all the way to North Clark Street."
There was a sudden, sharp silence on the line.
"Where are you right now?" Damian’s voice was unnervingly calm.
"The Shell station on Clark and Fullerton."
"Stay in your vehicle. Do not unlock the doors. Marco is two blocks away. He will be there in sixty seconds."
Before Natalie could even process the words, a black SUV roared into the gas station lot, cutting across three lanes of traffic, and screeched to a halt beside her car. Marco stepped out, accompanied by two armed guards.
He walked over to her window, motioning for her to roll it down an inch.
"Miss Carter. Follow us back to the estate," Marco said smoothly. "The Boss wants you under our roof tonight."
When they returned to the Lake Forest estate, Damian was waiting in the courtyard despite the heavy rain. He stepped out without an umbrella, opening Natalie's car door himself and reaching out a hand to help her step out.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his dark eyes scanning her face with intense concern.
May you like
"No," Natalie breathed, her chest heaving. "I'm just scared. Who was that?"
Damian’s jaw set into stone. "A competitor who is making a very dangerous mistake. You're staying here tonight, Natalie. From now on, you don't travel alone."
