Page 105 of Alien War Daddy's Got Rizz
It’s like a ritual—each file tucked away, another stone stacked in the wall I’m quietly building around myself.
Grau doesn’t ask me to do it.
He doesn’t push.
He doesn’t need to.
He’s always there, on the periphery. A shadow in my doorway some nights. A quiet breath behind me when I leave the office late. Not intruding. Not interfering. Justpresent.
And somehow, that makes it easier.
It took me a while to understand that he’s not trying to corrupt me. Not turning me into some mirror of his violence. No, what he’s doing is simpler—and more dangerous.
He’suncoveringme.
Layer by layer.
Until I’m staring at a version of myself I never knew existed. One that doesn’t flinch. One that doesn’t apologize. One that looks in the mirror and sees a woman shaped by fire, not broken by it.
I’m not just surviving.
I’m evolving.
It scares me.
It empowers me.
Itdefinesme.
The next morning, Tidball summons me to the executive lounge. It’s all soft lighting and handcrafted whiskey and chairs designed to make you feel like you’re sinking into luxury. He offers me a drink like we’re old friends.
“Yara,” he says, swirling amber liquid in a glass. “You’ve been… occupied.”
I smile like it doesn’t hurt. “Just catching up.”
“Of course. We all grieve differently.” He takes a sip, eyes never leaving mine. “But I do hope you’ll remember that we’re on the same team.”
A laugh bubbles up in my throat, sharp and humorless. “Are we?”
His smile doesn’t falter, but there’s tension in his grip. A little too tight. “I’d hate to see you distracted. Or pulled into something... unwise.”
I sip my espresso and tilt my head. “Is that a threat, Donovan?”
His name lands like a slap. I never use it. He knows it.
He smiles again, but it’s thinner now. “Just friendly advice.”
I lean in slightly. Lower my voice. “Then here’s mine. Don’t underestimate the people you think you’ve tamed. They tend to bite.”
His eyes narrow, but he says nothing. I stand, brushing invisible lint from my skirt.
“Lovely chat. Let’s not do it again.”
By the time I reach my office, my heart is pounding.
But I don’t regret a word.
That night, Grau waits for me in the apartment—my real one, not the penthouse PR insists I maintain downtown. He’s on the balcony, back to me, eyes fixed on the skyline like he’s reading secrets in the stars.
