DAMIEN'S POV
Damien sat on the edge of his bed at 12:30 AM, fully dressed, his mind racing through everything that was about to happen.
In ninety minutes, Aria would attempt to steal from him. Would sneak into the greenhouse thinking he was asleep. Would take the Vitalis Radix and disappear, believing she'd gotten away with it.
But he'd be waiting. Would catch her in the act. Would force the confrontation that had been building for months.
His phone lay beside him on the nightstand, showing the security feed from her room. She was there, sitting on her bed, dressed in dark clothes. Preparing. Steeling herself.
He should be in the greenhouse already. Should be positioning himself to intercept her. Should stick to the plan.
But something kept him here. Some instinct that said tonight wasn't going to go the way he'd planned. That something was about to shift.
At 12:35, movement on the security feed caught his attention.
