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ow, why does he appear so furious? "Damian," I murmur, my voice shaking as he storms up to Xander. I can feel the wrath radiating off him like he's barely holding it together. "You can't just take her!" Damian snarls, his fists clutched at his sides. Xander doesn't even flinch. His serenity in the face of Damian's wrath only appears to make matters worse. "You rejected her, didn't you?" Xander's voice is smooth, controlled, and his eyes flash with a menacing glimmer. Damian growls low in his throat. "That's not the point! You can't simply walk in here and claim her like she's some prize!" "I don't play by your rules," Xander responds coldly, his eyes never leaving mine. "You threw her away. Now she's mine." I take a step back, my heart thumping in my chest. The intensity between them is suffocating. I don't know what to say, what to do. Damian rejected me, certainly, but the tie between us hasn't faded. I can still feel it tugging at my heart, even though I wish it would stop. "Damian, please," I say, my voice barely above a whisper, but it's like he doesn't hear me. Damian turns to me, his eyes filled with something I can't place-regret? Anger? Desperation? "Aria, you don't belong with him. He's dangerous." I look at Xander, who's still studying me with his intense, impenetrable gaze. Part of me is terrified of him, but there's something more too, something I can't understand. I feel drawn to him, much like I felt drawn to Damian when we first met. "I... I don't know what to do," I admit, my voice breaking. Xander steps forward, his voice low but forceful. "You don't have to decide now. But know this-I won't let anyone hurt you again." The way he says it sends a chill down my spine, and I don't know whether to be reassured or afraid. Aria's POV Word of Xander's claim has spread like wildfire among the