Damien’s POV
The silence in the car was suffocating. Caleb sat on the opposite side of the leather bench seat, staring out the window at the passing city lights with what appeared to be studied nonchalance. But I could sll the tension radiating from him.
My driver navigated through the evening traffic with his usual professionalism, but I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror more than once.
*This is ridiculous,* I told myself, forcing my hands to relax where they were clenched on my thighs. *You’re behaving like a teenager who caught his girlfriend talking to another boy.*
But that was exactly how I felt, and the rational part of my brain seed to have completely abandoned ship. Every ti I closed my eyes, I could see Caleb standing in Sera’s kitchen, moving around with familiar ease while she smiled at him.
Lucas’s voice filled my mind through the pack link, cutting through my brooding thoughts like a knife through butter.
*Damien, I need you at the office. There are so contracts that ca in after you left—ti-sensitive stuff that needs your signature tonight.*
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache building behind my temples. *How ti-sensitive are we talking?*
*If we don’t get the paperwork back to them by nine tomorrow morning, they’re walking away from the table. Twelve million dollars, gone.*
*Fuck.* I glanced at Caleb, who was still studiously ignoring my existence. *Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.*
*Thanks.*
I said aloud, leaning forward slightly. "Change of plans. We need to stop by the office first."
"Of course, sir.” Driver responded.
Caleb finally looked at , one eyebrow raised in polite inquiry. "Business ergency?"
His voice was carefully neutral, but there was sothing in his expression that suggested he wasn’t entirely surprised by this developnt. Maybe he was expecting to find an excuse to cut this awkward situation short.
"Ti-sensitive contracts," I explained, attempting to match his reasonable tone. "It shouldn’t take long—maybe thirty minutes at most. You’re welco to wait in the car, or if you prefer, I can have driver drop you at a hotel first."
"The car is fine," he said finally. "I don’t mind waiting."
The rest of the drive passed in that sa strained silence, the city lights blurring past.
The elevator ride to the executive floor felt longer than usual, my reflection in the polished steel doors showing a man who looked like he was heading to a funeral rather than signing business contracts. My dark hair was disheveled from running my hands through it.
The executive floor was dimly lit, with only the essential security lighting and the glow from Lucas’s office casting long shadows across the marble floors. I could see him through the glass walls of his office, surrounded by stacks of docunts and wearing the slightly frazzled expression he got when dealing with particularly complicated negotiations.
"Thank God you’re here," he said, looking up as I approached.
"Just show what I need to sign," I interrupted, not in the mood for detailed explanations.
Lucas studied my face for a mont, then wisely decided not to push.
I was halfway through the third docunt when I heard the familiar click of high heels on marble, accompanied by a voice that made my skin crawl.
"Damien! What a lovely surprise to see you here so late."
"Anna," I said curtly, not looking up from the contracts. "What are you still doing here?"
"Oh, you know ," she purred, sashaying into the office with the kind of exaggerated hip movent that was probably ant to be seductive but just looked ridiculous. "Always so dedicated to my work. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tomorrow’s board eting."
"The board eting preparation was completed this afternoon," I said flatly, still focused on the docunts in front of . "By Claire."
Anna’s smile flickered slightly at the ntion of Sera’s na, but she recovered quickly. "Well, I just wanted to double-check everything. You know how important it is to get these things right." She moved closer, close enough that her cloying perfu made want to gag. "Actually, I was wondering if you might have ti for a late dinner? I know this wonderful little place—very private, very romantic..."
"I don’t have ti," I said firmly, signing the last contract with perhaps more force than necessary. "I need to get ho."
"Oh." Her voice dropped to what she probably thought was a sultry whisper. "Are you taking soone ho? Please tell it’s not Sera again. That woman is clearly not right for soone like you, Damien."
"My personal life is none of your concern, Anna."
I gathered the signed contracts and handed them back to Lucas.
"I’m taking a friend ho," I said coldly, moving toward the door. "And now I’m leaving."
But Anna wasn’t finished. She followed out of the office and toward the elevators, her heels clicking rapidly against the marble as she struggled to keep up with my longer stride.
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped inside, hoping she would take the hint and leave alone. Instead, she followed into the small space, her presence making the air feel thick and suffocating.
"I’m just concerned about you," she said, reaching out to touch my arm with her perfectly manicured fingers. "You’ve been different lately. Distracted. And I can’t help but worry that soone might be taking advantage of your good nature."
The elevator descended in tense silence, the numbers on the display counting down like a tir on a bomb. When the doors finally opened on the ground floor, I strode out with relief, heading for the private entrance where Marcus was waiting with the car.
Anna’s heels clicked behind like gunshots on the marble floor.
"Damien, wait," she called, but I didn’t slow down. I could see the car through the glass doors, could see Caleb’s silhouette in the back seat, and all I wanted was to get this nightmare of an evening over with.
I pushed through the doors and into the cool night air, breathing deeply for the first ti in what felt like hours. But my relief was short-lived, because Anna burst through the doors behind like a woman possessed.
She was already tapping on the window with her knuckles, her face pressed against the glass like a child at a candy store window.
"Well, hello there," Anna purred, her voice dropping into the register she probably thought was seductive. "I don’t believe we’ve t. I’m Anna, Damien’s... personal assistant."
Caleb looked up from his phone with polite confusion, clearly not expecting to be accosted by a strange woman in a parking garage. "Hello," he said carefully. "I’m Caleb."
"Caleb," Anna repeated, as if testing the na on her tongue. "What a strong, masculine na. And such handso features." She leaned closer to the window, her smile becoming predatory. "Are you single, Caleb? Because I know so wonderful places we could go together. Very private, very... intimate."
"Anna," I said sharply, my voice cutting through whatever response Caleb might have been formulating. "Get away from the car. Now."
She straightened up with obvious reluctance, her expression shifting from seductive to petulant in the space of a heartbeat. "I was just being friendly, Damien. There’s no harm in being welcoming to your guests."
"There’s a difference between being welcoming and being inappropriate," I said coldly, opening the car door and climbing in beside Caleb. "Go ho, Anna.” I said wearily, "take us ho."
"Of course, sir."
The car pulled out into traffic, and I finally allowed myself to sink back against the leather seats. The adrenaline from the confrontation with Anna was starting to fade, leaving feeling drained and slightly sick.
"I apologize for Anna’s behavior," I said stiffly. "She’s... difficult."
"Hm." Caleb was quiet for a mont, staring out the window at the passing city. "What did you say her na was? Anna...?"
"Anna Blackwood." I couldn’t keep the distaste out of my voice.
"Anna Blackwood," Caleb repeated slowly, as if testing the na. "That’s... interesting. I think I’ve seen her before," he said quietly. "Not recently, but... sowhere."
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