ARIA’S POV
Aria returned to the office exactly fifteen minutes later, her face carefully composed, her makeup fixed, all evidence of tears erased.
She could do this. She could walk back to her desk and pretend everything was fine. Could maintain professional distance. Could endure.
Even if it was killing her.
The 47th floor was quieter now, late afternoon settling into early evening. Most of the junior staff had already left. Just the executives remained, their offices still lit, still working.
And Damien. Always Damien.
She could see him through the glass walls of his office. Alone now, thank god. Victoria was gone.
Aria settled at her desk and tried to focus on her work. She had emails to respond to, schedules to coordinate, docunts to prepare for tomorrow’s etings.
Normal tasks. Normal work. Nothing that required her to think about Victoria or jealousy or the fact that another woman had touched him and he’d allowed it.
She’d been working for maybe five minutes when movent caught her eye.
Damien was standing. Walking toward his office door. Opening it.
"Aria. My office. Now."
His tone was clipped. Commanding. The voice that allowed no argunt.
She stood and followed him inside, closing the door behind her.
He didn’t sit. Didn’t put the desk between them. Just stood there, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"You left the floor without permission," he said.
"I took my afternoon break. That’s allowed."
"You took your break in the middle of important work without informing first."
"You were occupied. With Victoria." She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.
His eyes narrowed. "Is that what this is about? You’re upset about Victoria being here?"
"I’m not upset. I’m being professional. Like you asked."
"Liar." He moved closer, and she could see the frustration in his eyes. "You fled the building crying. Emma saw you. She texted asking if she should check on you. So don’t stand there and tell you’re fine when we both know you’re not."
Aria’s hands clenched into fists. "What do you want to say? That it hurt watching her touch you? That it killed seeing her sit on your desk like she owned you? That I wanted to march in there and tell her to get her hands off you because you’re mine?"
The words tumbled out before she could stop them.
"But I can’t do that," she continued, her voice breaking. "Because you’re not mine. You’re my boss. I’m your assistant. That’s all. And if you want to let Victoria or anyone else touch you, that’s your choice. I have no right to be jealous."
"You have every right." The words were quiet but fierce. "Because you’re right. I am yours. I’ve always been yours. Even when I shouldn’t be. Even when I’m trying desperately not to be."
Her breath caught. "Then why...why did you let her....."
"Because I’m a bastard." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in every line of his body. "Because I wanted to see if you’d react. If you’d fight for . If you cared enough to be jealous."
The confession hit her like a slap. "You were testing . Again."
"Yes."
"By letting another woman touch you. By making watch. By...." She stopped, the hurt too big to put into words.
"I know. It was cruel. Manipulative. Exactly the kind of thing I promised myself I wouldn’t do." His jaw clenched. "And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I keep hurting you. I’m sorry I can’t seem to stop this cycle of torture we’re both trapped in."
"Then end it." She moved closer, desperate now. "Stop testing . Stop pushing away. Stop making prove myself over and over when we both know....we both know..."
"What? What do we both know?"
"That you love . That I love you. That this....this distance, this coldness, this torture....it’s not protecting either of us. It’s just destroying us both."
He was silent for a long mont. Then: "You’re right. It is destroying us both."
Hope flared in her chest. "Then...."
"But I still can’t trust you." The words were brutal in their honesty. "I love you. God, I love you so much it’s killing . But every ti I think about trusting you, I rember that greenhouse. I rember your hands in the soil, stealing from . I rember the betrayal. And I...." His voice cracked. "I can’t risk that again. Can’t risk loving you completely and having you destroy ."
"I won’t...."
"You can’t promise that. No one can promise that." He turned away, staring out the window. "So yes, I’ll keep testing you. Keep pushing you. Keep torturing us both. Because the alternativ....trusting you and getting destroyed again....is worse than any torture I can devise."
Aria felt tears burning behind her eyes but refused to let them fall. "How long? How long am I supposed to endure this before you decide I’ve proven myself enough?"
"I don’t know."
"Months? Years? Forever?"
"I don’t know!" The words exploded out of him. "I wish I did. I wish I could give you a tiline, a goal, so endpoint to aim for. But I can’t. Because I don’t know when....if....I’ll ever be able to trust you again."
The honesty was devastating.
"Then maybe...." She forced the words out. "Maybe I should quit. Maybe I should walk away. Stop putting us both through this."
"No." The word was sharp, imdiate. "You promised. You said you’d do whatever it takes. You said...."
"I know what I said!" She was crying now, couldn’t stop the tears. "But I didn’t know it would be like this. Didn’t know it would hurt this much. Didn’t know I’d have to watch other won touch you and pretend it didn’t kill . Didn’t know...."
She couldn’t finish. Just stood there, tears streaming down her face, her heart breaking into smaller and smaller pieces.
Damien moved then. Crossed the space between them in two strides. And pulled her into his arms.
The embrace was sudden, desperate, completely unexpected.
She froze for a mont, shocked. Then she lted into him, her face pressed against his chest, her hands clutching his shirt like he was the only solid thing in a world that was falling apart.
"I’m sorry," he said into her hair, his voice rough. "I’m so sorry. For the tests. For the cruelty. For making you watch Victoria touch when all I wanted was to push her away and pull you close instead."
"Then why didn’t you?"
"Because I’m terrified. Terrified of needing you this much. Terrified of what it ans that even after everything, I can’t imagine my life without you in it."
They stood like that for a long mont, just holding each other, both of them trembling with emotion.
Then Damien pulled back, his hands on her shoulders, his eyes intense.
"Victoria ans nothing. I want you to understand that. She ca here with a business proposal and I’m considering it because it’s good for the company. But the mont you left the floor.....the mont you ran....I pushed her away. Told her to never touch like that again. Made it clear that whatever she thought might happen between us was never going to happen."
Aria’s breath stuttered. "You did?"
"Yes. Because the only woman I want touching is you. The only woman I want close to is you. The only woman who matters is you." His hands moved to cup her face. "But I’m not ready yet. Not ready to trust. Not ready to let you all the way back in. Can you understand that? Can you keep enduring this until I am ready?"
She wanted to say no. Wanted to tell him she’d reached her limit. That she couldn’t take any more.
But looking into his eyes....seeing the love and the fear and the desperate hope.....she found herself nodding.
"Yes. I can keep enduring. For however long it takes."
"Even if it’s months? Even if I keep testing you? Even if I keep pushing you to your breaking point?"
"Yes. Because I love you. Because you’re worth it. Because I destroyed us and I’m the one who has to rebuild the trust I shattered."
Sothing in his expression cracked. Softened. For just a mont, she saw the man she’d fallen in love with. Not the cold CEO. Not the distant boss. Just Damien.
The man who loved her despite everything.
Then he stepped back, putting distance between them again. Professional space. Safe space.
"Go ho," he said, his voice rough. "You’ve had a hard day. Get so rest."
"But it’s only 5 PM. I usually stay until...."
"I know. But I’m telling you to go. Take the evening. Recover. Co back tomorrow ready to keep fighting."
She nodded, gathering her things from his office. As she reached the door, she paused.
"Damien?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For telling about Victoria. For...for pushing her away. It helps. Knowing that."
"Good. Now go. Before I do sothing stupid like kiss you."
The words sent heat flooding through her. But she obeyed, leaving his office and returning to her desk.
As she packed up her things, she noticed sothing she’d missed before.
A small piece of paper on her desk, folded in half. Her na written on the outside in Damien’s bold handwriting.
She opened it with trembling hands.
She ans nothing. You an everything. I’m sorry I made you doubt that. I’m sorry I keep hurting you while trying to protect myself. I’m sorry this is so hard. But don’t give up on . Please. I’m trying. I swear I’m trying. - D
Aria pressed the note to her chest, tears streaming down her face again.
He was trying. And so was she.
And maybe.....maybe....that would be enough.
Eventually.
She tucked the note carefully into her bag and headed for the elevators.
****************
DAMIEN’S POV - After She Left
Damien stood at his window and watched Aria exit the building four floors below, her small figure disappearing into the evening crowds.
He’d pushed her to her breaking point today. Had watched her cry, had heard her threaten to quit, had felt her pain like it was his own.
And then he’d held her. For the first ti since that night in the car. Had pulled her close and felt her lt into him and rembered what it was like to have her in his arms.
It had taken every ounce of his control to let her go.
His phone buzzed. Julian.
Heard Victoria showed up at the office today. Please tell you didn’t do what I think you did.
Damien typed back: What do you think I did?
Used her to make Aria jealous. Tested her. Pushed her. Because you’re a sadistic bastard who can’t just forgive the woman you love.
You know too well.
Damien. This has to stop. You’re destroying her. Destroying yourself. For what? To prove she loves you? She’s proven it a thousand tis over. To prove she won’t betray you again? She can’t prove a negative. At so point, you have to make a choice....trust her or let her go.
I can’t let her go.
Then trust her. Really trust her. Stop with the tests and the torture and just.....let yourself love her the way you want to.
I’m not ready.
You’ll never be ready if you keep protecting yourself like this. Love requires risk. It requires vulnerability. It requires letting go of control. Can you do that? Or are you going to keep torturing you both until there’s nothing left?
Damien didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. Because Julian was right and he hated it.
He was destroying them both. And he didn’t know how to stop.
His phone buzzed again. This ti, a text from Aria.
Thank you for the note. I’ll keep fighting. For however long it takes. I promise. - A
He stared at the ssage for a long ti. Then he typed back sothing he shouldn’t. Sothing that revealed too much.
I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve your patience or your love or your willingness to endure this torture. But I’m selfish enough to keep taking it anyway. To keep pushing you, testing you, hurting you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But I can’t seem to stop.
Her response ca quickly: Then don’t stop. Keep testing . Keep pushing . Keep making prove myself. I can take it. I can take all of it. Because at the end....whenever that is...you’ll know beyond any doubt that I’m yours. Completely. Forever.
The words broke sothing in his chest.
Go ho, Aria. Rest. Tomorrow we start again.
Tomorrow we start again.
He set his phone down and returned to staring out the window.
Tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that.
More tests. More torture. More slowly killing each other while trying to find a way back to what they’d been.
He didn’t know if they’d survive it.
But he couldn’t stop.
Because Julian was right. He was a sadistic bastard who couldn’t just forgive her.
And she was right. She could take it. Could endure. Could prove herself over and over until he finally.....finally....believed she wouldn’t destroy him again.
The question was: would there be anything left of either of them by the ti that happened?
He didn’t know.
But he was going to find out.
*********
ARIA’S POV - That Evening
Aria arrived ho to find her mother cooking dinner, the apartnt filled with the comforting sll of ho.
"You’re early," i said, looking up from the stove. "Bad day?"
"Complicated day." Aria dropped her bag and collapsed on the couch. "Victoria showed up at the office."
i’s expression darkened. "That woman who threatened you before?"
"The sa. She has business with Damien apparently. Will be coming to the office regularly."
"And how do you feel about that?"
"Like soone’s stabbing in the chest repeatedly." Aria’s laugh was bitter. "I had to watch her touch him. Had to watch him allow it. Had to pretend it didn’t destroy ."
"Oh, baby girl." i ca to sit beside her. "What did Damien say?"
"That she ans nothing. That it’s just business. That he pushed her away the mont I left the floor." Aria pulled out the note, showed it to her mother. "He wrote this. Left it on my desk."
i read it, her expression softening. "He loves you."
"I know. But he can’t trust . And until he can....." Aria gestured helplessly. "This torture continues. The tests. The distance. The constant proving myself."
"Can you endure it? Really? For however long it takes?"
Aria thought about his arms around her today. About the note. About the text that said I don’t deserve you.
"Yes. Because the alternative....giving up, walking away, living without him...is worse than any torture he can devise."
"Then you’re stronger than I thought." i kissed her forehead. "Co. Eat. You need your strength for whatever cos next."
Aria followed her mother to the kitchen, trying to believe that she was strong enough.
That she could survive this.
That eventually.....eventually.....Damien would trust her again.
And they could finally stop destroying each other and start rebuilding.
But tonight, sitting in her mother’s kitchen, eating dinner and pretending everything was fine, Aria wondered:
How much more could she take before she finally, truly broke?
And when that happened, would there be anything left of her to give him?
She didn’t know.
But tomorrow, she’d go back. Would endure. Would prove herself again.
Because that’s what love required.
Even when it hurt. Even when it was killing her.
Even when she wasn’t sure either of them would survive.
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