DAMIEN’S POV
The conference room on the executive floor of Blackwood Enterprises was designed to intimidate. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan, a table made from a single piece of Brazilian walnut, leather chairs that cost more than most people’s cars. Everything about the space scread power, wealth, and absolute control.
Damien sat at the head of the table, his expression cold and unreadable as he waited for Robert and David to arrive. Marcus stood behind him, tablet in hand, ready to present the evidence they’d compiled overnight.
The door opened, and both n entered. Robert was in his late fifties, silver-haired and distinguished, the CFO who’d been with the company for fifteen years. David was younger, early forties, VP of Operations and ambitious enough to be dangerous.
Both looked uncomfortable. As they should be.
"Gentlen," Damien said, his voice perfectly controlled. "Thank you for making ti this morning. Please, sit."
They took their seats across from him, exchanging uncertain glances.
"I’ll get straight to the point," Damien continued. "Three days ago, both of you had dinner with Harold Ashford. Separate occasions, but the sa man. Care to explain why two of my senior executives are having private etings with soone who has actively threatened this company and my personal life?"
Robert Chen shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Blackwood, it wasn’t.....Harold and I have been friends for years. The dinner was social, nothing more."
"Social," Damien repeated flatly. "You had a two-hour dinner at Le Bernardin where you discussed quarterly projections, board dynamics, and my private life. That doesn’t sound social to , Robert. That sounds like corporate espionage."
The CFO’s face paled. "How did you...."
"How did I know? Because I know everything that happens in and around my company. Every eting, every conversation, every potential threat. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?"
David Park spoke up, his voice defensive. "Mr. Blackwood, Harold approached about legitimate business concerns. Questions about whether your personal relationship was affecting your judgnt. Whether the company was at risk due to....."
"Due to what?" Damien’s voice dropped to sothing dangerous. "Due to the fact that I’m in love with soone? Due to the fact that I’ve given a brilliant, accomplished woman a position she’s more than qualified for? Or due to the fact that Harold Ashford can’t accept that his daughter’s vendetta failed?"
Neither man responded.
Damien stood, moving to the windows, his hands clasped behind his back. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet but absolutely lethal.
"Let tell you both sothing very clearly. Aria graduated summa cum laude from MIT at Twenty. She was accepted to Johns Hopkins dical school. She has skills in technology, dicine, and strategic thinking that surpass most people in this building. The fact that I love her doesn’t diminish her qualifications. It doesn’t make her a liability. And anyone who suggests otherwise is questioning my judgnt in ways that will not be tolerated."
He turned back to face them. "Harold Ashford is a desperate man whose daughter tried to destroy Aria’s reputation and failed. He’s now trying to undermine my company from within by planting doubts about my leadership. And you two...." his eyes locked on each of them in turn, "...llowed yourselves to be used as pawns in his ga."
"Sir, we didn’t agree to anything," Robert said quickly. "Harold made suggestions, asked questions, but we didn’t commit to any actions against the company or Miss Chen."
"The fact that you entertained the conversation at all is the problem." Damien moved back to his seat, his posture radiating controlled fury. "Marcus, show them what we found."
Marcus stepped forward and activated the screen on the wall. Financial records appeared.....bank statents, wire transfers, investnt accounts.
"Robert," Marcus said professionally, "we’ve discovered irregularities in your personal finances. Specifically, a paynt of fifty thousand dollars from an offshore account registered to Ashford Capital, deposited three days after your dinner with Harold Ashford."
Robert’s face went from pale to ashen. "That was....that was a consulting fee for....."
"For what?" Damien’s voice cut through the excuse. "What consulting could you possibly provide to a hedge fund that would warrant fifty thousand dollars? Unless, of course, it was paynt for information."
"I didn’t betray anyone! Harold asked about company performance, and I....I may have shared so general information, but nothing proprietary, nothing that would harm...."
"You shared internal projections. You discussed board dynamics. You revealed that three board mbers have expressed concerns about my relationship with Aria." Damien’s voice was ice. "That’s not general information, Robert. And you sold it for fifty thousand dollars."
The room fell silent except for the sound of Robert’s labored breathing.
Damien turned his attention to David Park. "And you. No paynt that we’ve found yet, but we’re still looking. What did Harold offer you, David? A position at Ashford Capital? A recomndation to another firm? What was your price?"
"Nothing!" David said desperately. "He didn’t offer anything. He just....he asked questions about your decision-making lately. About whether the board was comfortable with the direction you’re taking the company. I told him that so mbers had concerns, but I didn’t...."
"You didn’t what? Didn’t think that information would be used against ? Didn’t realize you were feeding ammunition to soone who wants to see fail?" Damien leaned forward. "Let be very clear about sothing. I am Blackwood Enterprises. I own eighty percent of this company. I have final say on every major decision. The board exists to advise, not to control. And anyone who forgets that will find themselves replaced very quickly."
He stood again, his presence dominating the room. "Here’s what’s going to happen. Robert, you’re going to return that fifty thousand dollars to Harold Ashford with a very clear ssage: any attempt to bribe Blackwood executives will be t with imdiate legal action and public exposure. You’re also going to write a formal letter to the board explaining that you made an error in judgnt and that you have complete confidence in my leadership."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I release evidence of your bribery to the SEC, the FBI, and every major financial publication in New York. You’ll be fired, possibly prosecuted, and definitely unemployable in any executive position ever again." Damien’s smile was cold. "Your choice."
Robert nodded weakly. "I’ll write the letter."
"Good. David, you’re going to do the sa. And both of you are going to make it very clear to any board mber who might be wavering that my relationship with Aria Chen is not up for discussion. That she earned her position. That questioning my judgnt on this matter is career suicide."
"Yes, sir," David said quietly.
"And one more thing." Damien’s voice dropped even lower. "If either of you ever....and I an ever....speak to Harold Ashford again, if you take another eting, another phone call, another ssage from him, I will destroy you. Not just fire you. Destroy you. Your careers, your reputations, your financial stability. Everything. Do you understand?"
Both n nodded, looking thoroughly defeated.
"Good. Now get out.
Robert and David fled the conference room, and Damien remained standing, his hands gripping the back of his chair hard enough to make his knuckles white.
"Well handled, sir," Marcus said quietly.
"Was it? Or did I just prove Harold’s point? That I’m too emotionally compromised to lead effectively?"
"You proved that threatening you or Miss Chen has severe consequences. That’s effective leadership, not emotional compromise."
Damien nodded, but the doubt lingered. Every move he made to protect Aria could be twisted as evidence that she was a distraction. That his judgnt was clouded. That he was putting personal interests above corporate good.
Harold was clever. Too clever. And he was playing a long ga that Damien was only beginning to understand.
"What about Harold’s other moves?" Damien asked. "The eting with Morrison?"
"That’s more concerning. Morrison is harder to pressure or bribe. He’s independently wealthy, well-respected, and has no financial vulnerabilities we can exploit."
"Then we need to find other leverage. Personal relationships, professional reputation, anything that would make him think twice about sabotaging Aria’s position."
"We’re working on it. But sir...." Marcus hesitated. "If Harold is building a campaign against Miss Chen specifically, threatening individuals might not be enough. He could be planning sothing broader. Sothing designed to damage her reputation in ways that don’t directly involve you or the company."
"Like what?"
"Leaking information about her past. Her ti as an undercover maid. The identity theft. The trespassing. Framing it as evidence that she’s unethical, untrustworthy. Making hospitals question whether they want her on staff."
Damien’s jaw clenched. "He wouldn’t. That would expose his own daughter’s cris."
"Unless he’s willing to sacrifice Victoria’s reputation to destroy Aria’s. If he’s desperate enough, he might consider it worth the cost."
"Then we need to move faster. " Damien looked at Marcus. "I want every resource we have focused on this. I want Harold Ashford’s next ten moves mapped out before he makes them."
"Yes, sir. I’ll coordinate with the team imdiately."
Marcus left, and Damien stood alone in the conference room, looking out at the city he’d conquered through ruthlessness and strategic brilliance.
But none of that mattered if he couldn’t protect Aria. If Harold managed to destroy her career, her reputation, her happiness....then everything Damien had built ant nothing.
His phone buzzed. A text from Aria: Good morning. Hope your eting went well?
He stared at the ssage, feeling the familiar tightness in his chest that ca with loving her. The fear of losing her. The desperation to keep her safe.
He texted back: Yes it went well. See you tonight.
But even as he sent it, he knew tonight wouldn’t co soon enough. Knew that every hour she was away from him was an hour Harold could make his next move.
And Damien was running out of patience for defensive strategies.
It was ti to go on offense.
Because losing Aria wasn’t an option. And anyone who tried to take her from him would learn exactly what Damien Blackwood was capable of when protecting what he loved.
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