Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Victoria Showed Up Again
DAMIEN’S POV
Damien sat across from three Japanese investors at an exclusive restaurant and tried to focus on their proposal for the Tokyo expansion.
He couldn’t.
All he could think about was Aria’s face when Victoria had left his office. The devastation she’d tried to hide. The jealousy she’d thought he hadn’t noticed.
He’d noticed. Noticed everything. The way her hands had clenched. The way her breathing had changed. The way she’d fled to the bathroom.
And the guilt was eating him alive.
He’d let Victoria touch him. Let her sit on his desk, put her hand on his chest. Had done nothing to stop her deliberate invasion of his personal space.
Because he’d wanted to see Aria’s reaction. Wanted to know if she’d fight for him. If she cared enough to be jealous.
It was cruel. Manipulative. Exactly the kind of test he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do.
And he’d done it anyway.
"Mr. Blackwood?" One of the investors was looking at him expectantly. "What do you think about the proposed timeline?"
Damien forced his attention back to the conversation. "The timeline is aggressive but achievable. We’ll need to front-load resources in Q1 to meet the Q2 launch date."
They continued discussing logistics, but his mind kept drifting.
Victoria showing up at his office had been unexpected. Her family’s company did have a legitimate business proposal...one that could benefit Blackwood Enterprises significantly.
But Victoria herself had made it clear she had other motives.
"I’ve missed you, Damien," she’d said, her hand on his chest. "Missed seeing you. Missed being close to you."
"This is business, Victoria. Nothing more."
"Does it have to be? We could be good together. We’re from the same world. We understand each other. Unlike...." She’d glanced toward Aria through the glass walls. "Unlike your little assistant who’s clearly out of her depth."
He’d wanted to defend Aria. Wanted to tell Victoria that Aria was worth ten of her. That Aria was brilliant and capable and everything Victoria would never be.
But that would have revealed too much. Would have shown his hand.
So he’d stayed silent. Let Victoria think she had a chance. Let Aria think....
What? That he was considering Victoria? That he was moving on? That Aria wasn’t enough?
He was a bastard. A cruel, manipulative bastard who was testing the woman he loved to see if she’d break.
Julian had been right. This was getting out of hand.
He needed to end it. Needed to either forgive Aria or let her go. Needed to stop this torture that was destroying them both.
But he couldn’t. Because he was terrified. Terrified of trusting her and getting destroyed again. Terrified that loving her would kill him.
But he also knows that these whole thing has to end.
And they both suffered enough.
***********
ARIA’S POV
At 3 PM, Victoria returned.
Aria saw her step off the elevator, all perfect hair and designer clothes and confidence that came from never being told no.
"Is Damien available?" Victoria asked the receptionist, not even bothering to acknowledge Aria.
"Mr. Blackwood is on a conference call," Aria said before the receptionist could respond. "He’s not to be disturbed."
Victoria’s eyes finally landed on her. Cold. Assessing. Dismissive.
"I’ll wait."
She settled into one of the chairs near Aria’s desk, crossing her legs elegantly, pulling out her phone.
Making it clear she wasn’t going anywhere.
Aria tried to focus on her work. Tried to ignore Victoria’s presence. Tried not to think about what would happen when Damien’s call ended and Victoria went into his office again.
Would she touch him again? Would he let her?
Would Aria have to watch through the glass walls as another woman claimed space in Damien’s life that used to belong to her?
At 3:30, Damien’s call ended. Aria saw him through the glass, removing his headset, returning to his desk.
Victoria stood immediately. "I’ll just go in, shall I?"
"He hasn’t...." Aria started.
But Victoria was already walking toward his office, opening the door without knocking, stepping inside like she belonged there.
Through the glass, Aria watched Victoria settle into one of the leather chairs. Watched her cross her legs, lean forward, smile in that way that suggested intimacy.
Watched Damien’s expression remain neutral. Professional.
But he didn’t ask her to leave. Didn’t tell her she needed an appointment. Didn’t enforce any of the boundaries he was so strict about with everyone else.
The double standard was crushing.
An hour passed. Victoria was still in his office. Still talking, laughing, touching his arm when she made a point.
And Damien was allowing it. All of it.
At 4:30, Aria couldn’t take it anymore. She stood, grabbed her bag.
"I’m taking my afternoon break," she told the receptionist.
She didn’t wait for a response. Just fled to the elevator, down to the lobby, out into the cold February air.
She walked for ten minutes, tears streaming down her face, before she found a quiet corner and let herself break.
This was too hard. Watching him with Victoria. Watching another woman touch him, be close to him, occupy space that Aria desperately wanted to occupy.
And she had no right to complain. No right to be jealous. She was just his assistant. Just the woman who’d betrayed him and was trying to earn back his trust.
Victoria was....what? A potential business partner? A woman from his world? Someone uncomplicated and acceptable?
Someone better than Aria would ever be?
Her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number she recognized as Damien.
Where are you?
She typed back through her tears: Taking a break. Needed air.
Are you okay?
The question was almost funny. Was she okay? She was dying. Slowly. Painfully.
I’m fine.
Liar. Come back. Victoria just left. We need to talk.
Can’t. Still on my break. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.
She ended the conversation, dried her tears, and tried to pull herself together.
Fifteen minutes. She had fifteen minutes to stop crying, fix her makeup, and go back to pretending that watching him with Victoria wasn’t destroying her.
Fifteen minutes to be strong.
Even though she’d never felt weaker in her life.
