Chapter 181: Chapter 182: Pretty Little Secret
Damien closed the laptop and straightened his tie, aware that Marcus was watching him with barely concealed amusement.
"What?" Damien asked.
"Nothing, boss. It’s just... I’ve never seen you nervous before."
"I’m not nervous."
"You just adjusted your tie. You never adjust your tie unless...."
The office door opened, cutting off whatever Marcus was about to say. Aria walked in, and Damien felt the same punch of attraction he always did when he saw her. She was wearing professional attire....a burgundy blouse and black slacks....her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. She looked like a doctor, competent and composed.
She also looked like a woman who’d just destroyed a billion-dollar empire and felt absolutely no regrets about it.
"Aria!" Emma’s voice called from outside the office. "Don’t forget we’re getting coffee next week!"
"I won’t forget!" Aria called back with a laugh, then turned her attention to the two men in the office.
Her eyes went first to Marcus, who was standing beside the laptop looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Marcus. Good evening."
"Miss Chen." He nodded respectfully.
Then her gaze shifted to Damien, and her entire expression softened. The professional mask dropped away, replaced by something warmer, more intimate.
Damien’s eyes met hers across the office, and he felt that familiar pull.
"Come here, Aria," he said quietly.
She crossed the office toward him, and Damien glanced at Marcus. "We’ll discuss this later, Marcus."
"Yes, sir." Marcus bowed slightly to Aria as he passed. "Miss Chen. Have a good evening."
"You too, Marcus."
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving them alone. Aria stopped in the center of the office, and Damien simply looked at her for a long moment, reading her body language, her expression, the subtle tells that only he knew how to interpret.
She’d done it. She’d hacked Harold Ashford’s company, stolen incriminating evidence, posted it all online, and watched his empire burn. And she felt absolutely no guilt about it.
Good. She shouldn’t. Harold had tried to hurt her, and she’d responded with overwhelming force. Damien couldn’t have been more proud.
But she wasn’t going to tell him. Not yet. She was keeping this victory to herself, holding it close like a secret treasure.
Also good. She needed to learn that she could keep secrets from him without it destroying their relationship. Needed to understand that trust didn’t mean complete transparency about everything at all times.
He would wait. Would let her tell him when she was ready. Would show her that he could respect her privacy while still protecting her.
"Come here, Aria," he said again, gesturing to his lap.
She came to him without hesitation, and he pulled her down to sit across his thighs, one arm wrapping around her waist to hold her secure.
"How are you?" His hand came up to cup her face, thumb brushing across her cheekbone in a gesture that was both tender and possessive.
"Fine." She smiled, relaxed in his arms.
"How was work? Hope it wasn’t stressful? Did anybody give you any issues?"
"Not at all. Work is good, and I love being back to it."
Damien searched her face, looking for any sign of stress or worry. Found nothing but contentment and satisfaction.
He leaned in and kissed her....deep, claiming, showing her without words how much he’d missed her today. His hand slid into her hair, holding her in place as his tongue swept into her mouth.
When he finally broke the kiss, they were both breathing harder. He pulled her against his chest, his arms wrapping around her completely, and just held her for a long moment.
He waited. Gave her the opportunity to mention Harold, to tell him about the hack, to share her victory.
But she stayed quiet, just relaxing into his embrace with a soft sigh.
Damien smiled against her hair. So she wasn’t ready to tell him yet. That was fine. He could wait.
"We’re going out for dinner," he said, changing the subject completely.
Aria pulled back to look at him, her eyes brightening. "What’s the occasion?"
He kissed her again, softer this time. "I realized that we don’t really have dinner dates often, and I intend to change that, Aria. We should make time for us. Away from work, away from everything else. Just the two of us."
Her smile was radiant. "I like that."
"Good. Then give me a few minutes to wrap up here, and we’ll leave."
She slid off his lap, and Damien forced himself to focus on closing down his computer and organizing the papers on his desk. But he was hyperaware of her presence as she wandered to the windows, looking out at the city the same way he’d been doing earlier.
He wondered what she was thinking. If she was thinking about Harold, about the evidence she’d released, about the consequences that were probably just beginning.
He wondered if she realized that he knew. That he’d figured it out within hours of the hack becoming public. That he was already working to ensure her victory was complete and permanent.
Probably not. Aria was brilliant, but she didn’t yet fully understand how well he knew her. How completely he could read her.
"Ready?" he asked, shrugging into his suit jacket.
She turned from the window, and for just a moment, he saw something in her expression....satisfaction, triumph, a cold victory that she was keeping to herself.
Then it was gone, replaced by her warm smile.
"Ready," she confirmed.
He crossed to her and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Led her out of the office, past Emma and Jennifer who both grinned knowingly at them, past other employees who quickly looked away from their CEO and his girlfriend.
They rode the elevator down to the parking garage, And Aria leaned against his side when they settled into their seats. She felt comfortable and filled with a feeling of content.
And Damien thought about how perfectly matched they were. Both of them capable of ruthlessness when necessary. Both of them willing to destroy enemies who threatened what they loved. Both of them strong enough to fight their own battles, but choosing to build a life together anyway.
Harold Ashford had made the fatal mistake of underestimating both of them.
And now he was going to pay for it.
