Chapter 189: Chapter 190: She Told Him
They ate breakfast in bed...Damien feeding her bites of pastry.
This was what she wanted. This kind of morning. This kind of relationship. Where they could be silly and intimate and completely themselves with each other.
Which was exactly why she needed to tell him the truth about Harold.
"Damien," she said quietly, setting down her coffee cup. "There’s something I need to tell you."
His expression shifted immediately, becoming more serious. "Alright. I’m listening."
Aria took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. Her heart was pounding, anxiety making her palms sweat.
"It’s about Harold Ashford. About what happened to his company."
Damien was very still. Very quiet. Just watching her with those intense dark eyes that saw too much.
"The hack," she continued, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "The data breach that exposed all his crimes. The files that got released online." She paused, swallowed hard. "That was me. I did it."
Silence. Damien didn’t react, didn’t speak, just continued to watch her.
"I found out he was trying to sabotage my position at the hospital," Aria rushed on, the words tumbling out faster now. "Morrison told me. Harold had been putting pressure on him, trying to get him to make my life difficult, trying to force me out. And I just....I couldn’t let him do that, Damien. I couldn’t let him destroy my career before it even started just because I’m with you."
Still silence.
"So I hacked his company," she admitted. I found all the evidence of his crimes....and there was so much, Damien. Tax evasion, bribery, environmental violations, connections to organized crime. He’s been breaking the law for decades."
She was rambling now, but she couldn’t stop.
"I posted everything online. And I know I should have told you, should have asked for your help, but I needed to prove something to myself. Needed to prove that I could handle my own problems, that I could protect myself without always running to you for rescue."
Aria took a shaky breath, her eyes searching his face desperately for some reaction. "I thought you’d be mad. Thought you’d think I was reckless or stupid or...."
"Aria." Damien’s voice cut through her spiral, calm and steady. "Breathe."
She stopped talking, pressed her lips together, and just looked at him.
Damien reached out and cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs brushing across her cheekbones in that tender gesture that always made her melt.
"I know," he said simply.
Aria blinked. "What?"
"I know you did it. I figured it out immediately it happened."
"You....what? You knew? This whole time?"
"Marcus showed me the files after they were posted. Within about five minutes of analyzing the hack, I knew it was you." Damien’s expression was impossibly gentle. "It all had your fingerprints on it, Aria. You’re the only person I know with both the skills and the motivation to pull off something like that."
Aria felt like the world had tilted. "And you weren’t going to say anything? You were just going to let me keep it secret?"
"I was waiting for you to tell me when you were ready." His hands slid down to her shoulders, holding her steady. "You needed this victory, Aria. Needed to prove to yourself that you could fight your own battles. If I’d confronted you about it immediately, it would have taken that away from you. Would have made it about me protecting you instead of you protecting yourself."
Tears spilled down Aria’s cheeks. "You’re not mad?"
"Mad?" Damien’s laugh was incredulous. "Aria, I’m incredibly proud of you. You took down a man who was trying to destroy you. You exposed decades of crimes that should have been prosecuted years ago. You protected yourself with precision and effectiveness that even I have to admire."
"But I....."
"You exposed someone else’s much worse crimes. And you did it anonymously, with no way to trace it back to you. Harold can suspect all he wants, but he’ll never be able to prove anything." Damien pulled her closer. "You were brilliant, Aria. Absolutely brilliant."
"I was scared to tell you," she admitted. "Scared you’d think I was being reckless. Scared you’d be angry that I didn’t ask for your help."
"I would never be angry at you for being strong. For handling your own problems. For proving that you’re every bit as capable and dangerous as I am." He kissed her forehead softly. "I fell in love with you partly because you’re a fighter, Aria. Because you don’t back down, don’t let people push you around, don’t need to be rescued. Why would I be angry about you being exactly who you are?"
Aria threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, pouring all her relief and gratitude and love into the kiss.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Damien rested his forehead against hers.
"No more secrets," he said quietly. "We’re building something real here, Aria. Something that can survive anything. But it only works if we’re honest with each other."
"No more secrets," she agreed. "I promise."
"Good. Now..." He picked up the remote and turned on the television mounted on the wall across from the bed. "Let’s see what fresh hell Harold is dealing with this morning."
The screen flickered to life, already tuned to a financial news channel. And sure enough, the breaking news banner read: "ASHFORD INDUSTRIES IN FREEFALL: CEO HAROLD ASHFORD EXPECTED TO FACE FEDERAL CHARGES."
They watched as the anchor detailed the latest developments. The SEC had frozen Ashford Industries’ assets pending investigation. The IRS had launched a comprehensive audit going back twenty years. The FBI had arrested three of Harold’s top executives. Stock prices had dropped another fifteen percent overnight, bringing the total loss to nearly eighty-five percent of the company’s value.
Harold himself had gone into hiding....wasn’t responding to media requests, hadn’t been seen in public since the scandal broke. His lawyers had issued a statement denying everything, but legal experts interviewed on the show were unanimous: the evidence was too comprehensive, too detailed. Harold Ashford was going to prison.
"He looks finished," Aria said quietly.
"He is finished," Damien confirmed."
Aria looked at him. "You’ve been helping?"
"Of course I have. You started the fire, baby. I’m just making sure it burns everything to the ground." His smile was cold and satisfied. "Harold Ashford threatened you. Tried to destroy your career. He was never going to walk away from that without consequences."
"We make a good team," Aria said softly.
"The best team." Damien pulled her back down into his arms.
