Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Julian’s Advice
Julian leaned back, his expression becoming serious. "The Singapore deal. They’re getting cold feet. The regulatory environment is more complicated than we anticipated, and they’re threatening to pull out unless we can guarantee a faster timeline."
"How much faster?"
"Six months instead of twelve."
Damien’s jaw tightened. "That’s impossible. The infrastructure alone needs eight months minimum."
"I know. But they’re not interested in logistics. They want results."
The two men fell into a discussion of timelines and contingencies and alternative approaches. Aria took notes, her fingers flying over her tablet, capturing every detail even though most of it was beyond her understanding.
But she was learning. Learning how Damien thought, how he solved problems, how he negotiated. He was brilliant.....seeing angles others missed, finding solutions that seemed impossible until he laid them out step by step.
After fifteen minutes, Julian stood. "I’ll set up a call with Singapore for tomorrow. Maybe if you talk to them directly, you can negotiate something workable."
"Fine. Have Aria schedule it." Damien glanced at her. "Morning, before 10 AM. I want it handled before the day gets away from me."
"Yes, sir." She made a note on her tablet.
Julian headed for the door, then paused. "Damien, one more thing. Can I borrow Aria for a moment? I want to go over some logistics with her for the call."
Damien’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"
"Because she’s your assistant and I need her help coordinating schedules. Unless you have a problem with that?"
A long pause. Then: "Fine. Five minutes. She needs to prepare for the board meeting."
"Five minutes. Promise." Julian gestured to Aria. "Shall we?"
She looked at Damien, who gave a curt nod. Permission granted.
She followed Julian out of the office, expecting him to stop at her desk. Instead, he kept walking toward the break room.
"Mr. Pierce, where are we....."
"Call me Julian, Aria. I thought we were close. And we need to talk."
Her stomach dropped. This wasn’t about scheduling calls.
The break room was empty at this hour. Julian gestured to one of the small tables, and Aria sat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Julian sat across from her, his expression losing all traces of the easy charm he’d shown in Damien’s office. Now he looked serious. Concerned. And maybe a little angry.
"So," he said quietly. "You agreed to these whole arrangement?."
She nodded. "Yes."
"I know the whole story. Damien told me everything. The betrayal." Julian’s voice was measured but firm. "And I know he caught you in the act and still saved your mother anyway."
"He did." Her voice was barely a whisper. "He saved her even after I.....even after what I did."
"Do you have any idea what he was like after you left?" Julian leaned forward, his eyes intense. "For that entire month before he called you back?"
She shook her head, tears already burning behind her eyes.
"Destroyed. Absolutely destroyed." Julian’s voice was quiet but every word hit like a hammer. "I’ve known Damien for fifteen years. I’ve seen him through his mother’s death, through brutal business battles, through every kind of crisis. And I’ve never....never....seen him the way he was after you left."
"I’m sorry....."
"Let me finish." Julian held up a hand. "He barely ate. Barely slept. Fired people for minor infractions. Cancelled important meetings. Threw things. Broke things. One night I found him in his study at 3 AM, drunk, holding a piece of jewelry you’d left behind, looking like his world had ended."
Tears were streaming down Aria’s face now. She’d known she’d hurt him. But hearing it described like this....the full extent of his devastation.....was almost unbearable.
"He loved you," Julian continued. "Completely. Absolutely. In a way I’ve never seen him love anyone. And you destroyed him. Do you understand that?"
"Yes." The word came out choked. "I understand. And I’m trying to make it right. I’m trying to...."
"I know you are. That’s why I’m talking to you." Julian’s expression softened slightly. "Because if I thought you were just going through the motions, just trying to ease your guilt, I’d tell you to leave. To walk away before you hurt him again. But I’ve been watching you the past two days."
"You have?"
"Damien keeps me updated. Tells me how you’re doing. How you’re working yourself to exhaustion. How you haven’t complained once despite him being deliberately cold and harsh." Julian paused. "He’s testing you. Pushing you. Trying to see if you’ll break. If you’ll quit. If you’ll prove that your promise to do ’whatever it takes’ was just empty words."
"It’s not empty. I meant it. I mean it." Aria’s voice was fierce despite the tears. "I love him. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn his trust back."
"Even if it takes years? Even if he never fully forgives you?"
The question was brutal in its honesty. "Yes. Even then."
Julian studied her for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay. Then I’m going to give you some advice. And you’re going to listen carefully because I’m only saying this once."
"Okay."
"He’s being hard on you right now because he’s protecting himself. He loves you.....still loves you....but he’s terrified you’ll hurt him again. So he’s keeping distance. Control. Making you prove yourself every single day. Can you handle that?"
"I have to. I don’t have a choice."
"You always have a choice. You could walk away. Find a different job. Move on with your life."
Julian’s voice was gentle. "But if you stay.....if you really commit to this....it’s going to get harder before it gets easier. He’s going to push you. Test you. Maybe even try to make you jealous to see if you’ll break. Can you endure that?"
The thought of him with someone else....even as a test....made her stomach churn. But she forced herself to nod. "If that’s what it takes."
"And when he finally does start to let his guard down....when he finally starts to trust you again.....you have to be perfect. One more betrayal, one more lie, one more broken promise, and you’ll lose him forever. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"Good." Julian stood. "Then here’s my advice: Be patient. Be consistent. Be honest. And most importantly....don’t give up. Even when it feels impossible. Even when he’s being cruel. Even when you want to scream and cry and walk away. Don’t. Because underneath all that ice, he still loves you. And if you can endure long enough, if you can prove you’re not going anywhere, he might....might.....be able to forgive you."
Aria stood too, wiping her eyes. "Thank you. For.....for telling me all of this. You didn’t have to."
"I did it for him, not you. He’s my best friend. And as much as he’s been hurt, he’s also been miserable without you. So if there’s any chance you two can fix this...." Julian paused. "Well. I want him to be happy. Even if it means trusting the woman who broke him."
He headed for the door, then stopped. "Oh, and Aria? He knows I pulled you aside. He’s probably watching the clock right now, counting down your five minutes. Don’t be late getting back."
She checked her phone. Four minutes had passed.
"I won’t be. Thank you, Julian."
"Don’t thank me yet. Prove you’re worth his trust. Then we’ll talk."
He left, and Aria stood alone in the break room for ten seconds, collecting herself. Wiping her eyes. Taking deep breaths.
Julian’s words echoed: It’s going to get harder before it gets easier.
She could do this. She would do this.
For Damien. For them. For the love she’d destroyed and was desperate to rebuild.
She returned to her desk at exactly the five-minute mark. Through the glass walls, she could see Damien at his desk, his eyes flicking up as she sat down.
Their gazes met for just a moment. His expression was unreadable.
Then he returned to his work, and she did the same.
But something had shifted. Some understanding had settled into place.
He was testing her. Pushing her. Trying to break her.
And she was going to endure it. All of it. For as long as it took.
Because Julian was right. Underneath all that ice, he still loved her.
She just had to prove she was worth the risk.
9:55 AM. Five minutes until the board meeting.
Her intercom buzzed. "My office. Bring the briefing."
She grabbed the documents and headed in, ready for whatever came next.
Ready to prove herself. Again. And again. And again.
For however long it took.
