66 Chapter 66
Damien’s POV 1
The silence in the car was suffocating. Caleb sat on the opposite side of the leather bench seat, staring out the window at the passing city lights with what appeared to be studied nonchnce. But I could smell the tension radiating from him.
My driver navigated through the evening traffic with his usual professionalism, but I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror more than
once.
*This is ridiculous,* I told myself, forcing my hands to rx where they were clenched on my thighs. *You’re behaving like a teenager who caught his girlfriend talking to another boy.*
But that was exactly how I felt, and the rational part of my brain seemed to havepletely abandoned ship. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Caleb standing in Sera’s kitchen, moving around with familiar ease while she smiled at him.
Lucas’s voice filled my mind through the pack link, cutting through my brooding thoughts like a knife through butter.
*Damien, I need you at the office. There are some contracts that came in after you left-time-sensitive stuff that needs your signature
tonight.*
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache building behind my temples. *How time-sensitive are we
talking?*
*If we don’t get the paperwork back to them by nine tomorrow morning, they’re walking away from the table. Twelve million dors,
gone.*
*Fuck.* I nced at Caleb, who was still studiously ignoring my existence. *Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.*
*Thanks.*
I said aloud, leaning forward slightly. “Change of ns. We need to stop by the office first.”
“Of course, sir.” Driver responded.
Caleb finally looked at me, one eyebrow raised in polite inquiry. “Business emergency?”
His voice was carefully neutral, but there was something in his expression that suggested he wasn’t entirely surprised by this
development. Maybe he was expecting me to find an excuse to cut this awkward situation short.
“Time-sensitive contracts,” I exined, attempting to match his reasonable tone. “It shouldn’t take long-maybe thirty minutes at most.
You’re wee to wait in the car, or if you prefer, I can have driver drop you at a hotel first.”
“The car is fine,” he said finally. “I don’t mind waiting.”
The rest of the drive passed in that same strained silence, the city lights blurring past.
The elevator ride to the executive floor felt longer than usual, my reflection in the polished steel doors showing a man who looked like
he was heading to a funeral rather than signing business contracts. My dark hair was disheveled from running my hands through it.
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The executive floor was dimly lit, with only the essential security lighting and the glow from Lucas’s office casting long shadows across the marble floors. I could see him through the ss walls of his office, surrounded by stacks of documents and wearing the slightly frazzled expression he got when dealing with particrlyplicated negotiations.
“Thank God you’re here,” he said, looking up as I approached.
“Just show me what I need to sign,” I interrupted, not in the mood for detailed exnations.
Lucas studied my face for a moment, then wisely decided not to push.
I was halfway through the third document when I heard the familiar click of high heels on marble, apanied by a voice that made my
skin crawl.
“Damien! What a lovely surprise to see you here sote.”
“Anna,” I said curtly, not looking up from the contracts. “What are you still doing here?”
“Oh, you know me,” she purred, sashaying into the office with the kind of exaggerated hip movement that was probably meant to be seductive but just looked ridiculous. “Always so dedicated to my work. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tomorrow’s
board meeting.”
“The board meeting preparation waspleted this afternoon,” I said tly, still focused on the documents in front of me. “By ire.”
Anna’s smile flickered slightly at the mention of Sera’s name, but she recovered quickly. “Well, I just wanted to double-check everything.
You know how important it is to get these things right.” She moved closer, close enough that her cloying perfume made me want to gag.
“Actually, I was wondering if you might have time for ate dinner? I know this wonderful little ce-very private, very romantic…”
“I don’t have time,” I said firmly, signing thest contract with perhaps more force than necessary. “I need to get home.”
“Oh.” Her voice dropped to what she probably thought was a sultry whisper. “Are you taking someone home? Please tell me it’s not Sera
again. That woman is clearly not right for someone like you,
Damien.”
“My personal life is none of your concern, Anna.”
I gathered the signed contracts and handed them back to Lucas.
“I’m taking a friend home,” I said coldly, moving toward the door. “And now I’m leaving.”
But Anna wasn’t finished. She followed me out of the office and toward the elevators, her heels clicking rapidly against the marble as she
struggled to keep up with my longer stride,
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped inside, hoping she would take the hint and leave me alone. Instead, she followed me into the small space, her presence making the air feel thick and suffocating.
“I’m just concerned about you,” she said, reaching out to touch my arm with her perfectly manicured fingers. “You’ve been differenttely. Distracted. And I can’t help but worry that someone might be taking advantage of your good nature.”
The elevator descended in tense silence, the numbers on the disy counting down like a timer on a bomb. When the doors finally opened on the ground floor, I strode out with relief, heading for the private entrance where Marcus was waiting with the car.
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Anna’s heels clicked behind me like gunshots on the marble floor.
“Damien, wait,” she called, but I didn’t slow down. I could see the car through the ss doors, could see Caleb’s silhouette in the back
seat, and all I wanted was to get this nightmare of an evening over with.
I pushed through the doors and into the cool night air, breathing deeply for the first time in what felt like hours. But my relief was short- lived, because Anna burst through the doors behind me like a woman possessed.
She was already tapping on the window with her knuckles, her face pressed against the ss like a child at a candy store window.
“Well, hello there,” Anna purred, her voice dropping into the register she probably thought was seductive. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m
Anna, Damien’s… personal assistant.”
Caleb looked up from his phone with polite confusion, clearly not expecting to be osted by a strange woman in a parking garage.
“Hello,” he said carefully. “I’m Caleb.”
“Caleb,” Anna repeated, as if testing the name on her tongue. “What a strong, masculine name. And such handsome features.” She leaned
closer to the window, her smile bing predatory. “Are you single, Caleb? Because I know some wonderful ces we could go
together. Very private, very… intimate.”
“Anna,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through whatever response Caleb might have been formting. “Get away from the car. Now.”
She straightened up with obvious reluctance, her expression shifting from seductive to petnt in the space of a heartbeat. “I was just
being friendly, Damien. There’s no harm in being weing to your guests.”
“There’s a difference between being weing and being inappropriate,” I said coldly, opening the car door and climbing in beside
Caleb. “Go home, Anna.” I said wearily, “take us home.”
“Of course, sir.”
The car pulled out into traffic, and I finally allowed myself to sink back against the leather seats. The adrenaline from the confrontation
with Anna was starting to fade, leaving me feeling drained and slightly sick.
“I apologize for Anna’s behavior,” I said stiffly. “She’s… difficult.”
“Hm. Caleb was quiet for a moment, staring out the window at the passing city. “What did you say her name was? Anna…?”
“Anna ckwood.” I couldn’t keep the distaste out of my voice,
“Anna ckwood,” Caleb repeated slowly, as if testing the name. “That’s… interesting. I think I’ve seen her before,” he said quietly. “Not
recently, but… somewhere”
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