Damian – POV
"...we've seen a 12% uptick in engagement since the last rollout," Eric was saying, pointing at the graph on the screen. But I couldn't concentrate.
Not when she was sitting right there.
Amara.
She hadn't said a word since the meeting began, just calmly flipping through the slides, her expression unreadable. But every now and then, I'd catch the way she tugged slightly at her sleeve, or the way her fingers curled tightly around her pen. She was trying to hold it all together.
Maybe it was guilt from how I handled things. Maybe it was the tension between us after what she said... or maybe I just missed her calm presence, her smart mouth, even her irritated sighs.
But today, she was silent.
Professional.
Distant.
And it was eating me up inside.
I forced myself to nod along with Eric's final report and cleared my throat. "Thank you, everyone. That'll be all for now."
Chairs scraped. Files closed. People stood and filtered out of the room.
Everyone... except her.
She stood last, adjusting the front of her blouse as if trying to steel herself.
She didn't look at me.
"Miss Rivera," I said just before she reached the door.
She froze, her shoulders tensing.
I stood too. "Please stay behind. I need a word."
Her voice was quiet. "Yes, sir."
Once the door shut behind the last employee, I moved toward the small seating area in the corner of the room. I didn't want this conversation to feel like an interrogation across a desk. I wanted her to know I was... different now.
"I won't keep you long," I said, sitting on the sofa and gesturing to the seat across from me.
She sat, still not meeting my eyes.
There was a beat of silence before I spoke.
"I didn't call you here for anything work-related," I said, leaning forward. "I just... wanted to thank you for how composed you've been."
Her head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing in confusion. "Composed?"
"You showed up today," I said. "Despite everything. I know it wasn't easy. I also know I put you in a difficult position."
She didn't say anything at first. Then, quietly, "You didn't force me to walk into that meeting."
"But I gave people a reason to talk," I replied. "That picture... my declaration... I didn't think about how it would fall back on you."
Amara finally looked up. "It's fine. What's done is done."
Her voice was neutral, but the hurt still lingered behind her eyes. She was trying to be strong. For me? For herself? I wasn't sure.
"I'd like us to move past it," I said.
"So would I."
We both fell silent.
I studied her for a moment, and this time, she didn't look away. Her eyes locked with mine-and for a split second, I saw the spark I thought I'd lost. That fire, that boldness. It was still there... just hiding beneath the surface.
"Amara," I said softly, "you don't have to pretend with me. If you're still upset, say it."
She exhaled slowly. "I was upset. But I also know I said things I shouldn't have."
"That's not what I'm holding on to," I murmured.
She blinked. "Then what are you holding on to?"
"You," I said simply.
Her breath caught, and she looked away quickly.
I didn't push. I stood instead, letting the silence hang.
"You're free to go," I said. "Thank you for staying."
She nodded and stood as well, her steps slow as she headed for the door.
But just before she stepped out, she turned slightly.
"Damian?"
I raised a brow.
"Try not to stare too much next time. You're not very subtle."
Then she left-shoulders straighter, steps lighter.
And I sat back down, smiling like a fool.
Amara – POV
I closed the door behind me and stood there for a second, my fingers wrapped around the cool handle. I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind in my chest.
Why did he always have to look at me like that?
Like I was the only thing in the room worth seeing.
I hated how easily my resolve crumbled the second he softened his tone. When he spoke gently, like he just did... when he looked like he actually meant every word. I'd walked in prepared to keep things professional, cold even, but the moment he started speaking, all of it started to slip.
And when he said he was holding on to me?
My legs had nearly given out.
I walked back to my desk like I was floating in a daze. Eric was just returning from the conference room too and gave me a small nod. I returned it but didn't say anything. If I opened my mouth now, I might start rambling about how Damian made my heart beat like it was trying to escape my chest.
I sat at my desk, placed my fingers on the keyboard, but I didn't type. I stared blankly at the screen.
He'd thanked me... for showing up.
And I had tried to be neutral, to protect what little self-respect I had left, but deep down, I had wanted more. A part of me had been hoping he'd say something that would change everything.
And somehow... he did.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I replayed his words again in my head.
"You don't have to pretend with me."
"I'm holding on to you."
I shook my head quickly. "Get it together, Amara," I whispered under my breath. "He's still your boss."
But I couldn't stop the blush that crept up my cheeks-or the way my heart fluttered when I thought of how he smiled after I teased him at the door.
"Try not to stare too much next time."
"You're not very subtle."
What was I even thinking when I said that?
I groaned softly and covered my face with my hands. I was so going to regret that later.
My phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Mia.
> Mia: "You didn't call me back. I need tea. All of it."
I quickly typed back.
> Me: "You're not going to believe what just happened."
Another buzz.
> Mia: "Video call. Now. Or I will fly back and drag it out of you."
I chuckled and glanced around before putting in my earphones and starting the call.
Mia's face popped up on the screen, already grinning. "Girl, your face is glowing. Don't lie."
"I'm not glowing," I rolled my eyes. "It's just... the lighting."
"Lighting my foot," she smirked. "So what happened? Damian?"
I hesitated. Then sighed. "He called me in after the meeting. Just to talk. Said he appreciated my composure."
Mia's eyebrows shot up. "Wait... wait... you mean he started the conversation? You didn't even have to explain yourself first?"
I nodded slowly.
"And?" she leaned forward, eyes wide.
I looked down, then smiled softly. "He said he's still holding on to me."
Mia squealed so loudly I yanked the earphones off.
I shook my head with a laugh, heart racing all over again.
Whatever this thing between me and Damian was... it wasn't over.
Not even close.
The office had thinned out. The once-lively floor was now cloaked in a soft hush, broken only by the occasional distant hum of the elevator and the low rustle of papers being shuffled. Most people had already gone home, but I was still at my desk, pretending to finish up some tasks I had already completed.
Truthfully, I was buying time-trying to make sense of the storm inside me.
I regretted snapping at Damian earlier. The guilt had been gnawing at me since I walked out of his office. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me, especially not when he was trying to talk to me calmly for once.
I glanced at the time. Almost everyone had gone. Eric had already said goodnight, and now it was just me and... him.
I heard footsteps. Slow, deliberate.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was. The air shifted when he was near. My heart thudded in anticipation before his deep voice wrapped around me like velvet.
"You're still here."
I slowly raised my eyes. Damian stood a few feet from my desk, hands in his pockets, shirt sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. His tie was loose, his expression unreadable. But his eyes... his eyes were fixed on me with that same unsettling intensity.
"I was just about to leave," I said softly, my voice much steadier than I felt.
He nodded once, stepping closer. "I figured. Thought I'd catch you before you disappear."
I managed a small smile. "You make it sound like I'm running away."
He tilted his head, just slightly. "Are you?"
I lowered my gaze. "Maybe... just walking very fast."
He chuckled quietly. It was low and warm, and for some reason, it made my chest ache.
There was a beat of silence. Then he said, "Let me drop you off."
I blinked. "What?"
"It's late," he said, glancing at the darkened windows. "Let me take you home."
"I... I can manage. It's fine."
"Amara." His tone was firm, but gentle. "Please."
Something about the way he said my name made it hard to say no.
After a pause, I finally gave in with a small nod. "Okay."
He didn't smile, but his eyes softened. "Come on."
We walked side by side, the corridor quiet around us. My heels clicked gently against the floor, while his footsteps were silent but confident. I felt oddly nervous, like we were walking into something neither of us fully understood yet.
When we reached the glass wall near the elevators, he stopped.
"Do you want to talk about earlier?" he asked.
I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
His brows furrowed slightly. "For what?"
"For snapping at you in your office. I shouldn't have."
He studied me for a moment before speaking. "You were upset. You had every right."
"No," I said, shaking my head. "You didn't deserve that. You were trying to talk to me calmly and I-I pushed back. I regret that."
There was a long pause.
"I'm not used to people talking back to me," he admitted, surprising me.
"I can tell."
He smiled faintly. "But with you... I don't mind it."
I looked at him, unsure what to say to that. The lights from the city shimmered across his face, giving him a gentler glow. For the first time, he didn't seem like the powerful CEO everyone feared.
He just looked like a man trying to understand a woman he couldn't stop thinking about.
"I know I make things complicated," he said quietly. "But you... you matter to me more than I expected."
I sucked in a breath. "Damian-"
Before I could finish, he stepped closer.
Not in a rushed or forceful way.
But carefully.
Like he was afraid one wrong move would send me running.
"Can I?" he asked, voice so low it barely registered.
I didn't answer with words.
I didn't need to.
My eyes gave him the permission he was looking for.
And then his lips were on mine.
Soft at first. Testing. Questioning. As if waiting to see if I would pull away.
I didn't.
I kissed him back.
Slowly.
Cautiously.
And then with more certainty.
My heart pounded as his hand rested lightly on my waist, drawing me just a fraction closer. His lips were warm and gentle, not demanding, not possessive-just honest. Like he meant every bit of it.
When he finally pulled away, my eyes were still closed.
I had to breathe. I had to think.
But I didn't want to.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time," he said, brushing his thumb across my cheek.
I blinked up at him. "You should've warned me."
He smiled. "Would that have changed anything?"
"Maybe," I whispered. "Maybe not."
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Come on. Let's get you home."
And just like that, the walls I'd built around my heart began to crack. Not because of his power or his charm-but because, in that moment, he saw me.
And I wasn't afraid to let him.
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