As Damian and I walked toward the meeting hall, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest. Just before we stepped in, my eyes caught sight of a woman seated beside an older man. She was stunning-poised, elegant, and confidently sipping from her coffee cup. The sight of her made my heart skip for a moment, though I couldn't quite place why.
"Hello, Mr. Simon Glover. Good to have you here," Damian said warmly as he extended a hand toward the older man.
Mr. Glover smiled and returned the gesture. "Always a pleasure."
Damian then turned to the lady beside him. "And you as well," he added politely before gesturing toward me. "This is Amara-one of our most promising creatives. Amara, meet Mr. Glover and his daughter."
"Nice to meet you," I said with a small nod, my voice steady though I could feel Clara's eyes scanning me.
Clara didn't say much-only smiled faintly-but her gaze lingered on Damian and me with a curiosity that made me a little uneasy.
The meeting soon began, and I sat quietly, flipping open my notepad as Damian led the conversation. Clara stayed mostly silent, though her eyes barely left us. Whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself.
After the presentation and formalities wrapped up, we all stood. Mr. Glover turned to me with a pleased expression. "You're really good at what you do, Miss Amara."
"Thank you, sir," I replied sincerely.
Then Mr. Glover shifted his attention to Damian. "I'd like us to have a quick word."
Damian gave a respectful nod, and then Mr. Glover turned to me. "Please, would you mind giving us a moment?"
"Oh, of course," I said with a polite smile and stepped out, leaving the three of them in the room.
Now it was just Damian, Clara, and Mr. Glover.
"So," Mr. Glover began, looking at Damian, "do you recognize her?"
Damian glanced at Clara, confused. "I'm afraid I don't. Have we met before?"
Clara smiled lightly. "Not in person. But I've heard a lot about you."
Mr. Glover let out a small chuckle. "This is my first daughter, Clara. She's been overseas for quite some time handling the international branches. She'll be stepping in on my behalf now and then, especially when I'm unavailable."
Damian nodded respectfully, though his expression stayed neutral.
"And," Mr. Glover added meaningfully, "I think it would be great if you and Clara spent a bit of time together. Getting close might help strengthen the relationship between our companies-especially with that upcoming contract I mentioned. I'll be introducing you to more of my contacts soon, and I'd like things to run smoothly."
Just then, his phone buzzed. Mr. Glover glanced at it and sighed. "Excuse me," he said, stepping aside to take the call.
A few minutes later, he returned, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "I need to run now," he said. "Clara can take it from here. You two go ahead and continue where I left off."
And with that, Mr. Glover made his exit, leaving Damian and Clara alone.
As the door closed behind Mr. Glover, a calm silence settled between Damian and Clara. She turned to him, her expression relaxed but slightly inquisitive.
"So..." she began, crossing one leg over the other, "looks like it's just the two of us now."
Damian gave a slight nod. "Seems so."
Clara smiled. "My father really wants us to get along. It's not just business for him. He believes in building strong ties."
Damian leaned back in his seat, folding his arms. "He's a man who knows what he wants. But let's be clear-I don't mix business with anything else unless I'm certain it won't get complicated."
Clara chuckled softly. "Fair enough. But just so you know, I don't get complicated. I understand boundaries. And I also know when someone's attention is already elsewhere."
Damian's brow lifted slightly. "What do you mean?"
Clara gave a knowing smile. "The girl who was with you earlier... Amara, right?"
"Yes."
"There's something there," she said simply. "The way you looked at her... It wasn't casual."
Damian didn't reply immediately. Instead, he held her gaze for a moment before standing. "Thanks for the insight, Clara. But I'd rather we keep our interactions professional, as your father intended."
Clara stood too, unfazed. "Of course. Just letting you know-I don't compete where there's already a winner."
With that, she picked up the meeting file and walked out confidently.
Damian exhaled quietly and glanced at the glass walls of the meeting room. For a second, he wondered if Amara was still thinking about what just happened. He needed to find her-because whatever Mr. Glover had planned, it wasn't going to change the truth about who had already captured his heart.
Clara stepped out of the meeting room, offering a polite nod as she passed Amara's desk. Amara returned it with a slight smile, her eyes trailing after her. There was nothing overtly hostile in Clara's expression-but something about the way she carried herself left Amara uneasy.
A moment later, Damian emerged. His gaze immediately found her.
"There you are," he said, his voice warm and familiar, like it always was when they were alone. "Sorry that dragged out."
Amara set her pen down and stood. "It's fine. Looked intense."
He smirked. "Not as intense as your stare when Clara walked out."
Amara arched a brow. "She's... something."
Damian stepped closer, already reading the shift in her tone. "Come with me," he murmured, guiding her toward his office.
Once inside, the door clicked shut behind them. Damian leaned back against the desk, arms casually crossed, while Amara stood with her arms folded-more amused than upset, but clearly holding something back.
"She's beautiful," Amara said without preamble.
He gave a soft sigh, head tilting. "Is this really going to be a thing?"
"I'm just saying," she shrugged. "Mr. Glover's daughter? I didn't expect her to look at me like I was... competition."
"There is no competition," Damian said, pushing off the desk and walking over to her. "You're the one I'm with. You're the one I left that room thinking about. Not her."
"She looked like she knew you," Amara said, her voice a little quieter now.
"She's probably heard about me, that's all. You think I'd be keeping something from you?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
She met his gaze, her tone softening. "No. I just wasn't prepared for her."
"I wasn't either," he said. "She wasn't even supposed to be at that meeting. Her father just dropped that on us."
Amara nodded, then looked around. "By the way, thank you... again. For the bag."
A small smile tugged at Damian's lips. "You liked it?"
"I love it."
"You deserve more," he said, drawing her into his arms. "And after work, I want to spend the evening with you. No interruptions. Just us."
Amara leaned into him, her voice low. "I'm holding you to that."
"You better," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.
Just then, a knock on the door broke the moment. Damian groaned under his breath but didn't let go of her right away.
"We'll pick this up later," he murmured, eyes locked on hers.
Amara gave him a soft smile and stepped back, her heart steady now-but still quietly racing just from being near him.