Part 5: When Everything Falls Apart
The sound of the rain was the first thing Aria heard when she woke.
It beat against her window like impatient fingers, each drop sharp and heavy. For a moment, she didn't move — the dull ache behind her eyes was enough to keep her frozen under the covers. Then her phone buzzed on the nightstand again and again until she couldn't ignore it anymore.
She reached for it with trembling fingers.
The first thing she saw was the headline.
BENNETT HOLDINGS FILES FOR LIQUIDATION — MAJOR INVESTORS PULL OUT
Her stomach dropped. She sat up too quickly, the blanket tangling around her knees, breath catching in her throat. The article was everywhere — business blogs, news feeds, social media. Her family's company name plastered beside words like collapse, debt, and scandal.
A photo of her father leaving an office building flashed on the screen, face pale, reporters swarming around him.
Aria swallowed hard. For a moment, she could barely breathe.
Her mother's voice echoed from the hallway a second later, sharp and frantic. "Aria! Turn on the news—right now!"
When Aria opened the door, she found Vivian Bennett pacing the living room, a half-empty coffee cup trembling in her hand. The television filled the room with harsh voices, reporters standing outside their company headquarters.
"They've frozen all our accounts," her mother said, her voice breaking between anger and panic. "Do you understand what this means? They're taking everything—everything your father worked for!"
Aria's mind struggled to keep up. "Mom, please, just—"
"Don't you please me, Aria!" Vivian snapped, turning on her. "If you had just married Ethan, this wouldn't have happened! We wouldn't be ruined!"
Aria flinched as if struck. "You think this is my fault?"
"It was supposed to save us," her mother said, eyes red and wild. "You were supposed to save us!"
The words hit harder than they should have. Aria wanted to shout, to remind her mother that Ethan was the one who vanished, that none of this was her choice. But the exhaustion in her mother's face silenced her.
It wasn't worth it. Not now.
She turned off the TV and grabbed her coat. "I'm going to the office," she said quietly. "I'll see what I can do."
Vivian didn't stop her. Maybe because she didn't believe there was anything left to do.
---
The elevator ride up to Bennett Holdings' top floor felt longer than usual.
When the doors opened, the sound of chaos flooded her senses — phones ringing nonstop, employees whispering, a few even crying quietly at their desks. Her father's door was shut, but through the frosted glass, she could see him inside, hunched over, surrounded by men in suits she didn't recognize.
She stepped forward, but someone caught her arm.
"Aria," said Lucas, one of the junior managers. "You shouldn't be here. They're… they're meeting with the bank's legal team."
Her throat felt dry. "They can't just—"
"They already did," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
Aria's hands clenched. The world around her seemed to tilt. She forced a steady breath and straightened her shoulders. "Thank you, Lucas."
She turned and left before the tears could come.
Outside, the rain had worsened. She walked without knowing where she was going — through the city's crowded streets, past people who didn't know or care that her entire life had just crumbled.
Her phone buzzed again. She ignored it. Then it rang, vibrating insistently in her hand.
She glanced at the screen — Private Number.
She hesitated, then answered. "Hello?"
"Miss Bennett."
The voice was smooth, low, and unmistakable.
Her breath caught. "Mr. Blackwood."
"I assume you've seen the news," Damian said, his tone unreadable.
"I have." She hated how her voice trembled. "If you're calling to gloat—"
"I don't waste time gloating," he interrupted. "I'm calling because there's an opportunity to discuss."
Aria stopped walking. Rain slid down her coat, dripping from her hair. "An opportunity?"
"Your family's company has potential assets worth saving. Under the right management, it could be rebuilt. But that won't happen if you keep pretending you can fix this on your own."
She gripped the phone tighter. "You think I'm just going to beg you for help?"
"No," he said. "You don't have to beg."
The line went quiet for a heartbeat before his voice dropped lower.
"Come to my office, Miss Bennett. Now."
The call ended.
---
The drive to Blackwood Tower blurred in her memory. By the time she reached the top floor, she wasn't sure if it was courage or sheer exhaustion keeping her upright.
Damian's office door stood open, a quiet invitation that somehow felt like a challenge.
He was standing by the window when she entered, the skyline casting pale light across his sharp features. He didn't turn immediately, just spoke without looking at her.
"You're late."
"I wasn't aware this was an appointment," she replied, closing the door behind her.
That made him turn. His gaze met hers, calm and impossibly steady.
There was no trace of pity in his expression — only that cool detachment she'd begun to hate.
"Sit," he said.
"I'd rather stand."
A faint smirk touched his lips. "Still pretending to have a choice?"
Her eyes flashed. "If you called me here to insult me, I'll save you the trouble and leave."
He finally moved toward his desk, setting down a folder. "I called you because I don't enjoy watching good companies burn when they can be rebuilt."
"And what do you get out of rebuilding this one?" she asked. "Because I know you, Mr. Blackwood — you don't do charity."
He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, studying her as if weighing something invisible. "You're right. I don't."
He opened the folder and slid a paper toward her. "This is a proposal — a buyout agreement. I'll acquire Bennett Holdings' remaining shares. Your family's debts will be cleared, your father protected from legal charges, and the brand will stay intact."
Aria stared at the document. The numbers were staggering. "Why?" she whispered. "Why help us?"
"Because I need something in return," he said simply.
Her stomach twisted. "And what would that be?"
Damian's gaze locked on hers. The silence stretched long enough for her pulse to quicken. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, deliberate, every word cutting through the air like a blade.
"Marry me, Aria."
The world seemed to stop.
For a second, she thought she'd misheard him. "Excuse me?"
"Marry me," he repeated, his tone steady. "It solves everything. Your family's company will survive, my reputation will recover from my brother's scandal, and you'll keep the life you were promised."
"You can't be serious," she breathed.
"I'm always serious."
She shook her head, stepping back. "This is insane. You think I'd marry you after everything—after what you did to me at the wedding, after humiliating me?"
His expression didn't change. "You said it yourself that day — you don't like to owe anyone. Consider this the cleanest way to settle the debt."
Her laugh came out sharp, almost bitter. "You think this is a business deal?"
"That's exactly what it is."
She stared at him, heart pounding, searching for any sign that this was some cruel joke. But there was nothing — just that unshakable calm.
"What if I say no?"
Damian's gaze didn't waver. "Then your family loses everything by morning."
Silence.
Outside, thunder rolled again. The sound seemed to echo in her chest.
Aria's breath came shallow. Every instinct screamed to walk out, to slam the door and never look back. But she saw the folder still lying on the desk — the salvation her parents needed, the company her father had built from nothing.
She met Damian's eyes again, and in that moment, she hated him for being right.
He didn't move, didn't push further. He simply waited, as if he already knew what her answer would be.
Finally, Aria found her voice.
"You really are as heartless as they say."
"Perhaps," he said quietly. "But I keep my promises."
She stared at him for a long time — the man who'd walked into her ruined wedding, the one who'd turned her world upside down without even blinking.
Maybe this was fate's punishment. Or maybe it was her second chance — in the cruelest form imaginable.
Her throat tightened, but she forced the words out anyway.
"Fine," she said. "You'll have your answer. Tomorrow."
She turned and walked out before he could reply, every step heavier than the last.
Behind her, Damian watched the door close and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The storm outside cracked open, lightning flashing across the sky.
Tomorrow.
He didn't know what her answer would be.
But somehow, he already knew—whatever it was, it would change everything.