Risking It All

Episode 12 : What game?

The next morning, Eva walked into the office with renewed determination. Sure, she was caught between two brothers—both attractive, both driving her absolutely insane—but if she learned anything from her chaotic life, it was that she didn’t have time to waste on being confused.

She was going to take control of her life. No more wishy-washy feelings, no more dragging things out.

As she made her way to her desk, the office was buzzing with its usual morning chaos. She caught sight of Alex by the coffee machine, laughing with one of the interns. His carefree charm was undeniable, but Eva felt her heart skip a beat as she locked eyes with Damien across the room. He was at his desk, absorbed in a conversation with Natalie, but the second their gazes met, his expression darkened, and he abruptly excused himself from the meeting.

Here we go again, she thought. Before she could process it, Damien was walking straight toward her, his eyes fixed on hers with a determined intensity.

“Can we talk?” Damien asked, his voice low, already inching her toward the hallway.

Eva glanced around nervously, not exactly in the mood to provide the office with more gossip material, but she nodded and followed him. They slipped into an empty conference room, the tension already building in the air.

“Damien, I—”

“I can’t stand it,” he interrupted, pacing in front of her. “I can’t keep doing this, Eva. Seeing you with Alex, acting like I don’t care… It’s driving me insane.”

She blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. “Damien, we’ve talked about this. I need space. You can’t just—”

“Forget space,” he growled, stepping closer. “You feel something too. I know you do.”

“Of course I do,” she snapped back, her frustration bubbling up. “But that doesn’t mean I can just choose right now. You’re both… confusing.”

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. “It’s not about choosing him or me. It’s about admitting what’s right in front of you. We could be something great, Eva. Don’t you see that?”

Her heart pounded, but before she could respond, the door flew open. Alex strolled in with that easygoing smile of his, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside the room.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do we have here? Private meeting?” he teased, leaning against the doorframe.

Damien clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Not now, Alex.”

“Come on, big brother, lighten up.” Alex sauntered over to Eva, throwing an arm casually around her shoulder. “You look stressed, Eva. Want to grab a coffee?”

Eva looked between the two brothers, feeling like she was in the middle of a ridiculous tug-of-war. She shrugged Alex’s arm off with an exasperated sigh.

“I need to work!” she burst out, her voice louder than she intended.

Alex’s smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, shooting a wink in Damien’s direction. “See, bro? Told you she’s got a mind of her own. Good luck trying to boss her around.”

Damien’s expression darkened, but before he could say anything, Eva turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. She was done with their antics for today.

Hours later, Eva sat at her desk, trying (and failing) to focus on the pile of manuscripts in front of her. Her phone buzzed with yet another message from Natalie, this time reminding her of some work deadline. But before she could even sigh in frustration, Talia waltzed in, looking like she had stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.

“Oh, Eva,” Talia purred, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “I heard about your little… predicament with Damien and Alex. How quaint.”

Eva fought the urge to roll her eyes. “It’s none of your business, Talia.”

“Oh, but it is,” Talia said, crossing her arms. “You see, Damien is my business. And while you’re playing the ‘unsure’ card, he’s losing focus. You’re a distraction, darling, and distractions never last.”

Eva stood, squaring her shoulders. “If you think you can just waltz in here and intimidate me, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Talia smirked, as if amused by Eva’s defiance. “I’m just saying—maybe it’s time you take a step back. Let the grown-ups handle things.”

Eva was about to retort when suddenly Damien appeared behind Talia, his expression cold as ice. “Talia, you need to leave.”

Talia turned, surprised. “Damien, I was just—”

“I said leave,” he repeated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

With a huff, Talia sauntered out of the room, casting one last angry glance at Eva.

Eva shook her head, annoyed at the drama. “I don’t need you rescuing me, Damien.”

“I know,” he replied softly, stepping closer. “But I couldn’t let her keep messing with you. Not when I know how much more you deserve.”

The vulnerability in his voice threw her off guard. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come.

He gazed at her for a long moment, then sighed. “Look, Eva. I know you’re frustrated with all of this. I get it. But I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about you. Not anymore.”

She stared at him, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them. “Damien, I—”

But before she could finish, the door swung open yet again, and Alex poked his head in, grinning. “Am I interrupting again?”

Eva groaned. This really was turning into a comedy of errors. “Seriously, Alex? Can I get five minutes without you two popping up everywhere?”

Alex shrugged, still smiling. “Hey, you’re the one who’s always in the middle of the action. What can I say? We’re drawn to you.”

Damien shot his brother a look that could melt ice, but Alex just winked at Eva, as if this were all part of some game.

And maybe it was, Eva thought with a mix of exasperation and amusement. But if it was, she was going to start playing by her own rules.