PREGNANT BY THE COLD BILLIONAIRE

Chapter Five: An Unexpected Morning

A loud clap of thunder shook the hotel just before dawn.

Ariana stirred beneath the soft duvet, her eyes fluttering open as pale morning light filtered through the curtains. For a few seconds, she couldn't remember where she was. The luxurious room, the scent of fresh linen, and the breathtaking view of the city all felt unfamiliar.

Then reality came rushing back.

Ethan.

The hotel.

Damien.

She sat up slowly and let out a long breath. Her phone lay on the bedside table exactly where she had left it the previous night. After hesitating for a moment, she switched it on.

The screen lit up immediately.

Thirty-eight missed calls.

Twenty-three text messages.

Every single one was from Ethan.

Ariana stared at the notifications before quietly placing the phone back on the table without opening a single message.

"There are some apologies that come too late," she whispered to herself.

After taking a warm shower, she changed into a cream-colored blouse and a pair of dark blue jeans. The receptionist had arranged for fresh clothes to be delivered after Damien discreetly asked the concierge to help. Ariana had protested when she learned about it, but there was little she could do after discovering everything had already been paid for.

She caught her reflection in the mirror.

The sadness was still there.

But so was something else.

Strength.

"I'll be okay," she told herself. "Maybe not today... but someday."

Meanwhile, on the hotel's top floor, Damien stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse suite, already dressed in a charcoal-grey suit. His tie rested neatly against his crisp white shirt, yet the untouched cup of coffee on the table suggested his mind was elsewhere.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Damien said.

Victor entered carrying a tablet and several documents.

"Good morning, sir."

"It doesn't feel like one."

Victor gave a knowing smile before placing the files on the dining table.

"The board members are already asking questions about the Blackstone Project."

"They can wait."

Victor looked surprised.

"That's unlike you."

Damien walked toward the coffee machine but made no effort to pour another cup.

"Have we identified the person responsible?"

"Not yet."

Victor hesitated before continuing.

"There is something else."

Damien turned.

"Ethan Brooks."

Damien frowned slightly.

"Who?"

"The man who has been calling Miss Ariana Cole all night."

Damien's expression hardened.

"I didn't ask you to investigate her."

"You didn't," Victor admitted. "But after Miss Eleanor requested information about her, I thought it would be wise to know who she is before someone else uses that information against you."

Damien remained silent.

Victor continued.

"Ethan Brooks has been searching every hotel in the city since last night. According to our sources, he believes Miss Cole is still somewhere in the Grand Monarch."

Damien's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

"What does he want?"

"He claims he wants another chance."

Damien looked out the window.

"Whether she gives him one is her decision."

Victor studied his employer carefully.

"Of course."

But even Victor noticed something Damien himself hadn't admitted.

The thought of Ethan finding Ariana didn't sit well with him.

Several floors below, Ariana stepped out of the elevator and made her way toward the hotel's restaurant. The rich aroma of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee filled the air, and for the first time since yesterday evening, she realized how hungry she was.

A waiter welcomed her with a smile.

"Good morning, Miss Cole. Breakfast is complimentary."

She smiled gratefully and chose a quiet table beside the windows.

Outside, the rain had softened into a gentle drizzle, leaving tiny droplets clinging to the glass.

As she reached for the menu, a familiar voice spoke behind her.

"May I join you?"

Ariana looked up.

Damien stood there, one hand tucked into his trouser pocket, looking far more relaxed than he had the previous evening.

She smiled.

"I was beginning to think billionaires skipped breakfast."

"They usually skip sleep."

"That explains the tired eyes."

A faint chuckle escaped him.

"May I sit?"

She gestured to the empty chair.

"I suppose I still owe you that cup of coffee."

Damien sat down across from her just as a waiter approached.

"Good morning, Mr. Blackwood."

Damien nodded politely before glancing at Ariana.

"What are you having?"

She looked at the menu thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure yet."

"Then let me make a recommendation," Damien said. "The pancakes here are surprisingly good."

Ariana raised an eyebrow.

"You sound like you come here often."

"I practically live here during business trips."

She laughed.

"I almost forgot you're human."

Damien looked amused.

"There was a chance you thought otherwise?"

She nodded dramatically.

"I assumed billionaires survived on board meetings and expensive coffee."

For the first time that morning, Damien laughed.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't forced.

It was genuine.

Several employees glanced at one another in surprise.

None of them could remember the last time they had seen Damien Blackwood laugh

The sound of Damien's laughter drew a few curious glances from nearby tables. Even the waiter paused for a second before continuing his work. It wasn't every day the reserved CEO of Blackwood Holdings looked genuinely at ease.

Ariana noticed the attention and smiled. "Should I be charging people for witnessing this rare moment?"

Damien picked up his coffee. "Don't get used to it."

"I knew it," she teased. "The serious billionaire is back."

"I'm still deciding whether you're a good influence."

"And your verdict?"

He looked at her for a moment before replying, "The jury is still out."

Their breakfast arrived a few minutes later. The aroma of fresh pancakes, scrambled eggs, and coffee filled the space between them. For the first time in what felt like forever, Ariana found herself eating without forcing every bite.

Damien noticed.

"You didn't eat much last night."

"I wasn't hungry."

"And today?"

She smiled faintly. "Today feels... different."

He nodded, understanding more than she realized. Sometimes, healing didn't begin with grand gestures. Sometimes, it started with something as simple as sharing breakfast with someone who expected nothing in return.

For a few minutes, they ate in comfortable silence.

"So," Ariana said, setting down her fork, "what made you start your company?"

Damien smiled slightly. "You're assuming I started it."

"You didn't?"

"My father did. It was a small construction business with fewer than twenty employees. When he became ill, I took over."

"And turned it into one of the biggest companies in the country."

"It wasn't overnight."

"I imagine it wasn't."

He leaned back in his chair. "There were years when I slept in the office because I couldn't afford an apartment. I lost contracts, trusted the wrong people, and made mistakes that nearly destroyed everything."

Ariana looked genuinely surprised.

"I thought people like you were born into perfect lives."

Damien gave a quiet laugh.

"Money solves many problems. It doesn't stop pain."

His words settled between them.

Ariana lowered her eyes to her coffee. "I suppose that's true."

She thought of Ethan. Three years together, and none of the dreams they had built had survived a single moment of betrayal.

Before either of them could continue, hurried footsteps echoed through the restaurant.

The hotel manager approached Damien with an apologetic expression.

"Mr. Blackwood, I'm sorry to interrupt."

Damien looked up. "What is it?"

"We have a gentleman insisting on speaking with Miss Cole."

Ariana's heart skipped.

"Who is it?" Damien asked, though he already suspected the answer.

The manager hesitated. "He says his name is Ethan Brooks."

Ariana's smile vanished instantly.

"He shouldn't be here," she whispered.

The manager nodded. "Our security team stopped him in the lobby, but he's refusing to leave. He keeps saying he only wants five minutes."

Damien's expression hardened.

"Has he caused any trouble?"

"Not yet, sir."

Damien glanced at Ariana. "You don't have to see him."

She looked down at her hands, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup.

"I don't want to."

"Then you won't."

His calm confidence eased some of the tension in her shoulders.

Damien stood from his chair. "Please tell security that Miss Cole doesn't wish to receive any visitors. If Mr. Brooks refuses to leave, contact the police."

"Right away, sir."

The manager hurried off.

Ariana stared at Damien after the manager disappeared.

"You didn't even ask whether I wanted to forgive him."

Damien met her eyes.

"Because that's your choice. My job isn't to decide for you."

"Then why help me?"

He was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Because yesterday someone hurt you, and today they don't get to decide how your day begins."

His words caught Ariana completely off guard.

No one had ever defended her so calmly, without expecting anything in return.

Before she could respond, a loud voice echoed from the hotel lobby.

"Ariana!"

She froze.

Even from the restaurant, Ethan's voice was unmistakable.

"Ariana, please! Just listen to me!"

Several guests turned toward the commotion.

Damien looked toward the entrance before returning his attention to Ariana.

"You can stay here."

She shook her head.

"No."

"What do you mean?"

"If I keep hiding from him, he'll never stop."

She slowly pushed back her chair and stood.

"I need to end this."

Damien studied her face carefully. He could see the fear in her eyes, but he also saw determination.

"Then you won't do it alone."

Together, they walked toward the lobby.

Neither of them noticed a woman standing near the reception desk.

Eleanor lowered the sunglasses she had been wearing and watched them from a distance.

"So," she murmured to herself, "you're protecting her already."

A slow smile appeared on her lips, though there was no warmth behind it.

"This is going to be much more interesting than I expected."

As Damien and Ariana stepped into the lobby, Ethan broke free from a security guard and looked directly at Ariana.

Relief flooded his face.

"There you are!"

Then his eyes shifted to the man standing beside her.

His expression changed instantly.

"Who the hell is he?"

The entire lobby fell silent.

Damien didn't answer.

Instead, he stepped forward just enough to place himself between Ethan and Ariana.

And for the first time since meeting Damien Blackwood...

Ariana felt completely safe.