HIS LAST ASSISTANT

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN

Natalie's stomach dropped. The ballroom suddenly felt too warm, crowded, and too loud.

"What employee records?"

Her voice came out quieter than she intended. Damien's gaze remained fixed on her, and that alone told her everything. Her records, of course. Who else's would matter right now?

Marcus swore under his breath. "Tell me you're joking."

Damien wasn't joking. Natalie knew because his jaw had tightened, which was a rare c***k in his composure.

"What exactly was leaked?" Marcus asked.

Damien slid his phone into his pocket. "A private personnel file."

Natalie's chest constricted. For a brief second, she couldn't breathe, because she knew what was inside that file. It was definitely not the truth. Richard had made sure of that.

Months ago, when she was terminated, he had carefully filled her records with vague language and damaging implications.

There was nothing concrete, nothing she could legally fight, just enough to poison every opportunity afterward.

Marcus looked between them. "How bad?"

Neither of them answered, that was answer enough.

•

•

The ride back to Damien Cole Enterprises was painfully quiet. Natalie sat in the backseat of Damien's car staring out the window. New York blurred past in streaks of light, normally she loved the city, but tonight it felt like it was closing in around her.

Every article, whisper, rumor, and rejection, it all came rushing back. She thought she had escaped it, for a little while at least, but apparently not.

"Stop."

Natalie blinked. "What?"

Damien sat across from her, his expression remained unreadable.

"You've been blaming yourself for the last twenty minutes."

Natalie looked away because he was right again, and she hated that. "I brought this to your company."

"No."

Damien leaned back slightly. "Richard brought this to my company."

The distinction shouldn't have mattered, yet somehow it did.

Natalie swallowed. "You're making enemies because of me."

"No."

"No?"

His gaze held hers.

"I'm making enemies because they deserve it."

The air between them shifted dangerously. Natalie looked away first, because lately she was becoming far too aware of him, and that was a problem she didn't have time to deal with.

•

•

When they arrived at headquarters, Samantha was already waiting. That alone told Natalie the situation was serious.

Samantha rarely looked rattled but tonight she looked furious.

"How bad?" Damien asked.

"Bad."

She handed him a tablet. Natalie watched his expression darken as he scrolled, then Samantha looked directly at her. Sympathy flashed briefly across her face, and somehow that terrified Natalie more than hostility ever had.

"What?" Natalie asked.

Samantha hesitated, then handed her the tablet. Natalie's blood ran cold.

A website had published portions of her old personnel report, highlighted in bold letters.

“Unprofessional conduct.”

“Emotional instability.”

“Behavioral concerns.”

The exact phrases Richard had used, the same phrases that destroyed her career. Thousands of comments sat underneath, most from strangers, people who knew nothing about her, yet felt entitled to judge her anyway.

Natalie quickly looked away, she couldn't do this again, not tonight, not here, not after everything.

The room suddenly felt smaller and harder to breathe in.

"Natalie."

She barely heard Damien.

"Natalie."

His voice was closer now and steadier. She looked up and found him watching her carefully, not with pity, not with judgment, but something else, something she couldn't name.

"Look at me."

Her pulse jumped. Slowly, she did, Damien's expression remained calm. "None of that changes who you are."

The words hit harder than they should have, because for months she'd secretly feared the opposite, she feared that maybe the lies had become her truth, that if enough people believed something… eventually it became real.

Damien seemed to understand exactly what she was thinking.

"You know who you are."

The room fell quiet, even Samantha looked away, as if this conversation wasn't meant for anyone else.

Then Damien straightened. The moment passed, just like that. He was that cold controlled billionaire again.

"What about the source?” He asked Samantha.

Her expression hardened immediately. "We traced the leak."

Natalie's stomach twisted, Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Who?"

Samantha hesitated for the first time all evening. "It came from inside the company."

Natalie felt dread crawl up her spine. Someone inside Damien's company wanted her gone, they had leaked her records, someone inside was helping Richard.

The realization hit all three of them at once, and nobody liked it.

•

•

An hour later, Natalie finally arrived home exhausted, emotionally drained, and completely finished.

She kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto her couch.

Immediately, her phone rang, It was Jasmine.

Natalie answered. "Please tell me you're calling with wine."

"Even better."

Jasmine sounded excited, which was very unusual.

Natalie sat up. "What happened?"

"I found one of them."

Natalie's heart skipped. "One of who?"

"The women."

Suddenly she was fully awake, Jasmine lowered her voice. "One of Richard's former employees."

Natalie gripped the phone tighter. "What did she say?"

"Nothing yet."

The excitement vanished from Jasmine's voice. "She's terrified."

That answer somehow felt worse, because fear meant there was something worth fearing.

Jasmine continued. "But she agreed to meet me."

Natalie's pulse quickened.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

For the first time all day, hope flickered inside her. It was small, fragile but there.

Maybe she wasn't alone, maybe she never had been.

•

•

Across Manhattan, in one of the city's most expensive penthouses, Damien stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. The city stretched endlessly beneath him, normally he found comfort in the view, but tonight, he didn't.

His phone buzzed, he answered without looking. "Yes."

A familiar female voice spoke. It sounded cold, elegant, disapproving, it was his mother's voice. "Damien."

He closed his eyes briefly. "Mother."

"I heard about the scandal."

Of course she had. People like Victoria Cole heard everything, especially when it involved family reputation.

"The media is exaggerating."

Victoria laughed softly, it was a dangerous sound. "No."

Damien's expression hardened. "I disagree."

"You're protecting her."

There it was, the real reason for the call, it was not business.

His mother continued. "The board is concerned."

"I know."

"The family is concerned."

"I don't care."

There was a long silence. "You will."

The warning settled heavily between them. Damien's jaw tightened, because he knew exactly what his mother meant, and if Victoria Cole was calling personally… it meant something worse was coming. Much worse.

Then she delivered the final blow. "Your father wants to meet Miss Brooks."

Damien went completely still.

For the first time that night… he looked genuinely concerned.