Chapter9
995 Words
By Tuesday morning, rumors spread through Laurent Holdings faster than wildfire.
Employees whispered in elevators.
Assistants exchanged gossip over coffee.
Even security guards noticed the sudden tension surrounding Damien Cole and the company’s newest trainee.
Amara Daniels.
The girl suddenly impossible to ignore.
Amara noticed the stares immediately the moment she entered the building.
Wonderful.
Exactly what she feared.
“She’s here.”
“That’s her?”
“I heard Damien personally hired her.”
“No, I heard they met before.”
People lowered their voices whenever she passed.
But not enough.
Amara tightened her grip on her bag and walked faster toward the executive floor.
She hated this already.
Inside the elevator, her reflection looked tired.
Stressed.
And maybe slightly panicked.
“Rough morning?”
She nearly jumped.
Damien stood beside her holding coffee cups.
How did he keep appearing like this?
“Do billionaires secretly live inside elevators?” she muttered.
His lips twitched.
“Only the handsome ones.”
Amara stared at him in disbelief.
“You actually said that out loud.”
“You looked stressed.”
“So your solution was flirting?”
“Was it working?”
“Yes,” she admitted before realizing what she said.
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Damien’s expression softened instantly.
Amara groaned softly.
“Forget I answered that.”
“Impossible.”
The elevator doors opened before her embarrassment could worsen further.
But the moment they stepped onto the executive floor, reality returned immediately.
Employees noticed them together.
Again.
And whispers exploded instantly.
Amara stopped walking.
“This is a bad idea.”
Damien looked at her carefully.
“What is?”
“This.” She gestured between them. “People already think I’m sleeping with you.”
His expression darkened immediately.
“Who said that?”
“No one directly.”
“Amara.”
She sighed heavily.
“It’s obvious.”
For one dangerous second, Damien looked genuinely angry.
Not at her.
At the situation.
At the people talking.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
“But I am dealing with it.”
Damien stepped closer quietly.
“Look at me.”
Reluctantly, she did.
“You earned your position,” he said firmly. “Don’t let insecure people convince you otherwise.”
The sincerity in his voice almost weakened her resolve again.
Almost.
Before she could answer, another voice interrupted sharply.
“Well this looks intimate.”
Vanessa.
Of course.
She approached across the office floor wearing sunglasses and designer heels despite it being barely nine in the morning.
Several employees instantly pretended to work harder.
Vanessa stopped beside Damien possessively.
“You ignored my calls again.”
“I was busy.”
“With her?”
Amara immediately stepped backward.
“I should leave.”
“No,” Vanessa said coldly. “Stay. Since you apparently enjoy hanging around my boyfriend.”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Employees nearby listened shamelessly now.
Damien’s expression hardened.
“Vanessa.”
“What?” she snapped. “Everyone’s already talking.”
Amara felt humiliation burn through her chest.
This was exactly why she avoided men like Damien.
Drama.
Attention.
Public embarrassment.
“I’m going to work,” she muttered quietly.
She turned quickly before either of them could stop her.
But even after disappearing into the office hallway, she could still feel Damien watching her.
And somehow that hurt more than Vanessa’s insults.
—
By lunchtime, Amara locked herself inside the small staff break room trying desperately to calm down.
She stared down at her untouched food while replaying Vanessa’s words repeatedly.
My boyfriend.
The reminder stung unexpectedly.
Which made absolutely no sense.
She barely knew Damien.
So why did another woman claiming him bother her so much?
The break room door opened softly.
Amara didn’t look up.
“If this is another rumor, I honestly don’t care anymore.”
“It’s coffee.”
She looked up instantly.
Damien stood holding two cups.
Of course he did.
“I’m hiding,” she informed him.
“I noticed.”
“You’re ruining the hiding.”
Ignoring her complaint completely, Damien sat across from her.
Amara sighed.
“You really don’t understand boundaries.”
“No,” he admitted calmly. “Not with you.”
That answer hit far too hard.
She looked away quickly.
“You should be with Vanessa.”
Damien’s expression shifted immediately.
“Why?”
“Because she’s your girlfriend.”
Silence.
Then unexpectedly—
“Vanessa and I ended months ago.”
Amara blinked.
“What?”
“We kept appearances for business reasons.”
“You fake-dated someone for business?”
Damien looked unimpressed.
“Welcome to wealthy people problems.”
Despite herself, Amara laughed softly.
Then stopped when she realized how close he sat.
How carefully he watched her.
How dangerous this entire situation felt.
“You should’ve told her that,” she muttered.
“I have.”
“And?”
“She prefers denial.”
Amara shook her head slowly.
Rich people honestly lived exhausting lives.
For several quiet seconds, neither spoke.
Then Damien surprised her again.
“You looked hurt earlier.”
Her chest tightened instantly.
“I wasn’t.”
“You’re lying.”
Amara looked down at the table.
Because honestly?
Maybe she had been hurt.
Not because Damien belonged to Vanessa.
But because she suddenly realized how easily she could become another temporary headline in his complicated world.
“You’re important,” Damien said quietly.
The words stunned her completely.
“What?”
“You matter here.” His gaze held hers steadily. “And not because of me.”
Nobody had spoken to her like that in a very long time.
Not gently.
Not sincerely.
Amara swallowed hard.
Dangerous man.
Dangerous smile.
Dangerous ability to make her heart feel things it absolutely shouldn’t.
And deep down, she was beginning to realize the most terrifying truth of all.
She was no longer just curious about Damien Cole.
She was already falling for him.
- Writer
