THE NIGHT WE RUINED EVERYTHING

chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ariana paused for a moment. “How does he know my house?” she whispered quietly. “I never told him.”

Her hands trembled slightly as fear crawled through her body. The anonymous messages were already enough to make her uneasy, and now Damien Vale was standing outside her apartment close to midnight.

“Damien?” she called out again, this time louder.

“Yes, it’s me, Ariana,” he answered calmly from the other side of the door.

Ariana slowly moved closer and peeked through the small door hole. And finally, she confirmed it was really him. Standing outside in the rain. His black suit looked slightly messy, and his tie hung loose around his neck like he had been driving around for hours.

“What are you doing here?” Ariana asked suspiciously through the door. “And how do you know where I live?”

Damien loosened his tie slightly. “You work for my company. Your address is in your employee file.”

Ariana frowned immediately. “You know that’s illegal, right?”

“Probably.”

That answer irritated her more than it should have. Ariana finally unlocked the door slowly.

The moment Damien stepped into the apartment, she suddenly became aware of how small the place looked compared to his world. The living room was tiny, with old furniture and dim lighting. A small fan rotated slowly from the ceiling while rain hammered loudly against the windows outside. For a second, Ariana felt embarrassed. But Damien said nothing about the apartment. Instead, his eyes quietly studied the room.

Then finally, Ariana spoke again. “What are you even doing here at this hour?” she asked. “It’s almost midnight.”

Damien stared at her for a moment before answering. “I came to explain.”

Ariana looked confused. “Explain what?”

Without speaking, Damien gestured toward her phone. Ariana instantly grabbed it from the couch and showed him the messages. “This,” she snapped. “And why am I suddenly receiving threats from some mysterious person I don’t even know?”

“Ariana, calm down,” Damien said quietly. “I can explain.”

“You don’t owe me any explanation,” she replied angrily. “I’m nobody to you.”

That sentence made Damien’s expression darken slightly. “People like you don’t surprise me anymore,” Ariana continued bitterly. “Rich people always leave destruction behind them.”

Those words hit Damien harder than she expected. His face instantly turned serious. “What do you mean by that?” he asked quietly.

Ariana crossed her arms. “You heard me.”

Damien sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Do you think it’s easy for me to live like this?” he asked suddenly. “Do you think I enjoy any of it?” Ariana stayed silent. “I’ve spent years trying to fix everything,” he continued. “But nothing is ever enough for my father.”

The anger in his voice slowly faded into exhaustion. Then Damien looked directly at her. “You want to know who Sophia is, right?” Ariana’s eyes shifted slightly. “She’s my ex-fiancée.”

The room suddenly became quiet. “I was supposed to marry her because of my father,” Damien admitted bitterly. “It was all business. Reputation. Power. That’s all my family ever cares about.”

Ariana stared at him silently. For the first time since meeting Damien Vale, she noticed something different. He wasn’t just arrogant. He was trapped. Controlled by expectations he never chose for himself.

“But how do you know Sophia sent me those messages?” Ariana asked carefully. Damien pulled out his phone and showed her the screen. “Because she sent me the same thing. She told me she already contacted you.”

Ariana frowned deeply. “But how did she even get my number?”

“That’s the part I don’t understand either,” Damien admitted.

Ariana slowly sat down on the couch, thinking carefully. None of this made sense anymore. She thought Damien was simply another spoiled billionaire who enjoyed humiliating people beneath him. But now… things felt more complicated.

“You think I have a perfect life?” Damien suddenly asked. Ariana looked up at him. “Well, I don’t.” For a moment, neither of them spoke. Rain crashed heavily outside while tension filled the small apartment.

Ariana slowly stood up and walked closer to him. “How should I care?” she asked quietly. “It’s none of my business.” Damien stared at her carefully. “I came here to work for your company,” Ariana continued. “Not to listen to your problems.” She looked away quickly. “And honestly, I don’t care who Sophia is.” That was a lie. And both of them knew it. Ariana hated how much the photo bothered her. Hated how painful it felt seeing him with another woman. But she refused to admit that aloud.

“I’m already stressed enough,” she continued bitterly. “I have my own problems. I can’t carry yours too.” Damien stayed silent while she spoke. “You made my life difficult from the first day I entered your company,” Ariana added. “Every morning I struggle just to survive there.” She pointed around the apartment. “Look around you. Look at where I live.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I’m already suffering enough. I don’t need more problems.”

For the first time since entering the apartment, Damien truly looked around carefully. The old couch. The cracked wall near the kitchen. The tiny space. And suddenly he remembered her worn bag, her cheap heels, and the way she carefully saved every lunch she brought to work. “I never knew things were this difficult for you,” he admitted quietly.

Ariana laughed bitterly. “Oh really?” she asked. “A girl carrying an old bag and wearing worn-out heels didn’t make it obvious enough?” Damien looked down silently. Then finally— “I’m sorry, Ariana.”

Ariana froze instantly. She stared at him in complete disbelief. Did Damien Vale just apologize? The arrogant billionaire who insulted her daily? She almost thought she imagined it. “I’m serious,” Damien said softly. “I know I shouldn’t have been so hard on you.”

For the first time, Ariana noticed something hidden beneath his arrogance: loneliness. He hid it well. But now she could see it clearly. “The reason I came here tonight,” Damien continued quietly, “was because I didn’t want Sophia creating misunderstandings between us.” He paused briefly. “She won’t stop here.”

Ariana looked down at the messages again. Then Damien sighed. “And that picture,” he added quickly, “was forced. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Damien, stop,” Ariana interrupted immediately. He looked at her. “You don’t need to explain anything,” she said quietly. “I told you already I don’t care.” Another lie. “And honestly,” she added tiredly, “I just want to rest.” Ariana hid her pain behind sarcasm because it felt safer than honesty.

Then suddenly, the rain outside became even heavier. Thunder shook the apartment loudly. And without warning, the lights went out completely. Darkness swallowed the room instantly.

Ariana screamed softly. “Oh no… no, no…” Her breathing immediately became uneven. “I hate darkness.”

Within seconds, Damien pulled out his phone and switched on the flashlight. The soft light filled the room faintly. That was when he noticed Ariana standing extremely close to him. Too close. Without realizing it, she grabbed his hand tightly. As if letting go would make the darkness worse.

Damien looked down at her fingers wrapped around his hand. Then slowly, their eyes met. The tension between them instantly changed. Neither of them moved. The rain outside faded into the background while silence filled the apartment. Damien slowly leaned closer toward her. Ariana didn’t step back. Didn’t speak. She simply stared at him quietly while her heart pounded uncontrollably inside her chest.

He moved closer than she expected. Close enough for her to feel his breathing. His lips nearly touched hers. Then suddenly— his phone rang loudly.

Both of them snapped back immediately. Ariana quickly released his hand and stepped away. Damien cleared his throat awkwardly before checking the caller ID. “I have to go now,” he said quietly. Ariana gave a small nod. The atmosphere between them suddenly felt different now. Softer. More dangerous.

Before leaving, Damien looked at her one last time. And for once, his voice sounded gentler than usual. “Can you do me a favor?” he asked. Ariana looked at her silently. “Stop believing everything people say about me.” Then, without waiting for her response, Damien turned around and walked out into the rain.