THE BILLIONAIRE'S FORBIDDEN OBSESSION

CHAPTER EIGHT -THE SECRET

The next morning, everything felt different.

Damien didn't mention the kiss.

Neither did I.

We acted as though nothing had happened.

But every time our eyes met, I remembered the feeling of his lips against mine.

I hated how easily he could make my heart race.

I hated even more that I wanted him to do it again.

That afternoon, I went into his office to look for a document Victoria had asked me to sign.

Damien wasn't there.

I searched through the desk.

Nothing.

Then I noticed a drawer that wasn't completely closed.

I pulled it open.

Inside was a folder.

My name was written on it.

AMARA BENNETT.

My heart stopped.

I shouldn't have opened it.

I knew that.

But curiosity won.

I pulled out the first page.

My address.

My workplace.

My favorite restaurant.

My mother's medical history.

My daily schedule.

I stared at the information in disbelief.

How did he know all of this?

I turned another page.

There were photographs.

Me leaving work.

Me sitting at a café.

Me walking through the park.

Photographs I had never known anyone had taken.

My hands began to shake.

"What are you doing?"

I froze.

Damien stood in the doorway.

His expression was completely different.

Cold.

Hard.

I slowly put the papers down.

"You've been watching me."

He didn't answer.

"How long?"

Silence.

"Damien, how long?"

"Months."

My chest tightened.

"Months?"

He walked toward me.

"I wanted to know who you were."

"So you followed me?"

"I had people observe you."

I stepped backward.

"That's not normal."

"I know."

"You took photographs of me."

"I needed to understand you."

"Understand me?"

My voice broke.

"You didn't even know me!"

His expression softened.

"I knew enough."

"No, you didn't."

I pushed the folder toward him.

"You knew where I went. What I ate. Where I worked. You knew my mother's medical history. You knew my clothing size."

He looked down at the folder.

Then back at me.

"I never intended to hurt you."

"But you lied to me."

"I didn't lie."

"You never told me!"

He took another step.

I moved away.

"Don't."

He stopped.

The hurt in his eyes surprised me.

"Amara..."

"I need space."

He nodded slowly.

"Okay."

I picked up my bag and walked out.

I made it halfway down the hallway before my phone rang.

It was Victoria.

"Amara, where are you?"

"I'm leaving."

Her voice became tense.

"Why?"

"I found something."

Silence.

Then she said,

"You found the file."

I stopped walking.

"You knew?"

"Amara, listen to me."

"You knew Damien had been watching me?"

"He wasn't trying to harm you."

"That's not the point."

She sighed.

"There's something else you need to know."

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

"Damien didn't find you randomly."

I gripped my phone.

"What are you talking about?"

"He specifically asked for you."

"Why?"

Victoria hesitated.

"Because he had been searching for you."

My heart pounded.

"Searching for me? Why?"

"I don't know everything."

"Victoria."

"I only know that your name was given to him months ago."

"By who?"

Another silence.

Then she whispered,

"Your father."

I couldn't breathe.

My father had been dead for seven years.

And suddenly, I realized that the contract with Damien Cross might have nothing to do with money at all.