MARRIED TO MY MISTAKE

Chapter 28

POV: Rhea

The office felt colder today.

Not physically, but somewhere in her chest. Something about the way Damian hadn’t looked at her the same that morning, or how Naomi’s eyes lingered just a little longer than usual.

Rhea sat at her desk, staring at the digital renderings in front of her. She wasn’t really seeing them. Her thoughts were moving too fast. Sliding between guilt, confusion, and the sharp, familiar reminder of why she was here.

Eight months.

She had been at Cole Global for eight months, long enough for the lines to blur.

She leaned back slowly, letting her fingers rest against her temple. There was a time when she could look Damian in the eye and only see a name she wanted to destroy. A bloodline that needed to fall.

But now...

Now she had laughed with him. Shared late nights building brand pitches. Sat beside him in silence during tense moments, understanding each other with nothing more than a glance.

She had seen him defend her. Heard him speak of trust, however fragile.

And sometimes—like that morning when their hands brushed over the same file—he looked at her like she wasn’t just another employee.

She swallowed hard, blinking away the thought. It didn’t matter what he thought.

He was still Richard Cole’s son.

The same Richard Cole who orchestrated the slow death of her family’s name. Who manipulated numbers behind closed doors, used loopholes to devour her father’s company, and walked away untouched. Her family hadn’t. Her real mother hadn’t. Her real life hadn’t.

But what did Damian know of that? What did he see when he looked at her? A talented strategist? A reliable colleague?

A woman he might be beginning to trust?

Her stomach twisted. She wasn’t sure she could carry the weight of that.

“Rhea?”

She jumped slightly, startled by the voice. Naomi stood by the divider, one hand on the edge of Rhea’s desk.

“Sorry, you okay?” Naomi asked, her tone light, but her eyes observant.

Rhea straightened, quickly adjusting the tab on her screen. “Yeah. Just zoning out. Long week.”

Naomi nodded slowly, stepping into the space. “You’ve been quiet lately.”

“Just tired,” Rhea replied, offering a small smile.

Naomi didn’t smile back. “You and Damian seem to be working... closely.”

That made Rhea pause.

She kept her expression steady, casual. “We’ve been on the same project.”

“Right.” Naomi tilted her head. “It’s just—I mean, he’s not exactly the easiest man to work with. You’ve figured him out, huh?”

Rhea smiled again, smaller this time. “He’s not so bad when he’s not barking orders.”

Naomi laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Sure. Just… be careful.”

Rhea’s pulse picked up. “Careful?”

Naomi shrugged. “He’s not the type to let people close. And when he does, it’s rarely without a reason.”

There was silence for a moment. Rhea nodded politely. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Naomi lingered a moment longer before walking away, her heels clicking against the tile. Rhea watched her go, heart still uneasy. Naomi had never been that direct before. She was picking up on something—and that was dangerous.

The door to the executive wing opened moments later.

Damian stepped out.

He walked past the bullpen slowly, his eyes glancing in her direction just briefly. He didn’t stop. Didn’t speak.

But she noticed the change. It was slight, but present. The way he looked at her now... less warm. More calculating.

She had felt it since that morning.

What she didn’t know—what she couldn’t know—was that just hours ago, Damian had called his assistant into his office.

“Do a quiet check on Rhea Blackwell,” he had said, his voice even. “Background, past jobs, any anomalies. I need to know who she is before I put my full trust in her.”

He hadn’t told anyone. Not even Naomi.

And yet, Rhea felt it.

She felt it in the air between them.

Maybe it was self-preservation. Maybe it was paranoia.

Or maybe it was because she had almost told him the truth.

Last night, after working late again, he had walked her out. The city lights painted his face with a soft golden hue as they waited for her car. He had asked her what made her leave her last company. He had asked it gently, like he wasn’t trying to pry but truly wanted to know.

And for one stupid, terrifying second, she had almost said it.

Almost told him about her father. Her real name. About Aurora Quinn and what his father did to her world.

But the moment passed. Her car arrived. And she had smiled and said, “Sometimes it just stops feeling like home.”

It was vague enough to pass, but she had seen something shift in his eyes. A glimmer of disappointment, maybe.

Now, in the silence of her corner, Rhea realized the game was changing.

She couldn’t afford to grow comfortable here. She couldn’t let herself feel anything for Damian Cole.

Because if he ever found out who she truly was—what she was here for—it wouldn’t just be the end of her plan.

It would be the end of her.