MARRIED TO MY MISTAKE

UNSPOKEN TENSION

The silence between them wasn’t empty. It was loud. It pressed against the walls of Damian’s office like an invisible weight, thick and lingering. Rhea stood just by the edge of the desk, holding a file she barely remembered grabbing. Her eyes met his for a second longer than necessary before she quickly looked away.

She had made the call. Sent the tip. Brief. Untraceable. But now, standing here, facing the man she had just betrayed in the smallest, most careful way, her chest felt tight.

Damian’s fingers tapped against the table, slow and thoughtful. There was no anger on his face, nothing unusual in his tone. But that didn’t comfort her. If anything, it made her more nervous. His calm was never just calm. It was observation. Calculation.

“I heard something interesting this morning,” he said quietly, not looking up.

Rhea’s pulse quickened, but she didn’t flinch. “Oh?”

“There’s talk going around about the Holt merger.” His voice was calm, still casual, but his eyes were watching her now. “Someone leaked a key detail. Minor. But enough to make them pull back slightly. The board's not happy.”

Rhea blinked, her face giving away nothing. “That’s… unfortunate. Do they know where it came from?”

“They’re investigating,” he replied. His chair creaked a little as he leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You haven’t heard anything?”

“No, sir.” She kept her voice even, steady. “Nothing at all.”

He watched her in silence for a moment, and she had to remind herself to breathe. Then, slowly, he nodded and shifted his focus to the files on his desk.

“Very well. Let’s move on.”

That was it. No accusations. No suspicions voiced out loud. But Rhea didn’t relax. Not yet. She had done what she needed to. Just a nudge. A reminder that no empire is unshakable. But she couldn’t afford to be careless now. Not when he was starting to look at her differently.

Later that afternoon, Rhea found herself in the executive lounge, pretending to scroll through emails while her thoughts raced. Her heart hadn’t calmed down since she left Damian’s office. It wasn’t guilt. Not really. It was something else. Something messier. This strange ache in her chest every time he spoke to her. Every time he stared too long.

He shouldn’t be looking at her the way he did. And she shouldn’t be affected. But here she was, legs crossed, heart pounding, trying to steady her thoughts when Naomi walked in.

As usual, Naomi was dressed flawlessly. Bold red lips. Heels that clicked with purpose. And of course, her eyes went straight to Rhea.

“Still here?” she asked with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Rhea looked up, just barely smiling. “Just finishing up.”

Naomi tilted her head, crossing her arms. “You’re always around lately. It’s like you never go home.”

“I like to be thorough.”

“Mm. I’m sure Damian appreciates that.” Her voice held a hint of something sharp. Rhea noticed. But she didn’t respond.

Naomi let the silence stretch before walking past her, her perfume lingering a moment too long. Rhea didn’t look back. She didn’t need to. She already knew Naomi was watching her like a hawk. She wasn’t stupid. And if her small leak this morning reached the wrong ears, Naomi would be the first to fan the flames.

That night, as Rhea rode home in a cab, the city lights blurred behind the windows. Her fingers toyed with the edge of her coat, restless. A part of her wanted to stop. To just give it up. But that part was small, weak. She had come too far.

And yet, she hated the way her thoughts drifted to him. Damian Cole. The enemy. The man whose downfall she was orchestrating. The man who looked at her sometimes like he saw something no one else did.

She had to remember who she was. Why she started this. Her mother’s tears. Her father’s silence. The funeral that felt more like a robbery. She couldn’t forget.

But revenge was never supposed to feel this confusing.

When she finally reached her apartment, she stepped inside and leaned against the door, shutting her eyes. She was getting too close. She needed to refocus. Her next move had to be smart, not emotional.

Tomorrow, she would go in like nothing happened. She would sit through meetings, wear her best smile, and make sure Damian still saw her as a loyal asset. She would remind herself that his trust was her weapon.

And she would win.

No matter how much her heart tried to get in the way.