THE QUESTION HE WASN'T READY FOR....
2354 Words
Monday mornings had always been predictable at Blackwood Holdings.
Employees arrived early.
Meetings began on time.
Damian Blackwood terrified at least three people before noon.
And Amara Cole arrived smiling.
That morning, however, something was different.
Amara was humming.
Damian noticed the moment she walked through his office door.
She placed a folder on his desk and smiled brightly.
“Good morning.”
Damian slowly looked up.
“Why are you smiling?”
Amara blinked.
“That's usually how good mornings work.”
“You're smiling more than usual.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Are you monitoring my smiles now?”
“No.”
“You noticed.”
“I have eyes.”
“So you were looking.”
Damian's expression darkened.
“Amara.”
She smiled even wider.
“Yes, boss?”
He picked up the folder.
“Sit.”
She sat.
For several seconds, he pretended to read.
Amara watched him.
He wasn't reading.
She knew because his eyes had been on the same page for almost a minute.
“Are you going to ask?”
Damian looked up.
“Ask what?”
“What you obviously want to ask.”
“I don't.”
“You do.”
“No.”
Amara leaned back in her chair.
“Fine.”
She opened her phone.
Damian's eyes immediately moved toward it.
Her smile widened.
He hated that smile.
Because she knew.
She always knew.
Her phone buzzed.
Damian's expression changed.
Amara glanced down.
Then smiled.
He placed the folder on his desk.
“Who?”
She slowly looked up.
“Excuse me?”
“Who messaged you?”
She blinked innocently.
“Oh.”
He already regretted asking.
“Forget it.”
“Elias.”
The silence was immediate.
Damian looked away.
Amara stared at him.
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn't I be?”
“You look angry.”
“I am not angry.”
“Then why are you crushing your pen?”
Damian looked down.
The expensive pen in his hand was bent.
He placed it down.
“I need another one.”
Amara bit back a laugh.
“Of course.”
---
At lunch, Amara was still smiling.
Damian had spent the entire morning trying to ignore her.
Unfortunately, she was impossible to ignore.
She laughed with Mr. Harris.
She smiled at people in the hallway.
She even sang quietly while organizing his schedule.
And every single time her phone vibrated—
Damian noticed.
At exactly one o'clock, he called her into his office.
She entered.
“Yes?”
“Lunch.”
She blinked.
“What about it?”
“We're having lunch.”
Amara stared.
“We?”
“Yes.”
She slowly sat down.
“Are you asking me to have lunch with you?”
“No.”
“You literally just said—”
“I ordered food.”
“And?”
“You can eat here.”
She smiled.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“You asked me to lunch.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“I told you to eat.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
Amara leaned forward.
“You know what? I'm going to let you have this one.”
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
A few minutes later, lunch arrived.
The food was placed between them.
Amara looked around the enormous office.
“Do you always eat alone?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I prefer it.”
“You don't.”
Damian's eyes lifted.
“You seem very confident.”
“Because you don't look like someone who prefers being alone.”
“Then what do I look like?”
Amara studied him.
For once, she didn't joke immediately.
“Someone who got used to it.”
Damian became still.
The playful mood disappeared.
She noticed the change.
“Sorry.”
“Don't.”
Amara looked at him.
He picked up his glass of water.
“You apologize too much.”
“And you don't apologize enough.”
His eyes almost softened.
“Probably.”
The answer surprised her.
Before she could say anything, her phone buzzed.
Damian looked at it.
Amara immediately noticed.
She slowly picked up her phone.
Damian continued eating.
“Elias again?” he asked casually.
Amara smiled.
“Maybe.”
His jaw tightened.
“What does he want?”
She read the message.
Then became quiet.
Damian looked up.
“What?”
Amara placed the phone down.
“He wants to see me tonight.”
Damian stared.
“Why?”
“Because he asked.”
“You saw him recently.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What could he possibly want now?”
Amara laughed.
“Damian.”
“What?”
“You're acting like an overprotective father.”
His face darkened.
“Don't insult me.”
She laughed harder.
Damian leaned back.
“Are you going?”
“I don't know.”
“Don't.”
The word came too quickly.
Amara stopped laughing.
Damian realized what he had said.
But it was too late.
“Don't?” she repeated.
His eyes met hers.
“I mean…”
Amara waited.
Damian Blackwood did not struggle with words.
Not in business.
Not in meetings.
Not when firing someone.
But suddenly, he did.
“If you don't want to go, don't.”
Amara stared at him.
“That's different from what you said.”
“Forget it.”
She smiled slowly.
“Are you jealous again?”
“No.”
“You are terrible at this.”
“At what?”
“Pretending you don't care.”
Damian's expression became cold.
But Amara had begun to recognize that look.
It wasn't always anger.
Sometimes—
It was fear.
---
That evening, Amara met Elias at the small park near the neighborhood where they had grown up.
She hadn't been there in years.
The old trees remained.
The playground was smaller than she remembered.
And the bench where they used to sit after school was still there.
Elias was already waiting.
“You're late.”
Amara smiled.
“You're early.”
“I've been waiting.”
The words felt heavier than they should have.
She sat beside him.
For a few minutes, neither spoke.
Then Elias looked at her.
“Do you remember when we were twelve?”
Amara smiled.
“Which memory?”
“You fell into that fountain.”
Her eyes widened.
“I did not fall.”
“You definitely fell.”
“You pushed me.”
“I was trying to save you.”
“From what?”
“You were going to touch the water.”
Amara laughed.
“You're ridiculous.”
Elias smiled.
Then the smile slowly faded.
“Amara.”
She looked at him.
His expression had changed.
Her heart began beating faster.
Not from excitement.
From understanding.
“I've known you almost my entire life,” Elias said.
She remained quiet.
“You were there when my father taught me how to ride a bicycle.”
Amara smiled softly.
“You cried.”
“I was six.”
“You still cried.”
Elias laughed.
“You were there when I opened my factory.”
“Yes.”
“You were there when I almost gave up.”
“You didn't.”
“Because you told me not to.”
Amara looked down.
Elias turned toward her.
“And I've been there too.”
Her heart tightened.
“I know.”
“I don't want to be just the person who was always there.”
She looked at him.
“I want to be the person you choose.”
The park became quiet.
Amara didn't know what to say.
Elias continued.
“I've loved you for a long time.”
She closed her eyes briefly.
“I know.”
“I don't expect an answer tonight.”
His voice remained calm.
That was Elias.
Never demanding.
Never forcing.
Never trying to take more than she was ready to give.
“But I need to ask you something.”
Amara looked at him.
Elias smiled faintly.
“Will you give me a chance?”
Her breath caught.
It was such a simple question.
And yet it felt impossible to answer.
Because Elias was everything safe.
Everything familiar.
Everything she should probably want.
He was kind.
Successful.
Patient.
He understood her dreams.
He knew Noah.
He knew her past.
And he had never once made her question whether he cared.
But then—
Damian appeared in her mind.
Cold eyes.
A quiet voice.
A hand reaching for hers without touching it.
A man who looked at her like he wanted to say something but didn't know how.
She hated it.
She hated that he had become the reason she couldn't give Elias an answer.
“I…”
Elias's smile softened.
“You're thinking about him.”
Amara looked away.
“I don't know.”
“That wasn't a denial.”
“I don't understand what I feel.”
Elias nodded.
“I know.”
“I don't even know if he feels anything.”
Elias gave a quiet laugh.
“Amara.”
“What?”
“That man followed you to our dinner.”
Her eyes widened.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I wanted to see if you would notice.”
“I did.”
Elias looked away.
“He looked like he wanted to walk into the restaurant and drag you out.”
Amara covered her face.
“Oh my God.”
Elias laughed softly.
Then became serious again.
“But you shouldn't choose him just because he makes your heart race.”
Her hands lowered.
Elias looked directly at her.
“Choose the person who makes you feel safe enough to be yourself.”
His words stayed with her.
Because suddenly, she didn't know the answer.
With Elias, she was safe.
With Damian—
She felt alive.
And that terrified her.
“I need time,” she whispered.
Elias nodded.
“I'll give you time.”
She smiled sadly.
“Thank you.”
“Just don't take forever.”
She laughed.
“I won't.”
But when Amara returned to Blackwood Holdings the next morning, she found Damian standing outside his office.
Waiting.
She stopped.
“What happened?”
Damian looked at her.
His expression was unreadable.
“I need to ask you something.”
Amara's stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Elias.”
She folded her arms.
“What about him?”
“Did you say yes?”
Her heart skipped.
She stared at him.
“To what?”
“You know what.”
“No, I don't.”
Damian stepped closer.
The space between them disappeared.
“Amara.”
Her breath caught.
“Did you say yes?”
She studied his face.
He looked controlled.
Cold.
But his eyes betrayed him.
There was something there.
Something raw.
Something uncertain.
“No.”
Damian's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Amara noticed.
“But I didn't say no either.”
His eyes darkened.
The air between them changed.
“Why?”
She looked at him.
“Why does it matter?”
“It doesn't.”
She gave a small, humorless laugh.
“Then why are you asking?”
He said nothing.
“Damian.”
Still nothing.
Amara stepped closer.
Now she was the one closing the distance.
“You told me you weren't jealous.”
“I said I wasn't.”
“You lied.”
“I didn't.”
“You're doing it again.”
His jaw tightened.
“Amara.”
“No.”
Her voice became quieter.
“You don't get to keep doing this.”
Damian frowned.
“Doing what?”
“Acting like you don't care, but interfering every time another man comes near me.”
He stared at her.
She continued.
“You ask where I am.”
His expression remained tense.
“You follow me.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You tell me not to see him.”
His voice dropped.
“I never told you that.”
“You did.”
“I asked you not to.”
“That is basically the same thing.”
“It isn't.”
“Then tell me.”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“Why does it bother you?”
The silence was suffocating.
Damian could end million-dollar negotiations without hesitation.
But one question from Amara had completely destroyed his ability to speak.
Why does it bother you?
Because he didn't want her to belong to Elias.
Because he didn't want to imagine another man holding her.
Because every time she smiled at Elias, something inside Damian became angry.
Because he wanted her attention.
Her laughter.
Her time.
Her choice.
But Damian Blackwood had never been taught how to say things like that.
So instead, he said—
“You're my assistant.”
Amara went still.
The answer hit her.
He saw it.
Her expression changed.
Something closed behind her eyes.
“Right.”
Damian immediately regretted it.
“Amara—”
“No.”
She stepped back.
“Don't.”
“That's not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He had no answer.
Her smile returned.
But it wasn't her usual smile.
It was professional.
Distant.
“Is there anything else you need, Mr. Blackwood?”
Damian hated the words immediately.
“Amara.”
“Yes, sir?”
His jaw tightened.
She waited.
Finally—
“Get back to work.”
She nodded.
“Of course.”
Then she walked away.
Damian watched her go.
And for the first time—
Jealousy didn't feel like the worst thing in the world.
Regret did.
Because Elias had asked Amara to choose him.
And Damian—
Damian had been given the perfect chance to tell her not to.
But instead of fighting for her—
He had reminded her that she was only his assistant.
And now, Damian Blackwood had to live with the possibility that she might believe him.
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