Terms and Conditions
1074 Words
Lila stared at the business card for a long time after Damian left.
It was simple. Matte black. No logo. No fancy design. Just two words:
Damian Cross
And a phone number.
No title. No company. No explanation.
It felt more like a warning than an invitation.
She didn’t move for almost a full minute, standing on the sidewalk while the city rushed around her. People walked past, cars honked, someone bumped into her shoulder and muttered an apology she barely heard.
Her heart was still racing.
Nothing in my world is free. Not even revenge.
The words replayed in her head like a challenge.
By the time she got home, it was already evening. The apartment felt smaller than usual. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made your thoughts louder.
She paced.
Sat.
Stood again.
Checked the time.
7:42 p.m.
He had said tonight.
Lila picked up her phone.
For the first time since the betrayal, she hesitated—not because she was scared of Serena, but because she wasn’t sure what she was walking into with Damian.
Powerful men never did things for emotional reasons. They did things because they gained something.
The question was: what did he want from her?
She took a breath and dialed the number.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
“Lila Moreau,” Damian said, already knowing it was her.
Her pulse jumped.
“You were expecting me,” she said.
“I was counting on it,” he replied calmly. “Come to The Orion. Penthouse floor.”
She frowned. “The Orion Hotel?”
“Yes.”
“That’s… a bit dramatic for a conversation, don’t you think?”
There was a pause.
Then a soft, amused exhale on the other end.
“You asked for my help,” Damian said. “Welcome to my world.”
The call ended.
No directions. No further explanation.
Just a location.
Lila stared at her phone, then laughed quietly to herself.
Of course.
⸻
The Orion was the kind of place you only saw in movies.
Glass walls. Golden lights. Valets in black suits. The kind of hotel where even breathing felt expensive.
Lila almost turned around at the entrance.
Almost.
But she remembered Serena’s smile.
And walked in.
The elevator ride to the penthouse was silent. Her reflection stared back at her in the mirrored walls. She looked composed on the outside—but inside, her stomach was tight with anticipation.
The doors opened directly into a private suite.
No receptionist. No staff.
Just Damian.
He stood by the window, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, city lights stretching behind him like a kingdom.
“You came,” he said.
“You gave me an address,” Lila replied. “Not much of a choice.”
He turned, eyes scanning her slowly—not in a way that felt creepy, but in a way that felt… assessing. Like he was measuring her worth.
“Sit,” he said again, nodding toward a couch.
She did.
Damian poured himself a drink. Didn’t offer her one.
Interesting.
“Before we talk about Serena,” he said, “we talk about you.”
Lila’s guard went up immediately.
“Me?”
“Yes,” he said. “Because people who seek revenge fall into two categories.”
“And those are?”
“Those who want to feel better,” Damian said. “And those who want to win.”
Lila met his gaze.
“I want to win.”
A corner of his mouth lifted.
“Good. Because feeling better is temporary. Winning changes the game.”
He sat across from her, leaning forward slightly.
“Tell me what she took from you.”
Lila exhaled.
“My project. My promotion. My credibility. But more than that… she took my trust. She used everything I shared with her to build her own success.”
“And what do you want to take from her?” Damian asked.
Lila didn’t answer immediately.
She thought about Serena’s career. Her public image. Her social status. Her perfect online presence.
Then she said quietly:
“Everything.”
Damian’s eyes darkened—not with shock, but with interest.
“That’s the correct answer,” he said.
Silence fell between them again. But this time it felt different. Heavy with possibility.
“Here are the terms,” Damian continued.
Lila straightened.
“I help you dismantle Serena Vale. Professionally. Publicly. Strategically.”
“And in return?” Lila asked.
“You work for me.”
Her eyebrows knitted together.
“Work… how?”
Damian leaned back.
“You’re smart. Calculated. You understand systems and people. I could use someone like you.”
Lila processed that.
“So I become your employee.”
“No,” he corrected. “You become my asset.”
The word made her uncomfortable.
But she didn’t protest.
“Temporary,” he added. “Six months. You help me on certain projects. I give you access to resources, connections, and information about Serena that you could never get alone.”
Lila considered it.
A deal with a billionaire.
Revenge with a price.
“And if I refuse?” she asked.
Damian’s voice stayed calm.
“Then Serena gets your idea, your future, and probably your replacement.”
Lila’s jaw tightened.
He wasn’t threatening her.
He was stating reality.
She stood up.
Walked closer to him.
“And if I accept?”
Damian looked up at her.
“Then you stop being a victim.”
Their eyes locked.
For a moment, the air felt charged—not romantic, not hostile, just intense. Two people standing on the edge of something dangerous.
“Fine,” Lila said. “I accept.”
Damian smiled.
Not a big one.
Not a soft one.
Just a slow, satisfied curve of his lips.
“Good,” he said. “Then your revenge officially starts tonight.”
Lila felt a strange mix of fear and excitement spread through her chest.
“Where do we begin?”
Damian stood and walked back to the window.
“By letting Serena believe she’s already won.”
Lila frowned.
“That’s it?”
“For now,” he said. “Because the best revenge isn’t loud.”
He turned back to her.
“It’s patient.”
Lila felt something shift inside her.
She wasn’t just reacting anymore.
She was planning.
And for the first time since the betrayal…
She wasn’t alone.
- Writer
