His Obsession, My Ruin

Damage Control

Chapter 9

Melanie's POV

The box was small, velvet-covered, the kind of rich navy that swallowed light and whispered “expensive” before it even opened.

Idris held it out to me like it was nothing. Like he hadn’t missed another planned date with zero explanation. He was smiling, boyish and casual, like this was spontaneous. Thoughtful.

“I saw these and thought of you,” he said.

I took the box slowly, careful not to let my expression slip. “You didn’t have to—”

“Of course I did.” He leaned down to kiss my temple. “For being patient with me. For last night. For… everything.”

I opened the lid.

Inside were diamond earrings, cushion-cut, delicate but loud enough to shimmer under direct light. They looked like something out of a magazine, something styled for red carpets, not messy buns and half-eaten croissants.

They must have cost a fortune. Not that I wasn’t used to expensive things, but was he?

“They’re beautiful,” I said, fingers brushing the velvet.

“Just like you,” he murmured, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back.

But as I stared at the earrings, a quiet pinprick bloomed at the edge of my thoughts.

These were part of a set. I remembered that clearly. I’d seen them displayed with a matching diamond bracelet at a boutique launch last spring, one Aria had dragged me to with free champagne and loud opinions.

There was no bracelet here.

Just the earrings.

I smiled anyway, letting my lips curve like muscle memory. “Thank you,” I said.

But inside, something itched. Not suspicion exactly. Just… weight.

Was this love? Or was it damage control in a velvet box?

Idris looked pleased with himself, like forgiveness was something you could buy if the diamonds were clear enough.

I tucked the earrings back in and closed the lid gently, wondering how many women had smiled through gifts and called it closeness.

And why this didn’t feel like closeness at all.

“You should get back to your office,” I said, closing the box before my face could betray me.

He nodded and headed for the door.

I tried to console myself with the fact that he’d chosen to give me this here, at work, and not hidden away at home. A few people at work knew we were together; it wasn’t a secret, but Idris said it was better to act professional, for my dad.

I set the box carefully in my drawer, but even after I closed it, the missing bracelet stayed in my head like a loose thread.

I pushed back my chair and headed downstairs to get something to eat.

I was on my way back, halfway into the elevator on the ground floor, when I saw her. Charlotte, in a soft gray blouse and tailored slacks, walking through the front reception.

“Oh! Melanie,” she said, eyes lighting up like she hadn’t expected to see me.

“Charlotte,” I said, surprised. “Didn’t know you’d be around.”

She lifted the sleek folder in her hand like a peace offering. “I came to sort something in my grandfather’s property documents.”

We stood there for a while, awkward smiles.

“How’s your little scavenger hunt about that Velvet Place?” she asked.

Oh, that.

I smiled politely. “Actually, do you want to come in for a bit? I’m just heading back to my office.”

“Sure,” she said, following me like we were old school friends catching up. I wasn’t sure why it made me feel uncomfortable.

Back in my office, she sat across from me, crossing her legs with grace and scanning the space with faint approval. “This is nice,” she said. “Professional. Could use some color, though.”

Okay, furniture critic.

She glanced at the photos on my shelf. Me and Idris. Me and Aria. Her eyes hovered on the one with Aria a second too long.

“How is she?” she asked gently.

“Aria?” I said.

Charlotte gave a sympathetic smile. “I can tell she’s not a fan of me, but I’m just concerned. She looks like someone who feels things deeply, which is good, but people like that can be explosive sometimes.”

I hesitated, unsure how to respond.

What was she getting at?

Charlotte leaned forward a little. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s loyal. Fiercely. But when you’re hurting, it’s easy to see danger everywhere.”

I nodded slowly.

Strangely, that felt exactly like what was happening right now.

“Anyway,” she said, brushing invisible lint off her sleeve. “What did you want to talk about?”

“The Velvet—” I didn’t even finish saying the name. It sounded more cheesy and weird the more I said it.

“Oh, that. Why are you so invested in it?”

“The thing is, I know Idris has been there. I just want to know what goes on in there.”

She sighed. “I understand. That’s pretty rough.”

“I can’t really say, because the place is surprisingly ordinary once you’re inside. If you’re worried about cheating, the only way that’s going to happen there is if someone comes along with their mistress.”

“Oh...” I said.

“But to be honest, I don’t think you have to worry about that,” she added.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Idris seems like a decent guy, and a friend could have taken him there, like with me. I got dragged there.” She laughed like she remembered something.

I felt the tension in my shoulders ease a little, just enough to register how tightly I’d been holding myself.

So basically, maybe The Velvet Room wasn’t the thing I had to worry about.

“Okay,” I said.

“Idris is lucky to have someone who’s thoughtful,” Charlotte added, rising. “Not everyone would find out something like that and still stay grounded.”

I managed a small smile. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

“Anytime.” She stood, ready to go, then paused in the doorway. “We should do this more often.”

Then she was gone.

For a moment, I sat there in the quiet, her perfume still lingering, my thoughts feeling a little less tangled.

Maybe I had been overthinking.

Maybe Charlotte was actually a good person. Maybe even a friend.

After that, I felt better. Whatever edge I’d walked in with that morning had softened. She was warm, articulate, and understanding. Aria was wrong about her.

Or maybe Aria was just too hurt to see anyone clearly right now.

Still, when my hand brushed the drawer where I’d left the earrings, the thought returned before I could stop it.

The bracelet.

I opened the drawer and looked at the box again, then shut it just as quickly.

No. One thing at a time.

Hours passed, and work became more bearable than it had been in weeks. I’d gotten through half a spreadsheet before I glanced at the time. Past seven. I stood, stretched, and glanced at the second cup of coffee I’d grabbed earlier from the break room, still warm in its cardboard cradle.

Maybe I’d bring it to Idris. Maybe a quiet moment with him now would feel different.

It wasn’t much, just a peaceful offering.

An excuse to see him.

I grabbed the coffee and made my way down to his floor.

The lights in his section were already dimmed. His door stood open.

Empty.

Papers still fanned across the desk, chair slightly askew like he’d only just left.

I glanced around, confused. He usually texted me before heading out.

One of the junior analysts passed by, juggling files.

“Hey,” I said. “Did Idris just leave?”

“Oh yeah,” she said, pausing. “Like five minutes ago. I think he mentioned heading to the lot. Left his laptop, though, so he’s probably coming back.”

I set the coffee cup on his desk and headed down to the parking lot.

The lot was quiet. Golden street lamps hummed overhead, casting long shadows across the polished rows of luxury sedans. The click of my heels echoed too loud against the concrete, so I slowed down.

I spotted Idris’s car before I saw him. The glossy black finish gleamed under the lights.

Then...voices.

Soft, low, and close.

I rounded a column and froze.

There he was. Idris. Leaning casually against the passenger-side door.

And beside him was Charlotte.

She was laughing, hair tucked behind her ear in that way that looked effortless but never was. Her body tilted slightly toward him, the way people do when they’re comfortable. Trusting. Maybe too trusting.

What was she even still doing here?

He wasn’t touching her. Not really. But he didn’t need to be. It was the ease that got me. The way his head dipped toward hers. The way he smiled like this wasn’t the first time. Like they were friends...or more.

I stood still, shielded by the line of parked cars. They hadn’t seen me. I wasn’t ready for them to.

A voice rang through my mind, Aria’s voice, sharp as broken glass.

“The kind of girl who pops up when your boyfriend starts lying. Soft voice, expensive perfume, all that supportive energy. Then one day she’s a little too close to someone’s boyfriend, and everyone acts like you’re crazy for noticing.”

My hands trembled slightly at the thought of how I’d opened up to her hours ago.

It wasn’t cheating. It wasn’t anything.

But it felt like something.

A crack, maybe. The kind you don’t notice until the whole wall collapses.

I stepped back, quiet, letting the shadows have me. My stomach twisted, my heart thudding against bone. I didn’t know what I’d seen. But I knew what it felt like.

Like I was watching the beginning of an explanation I didn’t want.

And suddenly, I felt a switch flip inside me.

Anger.