The One Who Knew Him First
833 Words
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Episode 16: The One Who Knew Him First
Word Count: ~2,000**
8:00 a.m. – Zuma Rock Resort, Day 4
Aurora woke to golden sunlight streaming across the room.
She blinked, confused for a second, then turned slowly.
Damian was still asleep.
His hand rested near hers. His chest rose and fell slowly. He looked… peaceful. Barefoot and human. No suit. No glare. Just the man beneath the myth.
She didn’t move. She just watched him.
Until—his eyes fluttered open.
“Staring already?” he murmured with a sleepy smile.
She blushed. “You snore.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
He reached across the pillow and tapped her nose. “Then you’re stuck with a snoring billionaire.”
Aurora rolled onto her back, grinning. “Yeah… I think I’m okay with that.”
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10:15 a.m. – Resort Lobby
The Wolfe Enterprises staff were gathered in matching T-shirts for a surprise hike.
Clarissa blew her whistle like a drill sergeant. “Let’s move, people! Nature doesn’t wait for emails!”
Aurora was tying her shoes when she saw a woman step out of a black SUV.
Elegant. Tall. Wearing designer yoga wear, oversized sunglasses, and red lipstick at 10 a.m.
She looked out of place… but very comfortable with power.
Damian’s expression turned to stone the moment he saw her.
“Who is that?” Aurora asked.
Clarissa cursed under her breath. “Oh no.”
Damian sighed. “That… is Amira.”
Aurora blinked. “Your ex?”
He nodded.
Aurora swallowed. “The one you almost married?”
Clarissa whispered, “This just got spicy.”
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10:30 a.m. – By the Waterfall Trail
The group hiked through wild hibiscus paths, but tension was thick as fog.
Amira moved through the group like a panther. Confident. Silent. Deadly.
She finally approached Damian, her voice smooth like honeyed poison.
“Nice resort,” she said, looking around. “A bit corporate for my taste, but... you always were efficient.”
“Amira,” Damian said stiffly. “Why are you here?”
“Investor weekend. Apparently my firm backs some of Wolfe’s newer portfolios. I had no idea you’d be here,” she said, lying without flinching.
Then she turned to Aurora.
“You must be the assistant.”
Aurora smiled politely. “And you must be the ghost from his closet.”
Clarissa choked on her water.
Damian blinked.
Amira smirked. “Feisty. How refreshing.”
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1:00 p.m. – Lakeside Picnic
Later, the staff were scattered on picnic blankets. Amira had somehow found her way next to Damian again, recounting “funny little stories” from their Harvard days.
Aurora watched from a distance, jaw tight.
“Should we throw her in the lake?” Clarissa asked cheerfully.
“I’m tempted.”
“She’s totally playing the elegant-ex-who-regrets-nothing card.”
“I’m playing the totally-done-with-her card.”
“Then why are your fists clenched like that?”
Aurora stood. “Because I don’t like seeing someone try to be part of his story... when I already am.”
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3:15 p.m. – Private Dock
Damian found Aurora skipping rocks alone.
“She still gets to you,” Aurora said without turning.
“No,” Damian replied. “She tries to. But she’s not the one I share beds with anymore.”
Aurora looked at him. “She’s beautiful. Smart. Your past.”
“She’s not you.”
“Do you regret anything?”
Damian exhaled. “I regret giving her the time I now wish I’d saved for you.”
Aurora blinked.
He walked to her slowly.
“When I was with her, I felt like a CEO.”
“And with me?”
He cupped her cheek.
“I feel like a man.”
She smiled. “One that snores?”
He laughed. “That too.”
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8:00 p.m. – Bonfire Night
As the team danced around the flames, music pulsing under the stars, Damian pulled Aurora into his arms.
They swayed, the firelight soft on their faces.
“You handled today like a queen,” he whispered.
She smirked. “That’s because I am one.”
He kissed her knuckles. “And someday... if I’m lucky... I’ll be your king.”
Her eyes widened.
“Was that a proposal?”
“Was it too early?”
Aurora grinned. “Too early to say no.”
He chuckled. “But not too early to dream.”
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Final Scene – Amira's Phone Call
Back in her suite, Amira dialed a number.
“They’re stronger than I thought,” she said.
A male voice answered. “Then we push harder.”
Amira’s eyes glittered.
“Let’s see how perfect Aurora looks when her mother’s past hits the headlines.”
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To Be Continued...
📌 In Episode 17: A secret from Aurora’s family past threatens to destroy everything. Damian defends her publicly—but someone else close to her might betray her first.
- Writer
