chapter 2 part 3
887 Words
Elena stared at the file, her pulse still unsteady.
This was bad.
Not because she couldn’t handle the case—she could. She always could.
But because this… this blurred lines that were never supposed to cross.
Personal and professional.
Desire and duty.
Danger and control.
And Damien sat right at the center of it all.
She exhaled slowly, forcing her mind back into place.
Think.
Her fingers moved again, slower this time, more deliberate as she read through the details. Corporate dealings. Allegations. Power struggles hidden beneath polished reports and legal language.
He wasn’t just involved.
He was the case.
A quiet knock came at her door before it opened slightly. “Elena?”
Maya stepped in, coffee in hand, her usual warmth dimmed by curiosity. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Elena didn’t answer immediately. She just turned the file toward her.
Maya leaned in, scanning the page. At first, her expression was neutral—then it shifted.
“Oh.”
Yeah. Oh.
“That Damien?” Maya asked, though the answer was obvious.
“Elena closed the file softly. “There’s only one who fits that profile.”
Maya straightened, crossing her arms. “And you just happened to meet him last night?”
Elena gave a dry smile. “Apparently.”
“That’s not coincidence,” Maya said immediately. “That’s—”
“Complication,” Elena finished.
Silence settled between them for a moment.
Maya walked further into the room, lowering her voice. “You need to be careful.”
“I’m always careful.”
“Elena.” Her tone sharpened. “Not like this. This is different.”
Elena held her gaze. She knew that. She didn’t need it said out loud.
“I can handle it,” she said finally.
Maya studied her for a long second, then sighed. “That’s what worries me.”
Before Elena could respond, her office phone rang.
Sharp. Sudden.
She glanced at it, then picked it up. “Elena speaking.”
“Miss Elena,” the receptionist’s voice came through, polite but tense. “There’s someone here to see you.”
Elena frowned slightly. “Do they have an appointment?”
A pause.
Then—
“He says he doesn’t need one.”
Something cold slid down her spine.
“Elena?” Maya asked quietly.
Elena didn’t respond. Her gaze had already shifted to the glass wall of her office.
And there he was.
Standing just outside.
Damien.
Like he had never left.
Like the night hadn’t ended.
Like this was just another move in the same game.
Her grip tightened around the receiver.
“Send him in,” she said calmly.
She hung up before the receptionist could respond.
Maya turned fully now, eyes wide. “You’re joking.”
“No,” Elena said, her voice steady again—but her heartbeat wasn’t.
A knock came.
Once.
Controlled.
Confident.
Then the door opened.
Damien stepped inside like he belonged there.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
His eyes found hers instantly.
“Miss Elena,” he said smoothly, closing the door behind him. “Or should I say… counselor?”
Elena leaned back slightly against her desk, crossing her arms. “You have a habit of showing up uninvited.”
“And you have a habit of pretending you don’t expect me,” he replied.
Maya cleared her throat, stepping forward slightly. “This is a private office.”
Damien’s gaze flicked to her briefly—acknowledging, measuring—then back to Elena.
“I’m sure she’ll make an exception.”
Elena didn’t look away from him. “Maya, give us a minute.”
Maya hesitated.
“Elena—”
“I’ve got it.”
Reluctantly, Maya stepped out, casting one last wary look at Damien before closing the door behind her.
Silence filled the room.
Thick. Charged.
Elena moved first, picking up the file and holding it up slightly. “You’re involved in my case.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “And here I thought you’d be more surprised to see me.”
“I don’t do surprises,” she said coolly. “I do facts.”
“Then here’s one,” he said, stepping closer. “You didn’t walk away last night because you wanted to.”
Her jaw tightened. “And here’s another—you’re not supposed to be here.”
“And yet,” he murmured, stopping just a step away, “I am.”
That heat again.
Closer now. Stronger.
More dangerous.
Elena held her ground, even as her pulse betrayed her. “If you think showing up here gives you some kind of advantage—”
“I don’t need an advantage,” Damien cut in softly. “I just needed to see if you’d look at me the same way in daylight.”
Her breath caught—just for a second.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
“And?” she asked, forcing control back into her voice.
His gaze dropped briefly—to her lips, then back to her eyes.
“Worse,” he said quietly.
The word lingered between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Elena swallowed, her grip tightening around the file.
This wasn’t just a case anymore.
This wasn’t just attraction.
This was something else entirely.
And it was already spiraling.
- Writer
