Forbidden Night with the CEO

Chapter Eighteen.

Ava stood silently in front of Damien.

His words made her heart beat faster.

"What about that night?" she asked.

Damien looked at her for a moment.

"I remembered something."

Ava swallowed.

"What?"

"The morning after the charity event."

Her fingers tightened around her handbag.

"I remember waking up confused. I couldn't remember everything, but there was something that kept bothering me."

Ava said nothing.

"And then, after you told me about the pregnancy, I started putting the pieces together."

Ava lowered her eyes.

"What did you remember?"

Damien took a slow breath.

"I remember you."

Ava looked up.

He continued.

"I remember you being with me that night. I remember your voice. I remember holding your hand."

Ava's eyes filled with tears.

"I didn't want you to remember."

"I know."

"I was scared."

Damien nodded.

"But there's something else."

Ava's heart sank.

"What?"

"I remembered that you tried to leave that night."

She stared at him.

"I didn't want to cause trouble."

"And then I stopped you."

Ava nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Damien looked away.

"I wish I had remembered sooner."

Ava wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Maybe it was better that you didn't."

"Why?"

"Because you had a life already."

Damien looked at her.

Ava immediately regretted saying it.

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

But Damien knew there was something behind her words.

And then his phone rang again.

He glanced at the screen before answering.

"Hello?"

Ava watched his expression change

as he listened.

When the call ended, Damien looked at her.

"We'll talk tomorrow."

Ava nodded.

"Okay."

She walked away, but Damien's last question stayed in her mind.

What did you mean when you said I already had a life?

The following morning, Ava arrived at work with very little sleep.

She sat at her desk and opened her computer.

She tried to concentrate, but her mind kept returning to Damien.

And then she heard two employees talking nearby.

"Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Damien Blackwood's wedding."

Ava's fingers stopped moving.

"The wedding is getting closer.

Apparently, the families have already started making arrangements."

Ava lowered her eyes.

She had heard enough.

And then her phone buzzed.

A news notification appeared on the screen.

DAMien BLACKWOOD AND HIS FIANCÉE TO WED SOON.

Ava stared at the headline.

She remembered the first time she had seen news like this.

It had been shortly after she discovered she was pregnant.

She had been sitting on her bed, terrified and confused, when Damien's photograph appeared beside that of his fiancée.

That was when she decided not to tell him.

She had thought he was already building a future with another woman.

She didn't want to destroy it.

And then she had received the call from Blackwood Group.

She hadn't known the job would bring her straight back to him.

Ava locked her phone.

She placed both hands on her desk and took a deep breath.

Damien knew about the baby now.

But that didn't change the fact that he was still preparing to marry someone else.

She looked toward his office.

She wondered telling him had make everything complicated.

Damien noticed the change immediately.

Ava had been unusually quiet since she arrived.

He walked toward her desk.

"Ava."

She looked up.

"Yes?"

"Can you come to my office?"

She followed him inside.

Damien closed the door.

"You've been distant."

"I'm just tired."

"That's not what I mean."

Ava looked down.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No."

He watched her carefully.

"Then why do I feel like you're avoiding me?"

Ava sighed.

"I don't want to make things difficult for you."

"How are you making things difficult?"

"You have enough to deal with."

"Like what?"

She hesitated.

"Your wedding."

Damien became silent.

Ava continued.

"I know you're getting married."

"I know."

"And I don't want the baby to make you feel trapped."

Damien's expression changed.

"Ava, having a child doesn't mean I'm trapped."

"I know."

"Then stop talking as if you're a problem."

She looked at him.

"I'm not saying that."

"But you're acting like it."

Ava looked away.

"I just don't want to interfere with your life."

Damien stepped closer.

"You are the mother of my child. You are already part of my life."

Ava's heart skipped.

She didn't know how to respond.

And then Damien's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

"My fiancée."

Ava immediately looked away.

"You should answer."

Damien watched her for a moment

before answering the call.

Then some moments later Ava excused herself and went to her office since the call was taking too long.

Ava was organizing some documents when she heard the receptionist announce Damien's fiancée arrival.

She looked up.

The woman walked into the office confidently.

She was beautifully dressed and carried herself with the kind of confidence Ava had seen in the news photographs.

Ava knew immediately who she was.

Damien's fiancée.

The woman smiled when she saw her.

"You're Ava, aren't you?"

Ava stood.

"Yes."

"I'm glad to finally meet you."

Ava forced a smile.

"Nice to meet you too."

"I'm Damien's fiancée."

"I know."

The woman smiled.

"I've heard Damien mention his new assistant."

Ava's heart tightened.

"He has?"

"Yes."

Before Ava could respond, Damien walked out of his office.

He stopped when he saw them.

"You came."

His fiancée smiled.

"I wanted to see you."

She walked over and held his arm.

Ava looked away.

She suddenly felt like she was standing somewhere she didn't belong.

The woman began talking about their wedding arrangements.

The venue had been selected.

The guest list was almost complete.

There were only a few things left to finalize.

Ava listened quietly.

Every word reminded her that

Damien's wedding was real.

And then his fiancée looked at Ava.

"Will you be attending?"

Ava froze.

Damien looked at her.

She forced a smile.

"I'm not sure."

His fiancée smiled.

"I hope you do."

Ava nodded.

"Thank you."

She tried to continue working, but her eyes were already beginning to sting.

By the end of the day, Ava couldn't wait to leave.

She picked up her handbag and walked toward the elevator.

She pressed the button.

And then she heard Damien behind her.

"Ava."

She closed her eyes briefly before turning around.

"Yes?"

He walked toward her.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't."

"You have."

Ava looked away.

Damien stopped in front of her.

"Ever since she came here, you've barely spoken to me."

Ava remained silent.

"Is it because of the wedding?"

Her heart tightened.

"Maybe."

Damien frowned.

"Maybe?"

"You have a wedding coming up,

Damien."

"I know."

"And I have no right to complicate that."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

Damien stared at her.

"You think the baby is going to ruin my marriage?"

Ava shook her head.

"No. I think you have a decision to make."

He was silent.

"And I don't want to be the reason you make the wrong one."

Damien stepped closer.

"You don't get to decide what's right for me."

Ava looked into his eyes.

"I know."

"Then stop pushing me away."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know what else to do."

Damien's expression softened.

"Neither do I."

The elevator doors opened.

Ava stepped inside.

Before the doors closed, Damien looked at her and said,

"Ava, this isn't over. We need to figure out what happens next."

The doors closed between them.

Ava leaned against the elevator wall and wiped away a tear.

She had wanted Damien to know the truth.

Now he knew.

But she was beginning to realize that telling him the truth was only the beginning.