Curves,claws and contracts

Section 4

8am. Damian’s office. No windows. Just contracts and bad lighting.

Amara dropped the binder on his desk. "Section 4."

Damian didn’t look up from his laptop. "I know what Section 4 is."

"$50 million penalty if either of us breaks the contract early. You hid it."

"I didn’t hide it. You didn’t read it."

"I read it! In the car! While being kidn*pped!"

Finally he looked up. "Then you should have asked questions."

"I shouldn’t have to ask if you’re going to bankrupt me!"

"And I shouldn’t have to explain every clause to a lawyer!"

The fight escalated fast. Papers. Voices. Old anger.

"You think you can control everything with money!" Amara shouted.

"And you think yelling makes you right!" Damian shot back.

They were toe to toe over the desk. Breathing hard.

Then his phone buzzed. Victor.

_Found Section 4 interesting too. Especially the part about infidelity. Break the rules and you both pay. Shame. -V_

Damian threw the phone. "He knows."

"Knows what?"

"That we kissed."

Amara went cold. "We didn’t—"

"Don’t lie to me." He was pacing now. "The gala. The kitchen. The car. He has proof."

"So what? It was one kiss."

"It was a breach." Damian stopped. "If he releases it, we owe $50 million each. $100 million total."

Amara sat down hard. "We don’t have that."

"I know."

Silence. The kind that breaks things.

"I’m sorry," Amara whispered. "I started it."

"No. I did." Damian rubbed his face. He looked tired. Older. "I’m not good at this. The pretending. The rules."

"You’re good at being cold."

"I’m good at surviving." He looked at her. "You make that harder."

"How?"

"Because you don’t let me." He walked to the window. "Everyone else backs down. You don’t. And now I’m... noticing."

Amara stood. "Damian."

"Don’t." He held up a hand. "We can’t. Section 4."

"I know."

"Good."

But neither moved.

His assistant knocked. "Sir, the board needs you. And Mrs. Cole, your firm called. They want to talk about the leaked video."

Amara closed her eyes. "Right."

As she walked out, Damian caught her wrist. Gentle.

"Be careful today," he said. "Victor’s getting desperate."

"I can handle myself."

"I know." He let go. "But let me worry anyway."

In her office later, her boss called. "Amara, we saw the video. We need you to take a leave of absence."

"That’s not fair."

"Life isn’t fair. Neither are billionaires." Click.

She lost her job in 3 minutes.

When she got home, Damian was in the kitchen. Cooking. Badly.

Pasta was burning.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying." He looked frustrated. "You lost your job because of me."

"I lost my job because of Victor."

"Same thing."

He plated two bowls. They ate in silence. Then he pushed a folder across the table.

"What’s this?"

"Consulting contract. With my company. $20k a month. To help me fight Victor."

"You’re paying me?"

"I’m hiring you. Because you’re the best." He met her eyes. "And because I don’t want you to struggle."

Amara stared at the contract. Then at him.

This wasn’t in the rules.

She signed it.