Married to the Cold CEO After One Night”

The rain fell softly against the glass windows of the Grand Meridian Hotel, each droplet glimmering under the golden city lights like tiny stars tumbling from the heavens. Inside, laughter and music spilled through the halls as the annual charity gala reached its dazzling height. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above, champagne flowed freely, and beneath the glittering facade, secrets were born. Ava Collins stood near the bar, her fingers nervously circling the rim of her glass. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not really. As an assistant journalist for The Daily Herald, she had volunteered to cover the event after her senior colleague called in sick. Now, surrounded by the city’s elite in their diamond dresses and tailored suits, she felt like a lost dove in a field of peacocks. “Smile, Ava,” her best friend’s voice echoed in her head. “You look like you’re about to run.” Maybe she was. She wasn’t used to this world—the world of wealth, power, and people who smiled with perfect teeth while hiding daggers behind their backs. She had grown up in the quiet suburbs, raised by her grandmother after her parents’ death, learning the value of hard work and honesty. These people... they played a different game. Still, she tried to look professional. Her simple navy dress hugged her curves modestly, and her brown curls framed a face too soft for the hardness of this world. When she smiled, it wasn’t the kind born of pride—it was one born of hope. That was when she saw him. He stood across the ballroom, tall and commanding, in a black suit that seemed carved for him. His presence was quiet, but magnetic. People parted unconsciously as he walked, as if the air itself bent to his will. Ava’s breath caught. She didn’t know his name, but she had heard the whispers. That’s Damian Blackwood—the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. The youngest self-made billionaire in the city. Ruthless, mysterious, untouchable. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second. His were dark, unreadable, but there was something else—something raw—buried beneath that calm exterior. He looked at her as though he was trying to remember a dream he once had but had long forgotten. Ava quickly looked away, heart thudding. “Don’t be stupid,” she whispered under her breath. “Men like that don’t look at women like you.” But fate, as always, had its own plans. Minutes later, she slipped outside to escape the crowd and breathe. The hotel’s rooftop garden was silent, except for the distant hum of the city below. The night air kissed her skin, cool and refreshing. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. “Running away already?” The voice was deep—smooth, like velvet. Ava spun around. Damian stood a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips. The city lights framed him like a scene from a dream. “I—I wasn’t running,” she stammered. “Just… taking a break.” He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “You don’t belong here.” She blinked. “Excuse me?” He tilted his head slightly, studying her. “You’re not like the rest of them. You’re… real.” Something inside her stirred. For a man so cold and powerful, there was warmth in his voice—a strange, dangerous kind of warmth that made her forget who he was. They talked for what felt like hours—about life, about loneliness, about dreams they were both too afraid to chase. He listened. She laughed. And for one rare moment, Ava forgot that she was just a journalist, and he was the city’s most feared CEO. When the rain began again, they didn’t move. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering just a second too long. “Damian…” she whispered, unsure why her voice trembled. His eyes softened. “Don’t say my name like that.” And then, without thinking, she rose on her toes and kissed him. It was soft at first—hesitant, like two souls testing the waters of something forbidden. Then it deepened, fueled by loneliness and the aching need to feel alive. The city disappeared. There was only them—the girl who didn’t belong and the man who had everything but peace. That night, under the rain and the stars, they made a mistake. A beautiful, unforgettable mistake. When Ava woke the next morning, sunlight spilled through the curtains. The bed beside her was cold. Damian was gone. No note. No goodbye. Only silence. She sat there for a long time, the memory of his touch haunting her skin. Then she whispered to herself, “It meant nothing. Just one night.” But as the days turned into weeks, the nausea came. The fatigue. The missed period. And when she stared at the two pink lines on the test in her trembling hands, Ava knew that one night had changed her life forever. Five years later, Ava’s son asks, “Mommy, when will I meet my daddy?” That same night, a tall figure walks into her newsroom—Damian Blackwood, now her new boss.