Chapter Eighteen
1518 Words
Damien Watches from Afar
Word of Ava’s success spread quickly. The business world started paying attention. And so did Damien.
Sitting in his office at Blackwood Corporation, he scrolled through another headline.
“Ava Sinclair Secures Key Client, Proving Her Place in the Corporate World.”
Marcus, sitting across from him, raised an eyebrow. “Still think she’s weak?”
Damien didn’t respond.
Marcus smirked. “She’s handling Sinclair Enterprises better than anyone expected. You sure you want to ignore your mate?”
Damien clenched his jaw. Ava was proving herself in ways he hadn’t anticipated. And no matter how much he wanted to keep his distance, he couldn’t ignore the growing respect— or the pull.
Ava had been in meetings all morning, but nothing could have prepared her for this.
Sinclair Enterprises had been working on a high-profile real estate development project—one that required a collaboration with another powerful firm. Vivian had been handling the negotiations, but with her focusing on their parents, the responsibility had now fallen on Ava.
And, of course, the company they were supposed to meet with was Blackwood Corporation.
The moment Ava stepped into the meeting room, she immediately sensed the shift in atmosphere. The Sinclair team was already seated, waiting for their counterparts to arrive.
Then the doors opened, and Damien Blackwood walked in.
Dressed in a tailored black suit, exuding raw power and authority, Damien's presence commanded attention. Beside him were Lucian and Marcus, but Ava barely registered them.
Their eyes met.
For a split second, time seemed to slow. Ava’s pulse quickened, but she masked it with a neutral expression.
Damien, on the other hand, showed no reaction—at least, not outwardly. His sharp gaze swept over her, lingering just long enough to make her wonder if he was surprised to see her sitting at the negotiation table.
Then, he pulled out a chair and sat across from her, his voice calm and authoritative. “Let’s begin.”
---
The Negotiation
The discussion started formally, with both teams presenting their offers and concerns. Ava remained professional, keeping her tone firm and confident.
At one point, one of the Blackwood executives tried to push for a clause that heavily favored their side. Ava caught it immediately.
“With all due respect,” she said, cutting in smoothly, “this clause would give Blackwood Corporation an unfair advantage in long-term decision-making. That wasn’t part of the initial terms.”
The executive shifted uncomfortably, but before he could respond, Damien spoke.
“She’s right,” he said, his deep voice sending an unexpected shiver down Ava’s spine. “That clause wasn’t in the original agreement.”
Everyone turned to him in surprise—including Ava.
She expected him to argue, to assert dominance, but instead… he backed her up?
Ava narrowed her eyes slightly. What is he playing at?
The meeting continued, and despite the tension between them, the deal moved forward smoothly. Ava held her ground, proving she wasn’t just here as Vivian’s replacement—she was a force to be reckoned with.
Finally, after nearly two hours, the negotiations concluded with a tentative agreement. As everyone gathered their documents and stood to leave, Damien spoke again.
“Ava.”
She paused, glancing up at him.
“Walk with me.”
Her colleagues gave her questioning looks, but she nodded, following him out of the meeting room and down the corridor.
---
The Private Conversation
They walked in silence for a moment before Damien finally spoke.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Ava crossed her arms. “You thought I’d be hiding in a bookstore forever?”
His lips twitched slightly—almost a smirk, but not quite. “I underestimated you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That sounds dangerously close to a compliment, Mr. Blackwood.”
He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he studied her, his piercing gaze unreadable.
“You handled yourself well in, there,” he finally said. “But business is different from a quiet life. Are you sure you can handle it?”
Ava scoffed. “I don’t need your approval, Mr. Blackwood.”
Something flickered in his eyes—annoyance? Amusement? She couldn’t tell.
Then, he took a step closer, his voice lower. “I wasn’t offering it. I was warning you.”
Ava refused to back down. “Then let me return the favor—don’t underestimate me again.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke, tension crackling between them like electricity.
Then, Damien stepped back, his expression unreadable once more. “We’ll see.”
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Ava standing there, her heart pounding harder than it should.
That evening, as soon as Ava returned to the Sinclair estate, she barely had time to remove her heels before Vivian pulled her into her office.
“You had a meeting with Blackwood Corporation today?” Vivian asked, arms crossed.
Ava sighed, dropping into the chair across from her sister’s desk. “Yes. It went well. We got a fair deal.”
Vivian wasn’t convinced. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
Ava already knew where this was going. “You mean Damien.”
Vivian nodded. “He’s not the type to let things happen without a reason. If he backs you up during the negotiations, there’s something he wants.”
Ava leaned back, running a hand through her hair. “Maybe he was just being reasonable.”
Vivian gave her a flat look. “Damien Blackwood? Reasonable?”
“…Fair point.”
Vivian sighed. “Be careful, Ava. We’ve already been through enough.”
Ava met her sister’s concerned gaze and nodded. “I will.”
---
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Selene was seething.
She had just received a report from her spy. Ava Sinclair was now working at Sinclair Enterprises. Worse—she had personally handled the negotiations with Damien today.
That meant two things:
Ava was getting closer to the Blackwood businesses
Damien had personally interacted with her.
Selene’s fingers tightened around her wine glass, fury simmering beneath her perfect smile.
“She’s getting too comfortable,” she murmured. “It’s time to remind her where she belongs.”
She picked up her phone and dialed a number.
“I need a problem at Sinclair Enterprises,” she said smoothly. “Make it look like an internal issue.”
---
The next morning, Ava was reviewing files when a message popped up on her phone.
Meeting at Blackwood Tower. 11 AM. – Vivian
Ava frowned. Again?
A few hours later, she found herself inside Damien’s office at Blackwood Tower. The room was sleek, modern, and overwhelmingly dark—just like the man who owned it.
Lucian, Marcus, and a few Sinclair executives were present. But the real problem was what Damien had just said.
“This project requires close collaboration. Starting today, Ava Sinclair and I will be directly overseeing it.”
Ava stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Damien said, his expression unreadable.
Lucian smirked. Marcus looked slightly amused.
Ava clenched her jaw. Working with Damien? Every day?
This was going to be hell.
---
Ava and Damien Clash Over the Project
The next day, Ava and Damien had their first official meeting regarding the joint project between Sinclair Enterprises and Blackwood Corporation.
Ava came prepared—she had spent the night going over every document, ensuring she knew the deal inside and out. But as soon as the discussion started, she realized one thing: Damien had no intention of making this easy.
“This proposal is too conservative,” Damien said, sliding the document back to her.
Ava frowned. “It’s the best approach. The risk is low, and we secure stable returns.”
Damien leaned back, his sharp gaze locked onto her. “Safe investments don’t make history.”
Ava exhaled. “Not every business move needs to be reckless.”
Lucian and Marcus exchanged glances, enjoying the exchange, while the Sinclair executives sat tensely, unsure whether to interfere.
Damien smirked. “Then prove me wrong. Let’s see if you can convince me.”
Ava’s eyes narrowed. Game on.
---
While Ava was busy dealing with Damien, Selene was making her next move.
Through her spy inside Sinclair Enterprises, she had arranged for a confidential document leak. The goal? To make Ava look incompetent—as if she wasn’t ready for the corporate world.
That evening, Vivian stormed into Ava’s office, throwing a file onto her desk.
“Ava, did you approve this?”
Ava blinked at the report. “No. What is this?”
Vivian’s expression darkened. “Some of our financial plans have been leaked. If we don’t control this fast, it could cause problems.”
Ava’s heart pounded. Leaked? How?
Then her phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number.
"You don’t belong in this world. Stay in your bookstore where you belong."
Ava clenched her fists. She doesn't know who this is.
But this person wasn’t just playing dirty—she was declaring war.
- Writer
