Chapter Two: The Secret He Never Forgave
976 Words
Aria barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Damian Blackwood standing in her living room.
Cold.
Controlled.
Dangerously handsome.
And looking at her as if she were the enemy.
The marriage license still sat on her nightstand.
Mocking her.
By sunrise, she had made a decision.
If Damian hated her family so much, she deserved to know why.
Because no sane man would wait ten years to collect a debt unless something deeper was driving him.
Something personal.
The next morning, Aria drove across town to visit the only person who might know the truth.
Her grandmother.
Margaret Bennett had been around long enough to know every family secret.
Including the ones nobody wanted discussed.
When Aria arrived, her grandmother was tending roses in the garden.
She smiled when she saw her granddaughter.
But the smile disappeared the moment Aria mentioned Damian's name.
Fear flashed across her face.
A real fear.
The kind that made Aria's stomach twist.
"You know something."
Her grandmother looked away.
"Grandma."
Silence.
Then a sigh.
"I prayed this day would never come."
Aria's pulse quickened.
"What happened between our family and the Blackwoods?"
Margaret slowly lowered herself into a chair.
For a long moment, she stared at the flowers.
Then she spoke.
"His mother."
The words landed heavily.
"What about her?"
"Her name was Isabella Blackwood."
Aria listened carefully.
"Years ago, before Damian became rich and powerful, Isabella worked for your father."
"What?"
Margaret nodded.
"She was his business partner."
Aria frowned.
That wasn't the scandal she expected.
"So why does Damian hate us?"
Her grandmother's eyes filled with sadness.
"Because Isabella died."
The air seemed to leave Aria's lungs.
"Died?"
"There was an accident."
Aria sat down.
Her heart hammered.
"What kind of accident?"
"No one knows the whole truth."
"Tell me anyway."
Margaret hesitated.
"Your father's company was collapsing. There were rumors of missing money. Arguments between partners."
Aria's chest tightened.
"And then?"
"One night Isabella drove away after a meeting."
Her grandmother swallowed.
"Her car went off a bridge."
Aria stared.
The garden suddenly felt too small.
Too quiet.
"Was it an accident?"
"No one could prove otherwise."
The answer sent chills down her spine.
"What does that have to do with my father?"
Margaret looked directly into her eyes.
"Many people believed Isabella was taking the blame for financial problems she didn't create."
Aria felt sick.
"No."
"People whispered that your father let her carry the burden alone."
"That's impossible."
"Maybe."
The uncertainty in her grandmother's voice was worse than certainty.
Aria stood abruptly.
She needed answers.
Real answers.
Not rumors.
By afternoon she found herself standing outside Blackwood Tower.
The tallest building in the city.
Glass.
Steel.
Power.
Everything about it screamed Damian Blackwood.
The receptionist almost laughed when Aria demanded a meeting.
Until she said her name.
The woman's expression immediately changed.
"One moment, Miss Bennett."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Five minutes later, Aria was being escorted to the top floor.
Apparently Damian was willing to see her after all.
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped into a massive office overlooking the city.
Damian stood near the windows.
His suit was charcoal gray today.
Perfectly tailored.
Perfectly intimidating.
Without turning around, he said,
"You should be deciding whether to sign the marriage papers."
"Not investigating me."
Aria froze.
"You knew I'd come."
A dark chuckle escaped him.
"I knew you'd start digging."
He finally turned.
Those dark eyes locked onto hers.
For one impossible second, the room felt too warm.
Too small.
Too charged.
She hated that she noticed how attractive he was.
Especially when she was furious with him.
"Tell me about your mother."
The temperature in the room instantly dropped.
His jaw tightened.
Dangerous.
"Leave."
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
"You're playing a game you don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Damian walked toward his desk.
Opened a drawer.
And tossed a photograph in front of her.
Aria picked it up.
A beautiful woman smiled at the camera.
Beside her stood a much younger version of Aria's father.
They looked happy.
Close.
Friends.
Maybe more.
Aria looked up.
"What is this?"
Damian's expression was unreadable.
"My mother trusted your father."
His voice was ice.
"More than anyone."
Aria swallowed.
"And?"
"And three weeks later she was dead."
The accusation hit like a slap.
"You don't know that he did anything."
"No."
Damian's eyes darkened.
"I don't."
The confession surprised her.
For the first time, uncertainty cracked his perfect control.
Just for a second.
Then it vanished.
"But I do know one thing."
"What?"
"He knows what happened."
Aria's heart pounded.
"What if you're wrong?"
Damian took a step closer.
Then another.
Until only a few feet separated them.
The air between them felt electric.
Dangerous.
Impossible to ignore.
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
The tiny movement made her breath catch.
And judging by the flash of frustration on his face, he noticed it too.
Neither of them liked the attraction growing between them.
Which somehow made it stronger.
"You have twenty-three hours left to decide."
His voice was lower now.
Rougher.
"Marry me, Aria."
She stared at him.
"Why?"
The silence stretched.
Then Damian delivered the last answer she expected.
"Because if you become my wife..."
His eyes burned into hers.
"...you'll have access to every secret I've spent ten years uncovering."
Aria's pulse stopped.
Every secret.
Including the truth about his mother's death.
Including the truth about her father.
But before she could respond, Damian's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
And for the first time all day, his composure shattered.
The color drained from his face.
"What is it?" Aria asked.
Damian slowly lowered the phone.
His expression was deadly.
"Your father is missing."
And according to the police...
he disappeared less than an hour ago.
- Writer
