A Night With Mr. Woods

Untitled Episode

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Damian’s office door loomed ahead, and my heart hammered so violently that I thought it might burst out of my chest. I’d rehearsed what I would say a hundred times in my head, each version more confident than the last. But now, as I stood on the threshold, my words felt fragile, meaningless in comparison to the truth I carried inside me.

“Are you sure about this?” Maya’s voice came softly from behind me, and I jumped, realizing she’d followed me. Her eyes were sharp but gentle, like she could see through the walls I’d built around my own fear.

“I have to,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “He needs to know… even if it ruins everything.”

We stepped inside together. The office smelled of expensive leather and faint cologne. Damian was there, seated behind his massive desk, his expression unreadable as he scrolled through something on his tablet. He didn’t even glance up when the door closed behind us.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped closer. “Damian…”

Finally, he looked up. And for a second, that calm, icy demeanor cracked. His eyes widened slightly, the first flicker of recognition—or was it confusion?—passing over his face.

“You’re early,” he said, his voice neutral but carrying that underlying edge that always kept me on my toes.

“I…” I started, then faltered. Words tangled in my throat. How could I tell him everything without sounding desperate? Without giving away the truth too soon?

Maya gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. Encouragement, silent but strong. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to step closer.

“I need to tell you something important,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “About… us. About that night.”

His brow furrowed slightly, and he leaned back in his chair, one hand brushing through his dark hair. “That night? What do you mean?”

I could see the wall going up immediately. The professional, untouchable Damian—unaware of the storm brewing just beneath the surface.

“I remember everything, Damian,” I said, my voice rising slightly despite my attempt at calm. “Every word, every moment. And… I’m not just here as your assistant. That night—it wasn’t just a mistake for me. I…” I hesitated, afraid that saying it aloud would make it too real, too dangerous. “I—”

The office door slammed open, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Damian’s head snapped toward the noise, eyes narrowing instantly. “What the—”

I turned, and my stomach dropped. Standing in the doorway was Kira, her presence sharp and deliberate, like she had arrived knowing exactly what she was going to do. She looked at me, and the smallest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Well, well… look who’s here,” she said, her voice a mixture of amusement and challenge. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

I felt my blood turn cold. Kira had always been a problem, but this—her showing up now, in Damian’s office, while I was trying to tell him the truth—felt like a calculated attack.

Damian’s eyes flicked between us, tension crackling in the air. “Kira?” he said cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, as if she owned the place. “I came to see the new assistant,” she said finally, her tone teasing, but there was an edge to it, something dangerous hiding beneath the playfulness. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

I clenched my fists, forcing my fear into something resembling control. “And you’ve heard wrong,” I said sharply, not letting her amusement bother me.

Damian’s gaze returned to me, sharp and questioning. “Allison…” His voice was softer now, but still wary. “What’s going on?”

Before I could answer, Kira straightened, stepping into the office fully, her eyes cold and calculating. “I think you should know,” she said, fixing me with a piercing stare, “that not everything you think you know about Damian—or about last night—is true.”

My heart stopped. What was she talking about?

I opened my mouth to respond, but Damian shook his head slightly, almost warning me to wait. “Kira, what do you mean?” His tone was calm, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.

She smirked again, slowly circling the desk like a predator. “Let’s just say… some truths are better left buried. But since Allison seems determined to dig them up, I thought I’d intervene. Make sure she doesn’t get hurt before she realizes she’s in over her head.”

I felt a surge of anger and fear collide inside me. I wanted to snap at her, to tell her that I was done being manipulated. But Damian’s eyes were on me, steady and unflinching, and I couldn’t risk pushing him away before I had the chance to explain.

“What are you talking about?” I asked carefully, trying to keep my voice calm.

Kira’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” she said cryptically. “But I wouldn’t get too comfortable, Allison. The past has a funny way of catching up.”

She turned on her heel and walked out, leaving the door swinging behind her. The sudden silence that followed was suffocating.

Damian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, eyes locked on me. “Explain,” he said simply.

I took a deep breath, the words finally spilling out. “That night—it wasn’t a mistake for me. I… I felt something I didn’t understand. And now, being your assistant, being this close to you… it’s impossible to ignore. But Kira—she’s… she knows things. Things that I don’t fully understand yet, but I feel like… like my life, everything I thought was safe, is being pulled apart. And I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

Damian was silent for a long moment, studying me. His expression softened just slightly, but the edge of caution never left his eyes. “Allison… you’re treading dangerous waters. Be very careful what you say and who you trust. Especially when people like her are involved.”

I nodded, but inside I was shaking. Kira’s words had dug a hole in my chest, one I couldn’t ignore. And Damian… he was still a mystery, unreadable in ways that made my heart ache with longing and fear.

“Promise me,” he said suddenly, breaking the heavy silence. “Promise me you won’t do anything reckless. Not with her, not with me. This isn’t a game, Allison.”

“I promise,” I whispered, though a part of me doubted I could keep it. How could I, when every fiber of me was being pulled in a thousand directions?

Damian leaned back, his gaze drifting toward the window, but I could feel the tension coiled tightly in his chest. There was something he wasn’t telling me. Something dangerous.

And then, just as I thought I could finally breathe, my phone buzzed sharply in my pocket. I pulled it out, and my blood ran cold.

A message, from an unknown number:

“She’s not who you think she is. Watch your back.”

My hands trembled as I read it. Damian’s sharp eyes caught the change in my expression immediately.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice low, almost a growl.

I looked up at him, and for the first time, I felt the full weight of the storm that was about to break. “I… I don’t know,” I said, swallowing hard. “But… someone’s warning me. And I think it’s about Kira. Or… maybe even you.”

Damian’s jaw tightened, and for a second, the distance between us vanished. The air was thick with unspoken danger, with secrets ready to explode. And in that moment, I knew without a doubt: nothing would ever be the same.

And then my phone buzzed again, louder this time. Another message:

“You’re too close. Back off, or everything will end badly.”

My heart pounded as I realized… the game had just begun.