Episode 13
1183 Words
Ariel's POV:
I sat at the long marble dining table, her knees pressed together under Damian’s oversized white shirt. It hung low on her thighs, and every time I shifted, I tugged at the hem nervously. I had never sat in a place like this before. Chandeliers, golden cutlery, and crystal glasses filled with water that probably cost more than her entire month’s rent.
Her heart still pounded with excitement. She got the job. Blackthorne Holdings. The name itself sounded powerful, untouchable. She was one step closer to proving herself, one step away from the shadows of her past.
And yet, I sat across a man who unsettled me more than anything else in my entire life.
Damian placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of her with mechanical precision, his movements sharp, deliberate. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing strong, veined forearms. He didn’t look at her, not once.
“Eat.”
Just that one word. Low, commanding and final.
I blinked at the plate, then at him. “You really cooked?” I asked stupidly like I didn't see him cooking a moment ago.
Damian didn’t answer. He turned, set his own plate, and sat opposite me. He picked up his fork with the kind of elegance that made me feel clumsy just watching him.
I picked up my fork, nibbling. The food was shockingly good. Better than anything I had tasted in weeks.
The butler lingered at the side, clearly uncomfortable, as if witnessing something forbidden.
I cleared my throat. “It’s good.”
Still nothing. Damian’s golden eyes stayed fixed on his plate, his jaw tight.
Aria hated silence. It pressed on her chest, made her feel small. So she spoke to break the awkward silence.
“You didn’t have to cook for me. I mean, I could’ve just” I started.
“You were asleep.” His voice cut through my words like a blade. “And I don’t like incompetence in my kitchen. The staff are slow.”
My lips parted in aww. That wasn’t the answer I expected, but I still said. “Oh.”
The butler shifted, hiding a twitch of surprise. Damian never cooked and they know it, but now he is giving excuses.
Aria fumbled for something else. “Well, thank you. I Really, appreciate it.”
At I finished the words, Damian finally lifted his gaze. His golden eyes locked onto me lingering.
His stare dropped to the white shirt I wore, this will be the hundredth time he is starring at my thighs and his oversized shirt I wore. A flash of hunger burned in his eyes, sharp and dangerous, his gaze lingered, longer than it should have, before he tore it away and stabbed his food.
The silence thickened again.
She tried to eat quietly, but her thoughts whirled. She wanted to scream from joy about her new job, to celebrate, to dance around the table if she could. Blackthorne Holdings. Her dream. Her chance.
But Damian’s presence smothered every spark.
Still, the words spilled out. “I I got in. At Blackthorne. They chose me.”
The butler stiffened. His eyes flicked toward Damian.
Damian didn’t look up. “Congratulations.”
Just that. Flat, cold.
Aria bit her lip. She tried again. “Do you know how hard it is to get in there? They only take the best. People work for years, and I”
Damian’s knife scraped against his plate. The sound was sharp enough to make her jump.
“I said congratulations. That should be enough.” His golden eyes flicked up, and the weight of his stare pinned her in place.
She shrank back, covering her mouth as if to trap the rest of her words. Heat rushed to her face.
The butler looked as though he wanted to vanish into the wall. But too bad he can't.
Damian leaned back in his chair, slow, deliberate. He studied me in silence, his gaze roaming over the way me legs curled under his shirt, the way her hair fell messily around her face. I was chaos in his ordered world, noise in his silence. And yet… he couldn’t look away.
I shifted uncomfortable. “You really don’t like noise, do you?”
His lip curled slightly. “Noise is weakness.”
She blinked. “That’s a weird philosophy.”
He tilted his head, watching her. “Is it? Or is it survival?”
I didn’t know how to answer. The way he said it, it was as if he had lived through storms no one could even imagine.
The silence fell again, heavier this time.
Aria dropped her fork, frustrated. “You know, most people would say, "I’m happy for you’ when someone gets a job. They don’t just sit there like they’re interrogating me.”
For the first time, Damian’s mouth curved, not quite a smile more like a shadow of one. “I am not most people.”
My stomach fluttered, though I hated myself for it. I shoved it down quickly.
“Clearly you do”
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes gleaming gold. “Tell me something, Aria. Why do you want this job so badly?”
She froze. “What?”
His voice was silk and steel. “You shouted loud enough to wake the entire city. Why Blackthorne?".
"Why this company?”
I hesitated for a moment. My fingers fidgeted with the edge of his shirt.
“Because it’s a chance. A chance to start over. To be someone.”
Damian’s gaze deepened, as if he could peel back her words and read the truth beneath.
“Someone?” he repeated softly. “Or something?”
My throat tightened. I couldn’t answer. How could I, when I didn’t even know myself.
Damian leaned back again, but his eyes didn’t leave mine. “Eat. You’ll need the strength.”
“For what?”
He didn’t answer.
The butler cleared his throat softly, breaking the tension. “Sir, should I prepare the car?”
Damian didn’t glance at him. “Yes. For her.”
I blinked in total confusion. “For me?”
“You have an assignment to report to, don’t you?”
My mouth fell open. “How did you know”
But he was already standing, collecting his plate.
The butler quickly took it from him, bowing his head respectfully.
Damian’s voice was low, final, as he walked past her toward the door.
“Don’t be late on your first day, Aria.
"Blackthorne does not tolerate weakness.”
Her heart stopped. The way he said the company’s name, was sharp and heavy, like it belonged to him.
Her eyes widened as she turned slowly in her chair, watching his tall frame vanish into the shadows of the hallway.
"What did he just say?"
The butler looked confused, like he was trying to know why I was confused. I could clearly hear him muttering some words.
And now I suddenly felt as though I was stepping into something much bigger than I ever imagined.
- Writer
