The scent of roasted coffee lingered in the marble lobby of Blackwood Enterprises the next morning, but Aurora couldn't taste anything. Her nerves were tightly wound, her hands clasped around a cup she hadn't sipped. It wasn't caffeine she needed—it was control.
She told herself to breathe, to focus, to be the professional Damien Blackwood expected. He had looked at her yesterday with the cold detachment of a man meeting a stranger. That should have been a blessing.
But it only made the truth feel more suffocating.
"Aurora Lane?" the receptionist called, her sleek headset perfectly in place. "Mr. Blackwood will see you now."
Aurora nodded, straightened her blazer, and walked into the lion's den.
This time, the conference room was empty.
Except for him.
Damien stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands in his pockets, staring at the skyline like he owned it. Knowing him, he probably thought he did. The tension in the air was different today—thicker, somehow. Charged.
"You're early," he said, not turning around.
"You said eight sharp. I don't make a habit of disappointing clients."
"Good." He turned, finally, and his gaze didn't skim past her like yesterday. It lingered. Measured. "I like precision."
Aurora set her documents on the table, ignoring the way his eyes seemed to strip her down to her core. "I've drafted a revision of the risk assessment for ZenithTech. I've flagged three sections that could raise questions from the Federal Trade Commission."
He didn't move to sit. Instead, he stepped closer—too close—and lifted a single brow.
"You're efficient," he said. "But that's not what I'm interested in this morning."
Her heart stuttered. "Excuse me?"
Damien reached into his pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Her résumé.
"I had my assistant do a background check. Normal protocol."
She fought to keep her expression neutral. "You had me investigated?"
"You work directly under me on a billion-dollar merger. I'd be a fool not to vet everyone involved." He paused, tapping the page. "But what caught my attention wasn't your credentials. It was what wasn't there."
Her throat tightened.
"No mention of family. No spouse. No emergency contacts outside a sister. And yet…" He leaned in, eyes sharp as blades. "There's a softness in your eyes I don't see in career climbers. Like someone who has something more to lose."
Aurora's voice was steady, but her pulse thundered. "You read too much into people."
"Maybe." He circled to the other side of the table, gaze still fixed on her. "Or maybe I've learned that people always have secrets."
He's fishing, she realized. He didn't know. Not really. But something about her bothered him—and Damien Blackwood was the kind of man who dismantled puzzles until they made sense.
She had to shut this down.
"You hired me to keep your company safe, not to hand over my personal life," she said coolly. "If you're unsatisfied with my performance, Mr. Blackwood, feel free to speak with my senior partner."
A beat passed. Then his lips curved slightly.
"There's the fire," he murmured. "I was wondering if I'd see it again."
He sat down finally, flipping open the files like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just walked circles around the landmine she kept buried.
Aurora took her seat, spine straight, chin lifted. She had survived worse than a billionaire's curiosity.
But even as they discussed contract clauses and acquisition terms, a part of her knew—Damien Blackwood was hunting something.
And he would find it.
---
Later that night, back in the sanctuary of her apartment, Aurora sat on the floor with Noah as he carefully glued sequins onto a cardboard spaceship.
"Did you have a good day, Mommy?" he asked without looking up.
She smiled softly. "I did. A busy one."
He leaned closer to whisper, "Did you fight any bad guys?"
Aurora kissed his forehead. "Only the ones in really expensive suits."
Noah giggled.
But the moment was interrupted by a soft knock at the door.
She froze.
Maya was working late. No one ever came by without texting first.
Aurora got to her feet, heart ticking faster as she peered through the peephole.
And her blood ran cold.
Damien Blackwood.