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StoriesVerse•6•Jul 22, 2026 “His Smile Is Irresistible,” She Said—Not Knowing the Mafia Boss Heard Everything The Obsidian office was quiet that Thursday afternoon, and I used the rare peace to handle something personal. I picked up my cell phone and called Ivy, my best friend and the only person in the world who knew exactly why I had kept Damon Cross at a safe distance for 3 long years. She answered on the second ring, which meant she had been waiting. I kept my voice low and angled myself toward the door out of reflex. “Ivy, I already said no.” “But why?” she asked. The exasperation in her voice was the kind that only forms after the same argument has happened a hundred times. “Because he is my boss,” I said. I turned toward my computer screen and shuffled papers that did not need shuffling. “Because he is rich, powerful, and completely obsessed with control. Because he is arrogant.” After a pause, I added, “And a player.” “Riley,” Ivy said, the way people say obviously. “The man sends you flowers every week. He has not looked at another woman in almost a year.” I cut her off before she could gain momentum. “You know perfectly well why this is never going to happen.” I kept 1 eye on the office door. There was a weighted pause on her end, and I already knew what was coming. Ivy had an infuriating gift for reaching through a phone line and pulling apart every defense I had ever constructed, stitch by careful stitch. “But you like him,” she practically sang. I could picture her face, that smug delighted smile that made me want to hang up immediately. “Admit it, Riley. You cannot go 5 minutes without saying his name.” “That is not—” I stopped. I pressed my pen flat against the desk and took a breath that was supposed to steady me. It did not. “Okay,” I said. “Maybe I find him attractive.” The admission came out reluctantly, like something dragged from a place where I had buried it. Heat crept up my neck just from saying it aloud. “But that does not mean anything, Ivy. It does not change a single thing.” “Attractive,” she said, like I had handed her a gift. “Riley Bennett, you have been in love with that man for—” “I am not in love.” I stood so fast my chair rolled back and hit the wall. Pacing helped. Or at least it gave my nervous energy somewhere to go besides directly into my voice. “He is just—okay, he is gorgeous. Infuriatingly, unfairly gorgeous. And he can be funny when he is not being a complete and total arrogant idiot. And he has that smile that—” “That smile that what?” Ivy prompted, doing a devastating impression of my own voice. I could have stopped there. I should have stopped there. Three years of practice should have made stopping easy. “That smile that just—” Every muscle in my body locked at once. The voice came from directly behind me. “That smile that what?” Deep, unhurried, and laced with an amusement so quiet it was almost worse than laughter. My blood turned to ice. The words evaporated in my throat. Time became cruel. It slowed and stretched, turning the next 2 seconds into an entire cinematic sequence I had no way to escape. No. No, no, no. I turned slowly, the way a person turns when she already knows exactly how bad it is and still hopes the universe might take pity. It did not. Damon Cross was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, that smile curving his mouth in a way that was catastrophically devastating. His dark eyes held mine with the steady, gleaming certainty of a man who had heard every word. Every single one. “Ivy,” I said into the phone, my voice barely holding itself together, “I will call you back.” I hung up before she could respond. I did not need her making this worse. It was already spectacularly worse. Damon pushed off the doorframe with unhurried ease, and my pulse spiked. He walked toward me the way he did everything, as if the room arranged itself around him, as if gravity were a concept he had personally renegotiated. Each step landed in the tense silence, and I gripped the edge of my desk hard enough to feel the wood grain pressing into my palms. “No, no,” he said. He stopped just inside the perimeter of my personal space, that maddening distance he always calculated to the millimeter. “Go on. You were talking about my smile.” The lie came out too fast, too thin, with no structural integrity. “I was not talking about you.” His eyes narrowed, not with offense, but with amusement. He knew exactly what I had been saying. We both did. He tilted his head and took 1 more step, dismantling whatever margin I had been clinging to. “No? Who else do you know who is gorgeous, funny, and has that smile?” Heat flooded my face with the subtlety of a wildfire. My brain cycled desperately through every possible response, something sharp, something dismissive, something with even a shred of credibility, and came up humiliatingly empty. “Lots of people,” I said. Even I winced at it. Damon’s eyes gleamed with something dangerously close to victory. He took the last crucial step, backing me against the desk. He never quite touched me, but his hands landed on the wooden surface on either side of me. The world narrowed to the heat from his chest and the weight of his gaze. “Liar,” he said softly. Somehow, the gentleness made it worse. It carried certainty that did not require volume. I tried to shift sideways. All I managed was to press myself harder against the desk. My heart was hammering loud enough that I was fairly certain he could feel the vibration of it through the wood. “Damon, get out of the way,” I said, aiming for authority. “Not until you say it again.” He leaned forward slightly. Not much, just enough that I could feel his breath brush my face. His voice dropped another register. “Say it again.” “I am not going to—” The sentence dissolved when he moved closer, and suddenly there was no space left to dissolve into. “Say it.” Each word was separate and deliberate. His dark eyes held me in place with a force that had nothing physical about it, and somehow worked better than anything physical could have. I took a breath that was meant to steady me and became something else entirely. I looked at him, at the face that had crowded my thoughts for 3 years. The sharp jaw. The dark eyes. The particular way his mouth curved when he was enjoying himself, which happened almost always. My composure finally began to crack along a fault line I had reinforced for years. “You are too arrogant,” I said, firmly enough to almost convince myself. The satisfaction in his voice was warm, slow, and completely intolerable. “But irresistible. You said so yourself.” “I said someone was irresistible.” “And gorgeous,” he said, pressing every word like a thumb into a bruise, watching me with that focused, unhurried attention. “You said that, too.” “I said someone was—” “And funny,” he added, almost as an afterthought. “You are not funny. You are irritating.” The laugh that escaped him was low and genuine, the kind that resonated in his chest and traveled through approximately 6 layers of my carefully constructed defenses before I could stop it. It did deeply inconvenient things to my ability to reason. “And yet,” he said quietly, “you think about my smile.” I gathered every scrap of willpower I had and pushed against his chest, just enough to create space and escape. I moved around the desk quickly, putting its solid length between us, my heart still misfiring and my breathing not entirely my own. “This is workplace harassment,” I said, crossing my arms. I was aware of how unconvincing I looked. Damon simply turned and leaned back against the desk that had been my fortress moments earlier, completely at ease, that smile still resident on his mouth, as though he had already won and was only enjoying the view. “It is mutual flirting. There is a difference.” “It is not mutual.” He looked at me with what appeared to be genuine scientific interest, as if cataloging evidence. “Your red cheeks disagree.” I touched my face, felt the heat, and hated myself a little. “I am hot.” “It is 59° in the office.” Even to me, it sounded ridiculous. His laugh came richer this time, genuinely amused, surprised out of him. The amusement in his eyes shifted into something warmer, something that made my stomach do things it had no business doing. Then his voice dropped all playfulness. “Me too,” he said. “Since you came into my life.” The words hit me with unexpected force. For 1 treacherous moment, I wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe this was real, that it was not just the challenge of conquering the only woman who told him no. Then reality came back, cold and relentless. I stopped at the door and turned to face him one last time. I needed to make this clear. I needed to put the boundaries back where they belonged. “Damon, stop this.” His expression changed instantly. The amusement gave way to something serious, something more intense. He straightened, and for the first time in that interaction, there was no trace of playfulness on his face. “Why? Give me 1 real reason.” The question caught me off guard with the raw honesty it carried. He was not apologizing. He was not backing down. He was asking for the truth, and against all my better judgment, I gave it to him. “Because if I give in—” I hesitated. The words stuck in my throat, fighting against years of careful defenses. “I lose control of everything.” Something passed across his face. Something dangerously close to genuine understanding. He took a step toward me, but stopped when he saw my defensive posture. “What if I promise you won’t lose anything?” I smiled without humor and shook my head slowly. “You can’t promise that.” I left the office before he could respond, before I could do something stupid like believe him. It had not always been like this. There had been a time, 3 years earlier, when everything was different. I had been just a nervous woman looking for stability, and Damon Cross had been the intimidating boss I was about to meet. I remembered my first day at the Obsidian as if it had happened yesterday. I arrived too early, sweaty hands clutching the folder with my résumé, even though I had already been hired. The club in daylight was different, less glamorous and mysterious, more real and tangible. I needed that job. I needed the stability it promised after years of uncertainty. I was adjusting my blouse for the third time when a deep voice made me turn. “You’re the new secretary.” And there he was: Damon Cross at 32, already completely in control of the empire he had inherited from his father. Impeccable suit. Confident posture. Dark eyes that seemed to see through every defense I had. He looked at me in a way that made my stomach turn, not from fear, but from something far more dangerous. “Yes. Riley Bennett,” I answered, forcing professionalism into my shaky voice. “Damon Cross. Welcome.” He extended his hand. When our fingers touched, an electric current ran up my arm. His eyes moved over my face with undisguised interest. “You’re different from the others.” I pulled my hand back too quickly to appear casual. My self-preservation instinct was already screaming warnings. “Thank you. Where’s my desk?” He seemed surprised by my directness, but the smile that curved his lips was one of approval. “Straight to the point. I like that.” There was a pause, and then he said, with the confidence of someone who had never heard no, “Dinner with me later.” I did not hesitate for a second. “No, thank you.” The shock on his face would have been funny if I had not been so nervous. He blinked as though he was not sure he had heard correctly. “No?” “I don’t mix work with personal life, Mr. Cross.” I kept my voice firm and professional, building the first barrier between us. “Call me Damon,” he said, still processing the rejection. “Mr. Cross is more appropriate. Excuse me.” I walked past him without looking back, feeling his gaze burn into my back. I heard the low, incredulous laugh that escaped him, but I did not turn around. I could not. Because even in that first moment, I knew Damon Cross was dangerous. Not in the obvious way his work suggested, but in the way that made my heart race and my caution waver. And so it began. Three years of a careful dance between attraction and resistance. In the first year, Damon tried everything. Flowers arrived at my desk every Monday, always accompanied by witty cards that made me smile even when I did not want to. I donated all of them to the nearest hospital. Gifts appeared on random dates, expensive and unnecessary things that I systematically returned. Invitations came for dinners, events, even a weekend in Paris, all refused with increasingly automatic politeness. But something strange happened in the middle of all those refusals. We became friends. Real friends. Our conversations during work hours became my favorite part of the day. He made me laugh with sarcastic observations about difficult clients, and I kept him grounded when business got tense. There was an ease between us that should not have existed, considering he clearly wanted more and I constantly refused. The second year was harder. I saw Damon with other women, stunning blondes and sophisticated brunettes who arrived at the club on his arm. Every time I saw it, something twisted inside my chest in a way I hated to admit. But I hid it well. I smiled professionally, treated everyone with courtesy, and died a little inside each time. Then something changed. Damon started to realize I was different from the others, that I saw him, really saw him, beyond the power, money, and dangerous reputation. Slowly, the other women disappeared. He stopped dating anyone. His focus narrowed, intensified, and concentrated completely on me. That scared me more than anything. By the third year, the tension between us had become almost unbearable. Everyone at the club knew. Bets were running on when I would finally give in because no one believed I would keep resisting. But they did not know the truth. They did not know why I had to resist. They did not know why letting Damon in would be the worst decision I could make. The bar where Ivy worked was dark and cozy, the kind of place where she served drinks with the skill of someone who knew every customer by name. I was on my third glass of wine when she finally got a break and slid onto the stool beside me with the look that meant she was not going to leave me alone. “He cornered you?” Ivy practically screamed, her eyes wide with shock and amusement. “On the desk? Riley, the man is playing dirty.” “Hands on both sides of the desk,” I recalled, feeling heat rise in my neck just thinking about it. “Looking at me like a predator analyzing prey. Ivy, I almost died right there.” “And you?” she asked, leaning in. “What did you do?” “I ran, like I always do,” I admitted, drinking more wine than I intended. “What else could I do? Stand there and let him make me admit things I can’t feel?” “Riley,” Ivy said, in the tone that meant she was about to scold me. “Why do you keep running from him? The man is clearly crazy about you.” I drained the rest of the wine, feeling it burn down my throat as I gathered the courage to admit the truth I could barely accept. “Because if I don’t run, I fall.” “And if you fall?” I felt the weight of her gaze. “I’m afraid of what will happen,” I whispered, the words loaded with all the terror I kept inside. “Ivy, he doesn’t know who I really am. He doesn’t know about my past. And when he finds out—” “Afraid of what? He clearly likes you.” Ivy touched my hand, but I pulled it away. “He likes the idea of me. The woman who always says no. The impossible conquest.” Bitterness bled into my voice. “I’m a challenge to him. Nothing more.” “What if it isn’t just that?” she asked gently. But I was already shaking my head. “I can’t risk finding out. Not after everything.” I looked at her, letting a little of the pain leak through. “You know why, Ivy. You’re the only one who knows.” She nodded slowly, understanding and sadness mixed in her gaze. We both fell silent because some truths were too heavy to say aloud. Meanwhile, in the Obsidian’s private office, Damon poured whiskey into 2 crystal glasses and passed 1 to Marcus, his right-hand man and only real friend. The frustration still burned beneath his skin, mixed with something more dangerous: intrigue, desire, and determination. “Boss, Riley left you hanging again?” Marcus asked, accepting the glass with an understanding smile. “She didn’t leave me hanging,” Damon corrected, drinking the whiskey in 1 go. “She ran like always.” “Three years,” Marcus said. “Three years of you chasing after her.” “But today was different.” Damon leaned back in his chair, that dangerous smile curving his mouth. “How?” “She admitted it, even without meaning to. She admitted she finds me attractive.” Damon savored the words as though they were victory. “And I’m going to use that against her.” Marcus laughed and shook his head. “You’re terrible. You know that?” “Actually, I’m a strategist. There is a difference.” But the smile did not waver. “Riley Bennett built walls around herself,” Damon continued. “But today, I saw a crack. And I’m going to exploit it until I tear everything down.” “What if she really doesn’t want anything to do with you?” Marcus asked, more serious now. Damon was quiet for a moment, considering the possibility that terrified him more than any dangerous business deal. “Then I’ll find out why. Because something scares her, Marcus. It’s not just stubbornness. It’s real fear, and I need to know what it is.” Silence settled between them, filled only by the sound of ice clinking in empty glasses. Damon looked out the window at the lit city, and a single certainty burned in his chest. Riley Bennett was his. She always had been. He just needed to make her believe it, too. I woke up Friday with the feeling that something was about to happen. Three years working for Damon Cross had taught me that when he went too quiet, he was planning something dangerous. After I ran out of his office the day before as if my dignity depended on it, the silence that followed had been practically sinister. I arrived at the Obsidian at 8:00 in the morning carrying my coffee and the pathetic illusion that maybe the previous day had been just another normal day. I pushed open my office door and froze so abruptly that hot coffee splashed on my hand. It was not a bouquet. Calling it a bouquet would be like calling the Titanic a little boat. It was a floral invasion. A botanical attack. A declaration of war disguised as a garden. Red roses the size of my head. White lilies perfuming the entire floor. Pink peonies that probably cost more than my monthly salary. My desk had literally disappeared under the vegetation. “He’s lost his mind,” I muttered, looking for somewhere to put my coffee amid the floral massacre. “Completely, irrevocably lost his mind.” I found the card hanging on a particularly ostentatious lily. The elegant handwriting was one I would recognize even in my sleep. For the woman with the smile I can’t get out of my head. I sighed so dramatically that 3 petals flew off. “He doesn’t give up. Is he a masochist or just incredibly stubborn?” “You like it?” The hot coffee was saved by pure miracle and the reflexes of someone who had worked 3 years expecting scares. I turned slowly. There he was, the one responsible for the floral attack, leaning against the doorframe with that smile that should have come with a danger warning. Damon Cross, impeccable in a dark-gray suit that probably cost more than my car, watched me as though he had conquered enemy territory. “Like it?” I repeated, looking from him to the jungle that used to be my desk. “Damon, I can’t even see my computer. There’s an entire flower shop in here.” “You didn’t answer the question.” He pushed off from the door and walked toward me with that predatory confidence that made my nervous system panic. “I’m going to donate them to the hospital,” I said automatically, already reaching for my phone. “They’ll think there was a wedding or a funeral.” “Like always.” He stopped dangerously close, so close I could smell his cologne mixed with the flowers. “But you read the card.” I turned to face him, forcing my best professional expression, the one I normally used for drunk and insistent clients. “I did. And it’s still inappropriate and excessive. Seriously excessive.” Damon leaned against my desk, or rather against the mass of flowers that was my desk, making petals fall. “Riley, we passed the point of appropriate about 2 years ago. And you deserve excessive.” “We haven’t passed anything. You are the one who insists on crossing every imaginable line.” I crossed my arms, creating a physical barrier since the emotional one was failing spectacularly. He tilted his head, that smile becoming more dangerous. “And you insist on pretending you don’t like it when your cheeks turn red every time I get close.” I touched my face instinctively and wanted to hang myself. “It’s hot in here.” “It is 59°,” he pointed out, contained laughter in his voice. “Early menopause,” I tried. Even to me, it sounded ridiculous. The laugh that escaped him was rich and genuine, and did inconvenient things to my ability to reason. “You’re 28.” “Rare cases happen,” I insisted, defending the indefensible. “Riley,” he said, leaning in and eliminating more space. “You’re a terrible liar.” “And you’re terrible at accepting boundaries,” I shot back, backing up until my spine met the bookshelf. “It’s not stalking. It’s—” He paused theatrically, eyes gleaming. “Persistent courtship.” I laughed without humor. “Persistent courtship. That is basically a manual on how to get a restraining order.” “You’ve never asked for one,” he observed, moving closer. Now I was definitely cornered between him and furniture. “I’m still considering it.” “Liar.” His smile was devastating. Something inside me snapped. Three years of building walls, and he climbed them with flowers, smiles, and proximity that left me dizzy. “Damon.” My voice came out tired. Real. “Stop, please.” The transformation was instantaneous and disturbing. All amusement evaporated, replaced by genuine concern that completely disarmed me. He stepped back half a step, giving me space. “Are you okay? Really?” “I’m tired,” I admitted, more honestly than I intended. “Tired of being your personal impossible-conquest project.” “Project?” The offense on his face would have been funny if my chest had not been so tight. “Riley, you are not a project.” “Then what?” I cut in, 3 years of confusion bleeding into the question. “The only woman who told you no, so you got obsessed? A challenge? A conquest to add to the collection?” Damon closed the distance he had created in 2 decisive steps. Before I could protest, his hand was on my face, his thumb gently tracing my cheek. The gentleness sharply contrasted with the intensity in his dark eyes. “You,” he said, pausing as though choosing the words carefully, “are the only woman who has made me want something beyond 1 night. The only one who makes me want tomorrows.” The silence that followed was so complete I could hear my own heart trying to escape my chest. I took a deep breath, trying to find oxygen in air that had suddenly become too thin. “And when you get it?” My voice came out small, vulnerable in a way I hated. “When I’m no longer a challenge, you’ll get bored.” “How can you be so sure?” There was something broken in the question. “Because I know how men like you work.” I forced firmness even as everything inside me wavered. “Charming. Powerful. Used to getting everything.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t want to be just another conquest for you to forget next week.” His hand slid from my face to my chin, forcing me to look directly into the eyes that haunted me awake and asleep. “You,” he said, each word slow, deliberate, and loaded with promise, “would never be just another one.” I turned my face away, creating distance because I was dangerously close to believing him. My heart beat so hard it physically hurt. “You can’t guarantee that.” He was quiet for an eternal moment, studying me in a way that made me feel exposed to the bone. Then, as though he had made a monumental decision, he spoke. “Then let me prove it.” I looked at him suspiciously. “How exactly do you plan to prove that? More flowers? A band? Skywriting?” The smile that curved his lips was slow and dangerous. “Give me a month.” “A month of what? You officially stalking me instead of unofficially?” “A month of letting me court you for real without you running like a scared rabbit every time I get close,” he said. There was sincerity and hope mixed in. “If at the end you genuinely don’t feel anything, I stop completely.” My brain screamed trap in neon capital letters. But my traitorous mouth asked another question. “And if I do feel something?” His smile was absolutely predatory. “Then we decide together what to do about it.” “This is insane,” I murmured. But I was already considering it, and we both knew it. “Are you afraid of finding out you feel something?” he asked, leaning in and reading every microexpression. “Or are you afraid of finding out how much you feel?” The provocation struck my pride exactly where he intended. “I’m not afraid of anything,” I said, lifting my chin. Except damn him for knowing me too well. Damn him for using my pride against me. “One month,” I gave in, seeing the instant triumph in his eyes. I raised a finger before he could celebrate. “But with nonnegotiable rules.” His expression became cautious but interested. “What rules?” “Zero emotional or physical pressure. Zero touches that cross the professional line. And zero, absolutely zero, jealousy if I decide to go out with other men.” I watched each word hit him. The first 2 conditions he accepted with relative calm, but the last made his jaw lock so visibly I could see the muscle pulse. “You’re going out with other men?” The question came out too casual to truly be casual, his voice carefully controlled, something dangerous gleaming in his eyes. A petty and totally immature satisfaction filled me. Two could play the game of making each other uncomfortable. “Maybe. Maybe not. The point is that you can’t make a scene if I am.” The silence stretched, tense as a violin string about to break. Finally, he nodded stiffly. “I accept your rules.” “Seriously?” I could not hide my surprise. “Yes,” he said, and the smile that appeared was absolutely dangerous. “But I also have 1 nonnegotiable rule.” I should have anticipated that. Of course he had a counterpart. “Which is?” “Brutal and complete honesty.” He moved closer again, invading my personal space with irritating ease. “If you feel something, anything, you admit it. No running. No lying. No hiding.” It was fair. Infuriatingly fair. Impossible to argue with, and probably impossible for someone who had spent 3 years running from feelings. “Okay,” I said. “I accept.” I extended my hand formally, as if we were closing a corporate merger and not an agreement that would probably destroy all my defenses. Damon looked at my hand and laughed, genuinely amused. “So formal.” But he shook it anyway, his fingers wrapping around mine. The electric current that passed through my arm should have been studied by science. He did not let go immediately, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand in a way that definitely violated the appropriate-touches rule. “We start today.” A loaded pause. “Lunch with me.” I hesitated exactly 2 seconds before giving in. “Okay. But a casual restaurant nearby. Nothing with menus without prices.” “Done.” He finally released my hand, his fingers sliding over mine too slowly to be accidental. The Italian restaurant on the corner from the Obsidian was everything fancy places were not. Worn wooden tables. Red-and-white checkered tablecloths. The wonderful smell of garlic and basil floating in the air, along with lively conversations in Italian. It was my kind of place. Seeing Damon Cross, exclusive club owner and mafia boss, sitting in a slightly crooked chair under natural window light was surreal. “You look out of place,” I observed, accepting the laminated menu. “Like a wolf in a henhouse. Or, more precisely, like a man in a $3,000 suit in a $20 restaurant.” He looked around, genuinely considering. “Actually, it’s nice. Real.” “Real?” I raised an eyebrow. “As opposed to your exclusive club with champagne that costs more than monthly rent?” “As opposed to having to always be on guard,” he corrected, surprising me with his honesty. “Here, nobody wants anything from me.” Something softened in my chest, dangerously close to tenderness. “Welcome to the world of common mortals.” The waiter came and took our orders in rapid Italian, which Damon responded to fluently, surprising me again. When we were alone, he leaned back and studied me. “Tell me something I don’t know about you.” “You know everything relevant.” “I don’t know anything really personal,” he insisted, a gentleness in his voice catching me off guard. “Family. Past. What makes you you.” The tension was immediate and probably visible because I saw his expression soften further. But I had promised honesty, at least as far as I could manage. “There’s not much to tell. My parents divorced when I was 12. My mom lives in another state now. My dad—” A familiar lump rose in my throat. “I haven’t talked to him in years.” “Why not?” Gentle. No pressure. “Complicated,” I said. “And painful.” I took a deep breath. “And you? Classic mafia family with tense dinners and questionable loyalties?” He accepted the subject change without forcing, and I was grateful for it. “My dad trained me since childhood to take over. My younger brother died 10 years ago in a deal that went wrong. My mother fled to Italy afterward and never came back.” The pain in his voice when he mentioned his brother made my chest ache. Without thinking, I extended my hand across the table and touched his. “I’m sorry. Really.” “Thank you.” He turned his palm and briefly intertwined our fingers before I pulled back, heart racing. “He was 23. I was 25 and should have protected him better.” “It wasn’t your fault,” I said firmly, surprised by the intensity of my conviction. He looked at me, something vulnerable in his eyes. “Did you always want to work in a nightclub, or was it circumstance?” “Circumstance and desperation,” I admitted. “I needed financial stability urgently, and the Obsidian paid well.” “And now? Is it still just about money?” The question caught me off guard with its sincerity. I looked at him, at the face that haunted my thoughts awake and asleep, and risked the truth. “No. Now I like the work. The people I met.” I gathered a ridiculous amount of courage. “The irritating boss who insists on pursuing me.” The smile that exploded across his face was so genuine, so beautiful and devastating, that my heart nearly failed. “You admitted it.” “I admitted you are irritating. Not that I like you.” I tried to correct him, but I was smiling, too. “Technical and irrelevant details.” And then we were laughing, really laughing together, easy and natural and frighteningly perfect, there in that cheap restaurant with sunlight painting patterns on the table between us. I let the walls crack a little more. We returned to the Obsidian in the middle of the afternoon. I was genuinely relaxed for the first time in days when a sharp and familiar voice rang out. “Damon, darling. Precisely the person I was looking for.” Carla Hartford emerged from the elevator as if a Milan runway had been transported to the lobby. Strategic curves poured into a red dress that clearly cost more than my car. The smile she directed at Damon was pure predator assessing prey, and the look she shot me was so cold it nearly caused hypothermia. I felt Damon tense beside me, his posture shifting subtly into something more defensive. “Carla.” His voice was professional, almost cold. She approached with a sway that defied the laws of physics and gravity. “We need to talk about the contract, darling. It’s urgent.” “Schedule a meeting with Riley,” he said, not moving an inch toward her. Carla practically ground her teeth under her plasticized smile. “Your secretary? I thought we could talk in a more private way. Perhaps over dinner.” Something hot, jealous, and completely irrational twisted violently in my stomach. I kept my expression neutral with superhuman effort. “Riley manages my schedule completely,” Damon said. “Talk to her.” His firmness left no room for interpretation. Carla finally looked directly at me, her perfectly painted smile pure, distilled falseness. “Of course. So, secretary, can you fit your boss in tomorrow? Say 8:00 at night?” “I’ll check availability,” I responded with glacial professionalism, mentally crossing out the entire week as inexplicably busy. Carla finally left, leaving a trail of expensive perfume and obvious intentions. I waited for her to disappear completely before turning to Damon. “She clearly wants more than a business discussion,” I observed, trying to sound casual and probably failing. Damon looked at me, and the intensity in his eyes made my stomach turn over. “I know. I’m not interested in the slightest.” “Why not?” I asked before I could stop myself. “She’s beautiful, successful, rich—” He took a step toward me, eliminating the space between us. “She’s not you.” My heart stopped, literally forgot how to function, then restarted in a chaotic rhythm. “You can’t just say those things.” “Why not?” He came even closer. “Because it makes me—” I caught myself too late. “Want to believe it’s real.” His hand came up, fingers tracing my cheek with a gentleness that contrasted with the intensity in his gaze. “Then believe it, Riley. For the first time. Just believe.” “It’s not that simple.” “It can be exactly as simple as you allow it to be.” The moment stretched between us, loaded with electric tension and dangerous possibility. I could feel his breath warm on my face. I could see every detail of those dark eyes. I could feel his heat surrounding me. My heartbeat was so out of control that I felt dizzy. For 1 traitorous and wonderful second, I wanted to believe. I wanted to let the walls fall. I wanted to fall. “Boss. Julian’s here. Says it’s urgent.” Marcus appeared like a physical manifestation of terrible timing, and I stepped back so abruptly that I almost tripped over my own feet. Damon closed his eyes briefly, his frustration so visceral it was almost palpable. “Perfect timing as always,” he muttered, clearly not for Marcus to hear. Then louder, “I’ll be right there.” He looked at me, promise in his eyes. “We finish this conversation later. For real.” “Okay.” It was all I could manage. My voice came out more affected than I intended. My office was empty when I returned, flowers still dominating every surface like a physical reminder of everything that had happened. I sank into my chair and let my head fall into my hands. “One month,” I told myself aloud. “You can survive 1 month without falling completely. You can.” Even to me, it sounded desperately unconvincing. I could no longer deny the terrifying truth, not even to myself. My heart was already screaming a protest I could not ignore. Just 1 month would be more than enough for me to lose myself irrevocably. Maybe, probably, certainly, I was already falling. And the fall promised to be spectacular and catastrophic. Part 2 Monday arrived with the inevitability of income tax and moral hangover. I arrived at the office prepared for flowers, declarations, or any other manifestation of Damon Cross’s “convince Riley in 30 days” campaign. What I did not expect was to find a complete gourmet coffee setup on my desk. Not a simple coffee. An entire setup, with my exact Starbucks order, a chocolate croissant still warm, and a note. Day 1 of 30. Good morning, Riley. You drink black coffee with an extra shot. No sugar because you’re a masochist. D. I picked up the cup, inhaled the perfect aroma, and hated how my heart melted a little. “He remembers my order,” I murmured, taking a sip. “Of course he remembers. He probably has a complete file on me in some secret archive.” “Actually, I just pay attention.” I almost spit out coffee for the second time that week. Damon was at the door, casually leaning as if that were his default pose. The navy-blue suit he wore did unfair things to my hormones. “You need to wear a bell,” I accused, wiping up the coffee that had splashed. “Or announce when you’re going to show up. Give a trumpet blast. Something.” He laughed and entered without invitation, because apparently boundaries were suggestions. “Where would the fun be in that? I love when you get startled and make that face.” “What face?” I asked defensively, even though I knew exactly what face. “Like Bambi staring at truck headlights.” He demonstrated by widening his eyes in an absolutely ridiculous way. I could not help it. I laughed out loud. “Did you just compare my surprised expression to a deer about to become roadkill?” “A very cute deer about to become roadkill,” he offered, smiling in the way that made my stomach flip. “That does not make it better.” But I was smiling, too. We both knew he had won that round. Damon approached and grabbed the other coffee I had not even noticed on the desk. “I brought one for myself, too. Thought I’d have breakfast with you before meetings.” And so it began. Breakfast Monday. On Tuesday, he showed up with homemade muffins that the cook had made extra. Wednesday was a green smoothie because, he said, I needed vitamins. Thursday, bagels with cream cheese. Friday, pancakes in a thermal container with the syrup separate. “Are you trying to fatten me up?” I asked on Friday, staring at the perfect pancakes. “I am trying to make sure you eat like a functional human being,” he corrected, sitting on the edge of my desk with irritating familiarity. “I eat.” “Coffee and anxiety do not count as a food group.” I touched my chest theatrically. “Rude.” “True, but rude.” Lunches became routine, too. Casual restaurants, always, because Damon quickly learned that I hated pretentious places. Monday was Mexican, where he watched me eat tacos with less-than-elegant enthusiasm. Tuesday was burgers, where we discussed terrible movies we secretly loved. Wednesday was Thai food so spicy that we both cried and laughed at the same time. “Are you okay?” I managed between tears and laughter, seeing Damon red-faced and visibly suffering. “Perfectly fine,” he gasped, drinking water desperately. “This is delicious if we ignore the fact that my mouth is on fire.” “I warned you it was extra spicy.” “I thought you were exaggerating. More water.” “You weren’t exaggerating.” “I never exaggerate about spicy food. It’s a matter of honor.” Thursday was Italian again. Our place. And Friday. Friday, Damon simply asked, “What do you want to eat today?” The question caught me completely off guard. “You’re letting me choose?” “It’s always been you choosing,” he said, genuinely confused. “I just suggested and waited for you to approve or veto.” Something warm and dangerous bloomed in my chest. He had been paying attention. Real, genuine attention. Not just to what I said, but to what I did not say. “Sushi,” I decided, testing him. “There’s this tiny place nobody knows about near the harbor.” “Perfect. Let’s go.” And it was perfect. He ate too much wasabi trying to impress me and turned red again. I laughed so hard I cried. He stole my last sashimi, and I retaliated by stealing his sake. It was easy. Dangerously, frighteningly easy. But of course, the universe was not going to let things simply be easy. Carla Hartford appeared in the hallway Tuesday afternoon like a physical manifestation of bad timing and too-expensive perfume. Emerald-green dress, strategic neckline, and a smile that promised things that were definitely not about business. “Still haven’t scheduled our dinner?” she practically purred, touching Damon’s arm in an absolutely unnecessary way. I was 10 feet away, organizing files. Definitely not listening. Definitely not getting irrationally irritated by the sight of perfectly manicured fingers on his arm. “Like I said, talk to Riley about my schedule.” Damon removed her hand subtly but firmly. “But darling, this is something delicate that perhaps needs to be discussed in a more private environment.” Her tone made it perfectly clear that private carried insinuations. Something green and ugly twisted in my stomach. Jealousy. Ridiculous, irrational, intense jealousy. “I don’t mix business with—” Damon paused and looked directly at Carla. “Wrong intentions.” Her face reddened beneath the impeccable makeup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I think you know perfectly well,” he said calmly, steel in his voice. “If it’s about the contract, schedule with Riley. If it’s about anything else, I’m not interested.” Carla looked at me then, pure venom in her eyes. “I see you’re busy with other distractions.” “Riley is not a distraction,” Damon said, his voice dropping dangerously low. “And I strongly suggest you be more careful with your words.” She left furiously, her heels cracking like gunshots. Silence filled the hallway. Slowly, I turned and found Damon watching me. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said, though I was grateful he had. “Yes, I did.” He approached. “And I want you to know you are not a distraction, Riley. You are the most important person in my life right now.” My heart simply stopped functioning properly. “Damon—” “I know you’re still deciding about me, about us. But while you decide, I want you to be absolutely certain there is no one else. I don’t want anyone else.” I swallowed hard, without words for the first time in days. Friday night arrived with the specific exhaustion of a productive week. Everyone had left, but I was still in the office organizing proposals for Monday. It was almost 10:00 when I heard footsteps. “You’re still here?” Damon appeared carrying a box that smelled like heaven. “Riley, it’s 10:00 at night.” “I’m just finishing,” I started, but my stomach growled, betraying my hunger. He lifted the box, a soft smile on his face. “Pizza. Margherita, your favorite. You forget to eat when you’re focused.” How did he know that? How did he pay attention to such small and significant details? “You brought pizza,” I repeated, mildly shocked. “And soda. And paper plates, because I know you hate eating straight from the box.” Something inside me melted completely. “You’re insistent. Irritating.” “Charming,” he offered, already opening the box on the small table. “Surprisingly thoughtful,” I admitted, taking the slice he offered. We sat on the floor because the chairs were uncomfortable for casual pizza eating. He took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and suddenly looked less intimidating. Less mafia boss and more human. Real. “Tell me something embarrassing about yourself,” I said impulsively. He almost choked on his pizza. “What?” “Everyone has embarrassing stories. I want to hear one of yours.” Damon thought for a moment, a smile forming slowly. “Okay. When I was 15, I tried to impress a girl by reciting Shakespeare. Only I memorized the wrong play.” “No,” I said, already laughing in anticipation. “Yes. I recited a monologue about death and despair when it should have been about love.” I exploded in laughter. “You didn’t.” “I did. She ran off thinking I was a psychopath.” He was laughing, too now. “I spent an entire month being avoided at school.” “That’s—” I could not stop laughing. “The best thing I’ve heard all year.” “Your turn,” he demanded. “Maximum embarrassment.” I thought, gathered courage, and said, “The first time I drank too much in college, I tried to sing Britney Spears at karaoke.” “That’s not so bad.” “I threw up in the middle of ‘Toxic.’” His face was a spectacle of horror, amusement, and shock. Then he collapsed in laughter, that rich and genuine sound that rarely escaped him. “On stage?” he managed. “In front of 200 people.” I covered my face. “I never went back to that bar.” We laughed until tears ran down our faces. The pizza was forgotten. The guards were lowered. In the middle of pizza boxes and embarrassing stories, something changed. It became more real, more intimate. The laughter faded into comfortable silence. I looked at him, at the face that had become so familiar, and found Damon already looking at me. The intensity in his dark eyes stole my breath. “Riley,” he began, leaning in slightly. My heart raced. He was too close, looking at my lips, and I knew, absolutely knew what was about to happen. For 1 terrifying second, I wanted it. I wanted it so badly it physically hurt. Then reality hit. Too fast. Too soon. Too frightening. I pulled back so abruptly that I almost knocked over the soda. “I need to go. It’s late.” The disappointment on his face was visceral. “Riley—” “Thanks for the pizza.” I grabbed my purse with uncoordinated movements. “See you Monday.” I left before he could respond, before I could change my mind, before I could do something stupid like stay. In the car, hands shaking on the steering wheel, I took a deep breath. “Week 1 complete,” I murmured into the emptiness. “Three to go.” You are completely screwed. Because if 1 week had left me like this, laughing at silly stories, eating pizza on the floor, almost kissing him, what would 3 more weeks do? The answer terrified me. Week 2 started with a stupid and impulsive decision. Seeing a message from Daniel, a college friend who had just moved back to the city, should have given me pause. Accepting his invitation to dinner was where the stupidity came in. “It’s just dinner,” I told Ivy on the phone Tuesday morning, already regretting it. “We’ve been friends for years.” “You’re testing Damon,” Ivy accused with her irritating perception. “You want to see if he really respects the rules.” “I’m not testing anyone,” I lied shamelessly. “Daniel is a friend. Friends have dinner together. It’s innocent and normal.” “And have you told Damon yet?” Guilty silence. “Riley.” “I don’t need to ask permission. He agreed to the rules,” I defended, even knowing I was being childish. “Zero jealousy, remember?” “You’re going to cause an international incident,” Ivy predicted ominously. “Or at least an incident involving a mafia boss having a breakdown.” “He’ll be fine,” I insisted, ignoring the growing nervousness in my stomach. Spoiler. He was definitely not fine. Wednesday night, moderately fancy French restaurant. I was talking with Daniel about old times when I felt it: that sensation of being watched, specifically by intense dark eyes I had learned to recognize even in my sleep. I turned my head slowly, half expecting and half dreading what I would see. Three tables away, Damon Cross sat entirely alone. He wore a black suit, his jaw locked so tight I could see it from my seat. His eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that truly warranted a danger warning. “What?” Daniel asked, following my gaze. “Girl, that guy is looking at you like—” “Like a possessive owner analyzing a threat to his property,” I finished, watching Damon stand. “Yeah. That would be my boss.” “Your boss looks like he’s about to commit murder.” “Excellent perception.” Damon crossed the restaurant with that predatory walk that made waiters instinctively move aside. He stopped beside our table, wearing a polite smile that did not come close to reaching his eyes. “Riley. What an unexpected coincidence.” His voice was too controlled. Dangerous. “Damon.” I forced casualness. “Is this a coincidence, or are you following me?” “I have dinner here every Wednesday.” A blatant lie. He knew it. I knew it. “I didn’t know that. You never mentioned it.” He was definitely lying. Daniel, braver than was wise, extended his hand. “Daniel Martinez. Riley’s college friend.” Damon looked at the hand like it was a venomous snake before shaking it. His grip was clearly harder than necessary, judging by the way Daniel flinched. “Damon Cross. Riley’s employer.” The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a dull knife. “We need to talk,” Damon said finally, looking only at me. “Now.” “I’m busy,” I said, even as my heart raced dangerously. “Having dinner with a friend.” “Riley.” Just my name, but loaded with warning. “You know,” Daniel said, standing, clearly reading the room, “I just remembered I have something early in the morning.” He looked at me apologetically. “We’ll talk later.” “Daniel, you don’t have to—” “Yes, I do. Good night.” He practically ran, leaving me alone with Hurricane Damon, who immediately took the vacant seat and stared at me with an intensity that made breathing difficult. “You’re jealous,” I accused, because offense was the best defense. “Obviously I’m jealous,” he said, control finally breaking. “You’re having dinner with another man.” “A friend,” I corrected, even as part of me was secretly satisfied by the reaction. “Daniel is a friend.” “A friend who was looking at you like he wanted to be much more than that.” “You’re being ridiculous.” “I’m being honest.” Damon leaned in, invading my space across the table. “You’re mine, Riley.” Something hot and rebellious exploded in my chest. “I’m not anyone’s. Especially not yours.” “Not technically yet. But emotionally, you already are, and we both know it.” The words hit me like a physical punch because he was right. Damn him. He was right. “You agreed to the rules,” I reminded him, my voice weaker than I intended. “Zero jealousy.” “I agreed before I understood that seeing you with another man would literally kill me inside.” His admission was raw and vulnerable. “Sorry for not being superhuman, Riley.” Silence fell between us, loaded with everything we were not saying. The restaurant continued around us, but it could have been only the 2 of us in the universe. “Why are you here?” I finally asked softly. “Really?” “Because the idea of you with someone else makes me crazy.” Brutal honesty filled his eyes. “Because in 2 weeks, you’ve become the most important thing in my life. And because I’m terrified I’m going to ruin this by being exactly what I am right now: possessive and irrational.” My heart melted completely. “Damon—” “Come with me.” He extended his hand. “Please. Just come.” I should have said no. I should have maintained boundaries. But I put my hand in his, and he pulled me out of the restaurant before I could rethink it. “Where are we going?” I asked 15 minutes later, when Damon’s car stopped in front of a luxurious residential building. “My place.” He got out and opened my door. “I want to show you something.” Nerves danced in my stomach as I followed him. A private elevator went straight up to the penthouse. When the doors opened, my breath caught. The apartment was not what I expected. Yes, it was luxurious, but it was also personal. Photos on the walls. Books everywhere. The comfortable mess of someone who actually lived there. “You’re the first person I’ve brought here,” Damon said behind me. “Besides Marcus and my mother.” I turned, surprised. “Why?” “Because this is my real space. Not the image. Not the character. Just me.” He walked to the huge window overlooking the city. “And I want you to know the real me. All of me.” Something tightened in my chest as I approached. We stood side by side, looking at the city lights, comfortable silence between us. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you,” he confessed softly, still looking ahead. “Never felt this need to be better. To be worthy.” “Damon, you’re a mafia boss. A criminal. A dangerous man.” He finally looked at me. “I’m not good, Riley. But with you, I want to be.” Tears burned unexpectedly. “I’m afraid.” “Of what?” He turned completely, his hands on my shoulders. “Of ruining everything,” I admitted, my voice breaking. “Of you finding out who I really am and—” “And what? Changing my mind?” He held my face, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Riley, it doesn’t matter what you think you need to tell me. It won’t change how I feel.” “You can’t know that.” “Yes, I can. Because I’ve already spent 2 weeks getting to know you, the real you. And I’m more in love now than I was the first day.” The world stopped. “You what?” Panic crossed his face as he realized what he had said. “That’s not how I meant to—too soon. You’re—” But I was not running. For the first time, I was not running. My heart beat out of control. My entire body trembled. Before I could think better of it, I leaned forward. The distance between us shrank. Our breaths mixed. Our lips were inches apart. I could feel his heat and see every detail of his dark eyes, wide with surprise and hope. Then reality hit me like a brick. The past. The secret. Everything he did not know. I pulled back so abruptly that I almost tripped, my hands shaking. “I can’t. Not yet. I—” “Riley.” He took a step toward me but stopped when he saw my panic. “You said you’re in love, but you don’t know about me. You don’t know about my past. And when you find out—” The words came out in a desperate torrent. “When you find out, you’ll understand why I can’t do this yet.” “Then tell me,” he begged, vulnerable in a way that broke my heart. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.” I shook my head, tears finally escaping. “I’m not ready. I want to be, but I’m not.” Painful silence filled the space between us. Finally, Damon nodded slowly. “Okay. When you’re ready, I’ll be here. No matter what it is, Riley, we’ll deal with it together.” But the promise, as sincere as it was, could not erase the fear consuming me. He would eventually find out the truth about my past. He would learn I had worked at the Obsidian 10 years earlier and had been fired for causing trouble. He would also learn that I had seen him turn his back when I desperately needed help. How could he forgive me for hiding all of that? “I need to go,” I whispered, already backing toward the door. “Sorry. I just need to go.” This time, he did not try to stop me. He simply stood there near the window, his silhouette cut against the city lights, and the pain on his face haunted me the entire way home. Forty minutes later, I was on the phone with Ivy, my voice broken between sobs. “I’m in love with him, Ivy,” I finally admitted, saying the words I had denied for weeks. “Completely, irrevocably in love.” “Finally,” she said, but her voice was gentle, without judgment. “You admit it.” “But I can’t get involved because of the past.” Reality crushed the moment. “When he finds out I worked there before, that I was fired, that he was there and did nothing—” “You need to tell him,” Ivy said seriously. “He deserves to know, especially now that he’s admitted he loves you.” “I know,” I said in a small, scared voice. “Just not yet. Please, just let me have this a little longer before everything explodes.” There was silence on the other end, loaded with concern. “Okay. But soon, Riley. Secrets like this destroy relationships before they even begin.” “I know,” I whispered, staring at the dark ceiling of my bedroom. “Believe me, I know.” Because the truth was that each day that passed without telling made the secret bigger, heavier, more impossible. When it finally exploded, not if but when, the destruction would be absolute. I just hoped I would have the courage to tell him before it was too late. Monday morning, Damon Cross was having a surprisingly good day. Riley had sent a good morning text for the first time, spontaneously. Marcus had brought donuts, and no deals had exploded in flames yet. Clearly, the universe was compensating for something. “Boss, you’re smiling at your phone like a lovesick teenager,” Marcus observed, biting into a chocolate-covered donut. “It’s disturbing.” “Riley sent me a picture of her coffee.” Damon showed him the screen like it was a work of art. “See? She drew a smiley face in the foam.” “That’s—” Marcus paused, searching for words. “Pathetic. Cute. Pathetically cute.” “It’s perfect,” Damon corrected, still looking at the photo like a complete idiot. “You’re gone, man. Shipwrecked without a life preserver.” “Gone completely,” Damon agreed cheerfully and without regret. Marcus shook his head, amused. “Never thought I’d see the day. The great Damon Cross, feared boss, melting over a coffee photo.” “Riley isn’t just anyone.” “She’s the woman of your life. Yes, you’ve established that about 500 times,” Marcus finished for him. “When are you going to tell her officially?” “I already did,” Damon admitted, something vulnerable crossing his face. “Last night. It slipped out accidentally, and she almost kissed me, then ran off terrified.” “Classic Riley.” “Exactly.” Damon sighed in frustration. “But she’ll come around. She just needs time to process.” “Boss, I really hope so. Because you’ve become an unbearably optimistic person, and you’re scaring everyone.” Damon threw a napkin at him, laughing. “Get back to work.” Marcus left still laughing, leaving Damon alone in the office. Damon decided to use the positive energy for something productive. He began organizing the dead files that had been gathering dust for years in the cabinet. It was mindless administrative work he would normally delegate, but that day he needed a distraction before he started sending more pathetic messages to Riley. He opened the old cabinet in the corner, coughing at the dust that emerged. Dusty folders. Old records. Employee history. He sorted methodically, throwing away what was irrelevant and organizing the rest. That was when he saw it. A folder marked employees 10 years ago. Simple curiosity made him open it. Old ID photos. Faces he did not recognize. Forgotten names of people who had worked at the club when he had just started taking over, when his father still controlled everything with an iron fist. He flipped through absently, half paying attention, until the photo stopped his world completely. A young girl, 16 or maybe 17 years old, in an Obsidian waitress uniform. Shorter hair. Younger face. But those eyes. He would have recognized those eyes anywhere, at any time. Name on the tag: Riley Bennett. The air was sucked from his lungs. His hands trembled as he held the photo, his brain trying to process information that did not make sense. Riley had worked there 10 years ago, when he was 25 and gradually taking control from his father. She had been 17 and a waitress, and he did not remember her. He did not remember anything. With his heart racing dangerously, Damon continued reading the file. Employment status. Dates. Notes. Then he saw it. Terminated after incident with VIP client. Complaint filed without processing. Official reason: inappropriate behavior. Blood turned to ice in his veins. His hands shook harder. He searched for more details. Reports. Anything. He found a handwritten note in his father’s handwriting. Girl caused scene with important investor. Client complained about inappropriate advances from her. Immediate termination. Do not process employee complaint. We prioritize relationship with client. Horror hit him with absolute, visceral force. The pieces fit together in a sickening way. VIP client. Young girl. Inappropriate behavior. Cowardly code for harassment that had been blamed on the victim. And Riley had been that girl. Foggy memories surfaced. He vaguely remembered confusion one night. His father dealing with an employee situation. Damon had been so focused on learning the business, still so controlled by his father, that he had not questioned it. He had let his father decide. He had let it happen. “No,” he murmured, reading and rereading the report as if the words might change. “No, no.” But they did not change. The truth remained cold and horrible. Riley had been harassed, fired, blamed, and he had been there and done nothing. That was why. That was why she had never wanted to get involved. That was the fear in her eyes. That was the constant hesitation. She hated him. And she had every right. The phone fell from his trembling hands. Nausea churned in his stomach. How had he not seen it? How had he not realized? Because you were blind, idiot. Because she hid it well. Because you never imagined. He needed to talk to her immediately, before he lost his courage, before rationalization convinced him that maybe it was different from what it seemed. Deep down, he knew exactly what had happened. And he knew he had completely failed the woman he loved 10 years before he even truly knew her. He found Riley in her office as afternoon was already falling. She was focused on the computer, oblivious to the disaster walking toward her. When he entered, she looked up with a smile that died instantly when she saw his expression. “Riley, we need to talk.” The words came out grave, loaded with weight. Her face paled slowly. Very slowly. She closed the laptop. “You found out.” It was not a question. It was a defeated statement. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Damon managed, his voice breaking on the last word. Riley stood, defensive posture, arms crossed like a shield. “Tell you what exactly, Damon? That I worked here 10 years ago as a teenage waitress? That I was harassed by a drunk client your father considered more valuable than a 17-year-old employee? That I was fired and blamed for inappropriate behavior when the only crime I committed was defending my own dignity?” Each word cut deeper. “Riley, I didn’t know you were there.” “You were the owner’s son,” she exploded, tears already shining in her eyes. “I saw you that night when security escorted me out, and you did nothing.” “I was 25 years old,” Damon defended desperately, knowing how pathetic he sounded. “My father controlled everything. I had no real power yet. I was learning. Obeying.” “But you had a voice.” The tears flowed freely now. “You could have said something. You could have asked what really happened. But you stayed silent while I was humiliated and blamed for being a victim.” Damon took a step toward her, hands extended in plea. “I don’t specifically remember you. There were hundreds of employees. My father managed everything, and I trusted him blindly.” “But I remember you,” Riley sobbed, her voice breaking completely. “I remember looking at you silently, begging for help. Begging for someone to believe me. And you? You turned your back and let it happen.” The pain in her voice destroyed him. Damon felt his own tears burn. “Riley, I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry. I was young, stupid, a coward—” “And now?” she challenged, wiping tears furiously. “Now what? Are you different?” “Yes.” The word came out with desperate force. “I am different. When my father died, I changed everything in this club. Zero tolerance for harassment. Real protection for employees. Fair processes. I learned, Riley. I learned the worst possible way. But I learned.” “But it doesn’t change the past.” Her voice came out small, broken. “It doesn’t change what happened to me.” “I know,” Damon whispered, devastation overtaking him. “I know. And I would give anything to go back and do it differently.” Heavy silence fell. Riley stared at him, eyes red and full of pain. “Is that why you came back?” he asked. “To make me pay?” The question hit him like a punch. “What? No.” “I came back because I needed a job,” she admitted, her voice tired. “And when I found out you were the owner now, I thought about leaving immediately. But then I saw how you treated people. How you changed the policies. How you were different from your father. And I thought, maybe he grew up. Maybe he learned.” A small hope bloomed in Damon’s chest. “I did change. And you became the most important part of my life without me knowing the whole truth.” “And if you had known from the beginning?” Riley asked. “If I had told you on the first day, would you have hired me?” “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “And I would have begged for forgiveness every day since.” “I don’t want your forgiveness out of pity.” “It’s not pity.” Damon closed the distance between them, completely vulnerable. “It’s—you are the woman I love, Riley.” The silence that followed was absolute. Riley froze, eyes wide. “What?” she whispered, brokenly. “I love you,” Damon repeated, tears finally escaping. “For 3 years, I tried to win you over without knowing I was literally the last person in the world you could love. But I love you completely, desperately, and the idea that I hurt you, even without knowing, kills me.” “Damon.” Her voice came out strangled. “I know I can’t change the past,” he continued, needing to say everything. “But I can give you a future where you are protected, valued, and loved more than anything. If you’ll let me. If you can forgive me—” Riley shook her head, tears continuous. “You can’t just—” “I know.” He stepped back, giving her the space she needed. “I’m not asking for an answer now. Just please don’t give up on me yet. Think. Process. And when you decide, I’ll accept it. Whatever it is.” He turned to leave, each step harder than the last. “Damon.” He stopped without turning. “I need time.” Her voice was small but firm. “As much as you need,” he promised. “I’ll be waiting.” And he left, leaving Riley alone with the weight of revelation, the past finally exposed, and the future completely uncertain. Four days. Four complete days after the revelation, Riley Bennett was becoming a master at evasion. Remote work whenever possible. Arriving too early or too late to cross paths with Damon. Communication strictly by email, with 1-line responses. She had turned avoidance into an art form, and it was killing me. I sat at my desk at home for the third consecutive morning, laptop open, coffee cold beside me, and absolutely no ability to concentrate. Every time I tried to focus on spreadsheets, my brain betrayed me and returned to that moment. The shock on Damon’s face. The raw pain in his voice. The tears I had never seen in those eyes in 3 years. I love you. The words echoed in my head on an infinite loop, making it impossible to think about anything else. The phone rang, pulling me from the spiral. Ivy, of course. “You can’t avoid him forever,” she said without even saying hello, because apparently conversational preliminaries were optional now. “Yes, I can,” I said stubbornly, taking a sip of cold coffee and grimacing. “I’m doing an excellent job of it so far.” “Riley, it’s been 4 days. The man has sent you 17 messages, all polite, all respecting your space, and you haven’t even opened any of them.” “I read the notifications,” I defended weakly. “That counts.” “It does not count,” Ivy exploded. I could imagine her dramatically rolling her eyes. “You need to talk to him. For real.” “I’m not ready.” The words came out small, too honest. Ivy sighed, long and compassionate. “He loves you, Riley.” “He thinks he loves me,” I corrected, shuffling random papers just to have something to do with my hands. “But when the novelty wears off—” “Stop,” Ivy cut in firmly. “Stop making excuses. He loves you. He declared it in front of you, crying after finding out the worst possible thing, and even then he didn’t back down.” Tears burned unexpectedly. “But the past, Ivy. How do I get over that?” “You remember that he was 25, that his father was a controlling monster, that he literally had no power to change anything in that moment.” Ivy’s voice was gentle now, but firm. “Riley, carrying that pain for 10 years was valid. Your anger was valid. But now you need to decide if you are going to let the past destroy your future.” Heavy silence fell because she was right. Damn her. She was right. “He completely changed the club after his father died,” I said in a low voice, admitting what I had observed over the previous 3 years. “New policies. Real protection for employees. Fair processes. He learned.” “Exactly,” Ivy said, practically shouting in victory. “He grew up. He became a different man.” “But the 17-year-old girl in me is still angry,” I confessed, my voice breaking. “She still remembers being sent away like she didn’t matter.” “I know, honey.” Ivy softened completely. “And that anger is valid. But Damon today is not the 25-year-old boy who was controlled by his father. He is the man who spent 3 years trying to win you over respectfully, who changed everything at the club, who is destroyed right now because he hurt you without knowing.” I covered my face with my free hand and breathed through the tears. “I don’t know if I can forgive.” “Then find out,” Ivy said simply. “But find out by talking to him, not running away.” Meanwhile, at the Obsidian, Damon Cross was having the worst days of his life. Considering he had grown up in the mafia and had seen his brother die, that was saying a lot. “Boss, you need to eat something.” Marcus placed an unsolicited sandwich on his desk for the third time that day. “I’m not hungry,” Damon said automatically, his eyes fixed on the computer, where he pretended to work but really only stared at the blank screen. “You haven’t eaten properly in 4 days,” Marcus pointed out, genuine concern in his voice. “You look like a walking corpse.” “I feel like a walking corpse,” Damon admitted, rubbing his tired face. “So it seems appropriate.” Marcus pulled up a chair and sat heavily. “She’s still avoiding you.” “Completely.” The word came out bitter. “Remote work. One-line emails. Doesn’t even look at my messages. I ruined everything.” “Marcus, you didn’t know.” “I should have known.” Damon slammed his hand on the desk with frustration that had been building for days. “I should have paid more attention. I should have questioned my father. I should have cared more about the people working here instead of blindly following orders.” “You were 25 years old under the control of a controlling and abusive man,” Marcus said firmly. “You can’t blame yourself for not having power you literally didn’t possess.” Damon laughed without humor. “Try convincing Riley of that.” “She’ll understand. She just needs time to process.” “What if she doesn’t?” The question that had kept him awake every night finally escaped. “What if she decides she can’t forgive me? That I’m just a reminder of the worst moment of her life?” Marcus had no answer. He only placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder in silent solidarity. A soft knock at the door made them look up. Carla Hartford was there, fitted black dress, concerned expression that did not reach her calculating eyes. “Damon, I heard you’re going through a difficult time,” she said in a voice that was probably meant to sound sympathetic, though it only sounded opportunistic. “I thought I’d see if you needed company.” Marcus coughed, disguising laughter. Damon stared at her with an empty expression. “No, thank you, Carla.” She approached anyway, ignoring the clear rejection. “Sometimes talking helps. Maybe dinner. Something to take your mind off—” “Carla.” Damon cut her off, his voice colder than he intended. “I only want 1 woman, and that woman is not you. It will never be you. So please stop trying.” Her face turned red under the makeup. “I heard she’s avoiding you. Maybe it’s a sign that—” “A sign that I need to be patient and wait for her to process,” he finished firmly. “Now, if you don’t have anything work-related, please leave.” Carla left in contained fury, her heels echoing down the hallway. Marcus whistled low. “You are really gone for her.” “Completely,” Damon said without hesitation. “If she never forgives me, I will spend the rest of my life with profound regret. I’ll know I lost the only person I have ever truly loved because of a mistake made 10 years ago, when I was too young and stupid to know better.” Friday afternoon, I finally returned to the office in person. I had a meeting that could not be remote, and as much as I wanted to keep hiding, professionalism eventually won over cowardice. I arrived late, hoping Damon would be in a meeting or busy. But as I passed the hallway toward the conference room, I saw through the half-open door of his office. And I froze. Damon was sitting at his desk, head in his hands, his posture completely defeated. Even from a distance, even through the glass, I could see the exhaustion, the weight, the absolute pain radiating from him. He looked destroyed. Marcus was saying something, but Damon only shook his head. His voice was too low for me to hear, but his body language screamed despair. Something squeezed painfully in my chest. Because that was not the confident, controlled mafia boss. It was not the arrogant man who flirted constantly. It was just a broken man genuinely suffering because of me. He really cared. It was not a game or conquest. It was real. Painfully real. “Riley.” I turned so fast I almost tripped. Marcus had come out of the office and found me standing in the hallway like a stalker. “I’m meeting,” I managed, pointing vaguely toward the conference room. Marcus studied me with that look that saw too much. “He’s destroying himself inside. You know that.” I did not respond. I did not trust my voice. “I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty,” Marcus continued gently. “Just that he really loves you, and he’s terrified he lost you before he even really had you.” “I need to get to the meeting,” I murmured, running away again because it was what I did best. But the image of Damon destroyed haunted me for the rest of the day. Through the meeting, through work, through the drive home. When I was finally alone in my apartment, silence enveloping me, 1 question echoed in my mind. What did I want more? Justice for the past or a chance at a future? The 25-year-old Damon had failed me. That was undeniable. But the 35-year-old Damon had changed completely. He had grown and learned. He had become a man who protected people instead of turning his back. And that man loved me genuinely, deeply, desperately. The question was whether I could let go of the past enough to give the future a chance. I looked at my phone, at the 17 unread messages from Damon. Messages that probably apologized, explained, begged. I took a deep breath and, for the first time in 4 days, opened them. The first message was simple. Riley, I’m sorry for everything. The second: I’m not asking for forgiveness because I think I deserve it. I just want you to know how sorry I am. The third: You need space. I understand. I’ll be here when you’re ready. If you’re ready. Tears flowed freely as I read each one. None of them pressured. None demanded. Just honesty, pain, regret, love. I held the phone against my chest as a decision slowly formed. Maybe it was time to stop running. Maybe it was time to face the past and the future head-on, together. But first, I needed to decide if I could really forgive. That answer I was still searching for. Monday morning, 6 days after the revelation, I stood in front of the Obsidian building with the same feeling I had when I was 17 and about to enter for the first time: fear, determination, and the absolute certainty that my life was about to change completely. The difference was that this time, I was choosing the change. I had spent the entire weekend thinking, crying, remembering, and finally processing. I talked with Ivy for hours. I read and reread each of Damon’s messages. I looked at the 17-year-old girl who had been treated unfairly and the 28-year-old woman who had a chance to choose the future instead of staying trapped in the past. And I chose. I entered the building, ignoring the curious looks from staff members who had probably noticed the tension of the previous week. I walked straight past my office, straight down the hallway, and stopped in front of Damon’s office door. Through the glass, I saw him sitting at his desk, looking at documents but clearly not processing any of them. The shadows under his eyes were deeper than they had been Friday. His suit, always impeccable, was slightly wrinkled. He looked exactly like I felt: exhausted from carrying emotional weight too heavy for 1 person. I knocked before courage could abandon me. His head shot up so fast it probably caused whiplash. His eyes met mine through the glass, and the expression that crossed his face, hope mixed with absolute fear, nearly made me cry right there. “Come in.” His voice came through the door hoarse, from disuse or emotion. I could not tell. I opened the door with hands that trembled only a little. I stepped inside, closed it behind me, and then we simply stared at each other, the weight of 10 years and 6 days hovering between us like a physical entity. “We need to talk,” I finally said, my voice firmer than I felt. Damon stood so fast the chair rolled backward and hit the wall. “Riley, I—” “Let me talk first,” I interrupted gently, raising my hand. “Please. Before I lose my courage.” He closed his mouth immediately, nodding, his hands gripping the edge of the desk so hard his knuckles turned white. He waited, clearly terrified of what I was going to say. I took a deep breath and gathered the words I had mentally rehearsed hundreds of times over the weekend. “I’ve carried anger for 10 years. Pain, resentment, a sense of injustice. All of that was valid. It was real.” I paused and met his eyes. “But it wasn’t your fault. Not completely.” “Riley—” He started, but I shook my head. “Let me finish,” I said, needing to say everything before the words got lost. “I spent the weekend remembering everything. Not just what happened to me, but what I’ve observed over the past 3 years. The changes you made to the club. How you treat employees. The policies you implemented.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You were young, only 25 years old, under the control of a man you were taught to obey without question. You didn’t have the real power that I, in my pain, believed you had.” “It was still partly my fault,” Damon said. I moved closer, closing the distance between us. “You were young, without real power. I understand that now,” I said firmly, needing him to hear it. “It took time. It took pain. It took looking beyond the 17-year-old girl who was hurt, but I understand.” “That doesn’t justify—” “It doesn’t justify. It explains,” I corrected gently. Then I forced out the next words, the most important ones. “And the man you are now is different. Completely different from the 25-year-old boy who followed his father’s orders. You grew. You changed. You became someone I—” I stopped, courage wavering at the crucial moment. “Someone you what?” Damon whispered, dangerous hope gleaming in his dark eyes. The tears I had held back all week finally overflowed. “Someone I can forgive. Someone I do forgive.” The sound that escaped him was half laugh, half sob. “Riley.” “I forgive you, Damon,” I repeated, each word deliberate and meaningful. “For not knowing better when you were 25. For having to learn the hard way. For not having the strength to confront your father when you should have.” I took a shaky breath. “And I—I love you, too.” The silence that followed was so absolute I could hear my own heart beating out of control. Damon stood completely still, as though he had forgotten how to breathe, staring at me with complete shock. “You what?” he finally managed, voice breaking on the last word. “I love you,” I repeated, stronger now, more certain. “Probably longer than I should have. Definitely longer than I admitted to myself. I love your arrogance, your terrible timing, your flowers that could bankrupt a small country, and the way you make me feel seen. I love the man you became. Not the boy you were. The man standing in front of me now.” Damon crossed the room in 3 steps. He stopped just before touching me, still giving me the choice. That restraint, from a man who had once treated the world like something that bent around him, nearly undid me. “Can I?” he asked, voice rough. I nodded. He pulled me into his arms like a man coming home after years lost at sea. The first touch was careful, almost reverent, and then I was holding him just as tightly. His face buried in my hair. My hands gripped the back of his shirt. For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Then he pulled back just enough to look at me, both hands cupping my face as though I were something fragile and priceless. “I love you,” he said. “I love you so much that it terrifies me.” “I know.” “I don’t deserve this.” “Probably not,” I said, and the smallest laugh broke through my tears. “But I’m giving it to you anyway.” His smile cracked open, stunned and beautiful. Then he kissed me. It was not tentative. Not performative. It was relief, grief, apology, and promise all at once. Three years of resistance, 10 years of pain, and 6 days of fear collapsed into that single moment. When we finally separated, I was breathless, and Damon rested his forehead against mine. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “For giving me a chance. For forgiving me. For loving me despite everything.” I squeezed his hand and intertwined our fingers. “Thank you for waiting. For respecting my space. For becoming a man worth loving.” We stayed there, tangled together on the couch in his office while the morning sun painted patterns on the wall. For the first time in 10 years, the past did not hurt anymore. It was still there, still part of my story, but it no longer had power over me. I had chosen forgiveness. I had chosen love. I had chosen the future. And looking at Damon, seeing the absolute love in his eyes, I knew I had made the right choice. Part 3 Marcus was leaning against my office doorframe with that irritating smile that meant he already knew the answer and only wanted to see me admit it aloud. It was Tuesday, 2 days after the kiss that changed everything, and apparently the entire club had decided privacy was an optional concept. “Maybe,” I said, trying to sound casual while organizing papers that definitely did not need organizing. “Riley, I saw you 2 kissing in the hallway yesterday,” Marcus said, amused. “Like, a lot of kissing. There was grabbing involved.” My face instantly turned red. “That was a private moment.” “In the main hallway at 3:00 in the afternoon, in front of 4 employees and 1 client,” Marcus counted on his fingers. “Very private.” “We thought it was empty,” I defended, remembering how Damon had cornered me against the hallway wall because he needed to kiss me immediately, and how I had agreed too enthusiastically to check for witnesses. “Clearly, it wasn’t.” He laughed. “But seriously, it’s good to see you 2 finally together. Boss is unbearably happy. Yesterday, he was singing in the elevator.” I blinked. “Damon sang?” “Off-key, but yes,” Marcus confirmed solemnly. “It was traumatic for everyone present.” I could not help laughing. “Okay. I need to see that.” “Trust me, you don’t.” But he was smiling, too. “Anyway, Julian’s arriving for a meeting in 10 minutes. Boss wants you there.” The mention of Julian, Damon’s business rival and general professional pain in the neck, made my stomach tighten slightly. “Why me?” “Because you’re his executive secretary, and because he basically doesn’t function without you around now.” Marcus offered a look that said, Do you really need to ask? “Fair enough.” The conference room was tense 10 minutes later. Julian Marks was a man in his mid-40s, wearing an expensive suit, an arrogant little smile, and an irritating habit of looking at me like he was calculating my resale value. “Damon,” he greeted with false familiarity. “And Riley Bennett. Executive secretary, correct?” “Correct,” I replied professionally, ignoring the way he said my full name with strange emphasis. “Bennett,” Julian repeated, as if testing the word. “Familiar name. Very familiar, actually.” Something cold ran down my spine. Damon visibly tensed beside me. “Let’s get to the point, Julian,” he said, his voice controlled but edged with steel. “You requested this meeting.” “Yes, business,” Julian said, leaning back, his smile widening unpleasantly. “But before we discuss contracts, I got curious about something. I was reviewing old Obsidian records, basic due diligence, and I found an interesting file.” My blood froze. No. He could not have. “Employee terminated 10 years ago for misconduct with a VIP client,” Julian continued, his eyes fixed on me like a predator. “Riley Bennett. Same person, correct?” The silence that fell was absolute. I looked at Damon, who had become completely still, jaw locked so tight I could see the muscle pulsing. “Careful with the next word that comes out of your mouth,” Damon said, low and dangerous. “Oh, no offense.” Julian raised his hands in false surrender. “I just found it interesting, especially considering I heard rumors that you 2 are involved now.” His smile became more malicious. “I imagine certain clients, investors, maybe even the press, would find the story fascinating. Club owner dating an employee who was fired for misconduct. I wonder what they’d think.” The fury that crossed Damon’s face was visceral. He stood so abruptly that the chair fell backward with a crash. “Are you threatening me?” “I’m offering perspective,” Julian corrected softly, triumph in his eyes. “And perhaps suggesting that certain contract terms could ensure this perspective remains private.” “Get out,” Damon said, his voice low and lethal. “Now, before I do something we’ll both regret.” “Damon, be reasonable.” “Get out.” The shout echoed through the room, and even Julian had enough sense to look nervous. He stood, adjusting his suit. “Think about my offer. I’m sure you’ll come to the right conclusion.” He looked at me one last time. “It was a pleasure, Miss Bennett.” The door closed behind him. Silence. Then Damon turned to me, the protective fury on his face so intense that for a moment all I could do was stare. “He’s not going to use this against you,” Damon promised, his voice still trembling with anger. “Over my dead body.” “Damon, no.” He held my face with both hands. “Riley, I am not going to let anyone hurt you with this ever. Not again.” Something warm bloomed in my chest. “I know.” But Julian was not the only problem, because of course he was not. Carla showed up at my office on Thursday with a snake’s smile and perfume so strong I could practically see it. “Riley, darling,” she said too sweetly. “I heard the most interesting rumors.” “Carla,” I greeted without looking up from the documents. “Need something?” “I just came to give some friendly advice.” She sat without invitation. “Woman to woman.” That made me look up. “Advice about Damon.” She crossed her legs and studied her perfect nails. “Men like him, they get bored. Today you’re an exciting novelty, but tomorrow—” She shrugged delicately. “He’ll be looking for the next challenge.” Something in my expression must have changed because she smiled wider. “I’m not trying to hurt you, darling. Just being realistic. You’re a secretary. He owns an empire. Do you really think it will last?” For just 1 traitorous second, doubt tried to seep in. Then I remembered. I remembered the way Damon looked at me. The way he had fought for me. The way he loved me completely and desperately. I smiled, and it was genuine. “I trust him, Carla.” She blinked, surprised. “What?” “I trust him,” I repeated, stronger now. “Completely. And I know he loves me. So your attempt to plant doubt is not going to work.” Her face turned red. “You’re going to regret—” “The only person with regrets here is you.” Damon’s voice cut in from the doorway, cold as ice. “Riley, can we talk? Carla, I think you should go.” Carla practically ran out. When we were alone, Damon pulled me into his arms. “You heard?” I asked against his chest. “Enough.” He kissed my hair. “And you handled it perfectly.” “I trust you,” I repeated, the same words I had said to Carla. “I know.” He held me tighter. “And that means everything.” Friday night, Damon called an extraordinary meeting with all the main partners and investors, including Julian. “Boss, are you sure about this?” Marcus asked nervously as I adjusted Damon’s tie. “Absolutely,” Damon said, taking my hand. “Riley, you don’t have to be here for this if you don’t want to.” “I’m staying,” I said firmly. “Together, remember?” The smile he gave me was full of love and pride. In the conference room, 20 powerful men and women waited, confusion evident. Julian stood in the back, wearing a confident smile. Damon stood in front of everyone, my hand still in his. “I called everyone here because there is something I need to clarify about Riley Bennett and our relationship.” Murmurs moved through the room. Julian leaned forward, obvious satisfaction on his face. “Ten years ago, Riley worked here as a waitress. She was 17 years old,” Damon began, his voice clear and firm. “She was harassed by a VIP client. She fought back, screamed, and was fired and blamed for misconduct because my father prioritized money over justice.” Shocked silence. Julian stopped smiling. “I was 25 years old. I had no real power yet, and I was too much of a coward to confront my father,” Damon continued with brutal honesty. “Riley was a victim, and I completely failed her.” He looked at me, absolute love in his eyes. “But now, I protect her. Always. And anyone who tries to use her past against us—” He looked directly at Julian. “—will find out exactly how far I am willing to go for her.” “Damon, this is—” Julian started, panic emerging. “It’s over, Julian,” Damon cut in. “You tried to blackmail me using her trauma. I’m terminating all business with you, effective immediately.” “You can’t.” “I can. And I just did.” Julian left, destroyed. The room erupted into murmurs. Damon turned to me, ignoring everyone else. “Together.” I smiled, tears of happiness in my eyes. “Always together.” When he kissed me there in front of everyone, there was no shame. There was only love, protection, and the promise of a future built on truth. Finally, there was peace. Six months later, I honestly still could not believe this was my life. I was in my office, where a plaque now said Riley Bennett, Executive Partner instead of secretary. I was finishing reports before the weekend when Damon appeared in the doorway, wearing the smile that meant he was planning something. “Don’t even think about it,” I warned without looking up. “I have work to finish.” “It’s Friday night. Your birthday.” He entered anyway, because boundaries were still suggestions to him. “And you’re going to work?” “I’m having dinner with Ivy later.” “She canceled,” he informed me cheerfully. “I asked. She enthusiastically agreed. Something about finally and it was about time.” I looked up, highly suspicious of conspiracy. “Damon Cross, what did you do?” His smile became even more suspicious. “Come with me and find out.” Twenty minutes later, I understood why the Obsidian parking lot was too empty for a Friday night. The entire club was closed. Low lights. Soft music. Absolutely no one but the 2 of us. “You closed the club?” I asked, incredulous. “On a Friday night? Damon, the revenue—” “Can wait.” He guided me through the main hall to the VIP area, which had been transformed into something out of a dream. Candles everywhere. Red roses, because he had never given up on flowers even after I donated millions of them. A table set for 2 with food from my favorite Italian restaurant. “This is—” I had no words. Literally none. “For you,” he said simply, pulling out my chair. “Because you deserve to be celebrated. Always.” Dinner was perfect. We talked, laughed, and reminisced about the past 6 months of dating that had been chaotic, wonderful, and completely ours. But I noticed Damon was nervous. His hands trembled slightly when he held his glass, and he kept adjusting his tie as though it were too tight. “Are you okay?” I asked when we finished dessert. “You seem nervous.” “I am,” he admitted. Then, before I could process it, he was standing. Then kneeling. My heart stopped completely. “Riley Bennett,” he began, his voice trembling slightly but his eyes steady on mine, “you forgave me when I didn’t deserve forgiveness. You loved me when I didn’t expect to be loved. You made me want to be a better man, and then you helped me become that man.” He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a ring that took my breath away. “Will you marry me?” Tears were already flowing before I could stop them. “You’re sure? With all the past?” “Especially because of the past,” he interrupted firmly, holding my hand. “I want to give you a future, Riley. I want to wake up every day beside you. I want to build a life together. I want everything.” “Yes.” The word came out in a happy sob. “Yes, yes, yes.” The smile that exploded across his face was so radiant it lit the entire hall. He slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, obviously, and then he pulled me into a kiss that was promise, celebration, and pure joy mixed together. When we separated, both laughing and crying at the same time, he whispered against my lips, “Lucky me.” One year later, I was an Obsidian partner, a mafia boss’s wife, and still had not learned to arrive on time. “Supplier meeting ran long,” I defended, throwing my purse onto the chair and stealing his coffee because mine had gone cold. “And you love my organized chaos.” “Unfortunately, yes,” Damon agreed, pulling me in for a quick kiss. “How did it go?” “Productive. We closed the contract.” I settled into his lap because privacy in our own office was a luxury we took advantage of. “And you survived the morning without me?” “Barely,” he said dramatically. “I had to make my own decisions. It was horrible.” I laughed, snuggling against his chest. “Do you remember the first time you cornered me in this office 3 years ago?” “I remember you admitting I was irresistible,” he said smugly. “I admitted you were arrogant.” “Technical details.” He kissed my hair. “But yes, I remember. I remember being certain you would eventually be mine.” “Arrogant,” I repeated. But I was smiling. “And you love me anyway,” he pointed out. I sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, yes.” “Lucky me,” Damon repeated, turning me to kiss me properly. There, in the office where it had all started, with flowers and flirting and 3 years of stubborn resistance, I realized I had found exactly where I belonged: in the arms of the man who had pursued me patiently, loved me completely, and given me a future better than anything I could have imagined. Three rules I had sworn never to break. Three years of resistance. In the end, it had been worth every second. Because Damon Cross was not just my boss, my husband, and my partner. He was my best friend, my love, and my home. And I would not trade that for anything in the world.