Chapter Four: The Breaking Point

Damien’s POV

The sound of the alarm pulled me from sleep. I blinked at the ceiling, disoriented, then glanced beside me. My chest tightened. The bed was empty.

She was gone.

I sat up slowly, my mind clouded with fragments of last night. Her scent lingered faintly in the air. The sheets were cold and untouched. Why had she leave before I woke up?

I remembered last night, but I didn’t have to dwell on it. She was just a stranger, a one-night stand. Nothing more.

I forced myself out of bed and into the shower. By the time I was dressed and ready, my mask of indifference was firmly in place. Alex, my secretary, was already waiting for me downstairs, punctual as always.

Two hours later, I was seated in the boardroom, surrounded by a dozen executives.

“…And lastly,” one of the executives said, signaling the close of the meeting, “The Hortense Group has approached us again. They’re requesting our investment and partnership for their new luxury resort project.”

“Hortense?” I asked, my voice sharp. “Aren’t they ranked tenth in the industry?”

“Yes, sir,” the board member replied quickly. “They’ve been struggling to compete and believe that collaborating with Logan Group will elevate their standing. They’re proposing that we provide the designs and invest financially in exchange for a minority stake in the project.”

I leaned back in my chair, steepling my fingers as I processed the information. Logan Group was the industry leader, the gold standard everyone else measured themselves against. Hortense’s desperation wasn’t surprising, but I didn’t make decisions out of pity.

“What’s the benefit for Logan group?” I asked, my tone cool, detached.

“The projected returns are significant,” the board member explained, “and it would further cement Logan Group’s dominance in the luxury real estate market. That said, their terms require careful review.”

I nodded curtly. “Prepare a full analysis. I want every detail laid out before we commit.”

The meeting ended shortly after, but as the others filed out, I stayed behind. My mind, despite my best efforts, drifted back to her.

****

Ariana’s POV

I stormed out of Mr. Davis's office, my heart pounding and my head spinning with a mix of anger and despair. Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here, not where everyone could see just how broken I felt.

I had lost everything. My relationship. The little self-respect I had left was gone after last night. And now, my job. It felt like my entire world was crumbling around me, leaving me to pick up pieces I didn’t even know how to hold.

My heels clicked against the marble floor as i walked back to my office. Each step felt heavier, my humiliation and anger pressing down like a storm cloud. When I finally pushed the door open and stepped inside, Julie looked up from her desk, her face instantly creasing with concern.

"Ari, what did that devil want this time ?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.

I froze for a moment, staring at my desk. My hands were trembling, and it took everything in me to keep my voice steady. “I got fired,” I said, barely above a whisper.

Julie’s eyes widened. “What? Fired? Why?”

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat like shards of glass. Finally, I managed to force them out. "He wanted me to sleep with him to keep my job.” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. “I refused.”

“That bastard!” Julie spat, her tone dripping with fury. “How dare he?! Who the hell does he think he is?”

Her anger was comforting in a strange way, but it didn’t stop the tears that started streaming down my face. “I feel like I’ve lost everything, Julie,” I admitted, my voice breaking. “What am I supposed to do now? What did I do to deserve all these things happening to me?”

Julie rushed to me wrapping her arms around me. “Ari, you did the right thing. Don’t let that scumbag make you feel like you’ve lost. He’s the disgusting one, not you.”

Her words were kind, but they didn’t ease the ache in my chest. I leaned into her shoulder, letting the tears flow freely now. I didn’t care about looking strong anymore. “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, my voice muffled against her.

Julie held me tighter, her voice steady and firm. “You’re stronger than this. You’ll figure it out, I know you will. And no matter what, I’ve got your back.”

Her reassurance was like a lifeline, pulling me out of the sea of despair, even if just for a moment. I took a deep breath, wiped my face, and pulled away. As I started packing my things into a box, I made myself a silent promise, I wouldn’t let Mr. Davis or anyone else define my worth. This wasn’t the end for me. It couldn’t be.