Chapter 6

The anxiety in the air was obvious as Aria walked into King Enterprises' sophisticated office the next morning. Her actions of the previous days were bothering her, yet they had also sparked a flame within her a commitment not to allow Marcus Stone or anyone else degrade her abilities or value.

She pressed the elevator buttons and the doors opened. Some employees greeted her and some waved towards her. She greeted them back with a smile but she could still feel the bitterness of her mood.

As she stepped inside the elevator, she had a quick glimpse of herself in the reflected glass. Her face was stern, and her shoulders were straight.

She gave the impression of a competent expert, yet behind the surface, doubt remained. The false story and unknown technical problems were upsetting her, but she refused to let it show.

When the elevator doors lifted to the highest floor, Anna recognized her with her usual quick professionalism.

"Mr. King is in a conference but has asked you to meet him in his office," Anna told her, not gazing up from her I pad.

Aria nodded and walked into Heathen's office. The spacious chamber felt equally large as ever, but she was starting to look past its frightening exterior. While guarded, the man who occupied it showed unexpected gentleness and openness.

She strolled to the wide windows, the city landscape stretched wide ahead of her. The appearance eased her worries, reassuring her of the reality of the job she had put her whole being into.

A low imitating voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Greetings, Miss Chen."

She whirled to see Heathen enter the room, as dominant as ever. Today, however, there was a spark of tiredness in his eyes, as if the entire weight of the entire universe was on the back of his head.

"Good afternoon," she responded, focusing on his stare.

He went to his desk and set down an overwhelming amount of documents. "I suppose you've noticed about the problems with the materials?"

Aria sighed. "I observed the employees discussing about it. Is it connected to Marcus?"

"It's most likely," Heathen understood his tone dark.

"The sequence of events is too good to be a random occurrence. I've already begun a private inquiry, but in the meantime, make sure you verify and double check everything on the site. Make absolutely sure that nothing else has been messed with as well.

"Understood fully," Aria responded tightly.

Heathen stared at her for a brief moment, his grey eyes investigating. "Are you managing up good?"

That response took her off guard and a little surprised. Heathen was strangely concerned, and she seemed to be at loss for words.

"I'm doing well," she murmured after an extended silence.

"This has not been the first time I've faced challenges, and it won't be the last."

A very small smile twitched at Heathen's lips. "Wonderful. Marcus isn't going to stop until he finds a strategy to ruin this current project. But I have an impression that you are not going to back down easy."

His observations were an indirect encouragement, a reminder that she was not alone in this challenge.

"I appreciate it," she replied warmly.

Heathen nodded with a small smile. His facial expression softening briefly before returning to his usual professional personality.

"I'll have Anna send you the outcomes of the investigation. Keep me informed on whatever you uncover."

"Yes, absolutely," Aria stated as she turned around to go.

As she approached the door, Heathen's voice halted her.

"And Aria one more important thing?"

She turned to look back at him.

"Be cautious. Marcus does not play with fairness’’.

The entire weight of what he said slammed on her as she went to the construction site.

The following day was an explosive amount of activities and work. Aria poured her personality into the task at hand, carefully inspecting and reviewing every part of the construction job.

She checked the status of shipping reports, compared proposals, and spoke with suppliers and construction works to make sure everything was on schedule and according to the target.

By the moment the sun had begun to sink, she had come across more and more mistakes. Not anything serious but strong enough to indicate that Marcus's involvement had not came to an end.

She was going through the most recently released information when a shadow came down across the surface of her desk. Glancing up, she spotted Heathen standing there with an unreadable look.

“You’re still here,” Heathen said, his tone neutral, though his sharp gaze swept over the dimly lit construction site.

“So are you,” Aria countered, a hint of humor dancing in her voice as she pushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

He smirked faintly, his signature expression of guarded amusement.

“Fair observation. I came to check on the progress.”

“Everything’s under control,” Aria assured him, gesturing to the blueprints spread out on her desk. “But I’ve found a few more problems related to the material we would need. I’ll send you the details tonight.”

Heathen nodded, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than necessary.

“You’re doing great work, Aria. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

The unexpected praise warmed her, though she quickly masked her reaction with a professional nod.

“Thank you. I won’t.”

A moment of silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant hum of power tools and the low murmur of workers wrapping up for the day.

The air smelled faintly of dust and damp concrete, a testament to the long hours they’d both put into this project.

“You know,” Heathen said finally, his voice quieter, more thoughtful, “this project means more to me than just another business construction site. It’s a chance to prove that we can create something lasting, something that matters.”

Aria glanced up at him, surprised by the vulnerability and sincerity in his words. He always seemed so unshakable and cold, so relentlessly focused on success. Yet here he was, sharing a small but meaningful and important part of himself.

“I understand and respect that,” she replied, her voice softer.

“It’s why I’m here, too.”

Their eyes met, and for the first time, she felt a true sense of connection and bonding with him. There was no pretending, no guarded facade only a hidden awareness and understanding that they were completely in this together.

The brief moment stretched before Heathen cleared his throat and returned his gaze to the location, his normal calm manner returning.

“Let me know if you need help in anything,” he said over his shoulder.

“I’ll be in my office.”

“I will surely,” Aria responded after him, watching as he disappeared into the shadows.

She stood there for a moment, the weight of his words settling over her like a second skin. This wasn’t just another project simple project it was a battle for something greater and very important.

Later The following night, Aria sitting cross-legged on the soft and cushioned couch in her modest and cozy apartment, the light from her laptop highlighting her face.

The mistakes that she'd seen earlier appeared small on the surface like mismatched data, delivery logs that didn't match up but the deeper she examined, the more concerning they got.

It wasn’t just carelessness. It was intentional. Marcus, with his effortless smirk and brutal tactics, was probably behind it and trying everything to ruin this project.

She rubbed her temples and sighed loudly cursing that piece of shit in every possible manner, exhaustion creeping in as she scrolled through yet another spreadsheet. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

Frowning, Aria stood, hesitating for a moment before opening it. Heathen stood on the other side, a thick file tucked under one arm.

“I thought you’d want to see this,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

Aria raised an eyebrow getting stunned by his behavior, closing the door behind him. “Do you always make house calls?”

“Only when it’s important,” he replied, his tone clipped but serious.

She sighed and gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat. You look like you could use one.”

Heathen ignored the offer, instead handing her the file. Aria flipped it open, scanning the contents quickly. Her stomach sank as she read and a loud sigh of irritation left from her mouth.

“These are delivery logs for the materials,” she said, her voice tight with disbelief. “They’ve been changed and manipulated.”

“Exactly,” Heathen said, pacing a few steps before turning back to her.

“Someone on the inside is working with Marcus and giving him information. We need to figure out who it is before a huge damage happens.”

Aria nodded, her mind already racing. She set the file down and opened her laptop again. "If I compare these records with the original orders, we might be able to identify a pattern or at least narrow down the suspects."

Heathen watched her work, his expression a mix of admiration and something softer that he didn’t quite let surface.

“You’re relentless, aren’t you?” he asked, a faint trace of amusement and admiration in his voice.

She glanced up, her determination evident in the fire burning in her eyes. “I have to be. If we let Marcus win, everything we’ve worked for months will be for nothing but a disaster.”

Heathen’s lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. “I’m glad you’re on my side, Miss Chen.”

Aria felt a flicker of hope at his words. He wasn’t just her boss, and this wasn’t just a job. This was a fight for something they both believed in a shared vision of honesty and trustworthiness in a world too often shaped by greed.

Hours passed as they worked side by side, the quiet hum of determination filling the room. Aria combed through files and databases with a precision that impressed even her own herself, while Heathen made calls and double-checked figures and facts.

“It’s here,” Aria said finally after hours of searching and checking, pointing to a highlighted section on her screen.

“Look at these timestamps. The altered logs coincide and match with specific shifts and with someone who had access to both the orders and the deliveries.

Heathen leaned over her shoulder, scanning the data.

“Harper,” he said darkly with so much rage in his voice, the name heavy with betrayal.

Aria nodded. “It fits. He has been in charge of managing shipments for months. And now that I think about it, he is always the one suggesting delays or giving reasons for ‘unexpected’ shortages.”

Heathen’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Aria saw the steel resolve of the man who’d built an empire from the ground up.

“We’ll confront him tomorrow and would make sure to make him regret,” he said.

“But we’ll need to be strategic. If he realizes we’re onto him, he could easily destroy critical evidence against him.”

Aria closed her laptop, exhaustion finally catching up to her. “I agree with you. But for now, I need at least a few hours of sleep. You should, too.”

Heathen looked at her puffy face and smirked faintly. “I’ll consider it.”

She rolled her eyes, standing to see him out. “Goodnight, Heathen.”

“Goodnight, Aria,” he said, his voice softer than usual.

He hesitated at the door, as though he wanted to say more, but ultimately turned and disappeared into the night.

As Aria locked the door behind him, she allowed herself a small smile and a little chuckle escaped from her lips.

For the first time ever since she joined the company, she felt like they had a real chance. Marcus might have money and power, but they had something stronger: trust, determination, and a shared belief in doing what was right.

Tomorrow would bring its challenges, but tonight, for the first time in weeks, Aria felt hope. She shook her head and ran to her bed because guess what sleep is more important and precious than anything else in the entire word.