chapter 4

Later that night, Aria sat in her tiny apartment, littered with scattered blueprints and a laptop. Yet, she just couldn't seem to settle into anything.

Her thoughts were back with Heathen King and all he had shared; his vulnerability stayed with her, haunting her like a whispered whisper.

The man behind the ruthless billionaire persona was more interesting than she could let herself admit. He wasn't what she had expected.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Anna:

Mr. King has requested your presence at a high-profile client meeting tomorrow. Be at the office by 9 a.m. sharp. Dress professionally.

Aria frowned. Why would Heathen bring her into something like this? She had expected to stay at the back, taking care of technicalities. This was unexpected.

The next morning, Aria stood outside the glass tower of King Enterprises, her insides tightly coiled. In an attempt to fit in she had dressed for the role, wearing a sleek navy blazer, and tailored pants. That, however, did not make her feel as small as the skyscraper over her head.

“Miss Chen, this way,” Anna said briskly, leading her to the executive boardroom.

Inside, Heathen stood by the window, his commanding presence filling the room even in silence. When he turned to greet her, his eyes flickered over her, almost as if assessing.

“You’re on time,” he said simply.

“Of course,” Aria replied, keeping her voice even.

He motioned to the chair beside him. "You're going to sit in on this meeting. The client is one of our most difficult, and your input on the west wing project will be invaluable."

Aria blinked surprised. "You want me to speak?"

"Yes," Heathen said his voice was not open to debate.

"You've shown you're capable. Let's see how you perform under real pressure.

She could barely get a word out before the doors swung open, and in strode a group of sharply dressed executives. Their leader, a man in his late fifties, with calculating eyes, greeted Heathen with a firm handshake.

"Mr. King," he said, smoothly.

"Always a pleasure."

"Mr. Stone," Heathen said his voice cool and polite.

Aria froze at the name. Marcus Stone, King Enterprises' infamous rival. Tension was palpable in the room and became apparent as the meeting began when Aria realized this was not like any ordinary business negotiation.

The discussion was like a chess match with how sharp it was. Marcus pressed Heathen at every detail, his tone thin and veiled by hostility. Heathen, on the other hand, showed nothing but calmness; every point he countered was precise.

When the subject matter of discussion was shifted to the west wing project, Marcus turned to Aria.

"And who might this be?" he asked with a predatory smile.

"Aria Chen," Heathen told him before she could say something herself.

"She is redesigning the west wing."

Marcus arched an eyebrow.

"Impressive. Quite young to handle a task like that."

Aria held his gaze, her voice strong even as the pricking sensation ran through her. "I believe quality speaks for itself, no matter what."

Marcus smiled but his face didn't warm with the curve of his lips. "Let's see about that then."

Aria's proposal of west wing revamp was delivered without wavering, and she sensed the eyes of Heathen upon her, weighing her work silently.

When the meeting finally broke, Marcus loitered, his eyes darting back and forth between Heathen and

Aria.

"A word of caution, Miss Chen," he said his voice grating with falsely cordial cheer.

"Be careful of the company you keep. Not everyone will want to see you prosper."

Heathen's jaw set, but he held his tongue as Marcus continued on his way.

When Marcus finally disappeared from view, Aria turned to Heathen. "What's wrong with that?

“Marcus likes playing games," Heathen said, his tone clipped.

"Don't let him get into your head."

Aria hesitated. "Why does he hate you so much?"

Heathen's gaze darkened.

"That's a long story. Let's just say Marcus and I have history and not the kind you want to revisit."

His response only deepened her curiosity, but she knew better than to push.

"Still," Heathen continued, his tone softening slightly,

"You handled yourself well today. Better than I expected."

"Thank you," Aria said, the rare praise surprising her.

As they left the boardroom, she couldn't shake the feeling that Marcus Stone's warning had been more than just a passing remark.