Just us

The office felt suffocating. Elara stared at the contract on her desk. A merger agreement she’d been reviewing for the past hour, but the words blurred together. All she could think about was Damian’s cold demeanor at breakfast, so different from the man who had kissed her last night.

A knock on her door made her jump. “Come in,” she called, straightening her posture.

Mia, her assistant, poked her head in. “Mr. Blackwood requests your presence in the conference room. The Chen merger team is here early.”

Of course they were. Elara gathered her files, checking her reflection in her phone’s dark screen. Professional. Composed. Everything a corporate lawyer should be.

The conference room was already full when she arrived. Damian stood at the head of the table, commanding the room’s attention as he always did. Their eyes met briefly as she entered, and for a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his expression.

“Mrs. Blackwood,” he said formally, “please walk us through the lega