Damian’s words echoed in Jackson’s head as consciousness slowly returned. The pounding headache and the bitter taste in his mouth were stark reminders of last night’s breakdown. He groaned, attempting to piece together the fragments of his memories.“Here,” a soft voice spoke, and he opened his eyes to find Elara holding out a glass of water and some aspirin. “This should help.”Jackson accepted them gratefully, taking in his surroundings. He was in Damian’s guest room, still wearing his rumpled suit from the party. The events of the previous night came rushing back—his emotional outburst, the things he’d said to Damian.“God,” he muttered, pressing his palms against his eyes. “What have I done?”“You needed to let it out,” Elara said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Sometimes pain demands to be felt.”Jackson lowered his hands and looked at her. There was something different about her today. A sadness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. He remembered her taking his win
Days melted into weeks, life settling into a rhythm that felt both familiar and hollow. Elara threw herself into her routine with almost mechanical precision—morning coffee, work meetings, social obligations, all performed with a smile that never quite reached her eyes. She mastered the art of looking fine, of laughing at the right moments, of making small talk with the house staff as if her heart hadn’t been shattered that night.In Damian’s presence, she was the perfect picture of composure. Their interactions became a carefully choreographed dance of polite exchanges and measured distances. She attended his business dinners with practiced grace, played her role as his wife flawlessly, all while building walls around her heart brick by brick. To anyone watching, she was the same Elara she’d always been.“Damian,” she called, knocking on his door.“What do you need?” he asked immediately as he opened the door.“I need to talk to you,” she replied with a heavy heart. He looked at her,
Elara gazed at her reflection in the penthouse window, the city lights below shimmering like fallen stars. The burden of her promise to take Damian to the hospital lingered on her mind. How could she bring him to see her mother when their marriage was merely a business deal? The idea of revealing their arrangement to her mother filled her with dread.Her phone buzzed with a message from James: “Mom keeps talking about meeting him.” She placed the phone face-down on the marble countertop, unable to bear the reminder of her mounting lies.The sound of the front door opening pulled her from her thoughts. Damian’s footsteps echoed through the foyer, steady and measured as always. She turned to face him, gathering her courage.“We need to talk,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.Damian loosened his tie, raising an eyebrow. “About?”“My mother.” She watched his expression carefully. “She wants to meet you.”“I see.” His face remained impassive, but she noticed his shoulders tense
Elara Hart smoothed the cuffs of her neat white blouse. The only sound was the soft clicking of her pen against the polished mahogany table. She looked up, her piercing green eyes meeting the faces across from her. The anticipation lingered on every breath. All eyes were on her, waiting for her final decision to seal the deal.Sitting across from her was Mr. Ashford, a renowned industry expert known for his tough negotiating style. But she was fearless. She had worked hard to climb the ranks at Marshall & Hewitt, and today she was on the brink of sealing one of the most significant deals of her career.“Mr. Ashford, if I may say so with due respect,” she said calmly, “your offer is below my client’s merit. We are both aware of the market value of this acquisition, and I must say, I had higher expectations.”Tension filled the room as her words hung in the air. Mr. Ashford squirmed in his seat, his confidence faltering under her watchful gaze. The other executives shared nervous looks,
She stood up, adjusting her jacket. This wasn’t just about clearing her name, it was about finding out who was trying to destroy her and why. And when she did, they would regret ever thinking they could outsmart Elara Hart.As she walked out of her office, heading toward Charles’ door, one thought echoed in her mind: This was war.Her high heels made a sharp clicking sound on the polished marble floor as she walked towards Charles Montgomery’s office, the managing partner.The hallway was quiet, amplifying the mix of emotions she was feeling. By the time she reached the heavy oak door of the managing partner’s office, she had hidden her panic behind a facade of determined bravery.She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before knocking.“Come in,” Charles’s voice called out, calm and steady, giving no hint of the turmoil that awaited her inside.Elara pushed the door open, stepping into the room with her head held high. Charles Montgomery’s office was a grand room with dark wood
Elara looked out of the expansive bay window in her apartment, watching the lively city below. The Manhattan skyline, once a source of familiarity and energy, now appeared distant and overwhelming. The city that had once represented her achievements now felt unfamiliar and filled with obstacles.All that she had worked for seemed on the verge of collapse. Despite her efforts to reach her current position, she felt a sense of impending failure.Her phone’s endless beeping pierced through the silence, pulling her from her thoughts. She ignored the calls, unwilling to speak with anyone. Each ring felt like a reminder of the chaos swirling around her life.When the phone buzzed for the tenth time, she finally walked to the nightstand. Her heart sank at the sight of her mother’s name flashing on the screen. Of course, she’d seen the news, and could be deeply worried.Since her father’s death, her mother had struggled with both grief and health issues, unable to cope with the loss. Memories
From his penthouse office, Damian Blackwood gazed out at the city below. His eyes were fixed on the bustling streets and towering skyscrapers that stretched out before him. The view was magnificent, a testament to his success and the vast empire his family had built over generations. But today, it offered no comfort. The pressure of the looming deadline pressed heavily on him, overshadowing the satisfaction he usually felt when surveying his domain.Behind him, his family’s lawyers shivering nervously, awaiting his response to the grim news they had delivered. Damian had always known this day would come, but he hadn’t expected it to arrive so soon, or under such dire circumstances.“Thirty days,” he murmured, more to himself than to the men in the room. “You’re telling me I have just thirty days to find a wife, or everything my family has built will be stripped away?”Mr. Jennings, the head lawyer, cleared his throat. “Yes, Mr. Blackwood. Your grandfather’s will stipulates that if you
Elara sat on the edge of her bed, overwhelmed by the weight of the past few days. Her usually tidy apartment now felt like a prison, suffocating and confining. The once cozy space now seemed small and oppressive as her mind raced, replaying the events that had brought her to this point.The scandal that had erupted had shattered her world. The accusation of unethical practices, the firm’s sudden withdrawal of support, the whispered conversations behind her back, all of it had come crashing down on her with a ferocity she hadn’t anticipated. She was on the brink of making partner, a milestone she’d worked tirelessly to achieve, and now it all seemed to be slipping through her fingers.Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen lighting up with an unfamiliar number. For a moment, she considered letting it go to voicemail again. But something compelled her to answer, perhaps a hope for any news that might offer a solution.“Hello?” she answered, her voice revealing her exhaustion.“El