Chapter 7 - The Kiss That Changed Everything

The moment Celeste and Damien left the press conference, the energy in the car was thick.

The kiss was supposed to be a move—a calculated act to shut Julian down, but it didn't feel like an act.

Judging by the way Damien sat beside her, with hi jaw clenched, and one hand gripping the steering wheel with lethal control, he knew it too.

Celeste exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers against her temple. “Well, that was… dramatic.”

Damien didn’t respond immediately, instead, he manoeuvred the car through the Paris streets, his movements as smooth and controlled as ever. Finally, he said, “You surprised me.”

Celeste glanced at him, heart pounding. “Good.”

Damien’s lips twitched, but the amusement didn’t reach his eyes. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t let Julian win that easily.”

“He thinks he knows me,” Celeste murmured. “But he never understood one thing.”

Damien’s gaze flickered toward her. “And what’s that?”

She smirked. “I don’t lose.”

A slow, dark chuckle rumbled from him. “We’ll see about that.” His tone was light, but there was something else beneath it, something unexplained.

Celeste looked out the window, forcing herself to breathe. "This wasn’t supposed to happen, I wasn’t supposed to feel anything." she thought, her lips still tingling from the kiss and her skin still burned where Damien had touched her.

What was worse was that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to forget it about the touch or the kiss.

By the time they reached the penthouse, the air between them was thick with tension.

Celeste stepped inside first, heading straight to the living room. She needed space, time, distance, bus he also needed to gain some control back.

Damien though wasnt giving her that. He followed with slow and deliberate steps, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

At first the air was thick with an unspoken silence, then he said, “You kissed me.”

Celeste’s head snapped up. “You kissed me back.”

Damien’s eyes darkened. “You didn’t give me much of a choice.”

She scoffed. “Oh, please. If you didn’t want it, you would’ve pulled away.”

His gaze flickered, sharp, and assessing. “Maybe I wanted to see what you’d do.”

Her pulse pounded.

She swallowed. “And?”

Damien took a step forward, then another, until he was stood right in front of her, close enough that she could smell the faint traces of his cologn that was both dark and intoxicating.

Celeste refused to back down.

Damien tilted his head, studying her. “You enjoyed it.”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re delusional.”

His smirk was slow, dangerous. “Am I? Then explain why you are still thinking about it?”

Her breath caught. She had forgotten how perceptice he was.

Celeste lifted her chin. “It was just a kiss.”

Damien’s smirk deepened. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”

Her fists clenched at her sides. "You're so infuriating!"

And yet, the way he was looking at her, the way his voice dropped, rough and deliberate, made it impossible to think straight, making her want to push him.

She wanted to see how far they could go before they broke.

Celeste forced herself to step back, putting space between them. “This engagement is temporary,” she reminded him, her voice steady. “You don’t have to act when we’re alone.”

Damien’s gaze flickered for just for a second, then he leaned in, his lips just inches from her ear. “You think this is an act?” His voice was a whisper against her skin, making her shiver.

Before she could respond, he pulled away, smirking as he strode toward the hallway. “Get some rest, Celeste,” he murmured, heading toward his room. “You’ll need it.”

And just like that he left the room, leaving her standing there with her heart racing.

oThe next morning, Celeste’s awoke to a constant buzzing of her phone.

Vogue’s press event had been everywhere, articles, gossip sites, even the international news.

And all of them were talking about one thing. The kiss.

SINCLAIR & LAURENT: TRUE LOVE OR A WELL-PLAYED GAME?

THE KISS THAT SHOOK THE INDUSTRY – INSIDE DAMIEN & CELESTE’S ROMANCE

JULIAN MERCER SHUT DOWN BY CELESTE LAURENT – BUT FOR HOW LONG?

Celeste groaned, tossing her phone onto the couch. She had expected backlash, but not like this. This was a media circus.

Before she could dwell on it, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from an unknown number.

She frowned as she picked up the phone. The moment she read the text, her blood ran cold.

If you think Sinclair can protect you! Think again.

Her breath hitched. Only one person came to mind, Julian Mercer. Celeste’s grip tightened on the phone. She was determined not to let him win.

She needed to handle this, but for the first time, she wasn’t sure if she could do it alone.

Celeste stared at the message, her heartbeat hammering in her chest.

She had expected Julian to retaliate, but this—this was something else.

This wasn’t just a journalist looking for a scandal.

This was a threat.

Her fingers tightened around the phone as she read the words again. If you think Sinclair can protect you! Think again.

As she finished reading the message, there was a sharp knock on the door that made her flinch.

She exhaled, forcing herself to breathe before calling out, “Come in.”

The door swung open, and Damien stepped inside, his grey eyes sharp as they landed on her. He was already dressed for the day, in his tailored navy suit, crisp white shirt, and an undeniable air of power.

The moment he saw her, he noticed her expression. He knew something was wrong and his entire body tensed. “What happened?”

Celeste hesitated for only a second before handing him the phone.

Damien’s eyes flicked over the screen. His entire demeanour changed. A slow, lethal stillness settled over him, like a predator sensing its prey.

After what seemed like hours of painstaking silence, he looked at her, his voice dangerously soft. “When did you get this?”

“Just now.”

Damien’s jaw ticked. “You’re sure it’s from Mercer?”

Celeste exhaled. “Who else would it be?”

Damien didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his own phone and dialled a number without looking away from her.

Within seconds, a voice answered.

“Find out who sent this,” Damien ordered, his tone ice-cold. “Now.”

Celeste watched, heart pounding, as he ended the call and set the phone down.

“What are you doing?” she asked carefully.

Damien’s eyes darkened. “Handling it.”

A shiver ran through her because she knew that Damien Sinclair didn’t just handle things, he eliminated problems.

And right now, Julian Mercer was his next target.

Celeste exhaled slowly. “You don’t have to—”

Damien’s expression hardened. “Yes, I do.”

Something about the certainty in his voice made her stomach flip. For the first time in years, she wasn't fighting alone.

Looking at Damien, she noticed the storm brewing behind his eyes. A feeling rose with in there that now there may be no turning back.

As for Julian Mercer? He had no idea what was coming for him.