CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

(ALINA POV)

I returned home from work  in the evening, my legs were feeling heavier than they should.

 My shoulders were slumping, and my gait showed just how hectic my day had been.

It had been filled with endless revisions, demanding clients, and a tight deadline for a particular design that refused to come together.

The little shop I worked for wasn’t exactly my  dream job. 

“Well It’s just for now,”

 I muttered under my breath as I began to approach the house. 

After graduating last month with a degree in Visual Communication from Riverside University,

 I had envisioned myself walking into one of those really huge, modern firms where creativity wasn’t stifled by limited budgets and nitpicky clients. 

But reality was rude. 

For now, I was stuck with designing banners for local businesses and creating posters for events nobody cared about.

I wasn’t staying here out of choice.

 No, I had already sent out applications to bigger corporations in the city.

So whenever I get a callback….even if it was just one positive response…I would leave this place and never look back.

Aside that, the job wasn’t the only thing weighing me down.

My stay at home was nothing short of survival. Sophia, my stepmother, and Clara, her equally conniving daughter, had turned what should have been my refuge into a battlefield. 

Ever since my mother passed when I was three and my father brought Sophia into my life,

 since then I have felt like an orphan in that place. the house hadn’t felt like mine. 

Sophia made sure of that.

As for my father? He was a mere spectator, a pawn in their games.

I had learned not to expect much from them.

Even when I had graduated last month, I had done it all alone.

 No Sophia, no Clara, not even my father had shown up for the ceremony.

 Sophia had probably orchestrated their absence, but I had stopped caring long ago.

I shook off the thought with a shrug as I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The first person I saw sitting on the living room couch was Sophia, her legs were crossed, and she was  staring ahead as if deep in thought.

 Her manicured nails tapped lightly against the armrest, and the air around her appeared as stiff as her posture.

“Good evening” 

 I greeted smoothly

She didn’t respond, neither did she bother to look at me, she just kept tapping the armrest.

I shrugged and continued my walk toward the hallway.

At least It was better than yesterday. 

Yesterday, when I had only asked if dinner had been prepared and she had immediately sneered like some vicious tigress.

 “If you’re hungry, learn to fend for yourself…. entitled brat.”

  At least today, she didn’t bother with another insult. Small mercies.

Once inside, I locked the door behind me, leaning against it for a moment to exhale.

 My room was small but enough a sanctuary against the chaos outside. 

I dropped my bag on the bed, pulled off my work clothes, and started heading to the bathroom.

The warm water from the shower was a welcome balm.

When I returned from the bathroom, I threw on a simple blouse and jeans, brushed my hair, and applied a dab of lip balm.

Then i  quickly went through my phone for messages and calls, there were none.

I shook my head.

There was no way I was staying cooped up in this house tonight.

 The restaurant I visited yesterday had great food, and I had also  noticed it had a bar attached. 

Who knew? Maybe a drink or two could help quiet this tsunami in my head.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,”

 I reminded myself as I grabbed my bag and phone. 

No early morning alarms to worry about, and if I stayed out late, 

Sophia and Clara’s nagging would still  be tolerable with a hangover.

I let out a deep breath, 

Tonight, I was stepping out for food, for drinks, and maybe, just maybe, a brief moment of peace.

I reached the Johnson's bar in less than an hour.

 I had been sitting in the corner like some introspective loner, picking at my Caesar salad.

 It was decent fresh, crisp but hardly comforting.

 I wasn’t here for the food anyway.

After finishing my plate,

 I moved to the bar, perching on one of the stools.

 The bartender served my drink a glass of red wine. 

I stared at it for a moment before taking a hesitant sip. 

I wasn’t much of a drinker, but tonight felt like an exception. 

With every gentle sip, I could feel the rate of thoughts increasing until they started to spin out of control.

Sophia’s insufferable voice echoed in my head,

 followed by Clara’s smug laughter. 

That house never felt like a home it hadn’t for years. Not since my father brought them in, allowing them to turn my life into a war zone.

After that, thoughts of work started to creep into my head.

 My insufferable boss barking orders at me, the endless string of dull assignments. 

Graphic design was supposed to be a creative outlet, but this little shop felt more like prison.

And then there was the gaping void that was my love life. 

At 25, I was still a virgin by choice, I told myself. All through college.

 I had  been way too on my studies, brushing off guys who seemed unserious or just plain wrong. 

But now? Now, I wondered if I had been too cautious, too afraid to take a risk.

I tipped the glass to my lips again. 

And as I lifted my head right after pouring another glass….I noticed him.

I noticed a really tall well built figure, and he was  moving through the bar with an easy confidence,  those pearl shaped  golden eyes…they were locking in on me.

My heart stuttered. 

I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or his presence, but something was switching inside me.

I couldn’t look away, not even when the alcohol in my system told me I should.

He was closer now, 

His features were striking, too perfect for someone who couldn’t possibly be real. 

When he finally stopped in front of me, I held my breath.

“Good evening,” he said smoothly.

 “I’m Damian Blackwood.”

I blinked, momentarily lost, before managing a response.

“I’m... Alina,” I replied.

His lips quirked into a faint smile

“Alina,” he repeated, as if testing the sound of it. 

“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked away, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my composure.  

“I noticed you sitting alone,” he continued.

“Mind if I join you?”

I nodded, unsure if I even had a choice. 

He had this way of commanding the space around him, like he belonged wherever he went.

The more he spoke, the more I found myself drawn to him.

 His voice, his words, his presence they wrapped around me like a spell. 

It was like both his presence and the alcohol had taken away my will.

And minutes later when he invited me to his VIP lounge, I hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

He extended a hand, his palm warm as he helped me up from the stool.

 His touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I cursed myself for how easily I was falling under his spell.

The walk to the lounge was a blur. 

 his hand guiding me gently but firmly. 

When we reached the door, he entered first, holding it open for me.

 He shut the door behind us, the sound of the latch clicking into place sending a jolt through me.

When I turned to face him, his eyes were on me.intense and unyielding. 

My back instinctively pressed against the door as he stepped closer.

My breathing rose, my chest rising and falling.

 He was so close now, so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body

His hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair from my face. 

His touch was light, but it ignited something deep within me. 

His lips played  just inches from mine, and I felt my entire body contracting.

Then my phone suddenly vibrated.

The sound shattered the moment.

 I gasped, gently pushing him off,

then I started fumbling to pull it from my bag. 

I glanced at the screen and froze.

The Damian guy's gaze didn't change, it was  piercing through me now.

“Who is it?” he asked, his voice low and steady.