I… I need your help, Mr. Blackwood.

Ava's POV

The night had been a blur. After I left the hospital, I couldn’t shake the weight of the doctor’s words. Time was running out for Eli, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t come up with the money for his surgery.

I had no one left to turn to. My family was gone. My coworkers barely knew me, and the few people I knew outside of work seemed to turn their backs when I needed them most.

Except for Bia.

I grabbed my phone and dialed her number. It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey, Ava!” Her voice was upbeat, but I could hear the concern underneath. "What’s going on?"

“I need your help,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please, Bia. I don’t know who else to turn to.”

There was a pause, and then Bia’s voice softened. “Of course, what’s going on? Talk to me.”

I took a shaky breath. “It’s Eli. His condition… it’s getting worse. The doctors said without the surgery, he won’t make it much longer. But I don’t have the money. I’ve asked everyone, and no one is willing to help me.”

I heard her exhale deeply. “I’m so sorry, Ava. That’s terrible. But you’re right to ask for help. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “But it feels like no one cares. I’ve tried everything. I just… don’t know what to do anymore.”

There was another long silence before Bia spoke again.

“I might have an idea,” she said carefully.

I sat up a little straighter. “What is it?”

“You might want to consider asking Damian for help.”

I froze. Damian. The mention of his name felt like a punch to the gut. He was the last person I would want to rely on, but I couldn’t deny that he had the resources to help me.

“Damian? Are you serious?” I asked, my voice filled with disbelief.

“I know it’s a long shot,” Bia said, her tone apologetic, “but you know he’s got money. And whether you like him or not, he’s been known to help people out of tough situations. Maybe not openly, but he has connections. If anyone can get you the funds for Eli’s surgery, it’s him.”

I chewed on her words, the bitterness rising in my chest. Damian wasn’t someone I wanted to be involved with, let alone ask for help. But Bia was right—time was running out.

“I don’t know, Bia,” I said slowly. “I can’t just go to him. We don’t exactly have the best relationship.”

Bia’s voice softened. “I get it. But your brother needs you, Ava. You’ve tried everything else, right? What’s the harm in asking him?”

I looked down at my phone, silently contemplating. My thoughts raced, swirling with doubts and fear. But in the end, it was clear.

I didn’t have any other options.

“I’ll think about it,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Bia’s tone turned reassuring. “I know you don’t want to ask him, but it’s the best shot you’ve got. You do what you have to for Eli.”

“Thanks, Bia,” I said, grateful for her unwavering support. “I’ll let you know what I decide.”

We said our goodbyes, and I sat there for a long time, staring at the screen of my phone, struggling with the decision I knew I had to make.

Damian.

The very thought of him made my stomach turn, but the image of my brother, pale and weak, in that hospital bed made the choice clearer. I didn’t have a choice.

I had to ask Damian for help.

I had arrived at the office early, hoping to catch him before the chaos of the day began. The silence of the empty office only made the weight of my decision heavier. My mind raced with every scenario, every possible way he might reject me, and yet I couldn’t back out now. My brother's life was on the line.

When Damian finally walked into the office, his presence immediately filled the room. I stood up from my desk, my palms sweaty, my heart pounding. I had rehearsed this in my head a hundred times, but now that the moment was here, all the words seemed to vanish.

"Sir," I blurted out, my voice shaky despite my best efforts. "I want to talk to you."

He paused, his gaze flicking over me briefly, his expression unreadable. For a split second, I thought he might say something, but without a word, he turned and walked straight to his office. The door clicked shut behind him, and I stood frozen in place, trying to steady my breath.

After what felt like an eternity, he called me in.

“Ava,” his voice was sharp, commanding, as always. “Come in.”

I took a deep breath and stepped into his office, trying to hold myself together. My mind was a blur of thoughts, but I knew I had to be direct. This was my only chance.

He didn’t look up from his desk as I stood there, but I could feel his cold gaze on me as I spoke.

“I… I need your help, Mr. Blackwood,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. Please... I’m desperate. I need money.”

I didn’t know how much of that he had processed, but I could see the flicker of something in his eyes. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was indifference. I couldn’t tell, and frankly, I didn’t care. All I needed was for him to help me.

I held my breath, waiting for him to respond. Every second that passed felt like an eternity.

“I'll help you but…” he said.

“But, what?”, I asked.

His words sent a strange chill down my spine. "But..." he trailed off.

"B-but what, Mr. Blackwood?" I whispered.

He leaned in, his breath fanning my cheek. "There's one condition."

My pulse quickened. My worst fear clawed at my mind.

"C-condition?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Condition." his smirk widening, voice dangerously low.

"W-what condition? I asked, my heart beat racing.

“You have to…” Slowly, he took a step closer, making me instinctively back away until my legs hit the edge of the wall. His deep, silky voice sent shivers down your spine.

"What do I have to do?" I asked, my voice trembling.

“If you want me to help you with money then you have to do something for me, too”. He whispered near my ear.

Confusion clouded my mind. “W-what do you want me to do for you, Mr. Blackwood?”

He watched me carefully, eyes glinting with something unreadable. Just as he opened his mouth to continue, I blurted out:

"I... I've to sleep with you, isn't that what you want?"

Silence.

His expression darkened in an instant. His jaw clenched as he took a step back, his eyes narrowing.

"How cheap can you be?" My voice was dangerously low, laced with restrained anger.

I swallowed hard.

"I will never sell my body to you!" I spat, glaring at him with all the strength I could muster. "You…..you're a pervert, Mr. Blackwood!"

A heavy silence settled between us. His eyes burned with an intensity that made me feel small. But I didn't care. I had to get out of here.

Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out of his office. My vision blurred with unshed tears, my footsteps quick as I ran down the long corridor.

‘‘Bloody Idiot," I heard him mutter behind me, but I didn't dare stop.

I had to leave. Now.

But something about his expression... the way his eyes darkened...

The elevator doors closed with a soft chime, but it did nothing to muffle the storm raging inside me.

My hands were shaking. My vision still blurry from the tears that threatened to spill. I slammed my back against the elevator wall, pressing a trembling hand to my mouth to stifle the sob clawing its way out of my throat.

What had just happened?

I had walked into that office prepared to beg, to humiliate myself if I had to—for Eli. For his life. But the moment Damian stepped closer, his voice so close to my ear, his words so vague, something inside me snapped. My fear had twisted into something defensive, something sharp. I assumed the worst.

Had I been wrong?

My heart thudded painfully at the thought. The look on his face before I left—it wasn’t just anger. There had been hurt. Or maybe I imagined it. Maybe I wanted to believe that even someone as cold and arrogant as Damian Blackwood could feel something.

"Ugh!" I hissed through my teeth, swiping angrily at a tear that escaped down my cheek.

I hated this. I hated him. I hated me for needing his help.

When the elevator finally opened onto the ground floor, I rushed out, barely noticing the receptionist glance up from her desk. The cold air outside slapped me in the face the moment I stepped out, but I welcomed it. At least it grounded me.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked aimlessly down the street, trying to breathe. Trying to calm the storm.

Maybe I had overreacted. Maybe he really was going to offer something else—another job, a deal, a loan. But the way he’d looked at me, the way he’d cornered me, leaned in with that voice...

No. I shook my head hard. It wasn’t my fault for assuming the worst. He made me feel like prey. Like I had no power in that room.

Still, a small voice of my wolf inside me whispered, You didn’t let him finish. You didn’t even give him a chance to explain.

I groaned and sat on a bench at the edge of a quiet park, cradling my head in my hands. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Bia.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Not yet.

How could I explain to her what had just happened when I couldn’t even make sense of it myself?

I stared down at my hands. I had nothing—no money, no plan, no hope. And now… maybe not even the one chance I had to save Eli.

The tears came silently this time. Hot, angry, defeated. I hated crying. But more than that, I hated feeling this powerless.

Still, even through the pain, I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment in his office.

His voice.

His expression.

His eyes.

Something wasn’t right. Something felt… unfinished.

And I had a horrible feeling that this wasn’t the last time I’d be seeing Damian Blackwood.