Chapter 4: Shortcake

DAMON

The office was too quiet for the hour. Past nine in the evening, most floors were deserted except for a few tired souls still glued to their computers. I leaned back in my chair, going over the last of the day’s contracts, when the soft knock on my door came.

“Come in,” I said without looking up.

Sharon, my assistant, walked in with a folder pressed tightly against her chest. At first, I barely registered her presence. But when I finally raised my head, the sight made my brows pull together.

Her blouse was unbuttoned almost to her navel, exposing more than she had any right to in a corporate office. Her skirt, shorter and tighter than anything she usually wore, clung like it had been painted on. She moved toward my desk with a sway that was too deliberate to ignore.

“What is this?” I asked, my voice colder than ice.

Sharon smiled faintly, her tone dipping low. “Just working late. I thought maybe you could use some… relaxation.”

She came closer, her perfume flooding the room, cloying, suffocating. She dared to reach her hand toward my arm.

Before her fingers could brush me, I caught her wrist firmly. “Enough.”

Her eyes widened at my sharp tone, and the false confidence slipped for a moment.

“Sharon,” I said, my grip still holding her hand in place, “you will button your blouse. You will fix your skirt. And you will never, ever try something like this again.”

Her body trembled as I let go. Without a word, she stumbled out of the office.

When she returned ten minutes later, her face was pale, makeup smudged. She clutched the folder like a lifeline.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Blackwell,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have… I just…”

“You’re fired,” I cut in, standing from my chair.

She gasped, eyes filling with tears. “Please, sir, don’t do this! Your parents—they told me to. They said you need to get married, that I should—” her voice cracked, “—that I should make you see me.”

The fury that rose in me almost made my chest ache. My parents. Of course. Always meddling. Always prying.

“That doesn’t excuse you,” I said firmly. “You chose to obey them. You crossed the line. You will not be coming back tomorrow. If you dare show up again, I’ll call security and press charges for assault. You’ll also face penalties for breaching your employment contract.”

Her knees hit the floor. “Please! I need this job. I’ll do anything.”

I didn’t flinch. “Then you should have thought about that before trying to throw yourself at me.”

Her sobs followed her as she left. I picked up my phone, dialing HR.

“Sharon’s contract is terminated effective immediately,” I said flatly. “Replace her with a new assistant by tomorrow morning.”

The call ended, and I shut the lights. It was late, and I wanted nothing more than the silence of my car.

---

When I reached home, my father was waiting. The sight of him standing in the living room, arms folded, told me exactly what this was about.

I didn’t bother to sit down. “Never again,” I said before he could open his mouth. “Never use my employees as pawns in your ridiculous schemes.”

His eyes narrowed. “You fired her, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You’re being reckless,” he snapped. “You’re thirty this year. The board is watching you. They’re concerned. You don’t go near women, Damon. They’re starting to think you’re hiding something. That maybe you’re—”

“Enough,” I cut him off.

He scowled. “You can’t keep living like a stone. Get married. Settle down. Stop making us look like fools in front of the board.”

I didn’t answer. I simply walked past him, climbing the stairs to my room.

Behind closed doors, I finally allowed myself to breathe. His words were knives I’d heard a hundred times before. They cut the same way every time.

I poured myself a drink, though I didn’t even like the burn anymore. My thoughts strayed where I hated them to go.

Her face. Her laughter. Her hand in mine. The way she used to look at me like I was her entire world.

And then the accident.

The screech of tires, the shattering glass, the blood. I had been the one behind the wheel, driving too fast, too careless. She suffered more than I ever did. When she woke, her memories of me were gone. Just weeks before our wedding, she looked at me like I was a stranger.

I had poured money into hospitals, specialists, endless treatments. None of it worked. In the end, she left me.

Since then, I had carried her ghost like a second skin. It was easier to drown in work, easier to let the world think I didn’t care for anyone, than to risk loving again.

I drank until the room blurred. My tie was still around my neck, my shoes still on my feet when I finally collapsed into sleep.

---

Morning came harsh and unwelcome. I dragged myself to the office, already irritated before I even stepped out of the elevator.

From the moment I stepped out, the CFO approached me. “Mr Damon, ah it's good to see you this morning. I'm glad you're here.”

“What’s the matter now? You never come to welcome me by yourself unless there's an issue.” I replied, bored.

He chuckled a little, scratching the back of his head while hurrying to match my pace. “We might be having a little issue with the records. The financial records, and we cannot meet with any new investors until we sort this out. I hear you're supposed to have a meeting later today. Can it be—”

“Postponed?” I demanded, cutting him off. “No, it cannot. Figure something out. You're the CFO for a reason, or is there a need to consider someone else?”

“Not at all, sir.”

“Good,” I nodded. “Then figure it out.”

He left, and I could hear him scolding his subordinates along the way. An hour later, someone returned, breathless with news.

“Sir… you wouldn't believe what happened. The issue has been fixed. We got a suggestion from one of the applicants.”

My brows rose. “An applicant?”

“Yes, sir. For the assistant position.”

“Mm. Bring her to me,” I ordered.

---

The meeting with the investors dragged into the evening. When it was finally over, we stepped out, securing another deal worth hundreds of millions. At least something lifted my mood today.

As we stepped out, she stood beside my car, but before I could speak, my phone rang. My mother’s name flashed on the screen. With a sigh, I answered.

“Damon,” her voice was warm but probing. “I hear you have a new assistant. How is she?”

“She’s fine,” I said shortly, eyeing the tiny woman.

“You know, darling, you can’t keep avoiding this forever. You’re not getting any younger. If you won’t find someone, I will.”

“Mother,” I said, voice calm, “I’ll handle it.”

When the call ended, I noticed her still standing, looking around the environment. She was probably confused. I sighed guiltily.

“It’s late,” I said quietly. “I’ll drive you home.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Thank you.”

The car ride was silent. I kept my eyes on the road, though I felt her gaze flicker toward me more than once. My mind replayed the moment by the wall, the way her breath had caught. The way my own heart had betrayed me by pounding too fast.

I clenched the wheel tighter. She worked for me, I couldn’t allow it.

When we reached her street, she guided me with soft directions until we pulled up to a modest building. She unbuckled her seatbelt and smiled faintly.

“Thank you for the ride, boss.”

Before I could respond, the door opened. A little girl with bouncing curls ran out, her voice shrill with excitement.

“Mom! Mom!”

Tricia bent, scooping the child into her arms, laughing as the girl clung to her neck.

I froze, my stomach twisting. Mom.

So she was married. She had a child. And I… I had been thinking about her.

My scowl was automatic. I shut my eyes for a moment before putting the car in gear and driving away.

She wasn’t for me. I lost the chance before I even tried to take it.