Chapter 4: The Man behind the desk

Lena's POV 

What... what is he doing here?

Is that really him?

No. It can’t be. Maybe it’s someone who just looks like him.

But when I looked again, my heart dropped.

Sitting behind the big desk was the same man I spent that crazy night with.

The memories hit me hard, how I begged him to go faster, harder...

My face turned red. I felt sick with shame. I wanted to disappear.

Our eyes met for a second. It felt like he remembered me too. But then his face changed. He leaned back in his chair, looked serious and cold.

"Ms. Lena," he said quickly.

"Please, sit."

I was frozen. I couldn’t stop thinking:

What is he thinking of me right now?

Does he think I’m cheap?

Will he kick me out of the building?

"Are you done staring?" he asked, his voice sharp.

I blinked and snapped out of it. He pointed to the chair in front of him, and I sat down slowly.

I gave him a nervous smile and coughed.

"Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Damian Blackwell” I said.

Everyone knew the Blackwell name. Big, powerful.

They ran one of the biggest companies in the country and rivals to the Huntley group.

But I had never seen his face until now. I only knew the stories, cold, strict, ruthless.

He didn’t smile. He just stared at me, like he could see right through me.

"What makes you think you’re right for this job?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. I had practiced this answer so many times. I tried to stay calm and focus.

"I have experience in project management. I’ve led teams and—"

"What experience?" he cut in, his voice hard.

His words hit me like a slap. I shifted in my seat, nervous.

"I’ve handled multiple—"

"Ms. Lena," he interrupted again.

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes.

"Someone with your... background? I don’t think so. I’m not interested."

His words were cold. There was no emotion on his face.

I felt crushed. Like the air had been knocked out of me. I blinked back tears, I refused to cry in front of him.

I stood up and tried to act strong.

"Thank you for your time," I said and walked out of the office.

My heart felt heavy, but I kept my head high.

The moment the door shut, I broke down.

Tears spilled down my face as I leaned against the wall.

Everything hurt—the betrayal, the divorce, the job loss. It all came back like a storm.

After a while, the tears stopped coming. My eyes burned, my throat felt raw, but there was nothing left to give.

I just wanted to go home. Sleep, forget.

I drove back in silence and walked into my apartment.

Kate was on the couch watching TV. She jumped up when she saw me.

"Lena? What’s wrong?" she asked, worried.

I sat down and sighed.

"My one-night stand... he's the boss."

Kate’s eyes went wide.

"What?! Are you serious?"

I nodded.

"He saw me and told me to leave. He embarrassed me. I didn’t get the job."

"Oh no..." Kate hugged me tight.

Tears burned my eyes again, but I tried to hold them in.

Then something strange happened. My chest felt tight.

I touched my chest, trying to calm myself, but I couldn’t breathe.

My heart raced. I started gasping for air. The room spun. Everything went dark.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

What... what’s that sound?

I tried to open my eyes, but they were heavy.

My head throbbed. I couldn’t think clearly.

When I finally opened my eyes, I saw a doctor in a white coat standing next to me.

I tried looking around to observe my surrounding.

Why was I in a hospital?

"Doctor... why am I here?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"You’re awake, Ms. Lena," he said gently. Two nurses smiled at me too.

I tried to smile back, but memories came rushing in.

Adrian.

The divorce.

The one-night stand.

The rejection. The pain.

Everything came back. My chest hurt again, I couldn’t breathe right.

I sat up slowly. "Doctor... who brought me here?"

"Your friend," said a nurse with short hair. "She left for something urgent but will be back soon."

Then the doctor looked at me with a soft smile.

"Ms. Lena... congratulations," he said.

My eyebrows pulled together.

"What? For what?"

He looked at me gently.

"You’re pregnant.”