Chapter 3: A Dangerous Curiosity

Damien Blackwood had built his empire on one simple principle—never ignore his instincts.

His instincts had never failed him in business, and they had saved him from countless betrayals. That was why he couldn’t dismiss the strange feeling that had settled over him ever since Ariana Cole walked into the conference room two days ago.

It wasn’t just that she seemed familiar.

It was the way she looked at him.

For a brief moment, her eyes had been filled with shock… almost as if she already knew him.

Yet when he asked if they had met before, she denied it without hesitation.

She was hiding something.

And Damien intended to find out what it was.

The intercom on his desk buzzed.

“Mr. Blackwood, Mr. Foster is here.”

“Send him in.”

Daniel Foster stepped into the office carrying a slim brown folder.

“I’ve gathered the information you requested.”

Damien motioned for him to sit.

“What do we know about Ariana Cole?”

Daniel opened the folder.

“She’s thirty years old. A licensed architect with an excellent reputation. She graduated with first-class honors and has worked on several award-winning projects.”

“So she’s exactly as qualified as her résumé suggests.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What about her family?”

Daniel’s expression shifted.

“That’s where things become interesting.”

Damien leaned forward.

“Six years ago, Miss Cole was supposed to marry a businessman named Ryan Williams.”

Damien nodded for him to continue.

“The wedding never happened. According to several reports, Ryan called it off on the morning of the ceremony and married Ariana’s younger sister instead.”

A long silence followed.

“What?”

“Her sister was reportedly pregnant at the time.”

Damien frowned.

“And her family?”

“They supported the marriage.”

For the first time in years, Damien felt genuinely disturbed.

“They chose the younger sister?”

“Yes.”

Damien slowly stood and walked toward the window overlooking the city.

No wonder there was sadness hidden behind Ariana’s smile.

The woman had lost more than a fiancé.

She had lost her family.

“What happened after that?”

“She disappeared from public view for several months before returning to work.”

Daniel hesitated.

“There is one more thing.”

“Go on.”

“Hospital records confirm she gave birth later that year.”

Damien turned sharply.

“Children?”

“Twins.”

His heartbeat quickened.

The twins.

“So they are hers.”

“Yes.”

“What about their father?”

Daniel closed the folder.

“No name appears on any public record.”

Damien frowned.

“That’s unusual.”

“I thought so too.”

“Keep digging.”

“Yes, sir.”

After Daniel left, Damien remained by the window.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, he wanted to know who had walked away from a woman like Ariana… and how anyone could abandon two innocent children.

Across town, Ariana sat in her car outside Bright Minds Academy.

The school bell rang, and within seconds children poured through the gates.

Her eyes searched the crowd until she spotted two familiar faces.

“Mommy!”

Emma ran toward her with her backpack bouncing behind her.

Ethan followed at a calmer pace, though his smile was just as bright.

“You came early today,” Ethan said.

“I missed you both.”

Emma grinned.

“Can we have pizza tonight?”

“We’ll see.”

“That’s Mommy language for yes,” Emma whispered to her brother.

Ariana laughed.

“You two know me too well.”

As they drove home, Ethan looked out of the window.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Do you like your new boss?”

The unexpected question caught her off guard.

“Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been thinking a lot lately.”

Emma nodded enthusiastically.

“Sometimes you forget to answer us.”

Ariana reached back and squeezed Emma’s tiny hand.

“I’m just busy with work.”

Ethan wasn’t convinced.

“Is he a bad man?”

For a moment, Ariana didn’t know how to answer.

The truth was…

She didn’t know.

The Damien she had met six years ago had been kind, patient, and gentle.

The billionaire she worked for now was confident, distant, and impossible to read.

“I don’t think he’s a bad man,” she finally admitted.

“I just don’t know him anymore.”

Meanwhile, in an upscale penthouse across the city, Victoria Cole stared at the business magazine lying open on her coffee table.

The headline featured Blackwood Holdings’ newest billion-dollar development.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the photograph beneath it.

Standing only a few feet away from Damien Blackwood…

…was Ariana.

Victoria’s fingers tightened around the magazine until the pages crumpled.

“So you’ve finally crawled out of hiding.”

She picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.

“I need information on someone.”

The man on the other end chuckled.

“It’s been a long time.”

“I don’t care.”

“I want to know everything my sister has been doing for the last six years.”

“And if she has children?”

Victoria’s expression darkened.

“Especially if she has children.”

She ended the call and walked toward the window.

Six years ago, she had made sure Ariana lost everything.

She wasn’t about to let her rise again.

Not now.

Not ever.

The following morning, Ariana arrived at work carrying a cup of coffee.

She had barely reached her desk when Damien approached.

“Good morning.”

She looked up.

“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood.”

“I thought I asked you to call me Damien.”

She offered a polite smile.

“Old habits are hard to break.”

He smiled faintly.

“So I’ve noticed.”

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Damien placed a project file on her desk.

“I reviewed your latest design revisions.”

Ariana’s heart skipped a beat.

“And?”

“You made changes I hadn’t considered.”

She blinked.

“You… liked them?”

“I approved every one.”

Relief washed over her.

“Thank you.”

Damien studied her quietly.

“You work very hard.”

“I have two people depending on me.”

“The twins.”

She nodded.

“They’re my whole world.”

A softness entered Damien’s expression before he caught himself.

“I admire parents who put their children first.”

Ariana looked at him carefully.

There was genuine sincerity in his voice.

For the first time since they had reunited, she wondered if she had judged him too harshly.

Perhaps he hadn’t abandoned her.

Perhaps…

He had never known.

Before either of them could say another word, Damien’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

“I have to take this.”

As he walked away, Ariana released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

She watched him disappear into his office.

Her hand instinctively moved to her handbag.

Hidden inside was a small velvet pouch.

Inside the pouch…

Was the black cufflink engraved with a silver wolf.

She had carried it with her for six years.

Not because she expected to see its owner again…

But because it was the only proof that one unforgettable night had been real.

What Ariana didn’t know was that behind the glass walls of his office, Damien had paused before answering his phone.

Instead of looking at the caller ID…

He was looking at her.

And the question that refused to leave his mind was becoming impossible to ignore.

Why did it feel like fate had brought Ariana Cole back into his life?