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Damien didn’t sleep.The image of the Blackwood Grand kept appearing in his mind.Six years ago.Ariana.The mysterious photograph.The forgotten woman.There were too many coincidences.He sat behind his desk early the next morning, staring at the old hotel records Daniel had managed to obtain.Most of the information was ordinary.Guests.Reservations.Staff records.Payments.Nothing immediately stood out.Then Damien noticed something.A reservation made under a woman’s name.The date was the same night he had stayed at the hotel six years ago.He stared at the name.Ariana Cole.His breathing stopped.“No.”He checked the date again.It was correct.Six years ago, Ariana had been at the Blackwood Grand.On the same night he had been there.Damien leaned back slowly.There had to be an explanation.Perhaps it was another Ariana Cole.Perhaps the records were wrong.But deep down, he knew.He picked up his phone.“Daniel.”“Yes, sir?”“I need you to verify something.”“What?”“Was
Ariana returned home that evening with one thought repeating in her mind.Someone was watching her.She locked the apartment door behind her and stood there for a moment, listening to the silence.“Mommy!”Emma came running toward her.Ariana immediately dropped her handbag and opened her arms.“Come here, my baby.”Emma wrapped her arms around her waist.“You took too long.”“I’m sorry.”Ethan appeared from the living room.“Mom, can I show you something?”Ariana smiled.“Of course.”He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the table.There was a chessboard in front of him.“I finally solved the puzzle you couldn’t solve.”Ariana laughed.“Oh, really?”“Yes.”“Then you must be smarter than Mommy.”“I already knew that.”She gasped dramatically.“Excuse me?”Emma giggled.For a few precious minutes, Ariana forgot about the office.Forgot about Victoria.Forgot about Damien.Forgot about the photograph.This was her safe place.Her children.The only people in the world she trusted co
Ariana couldn’t move.The hallway was dark, except for the faint emergency light glowing near the stairwell.“Ryan?”She heard his footsteps approach.A second later, his figure appeared from the shadows.Ariana’s heart pounded.“What are you doing here?”Ryan looked around before answering.“I came to warn you.”She let out a bitter laugh.“After everything you’ve done, you expect me to believe you?”“I know how this sounds.”“It sounds like another lie.”Ryan stepped closer.“Someone is trying to destroy you.”Ariana’s expression hardened.“Was that supposed to be you?”“No.”“Then who?”“I don’t know.”She stared at him.“You accessed my project files.”Ryan went silent.Ariana’s eyes narrowed.“So it was you.”“I accessed them, yes. But I didn’t change anything.”“Why were you looking at my files?”“Because I was trying to find out who was sabotaging you.”“Why would you care?”Ryan’s face tightened.“Because I still care about you.”Ariana shook her head.“You don’t get to use th
Ariana barely slept that night.Victoria’s visit kept replaying in her mind.Her sister had changed.Or perhaps Ariana had simply stopped making excuses for her.Six years ago, Victoria had stolen her fiancé and destroyed the life Ariana thought she would have. Ariana had walked away without fighting back because she believed distance would eventually heal everything.But Victoria had followed her into the life she had rebuilt.And now she wanted Damien.Ariana sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the dark window.She had promised herself that she would never allow Victoria to hurt her again.But there was something else that frightened her.Damien.The way he had looked at her during the confrontation.The way he had silently watched Victoria instead of immediately believing her tears.Ariana didn’t know what he was thinking.And she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.Her phone vibrated.A message.Damien Blackwood: Are the children okay?Ariana stared at the screen.It was nearly mid
Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Blackwood Holdings.Damien stood in his office, staring at the anonymous photograph lying on his desk.The woman in the picture was facing away from the camera, her long dark hair dancing in the wind as she stood on a hotel balcony.He had looked at the photograph countless times since the previous evening.It made no sense.He couldn’t see her face.Yet every time he looked at it, an odd feeling settled deep inside his chest.Almost as if he had lived that moment before.A knock interrupted his thoughts.“Come in.”Daniel entered carrying a stack of documents.“The board meeting starts in thirty minutes.”Damien nodded.“Any updates on Miss Cole?”Daniel looked surprised.“I thought you gave her today off.”“I did.”“Mrs. Harper informed the office that Ethan is doing much better.”A wave of relief washed over Damien before he realized he had reacted.“Good.”Daniel smiled slightly.“You seem unusually concerned.”Dami
The drive home was unusually quiet.Emma had fallen asleep against Ariana’s shoulder in the back seat, her tiny fingers still wrapped around her mother’s hand.Ethan sat beside them, staring out of the window.Ariana knew that look.He was thinking too much.Damien drove without saying a word. Every now and then, he glanced at the rearview mirror.His eyes always landed on Ariana.She looked exhausted.The kind of exhaustion that came from years of carrying the weight of the world alone.When the car stopped in front of Ariana’s apartment building, Damien got out first and opened the door for them.“I can manage from here,” Ariana said softly.“I know.”He reached into the back seat and carefully picked up Emma without waking her.“I’ll carry her upstairs.”“You don’t have to.”“I don’t mind.”For a second, Ariana wanted to refuse.But looking at Emma sleeping peacefully in his arms…She couldn’t.Ethan quietly carried his own backpack.The four of them walked toward the apartment bui







