Chapter Fifteen

Elena 

I make it through two hours before everything starts falling apart.

Two hours of pretending to work while my brain runs through disasters on repeat.

Resign. Lose the job. Lose Damien.

Stay. Fight. Watch both our careers burn.

There’s no safe choice.

At 10 AM, Sophia comes into my office with coffee and worry on her face.

"You look like death. What happened?"

I shut the door. Then I tell her. The photos. Marcus’s cold voice. The five-o’clock deadline.

She drops into the chair. "Oh God."

"I know."

"Who would do this? Who has access to footage like that?"

"I don’t know. Someone with power. Someone who wants me gone."

“Claire,” she says instantly. “She knows everything about Damien. She guards him like a dragon.”

“Or Brian Chen. Or anyone who thinks I slept my way in.”

"What are you going to do?"

The question I hate.

I hold up Damien’s pen. The hidden engraving. Because you were right.

"I think I have to resign."

"What? No—Elena, no."

"I can’t let this explode. If it gets out, every success I ever have becomes a joke. And Damien will be accused of favoritism forever. They’ll dissect every move he makes if I stay."

"So you’re just letting them win?"

"I’m protecting him." Saying it hurts. "If I leave, this becomes a simple HR story. No scandal. No investigation. His reputation stays clean."

"And yours?"

"It doesn’t matter."

“Like hell it doesn’t.” She leans forward. “You’re brilliant. You earned this job.”

“How? By being alone with the CEO at midnight?”

Her silence is the answer.

"What does Damien say?"

“I haven’t told him.”

“Elena…”

“I can’t. He’d go to war. And it would only get worse.”

She studies me. "You love him."

I look away. "It doesn’t matter."

"It does. And he loves you back. You’re trying to throw yourself out of the story before it even starts."

"Better me than the company."

Sophia shakes her head. "And he doesn’t get a say?"

"No. Because he’ll choose me. And I won’t let him sacrifice everything he’s built."

My phone buzzes. Damien. Lunch? Need to see you.

Pain hits like a fist.

I lie. Can’t. Busy. Tomorrow.

And then I spend the rest of the day ignoring every call. Every message. Working on tasks I won’t finish because I won’t be here.

4:30 PM. I write my resignation letter. Polite. Cold. “Personal reasons.”

It doesn’t say I’m destroying my life to protect his.

4:45. Signed. Sealed.

4:50. Marcus.

He waits almost happily. “Ten minutes early. Efficient.”

I hand him the envelope. “My resignation. Effective immediately.”

He skims it. No expression.

“This is a smart decision.”

“Is it?”

“For the company, yes.” He looks up. “I hope so for you.”

I don’t shake his offered hand.

“Who sent the photos?” My voice is small. “Who hates me this much?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. Because they’ll do it again. Someone else will be next.”

He sighs. “It was unmarked. Delivered to my home. They have resources. And goals.”

“To ruin me.”

“To control Damien,” he corrects. “You’re leverage. Remove yourself, they lose power.”

The thought freezes my blood.

"Does he know?"

“He doesn’t need to. Not now.” Marcus softens. “Tell him something clean. Don’t give him hope. Let him heal.”

He thinks he’s being kind.

I leave with my heart half-dead.

One more goodbye.

I ride the elevator to the top floor. Claire watches me like she’s already celebrating.

"He’s in a meeting. You'll have to wait."

"I'll wait."

And I do. A long, painful twenty minutes.

Then Damien walks out.

The moment he sees me, his face changes. The corporate mask falls. Concern floods in.

"Elena. I’ve been trying to reach you all day."

"I know. Can we talk? Privately?"

His jaw tightens. Claire is staring. He leads me into his office. Door closed. Blinds shut.

“What happened? You’ve been avoiding me. Did Marcus threaten you?”

My throat burns.

"I'm resigning."

He freezes. Everything inside him goes silent.

“No. You’re not.”

“I already submitted it.”

“What are you talking about? Why?”

"I realized this isn’t the right fit. The pressure—"

“Stop.” He steps closer. “Try again.”

“That is the truth.”

“No. It’s the excuse. What did Marcus say?”

“Nothing that matters.”

“Elena.” His voice roughens. “Tell me the truth.”

“I just… I can’t do this. I jumped in too fast. I’m not ready.”

“You’re more than ready. You’re extraordinary.”

“Then let me go while I still look that way.”

His brows draw together.

“Is this about… us?”

“There is no us. We kissed. Twice. That’s not a relationship.”

He flinches like I slapped him. Because yesterday I said the opposite.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do. It was just excitement. Attraction. Nothing real.”

“Liar.” His voice cracks. “Look at me and say you feel nothing.”

I can’t. I stare at the floor.

He cups my face, forces me to look at him. His eyes are desperate and furious.

“What did they do to you?”

I could tell him everything. I could let him fight.

But that would drown us both.

“The truth is I don’t belong here. I thought I did. I was wrong.”

“No. Someone made you believe that. Marcus? Claire? Who?”

“There’s no conspiracy. I’m making a choice. The smart one.”

“The coward’s one,” he says.

The word slices me open.

“You think this is easy?” My voice breaks. “This is impossible. And I won’t let you destroy yourself trying to fix it.”

“So, this isn’t worth fighting for?” he whispers.

“Some things aren’t.”

His face changes. Ice. Walls. Distance.

“Then thank you for your honesty. HR will finish the paperwork.”

“Dam—”

“That’s Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Martinez. Professionalism, please.”

It hurts. It’s what I asked for. And I hate it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"So am I."

I leave before I beg him not to let me.

The elevator feels like a coffin going down.

At my desk, I pack my things. Rachel tries to talk. David just stares. Sophia is crying.

By six PM, I’m outside the building. The doorman, Frank, gives me a sad nod.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah."

"Shame. You seemed like one of the good ones."

I smile without any strength.

I walk three blocks before my chest caves. I lean against a wall and cry — really cry — because I just gave up everything good in my life.

My phone buzzes.

Unknown number. A photo.

Me. Crying outside Blackwood Tower.

Message:

Good choice.

Stay away from him.

This is your only warning.