Chapter 2

Damian did not look at me again. He left the bedroom without a word.

It was what he always did after a conflict.

He disliked arguments and had no patience for emotions he considered pointless. He would walk away, certain I would come to him before morning.

For years, I had. I loved him, and after every argument I wanted to believe we could still have the future I had once imagined. If he held me, I would hold him back. By morning, whatever had hurt me remained unresolved.

He had learned that he only needed to wait.

Rain fell against the windows all night, stopped briefly, then began again.

Damian once told me that every relationship was a negotiation. The first person to show their hand was the one who lost.

He knew he was the one thing I could never give up.

This time, as I watched him disappear through the doorway, I felt no urge to follow.

On Monday morning, Human Resources announced the new management appointments.

The position of operations director went to the other candidate.

Even he looked surprised. He probably had not expected to beat the woman who had handled the most difficult project and held the stronger record.

People gathered to congratulate him, but their eyes kept drifting toward me. Several colleagues privately asked whether I had offended senior management. Others promised there would be another opportunity.

I replied briefly, assured them I was fine, and returned to my desk.

Then I logged into the company system and submitted my resignation.

The request soon reached Damian. As his senior executive assistant, I could not leave without his approval, and no one in Human Resources would dare bypass him.

He did not summon me until noon.

When I entered his office, he was sitting in the lounge area. Several elegant lunch boxes covered the coffee table, all from my favorite private restaurant.

Damian glanced at me. “Eat something first. We can talk afterward.”

“I’m not hungry.”

I sat across from him without touching the place setting.

He rubbed his brow, looking tired rather than concerned. “Are you still angry?”

“Have you read my resignation?”

I said nothing.

“Elena, you know how much I hate being threatened.”

“I’m not threatening you.”

I met his gaze.

“I earned that promotion. You told me yourself that the problem was how often I would be away.”

Damian leaned back, watching me without expression.

“I’ve spent five years working here,” I continued. “I’m grateful for what I’ve learned, but I need to know that my work will determine how far I can go. I can’t have my career depend on whether you want me close enough to call into your office.”

I paused.

“This position conflicts with the life I want in the future, so I’ve decided to leave.”

The office fell silent.

We stared at each other across the table until Damian gave a quiet laugh.

“The life you want?”

There was no warmth in his eyes.

“You mean marriage, children, and paying off a house and car with some ordinary man?”

My fingers tightened.

“The home you live in, the car you drive, everything in your closet. When have I ever denied you anything?” he asked. “Most people will never have what you have. Yet you’re throwing away your future over one position just to punish me?”

“You’ve told me what I would lose,” I said. “You haven’t asked why I’m willing to lose it.”

His eyes narrowed.

I glanced toward the computer on his desk. “My resignation is in the system. Please approve it.”

Damian studied me for several seconds, then returned to his desk.

“Fine.”

He opened my resignation request and picked up his pen.

“I respect your decision. Perhaps some time away will do you good.”

The pen paused above the signature line. He looked at me again.

“But you should understand that the place beside me never stays empty. Once you leave, there will be no coming back.”

“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me over the past five years, Mr. Moretti.”

I inclined my head.

Damian signed his name. Almost immediately, my phone displayed the notice that my resignation had been approved.

I said nothing else and walked out.

The glass door had barely closed behind me when a cup struck it.

The sharp crash silenced the entire floor. Everyone stopped working, and several worried glances landed on me.

I looked down at the approval notice on my phone.

Leaving had been far easier than I expected.

Less than half an hour later, Human Resources brought over my replacement.

Her name was Nina, one of the group’s new management trainees. She was young, beautiful, and highly qualified. The excitement and ambition in her eyes reminded me of myself five years ago.

I handed her the files and explained Damian’s habits one by one.

He drank his coffee black. Long meetings gave him headaches. He disliked anyone touching his personal belongings. Calls from family members had to be transferred immediately, and his black phone could never be ignored.

Nina had been guarded at first, but confusion gradually replaced her caution.

“You’re very good at this, Ms. Ward,” she said. “Mr. Moretti clearly trusts you. Don’t you think it’s a shame to leave?”

I looked at the neatly arranged files. I knew every project in those folders, every deadline I had stayed late to meet. Leaving meant giving up work I cared about, too.

That was what I regretted.

“Of course it’s a shame,” I said softly. “I came here right after graduation. It has been five years.”

I paused before continuing.

“But I can’t spend my entire life revolving around Mr. Moretti.”

A shadow fell across the desk.

I looked up and met Damian’s dark, unreadable eyes. I had no idea how long he had been standing there.

After a brief silence, he spoke coldly.

“You’re attending the Moretti Foundation charity gala with me tonight.”

I did not move.

His gaze remained fixed on my face.

“Your handover is not finished. For now, you are still my assistant.”