LOGIN"Fine. Have Aria schedule it." Damien glanced at her. "Morning, before 10 AM. I want it handled before the day gets away from me.""Yes, sir." She made a note on her tablet.Julian headed for the door, then paused. "Damien, one more thing. Can I borrow Aria for a moment? I want to go over some logistics with her for the call."Damien's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?""Because she's your assistant and I need her help coordinating schedules. Unless you have a problem with that?"A long pause. Then: "Fine. Five minutes. She needs to prepare for the board meeting.""Five minutes. Promise." Julian gestured to Aria. "Shall we?"She looked at Damien, who gave a curt nod. Permission granted.She followed Julian out of the office, expecting him to stop at her desk. Instead, he kept walking toward the break room."Mr. Pierce, where are we.....""Call me Julian, Aria. I thought we were close. And we need to talk."Her stomach dropped. This wasn't about scheduling calls.The break room was empty a
Aria looked up to see Damien stepping off the private elevator, powerful and commanding in a charcoal suit that probably cost more than three months of her salary. His dark hair was perfectly styled, his expression focused and intent as he scanned the floor with those sharp, assessing eyes.Eyes that landed on her for just a moment before moving on.No acknowledgment. No greeting. Just that brief, impersonal glance that said I see you, you're where you're supposed to be, carry on.He walked past her desk without slowing, his presence so overwhelming that she felt the air shift around him. Other employees straightened in their seats, worked just a little bit harder, their body language screaming awareness of the boss's arrival.Damien Blackwood commanded a room just by existing in it.He entered his office, set down his briefcase, and immediately pulled out his phone. Aria could see him through the glass walls...already working, already focused, completely absorbed in whatever message
"Strong people often do." Mei squeezed her hand. "Now eat. You need your strength for tomorrow."Aria ate, the warm food helping to settle her stomach, to ease some of the exhaustion. Her mother watched her with those knowing eyes."Are you going to be okay doing this?" Mei asked quietly. "Every day? For however long it takes?"Aria thought about the glass walls. The constant supervision. The impossible standards. The cold professionalism masking the love she knew was still there, buried deep beneath his hurt and anger."I have to be," she finally said. "Because the alternative is losing him forever. And I can't....I can't survive that.""Then you'll find a way to survive this instead." Mei stood, started clearing the dishes. "Go shower. Get some sleep. Tomorrow you'll do better.""How do you know?""Because you're my daughter. And Chen women don't give up."At 9:30 PM, Aria finally collapsed into bed, every muscle aching, her mind still spinning with the events of the day.She set he
Emails: routing messages, flagging urgent items, forwarding what needed his attention.Visitors: "Is Mr. Blackwood available?" "Do you have a moment to check his calendar?"People requesting meetings, asking questions, needing decisions. All of it funneling through her desk.This was what it meant to be his assistant. The gatekeeper. The filter. The person who managed the chaos so he could focus on running an empire.And she was drowning.At 4 PM, her phone buzzed. A text from her mother.How's your first day, baby girl? Are you eating? Are you okay?Aria typed back quickly: It's intense but I'm managing. Can't talk now. Will call tonight. Love you.Love you too. Be strong.She set the phone down and returned to work.By 5 PM, the office started emptying out. People packing up, calling goodbyes, heading to the elevators. The 47th floor gradually grew quieter.By 6 PM, it was mostly deserted. Just a few workaholics in distant offices, their lights still on.And Aria. And Damien.She co
But Damien's expression didn't change. "Ms. Chen is more than capable. She simply needs time to familiarize herself with our operations. Which she will have."The statement was final. The board member nodded and the meeting continued.But the damage was done.Aria could feel the eyes on her. The judgment. The whispered assessment: She won't last.When the meeting finally ended an hour later, Aria gathered her things with shaking hands while board members filed out. Some gave her sympathetic glances. Most ignored her entirely.The silver-haired man paused by Damien. "Interesting choice for an assistant. She's certainly... different from your usual type.""She's exactly what I need," Damien said, his voice cold.After everyone left, Aria remained seated, dreading what came next.Damien closed his laptop and looked at her. "My office. Now."She followed him down the hall, every step heavy with dread.Inside his office, he closed the door but didn't lock it this time. Just turned to face
The next ninety minutes were hell.Aria sat at her desk, frantically navigating the shared drive system, pulling up files she barely understood. Financial reports. Market data. Competitor analysis. Hundreds of pages of dense, technical information she'd never seen before.She wasn't a business analyst. She was a doctor. She knew anatomy and pharmacology and diagnostic protocols. Not quarterly earnings and market positioning.But she didn't have a choice.She read as fast as she could, her medical school training kicking in.....triage the information, prioritize what matters, skim for key points, look for patterns.Q3 revenue: up 15%. Market share: increased in three sectors, declined slightly in one. Competitor analysis: Blackwood Enterprises outperforming two major rivals, neck-and-neck with a third.She started typing, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Created a summary document. Bullet points. Clear, concise, actionable.Around her, the office hummed with activity. Other employ
ARIA'S POV Aria stood in the shower, letting the water run over her, and couldn't remember if she'd already washed her hair or not.Day five. Five days since she'd left the estate. Five days since she'd seen his face. Five days of this endless, suffocating pain.She'd promised Marcus she'd take ca
Aria sat beside her mother's hospital bed, holding Mei's hand and trying to smile like everything was fine.It wasn't working."Stop pretending," Mei said, her voice stronger than it had been in months. The treatment was working miracles. "I can see right through you, baby girl.""I'm not pretendin
"I want my friend back." Julian sat in the chair across from his desk. "The one who doesn't fire people for bringing him the wrong coffee. The one who doesn't cancel meetings with major investors. The one who doesn't look like a ghost.""Maybe that friend is gone.""Bullshit. He's in there somewher
ARIA'S POV - Day Three, MorningAria stared at the ceiling of her mother's small apartment, watching the morning light creep across the plaster, and tried to remember what it felt like to want to be alive.Three days since she'd left the estate.Three days since Damien had walked away from her in t







