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9. The Thing We Don't Say.

Penulis: Merra Gischan
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-06 14:35:26

Next Morning, Executive Floor Lobby

SADIE’S POV

The elevator doors slid open with a quiet hiss, but the sound still made me flinch.

I hadn’t slept. Not really.

The ache in my palm was dulled by a few bandages and a painkiller I found at the bottom of an old drawer. But the ache in my chest—that felt permanent.

I crossed the marble floor like a ghost in flats.

Quiet, invisible, barely breathing. My tote bag dug into my shoulder, heavier than it should’ve been.

Maybe it was the weight of giving up my savings. Or the image of Angelica’s heel pressing into my hand.

Or maybe it was just the quiet knowledge that no one had said sorry.

Not once.

Not for the bruises. Not for the blood. Not even for the silence after.

But I was here. Because I always showed up.

Even when it felt like every part of me wanted to vanish.

I adjusted my badge with trembling fingers. Personal Assistant – Temporary Assignment: CEO Floor.

The laminated card looked far more confident than I felt.

The receptionist gave
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  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   16. Unworthy.

    DAMON’S POVI caught her just as her knees gave out.I didn’t know how—only that when it came to her, I noticed everything. The way her eyes lost focus, drifting somewhere far beyond my reach.I hooked my arm around her trembling body and lifted her off the ground.Light.Too light. Like she weighed nothing at all.Like she’d been carrying the world on her back for too long, and now, there was barely anything left of her.“I’m sorry…” She said, so soft it was almost lost to the air.Something inside me cracked—something sharp, deep, and terrifying that I couldn’t name.I just knew it was strong enough to tear me apart.Without a word, I carried her across the lobby, ignoring the growing stares, the alarm still wailing behind us like a distant nightmare.Straight to the elevator.Straight to my office.“I think... I can walk now,” Sadie whispered against my chest, her voice small, broken.I tightened my grip around her without thinking.“Quiet,” I said roughly. “You’re bleeding all ove

  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   15. Ruining His Perfect World.

    DAMON'S POVThe driver eased the car to a stop, sliding into the space beside a familiar red Maserati Quattroporte.Bella’s car.A muscle ticked in my jaw the second I spotted Sadie standing there—alone—by the car.Her right hand was full, clutching a mess of garment bags, balancing awkwardly.My teeth ground together.Of course Bella would make her carry everything. Like Sadie was her personal servant. Like she was nothing.I stepped out of the car, intent on pulling Sadie away before Bella could issue another one of her damn commands.But as I crossed the distance, something twisted inside me—Sadie’s face was wet.Tears.Tears sliding down her cheeks.I moved faster, heart slamming against my ribs, and then I saw it—her hand—trapped, caught between the door and the frame of Bella’s car.Fucking hell.“Sadie,” I barked, reaching for the door handle—Locked.Rage blackened the edges of my vision.I stripped off my jacket, wrapped it tightly around my fist, the adrenaline deafening.

  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   14. A Lesson In Cruelty.

    SADIE’S POVI caught Casey just as she was pouring herself a second coffee.Desperation must have been written all over my face because she barely hesitated when I asked.“Do you have a spare shirt?” I asked, trying not to sound as desperate as I felt.Casey gave me a quick once-over, her eyes pausing on the wet stain soaking through my blouse—and the way the fabric clung embarrassingly to my skin.“I didn’t bring one,” she said, wincing. “But—” she tugged at her own top, considering, “we can switch. I’m smaller up here anyway. It won’t show as much.”Relief flooded my chest so quickly it made my throat ache.“Are you sure?” I whispered.“Come on,” Casey said, nodding toward the restroom.We slipped inside and locked the door behind us.At the mirror, I caught my reflection—saw the damp patches, the way my skin showed through the ruined blouse.I stared, mortified.“Oh my God,” I whispered, horrified.“No wonder Damon told me to change,” I said, my voice barely a thread. “It’s complet

  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   13. Burning Beneath The Ice.

    DAMON’S POVI packed my laptop into the leather case with more force than necessary, the zipper growling under my hand.The clock on the wall mocked me—still hours to go before the damn meeting.I needed the distraction.Anything to stop the replay in my head.Sadie.The hurt flickering across her face when she saw us.The way she fled like she’d been shot straight through the heart, while Bella couldn’t care less. Like nothing even happened. She’s been out shopping sinceI ground my teeth and hit the intercom.“Sadie. In my office.”A few moments later, I heard her steps—quieter than usual, hesitant.When the door creaked open, I looked up—and forgot how to breathe.She stood there, holding a damp cloth in one hand, her blouse still stained from the juice spill.Only now the wetness had turned the fabric nearly sheer.And through it, delicate lace kissed her skin—taunting, haunting.I gripped the edge of my desk so hard my knuckles went white.She didn’t even seem to notice.Didn’t r

  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   12. Shatterproof.

    DAMON'S POVI shouldn’t give a damn.Why does it bother me so much when she’s pushed around like that?Is it because she’s too close to someone else?Or maybe it’s the way her space—her scent, her presence—gets invaded by someone who isn’t me.Why the hell should I care?She’s not mine.She’s not even close to being mine.But every inch of her that gets crowded, every time her skin brushes against someone else... it twists something inside me.I shouldn’t care.But I do.And that pisses me off.The next time, I would have to remind myself—don’t care.Later That Afternoon.SADIE'S POV I made myself walk toward Damon’s office, even though every step felt heavier than the last.The sooner I got clarity about Bella’s accommodations, the better.Better to rip the bandage off before it rotted beneath my skin.Better to have it hurt now than humiliate me later.I swallowed down the lump that had been clawing at my throat ever since Bella’s text lit up my screen.Then I did the thing I hated

  • The Stranger My Heart Belonged To   11. Stolen Heat In A Crowd.

    SADIE’S POV“Just for you to be more aware of yourself.”The words landed like a door slamming shut behind me.I blinked. Once. Twice.I didn’t understand what he meant.But I felt it.The way his eyes stayed on me—not cold, not warm, just... calculating. Like he was reading something I didn’t know I’d written.I wanted to ask.But I didn’t dare.Because under his voice—so calm, so lethal—I heard something else.Possession.It made no sense, but I felt it crawl up the back of my neck like heat.Felt it settle somewhere low in my stomach. Dangerous. Twisting.I swallowed.Nodded.And turned to leave, heart pounding against my ribs like it had something to confess.I didn’t know what I’d done wrong.But part of me—a part I wasn’t ready to name—hoped I’d do it again.The Next MorningSADIE'S POVThere was still a heat humming beneath my skin.A restless, stubborn thrum, like my body remembered something it couldn’t name.Something about his voice.The way he had looked at me—as if I were

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