037: A Deal with Hidden Motives

The atmosphere inside Damian Blackwood's office was noticeably colder than the warmth outside.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city bustled with its usual rhythm. Cars crawled through traffic, pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks, and sunlight reflected off the surrounding skyscrapers.

Inside the office, however, the air was tense.

Damian sat behind his desk, calm and unreadable.

Across from him, Adrian Sterling adjusted the sleeve of his charcoal-gray suit before placing a neatly organized file on the polished wooden desk.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice," Adrian said.

Damian folded his hands.

"My assistant told me this couldn't wait."

"It couldn't."

Adrian slid the proposal forward.

"Our companies have been discussing this partnership for months. I believe it's time we moved beyond discussions."

Damian glanced at the document but didn't immediately open it.

"You came here yourself for a business proposal?"

"I prefer handling important matters personally."

A faint smile crossed Damian's face.

"So do I."

For a brief moment, silence settled between them.

Neither man was willing to reveal more than necessary.

Damian finally opened the proposal.

His eyes moved carefully across each page.

The figures were solid.

The projected returns were impressive.

The partnership would benefit both companies.

Still, he closed the file.

"It looks reasonable."

"It is."

"But I don't make decisions after reading only the first few pages."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

The discussion continued for nearly half an hour.

They debated budgets, timelines, legal responsibilities, and expansion plans.

Outwardly, it was nothing more than two CEOs negotiating an important agreement.

Yet beneath every sentence lay another conversation entirely.

A silent battle.

One neither of them intended to lose.

Eventually, Adrian leaned back in his chair.

"I saw Elena downstairs."

Damian slowly lifted his eyes.

"I assumed you would."

Adrian hesitated.

"How is she?"

Damian's expression remained unreadable.

"If you're asking as her former husband..."

"...that's no longer your place."

The words landed with quiet force.

Adrian looked away briefly before meeting Damian's gaze again.

"I wasn't trying to interfere."

"No?"

"No."

"I just wanted to know whether she's alright."

Damian closed the file.

"She is."

"And I intend to keep it that way."

Another silence followed.

This one lasted longer.

Adrian understood exactly what Damian meant.

It wasn't merely reassurance.

It was a warning.

After a few moments, Adrian stood.

"I didn't come here to argue."

"Good."

"Neither did I."

Damian rose and extended his hand.

"If our legal teams approve the remaining details, we'll move forward."

Adrian accepted the handshake.

Firm.

Professional.

Respectful.

Yet neither trusted the other.

As Adrian reached the door, he stopped.

Without turning around, he asked quietly,

"Did she ever smile like that before?"

Damian frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The way she smiled today."

For several seconds, Damian didn't answer.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.

"I think she's remembering the woman she was before the world convinced her she wasn't enough."

Adrian closed his eyes.

Those words struck deeper than Damian could possibly know.

Because Adrian realized...

He had been part of that world.

Without another word, he walked out.

Crossing the lobby, Adrian's eyes found Elena almost immediately.

She stood beside two members of the charity department, reviewing outreach reports.

One of the employees said something that made her laugh.

It wasn't forced.

It wasn't polite.

It was genuine.

The sound carried across the lobby.

A memory surfaced.

Years ago...

Elena had laughed exactly like that while showing him a recipe she'd learned.

He hadn't even looked up from his laptop.

"I'll see it later," he had said.

Later never came.

Watching her now, Adrian understood something that hurt more than he expected.

She hadn't stopped smiling because life was difficult.

She had stopped smiling because he had stopped noticing.

Before he could take another step, Elena turned slightly.

For one impossible second, he thought she had finally seen him.

Instead, she simply greeted another employee walking past.

She never noticed Adrian leave.

And somehow...

That hurt more than any argument ever had.

Inside Damian's office, another meeting had already begun.

His assistant knocked softly.

"Sir."

"Come in."

"The package you requested has arrived."

Damian looked up.

"Leave it here."

The assistant placed a large brown envelope on the desk.

Unlike ordinary company mail, it bore no company logo.

No return address.

Only Damian's name, neatly typed across the front.

After the assistant left, Damian stared at it thoughtfully.

He broke the seal.

Inside was a photograph.

An old one.

Elena as a little girl.

Standing between her smiling parents.

But Damian's attention wasn't on the family.

It was on the man standing several feet behind them.

The same man whose face had been scratched out in Margaret's photograph.

Only this picture was untouched.

The man's face was perfectly visible.

Before Damian could study it, his phone rang.

Unknown Number.

After a brief pause, he answered.

"This is Damian Blackwood."

A calm male voice replied.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to open the envelope."

Damian's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Victor Carter."

The name meant nothing to Damian.

"For years," the man continued calmly, "I've been watching over Elena."

Damian's grip tightened around the photograph.

"What do you want?"

"To make sure history doesn't repeat itself."

"And who exactly are you protecting her from?"

There was a brief silence.

Then Victor answered,

"That..."

"...is a question you aren't ready to hear the answer to."

The line went dead.

Damian slowly lowered the phone.

His eyes returned to the photograph.

For the first time...

The man in the shadows had finally given him a name.

But whether Victor Carter was a friend...

Or the beginning of an even greater threat...

Damian still had no idea.