Lahat ng Kabanata ng HIRED BY THE RUTHLESS CEO : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Damien POVMy mother hasn't left her house in years. Last I saw her was when I invited Aria over her apartment. The fact that she's standing in my lobby, perfectly composed in Chanel armor, means whatever she has to say will destroy me; but alas, I was wrong. "Not here." I glance at the receptionist already pretending not to stare. "Upstairs."Henry starts to follow, but my mother's look stops him cold. This is between us.The executive floor feels different now—like I'm already a ghost haunting my own empire. I lead her into a private conference room, close the blinds. She doesn't sit. Neither do I."I've been calling for weeks," she says without preamble. "You haven't answered.""I've been busy.""Being eviscerated in the press?" Her tone is sharp. "I read the articles, Damien. The board investigation. The inappropriate relationship with David Holt's daughter." She pauses. "The woman whose family you swore to destroy."My jaw tightens. "If you came to lecture me""I came because yo

Aria’s POVI answered Henry’s call and he pleaded we met to discuss something important.The coffee shop Henry chose is deliberately neutral—a place neither of us has been before, halfway between my apartment and Cross Tower. When I arrive, he’s already at a corner table, looking like he hasn’t slept in days.“Thanks for coming.” He stands as I approach, and I see the relief wash over his face. “I wasn’t sure you would.”“Of course I would.” I take off my coat and sit, offering a small smile. “Sophie’s been worried about you both. And honestly, so have I.”His shoulders relax slightly. A waitress appears, and I order chamomile tea—something to calm the nervous flutter in my chest.When she leaves, Henry leans forward. “He’s not himself, Aria. I know you’ve been keeping your distance, and I understand why. But this isn’t just—he’s really struggling.”“I know.” I wrap my hands around the edge of the table. “I’ve seen the news. The leave of absence. I just—I needed space to figure out wh

Damien POVI stare at the screen until my vision blurs. We need to talk. Four simple words that could mean everything or nothing. Forgiveness or final goodbye.I forward the text to Dr. Talia immediately.My therapist calls within minutes. "Damien. I saw your message.""She wants to meet." My voice sounds foreign. "Tomorrow. What do I say? How do I…" I stop, overwhelmed."Let's work through this." Her tone is calm, grounding. "What are you most afraid of?""That she'll look at me and see exactly what I am. A monster who destroyed her for something she didn't do." The words feels uncomfortable. "That she'll confirm what I already know—that I'm irredeemable.""And what do you hope for?"I close my eyes. "That somehow, impossibly, there's a version of this where she doesn't hate me. Where I can show her I'm trying to be better. Not for her. For myself. But…" My throat tightens. "I want her to see that I'm trying.""Then that's what you tell her." Dr. Talia’s voice is firm. "No grand gest

Damien POVFacing David Holt is harder than any board meeting I've ever attended.The man lying in this hospital bed is the person I blamed for eight years. The person I built my entire existence around destroying. And now I'm sitting beside him, knowing I was wrong about everything."Mr. Cross." David's voice is weak but steady. "Thank you for coming.""Mr. Holt." I force the words past the tightness in my throat. "I don't deserve your time.""Maybe not." He shifts slightly, wincing. "But we're past what anyone deserves, aren't we?"I don't know how to respond to that.David studies me for a long moment. "My wife tells me you paid for my surgery.""It was the least I could do." Shame burns through me. "After everything I put your family through…""But was it because you made my daughter pay for my mistakes.""Worse." I meet his eyes. "I made her pay for mistakes you didn't even make. I've seen the evidence now, Mr. Holt. The sabotage. The frame job. You took the blame to protect your

Aria POVVictoria's disappearance terrifies me more than her presence ever did.At least when I could see her, I knew what I was dealing with. But now she's a ghost, invisible and everywhere at once.I pack a bag and move back to my parents' house in Glendale. The security team Damien arranged follows me, two men in a black SUV who park outside and change shifts every twelve hours.Mom thinks it's excessive."Sweetheart, this seems like too much," she says, watching through the kitchen window as one of the guards walks the perimeter. "Are you sure this is necessary?""It's necessary." I don't tell her about the threatening text. Don't explain that Victoria has emptied her accounts and vanished. "Just until things settle down."Dad's still at the hospital, recovering slowly but steadily. The security there is even tighter—two guards outside his room at all times, ID checks for every visitor, even nurses.It makes me feel safer and more anxious at the same time.***Sophie shows up the