All Chapters of Falling for the enemy I should hate : Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

Elena Russo woke before her alarm, which was unusual. For a few quiet seconds, she lay still in bed, staring at the ceiling of her apartment. The soft morning light slipped through the tall glass windows of her living room, stretching across the wooden floor like pale ribbons. Normally she loved mornings. They were calm. Predictable. Controlled. Exactly the way she liked her life. But today her mind was already restless. Because of one person. Damon DeLuca. She groaned softly and rolled onto her side, burying her face in the pillow. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself. Why was she even thinking about him this early? He was just a business partner. An annoying one. An arrogant one. A dangerously observant one. But still—just a business partner. Elena pushed the blanket away and sat up. Her dark hair fell loosely around her shoulders as she swung her legs off the bed. Across the room, the skyline stretched beyond the windows of her apartment. Tall buildings,

The morning started like any other—coffee brewing, sunlight spilling across her apartment, and the quiet comfort of her own routines. She dressed quickly, choosing a tailored blouse and pencil skirt, trying to focus on the day ahead. Meetings, emails, client follow-ups. That was her world, precise and controlled. Anything else, especially him, wasn’t supposed to matter. She was halfway through reviewing a contract when a knock sounded at her door. Predictably, he was there. Damon stood just inside, his posture relaxed, but the air around him felt charged. “I thought you said you’d finish that before I arrived,” he remarked, holding a folder neatly in one hand. “I did,” she replied sharply, brushing past him toward the desk. “I just needed a moment to make sure everything was correct.” He followed, silent but deliberate. Watching him move through her space, calm and confident, her pulse flickered in ways she refused to admit. She refused to let him see. She wouldn’t give him that

The investor dinner was louder than Elena expected.Not in noise—but in presence.Powerful people filled the room. Conversations overlapped, deals were hinted at behind polite smiles, and every glance carried intention.Elena stepped inside, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Her black dress hugged her frame perfectly—simple, elegant, controlled.Just like her.She didn’t come here to impress.She came here to win.“Ms. Russo,” a familiar investor greeted as she approached.“Good evening,” she replied with a small, professional smile.They spoke briefly about projections, market expansion, expected returns.Normal.Safe.Controlled.Until she felt it.That same awareness again.Her body reacting before her mind caught up.She didn’t turn immediately.She didn’t need to.Damon was there.When she finally looked, he was across the room, standing near the bar.And just like always—People surrounded him.Two investors were speaking to him, but it was obvious who contro

Elena didn’t sleep well.She turned in bed more times than she could count, the sheets tangled around her legs, her thoughts refusing to settle.Every time she closed her eyes—The same thing came back.The meeting.The board.And Damon standing there like it was just another decision.Like it didn’t change everything.Morning came too quickly.She woke up already tired.Not physically.Mentally.Her head felt heavy with thoughts she didn’t want to face.Still—She got up.Because that’s what she did.She handled things.The shower helped a little.The coffee helped more.By the time she stood in front of her mirror, dressed and ready, her expression was back to normal.Calm.Controlled.Untouched.Exactly how everyone expected her to be.The office was quieter when she arrived.Early.Good.She needed that.No questions.No pressure.Just work.She dropped her bag and sat down, opening her laptop immediately.Emails.Reports.Numbers.Things that made sense.Things that didn’t demand

Elena arrived at the office earlier than usual.Again.It wasn’t intentional.Or maybe it was.The truth was, she didn’t want to be at home.Not when her thoughts were this loud.Not when everything kept circling back to the same thing.Damon.And the decision she hadn’t fully accepted—but had already started preparing for.The building was quiet.Too quiet.The kind of silence that made every sound sharper—the soft echo of her heels, the faint hum of electricity, the distant murmur of early staff starting their day.She dropped her bag on the desk and stood still for a moment.Breathing.Thinking.Trying to organize everything in her head.Contract marriage.The words still didn’t feel real.They felt… distant.Like something that belonged to someone else’s life.Not hers.Not Elena Russo—the woman who planned everything, controlled everything, avoided unnecessary risks.And yet—Here she was.Considering one of the biggest risks of her life.She poured herself coffee.Didn’t sit.Di