Semua Bab I Saved Him And Paid For It : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Three days after the divorce complication was discovered, Damien still couldn't focus.The problem irritated him.He had board meetings to attend.Contracts worth millions waiting for approval.A luxury division launch approaching.Yet somehow, his attention kept drifting back to Aria.A knock came at his office door."Come in."Noah entered carrying a tablet."The Hart Atelier representatives confirmed attendance for tonight's charity gala."Damien nodded."Anything else?"Noah hesitated."There is one thing."Damien looked up.Noah rarely hesitated."What?""The Vale Innovations team will also be attending."Silence.Then Damien returned to the document on his desk."And?"Noah almost laughed."And Aria will be there."The pen in Damien's hand stopped moving.Only for a second.Then it resumed."I don't care.""Of course."Noah nodded seriously."That's why you've asked about her six times this week."Damien shot him a look.Noah wisely changed the subject."The gala starts at seven

The following week brought another round of meetings.The luxury project had entered a critical stage.Every proposal mattered.Every investor mattered.And tonight's dinner mattered most.Aria reviewed the schedule on her tablet as the elevator carried her down to the lobby of Hart Atelier.A private dinner.Potential investors.Ethan would lead negotiations.Vivian had insisted Aria attend."You designed half the project," Vivian had said earlier that morning. "If investors have questions, you're the best person to answer them."Aria couldn't argue with that.By seven o'clock, she arrived at one of the city's most exclusive restaurants.The private dining room overlooked the river.Soft lighting reflected against the glass walls.Several investors were already seated when Ethan arrived.He greeted everyone naturally before taking the chair beside Aria.The meeting began immediately.For nearly an hour, discussions centered around projections, branding strategies, and expansion plans

The dream returned three nights later.It always began the same way.Rain.Dark clouds.Thunder rolling across the sky.A river swollen by the storm.Damien stood at the edge of the water, small and terrified.Then the ground disappeared beneath him.Cold water swallowed everything.He couldn't breathe.Couldn't scream.The current dragged him deeper.Faster.Stronger.He remembered this part.He always remembered this part.The panic.The darkness.The feeling that he was about to die.Then a voice cut through the storm.A girl.Calling his name."Damien!"The voice sounded distant.Yet familiar.He tried to turn toward it.The rain blurred everything.A small figure appeared along the riverbank.Running toward him.Reaching for him.The girl's face remained hidden.Just as it always had.But this time something was different.The voice sounded clearer.Closer.Not the vague memory he'd heard for years.Not Lily.Someone else.Someone whose voice he had heard recently.Very recently.

Three days later, the competition officially began.The luxury waterfront project had become one of the most valuable contracts in the city.Whoever won it would dominate the premium real-estate market for years.Naturally, every major company wanted it.Including Cole Group.Including Hart Atelier.Aria stared at the project files spread across the conference table.The room buzzed with activity.Design teams moved in and out.Investors called constantly.Schedules changed by the hour.Across from her, Vivian reviewed the latest figures."Our competitors are getting aggressive."Aria didn't need clarification.There was only one competitor that mattered.Cole Group.Vivian slid another file toward her."The final presentation is tomorrow."Aria opened it.Inside were updated market projections and investor requirements.Several sections required immediate revisions.She picked up a pen."I'll handle them."Vivian watched her for a moment."You know Damien won't go easy on you."Aria

Lily stared at the report spread across her desk.The pages were incomplete.Several sections had been blacked out.Patient information.Diagnosis details.Doctor's notes.Everything important was missing.The investigator shifted uneasily across from her."This was all I could get."Lily's eyes narrowed."You expect me to believe that?""The hospital's system blocked access.""Blocked access?" she repeated.The investigator swallowed."The file was placed under restricted authorization."Lily lowered the papers slowly."By who?"The man hesitated.Then he answered."Damien Cole."Silence filled the room.Lily's fingers tightened around the document.That answer made no sense.Damien had spent five years blaming Aria for everything.Why would he protect her medical records?The investigator continued carefully."I tried accessing the remaining information through different channels.""And?""Every request was denied."Lily looked back at the file.The visible pages contained almost no