جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

“You have exactly ten minutes to leave this house.”Ariana Cole stared at her father in disbelief.“Dad… what are you talking about?”Richard Cole refused to look her in the eyes. His expression was cold, almost as if she wasn’t his daughter.“The wedding is canceled.”Her heart skipped a beat.“What?”“The groom has made his choice.”Ariana laughed nervously. “What choice? Ryan and I are getting married in less than an hour.”Her father’s silence was louder than any answer.The front door opened.Ryan walked in.But he wasn’t alone.His arm was wrapped around Ariana’s younger sister, Victoria.Victoria’s left hand rested protectively over her stomach, and the massive diamond ring on her finger sparkled beneath the chandelier.Ariana felt the blood drain from her face.“Ryan…”“I’m sorry,” he said, without sounding sorry at all.Victoria smiled sweetly.“I’m pregnant.”The room spun.“No…”Ryan sighed impatiently.“It wasn’t planned.”“So you cheated on me?”Neither of them answered.

Ariana’s heart pounded so violently she could hear it in her ears.No.This couldn’t be happening.She carefully pulled the curtain aside just enough to see outside.Damien Blackwood stood beside his Rolls-Royce, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tailored overcoat. He wasn’t looking at his phone or speaking to anyone.He was staring directly at her house.“What are you doing here?” she whispered.Behind her, Emma yawned sleepily.“Mommy?”Ariana spun around.Her daughter stood at the foot of the stairs, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit.“I had a bad dream.”Ariana quickly forced a smile.“It’s okay, sweetheart.”She scooped Emma into her arms and kissed her forehead.“I’m here.”As she carried Emma upstairs, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man outside.Had he remembered?Had he discovered the truth?Or was it simply a coincidence?She tucked Emma back into bed before peeking through the bedroom curtains.The Rolls-Royce was gone.She released the breath she’d been hol

Ariana stood motionless outside Damien’s office, her fingers wrapped tightly around the project file in her hands.She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed.Only moments ago, Damien had looked at her differently. His gaze had lingered longer than usual, not with suspicion but with curiosity. It was as though he wanted to ask a hundred questions but didn’t know where to begin.She took a deep breath and knocked.“Come in.”Damien was standing beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, studying the architectural model of Riverside Towers.Without turning around, he said, “Close the door.”Ariana hesitated for a second before doing as he asked.“I reviewed your latest proposal,” Damien began.“You removed the glass bridge connecting the two towers.”“I did.”“Why?”Ariana walked toward the model and pointed to the narrow space between the buildings.“The original design is beautiful, but it isn’t practical. During heavy storms, the bridge could become a safety concern. I thoug

The automatic doors of St. Mary’s Hospital slid open as Ariana stepped outside with Ethan holding one hand and Emma holding the other.The warm afternoon breeze brushed against her face, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in her chest.Ethan was finally discharged.The doctors had confirmed it was only a sudden drop in blood sugar caused by skipping breakfast before school. He needed proper meals and regular checkups, but there was nothing life-threatening.Ariana silently thanked God.Behind them, Damien followed at a respectful distance.“I’ll have Daniel bring your car from the office,” he said. “You don’t need to worry about getting home.”“You’ve already done more than enough, Mr. Blackwood.”His lips curved slightly.“I thought we agreed you’d call me Damien.”“We didn’t.”“I distinctly remember asking.”“And I distinctly remember ignoring the request.”Emma giggled.“You two argue like an old married couple.”Ariana nearly choked.“Emma!”“What?” Emma blinked innocently.

Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Blackwood Holdings.Damien stood in his office, staring at the anonymous photograph lying on his desk.The woman in the picture was facing away from the camera, her long dark hair dancing in the wind as she stood on a hotel balcony.He had looked at the photograph countless times since the previous evening.It made no sense.He couldn’t see her face.Yet every time he looked at it, an odd feeling settled deep inside his chest.Almost as if he had lived that moment before.A knock interrupted his thoughts.“Come in.”Daniel entered carrying a stack of documents.“The board meeting starts in thirty minutes.”Damien nodded.“Any updates on Miss Cole?”Daniel looked surprised.“I thought you gave her today off.”“I did.”“Mrs. Harper informed the office that Ethan is doing much better.”A wave of relief washed over Damien before he realized he had reacted.“Good.”Daniel smiled slightly.“You seem unusually concerned.”Dami