Mia’s POV

I barely sleep again.

Every time I close my eyes, I see Damien Blackwood in the parking lot. The way he stood so still. The way the man backed off like he was afraid of him.

What was that about?

I wake up feeling groggy, but I force myself to get ready for work. If I show up looking tired, Leah will notice, and I really don’t want to answer any more questions.

By the time I step into the office, I have a plan. Act normal. Stay focused. Don’t let Damien know I saw anything.

Easier said than done.

Because the moment I sit down, I get an email from Damien.

My office. Now.

My stomach drops.

I grab my notebook and head upstairs.

*

Damien is standing by the window when I step in. His hands are in his pockets, his back to me.

I clear my throat. “You wanted to see me?”

He turns slowly. His face is unreadable, but there’s something in his eyes I don’t like. Something too sharp.

“Yes,” he says. “Close the door.”

I do. Carefully.

He gestures toward the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”

I sit.

Then he just watches me.

Seconds stretch. My palms start to sweat.

I can’t take it anymore. “Did I do something wrong?”

He tilts his head. “Did you?”

My breath catches.

I keep my face neutral. “Not that I know of.”

He doesn’t blink. “Were you at the office late last night?”

I nod slowly. “Yes.”

“Did you see anything?”

My heart races.

This is it. He knows.

But I keep my expression blank. “I was just finishing work. I didn’t really look around.”

Another pause.

Then he nods. “Good.”

I almost sag in relief.

Then he picks up a folder and slides it across the desk. “We have a meeting with investors at noon. I need you to go through these and be ready to present your part.”

I blink. That’s it? He’s dropping the topic just like that?

I nod quickly. “Of course.”

He watches me for another second, then dismisses me with a nod.

I grab the folder and hurry out, feeling like I just dodged a bullet.

But one thing is clear—Damien is hiding something. And now, I’m more determined than ever to figure out what it is.

*

The meeting goes smoothly.

Mostly.

I barely focus on my presentation because my mind is still stuck on Damien. But thankfully, he seems satisfied with my work.

After the investors leave, Damien turns to me. “You handled that well.”

I nod, gripping my notebook tightly. “Thank you.”

“You can leave for the day.”

I blink. “What?”

He leans back in his chair. “Take the rest of the day off. You’ve been staying late. You should rest.”

I hesitate. Is this some kind of test?

But I nod. “Okay. Thank you.”

I gather my things and leave.

But instead of going home, I do something very stupid.

I decide to follow Damien Blackwood.

*

I wait outside the building near the parking lot.

It doesn’t take long.

A few minutes later, Damien walks out, his face as unreadable as ever. He gets into his black car and drives off.

I quickly wave down a cab. “Follow that car.”

The driver gives me a weird look but shrugs. “Sure.”

I keep my eyes glued to Damien’s car as we move through the city. He doesn’t go to his usual places—not the office, not any of the fancy restaurants he takes clients to.

Instead, he pulls into a run-down warehouse district on the outskirts of town.

My stomach tightens. What the hell is he doing here?

“Stop here,” I tell the driver.

I pay him quickly and step out, keeping my distance.

Damien parks his car and gets out. A man is already waiting for him outside one of the warehouses.

I inch closer, hiding behind a stack of old crates.

They start talking, but I can’t hear much.

I do, however, catch one word.

Money.

My heart pounds.

Damien Blackwood is a billionaire. Why would he be meeting someone here to talk about money?

I lean in a little more.

Then, suddenly, Damien’s head snaps up.

His eyes go straight to me.

I freeze.

For a second, neither of us moves.

Then he starts walking toward me.

Panic floods me.

I run.

*

I don’t stop until I’m a few blocks away.

My heart is hammering, my legs shaking. What was I thinking?

I have no idea if he followed me. I don’t dare look back.

I flag another cab and head home, my hands still trembling.

What the hell is Damien Blackwood involved in?

And why do I feel like I just made a very dangerous mistake?

*

I don’t sleep that night.

No matter how hard I try, my mind keeps going back to what happened. The way Damien looked straight at me in that warehouse district. The way my stomach twisted in fear.

Was it my imagination, or did he already know I was following him before I even realized he saw me?

I keep tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling. I shouldn’t have followed him. It was stupid. And reckless.

And now?

Now, I’m scared.

By the time my alarm rings in the morning, I feel like I haven’t rested at all. But I drag myself out of bed, splash cold water on my face, and get ready.

The moment I step into the office, Leah rushes over to my desk.

“Oh my God, Mia!” she whisper-yells, leaning close. “What did you do?”

I blink at her. “What?”

She glances around before pulling me aside near the break room.

“Mr. Blackwood,” she whispers. “He came in angry this morning. Like, scarier than usual. He hasn’t spoken to anyone except for a quick meeting with the board. And now, he’s just sitting in his office, staring at the wall. The whole department is freaking out.”

I swallow hard.

It’s because of last night. It has to be.

Leah frowns. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

I force a small laugh. “I didn’t sleep well. Maybe he’s just having a bad day.”

She gives me a look. “Mia, if you know something, now’s the time to tell me before I die of curiosity.”

I shake my head. “I swear, I don’t know anything.”

That part is mostly true.

Leah huffs. “Fine. But if you hear anything, you better tell me.”

I nod, then walk to my desk. My hands tremble as I turn on my computer.

I need to act normal. I need to stay calm.

But when my phone vibrates with an email notification, my stomach drops.

From: Damien Blackwood

Subject: My Office. Now.

Oh God.

I swallow hard, grab my notepad, and head upstairs.

*

Damien is sitting behind his desk when I walk in. He doesn’t look up right away. His fingers tap against the wooden surface slowly, rhythmically, like he’s thinking.

“Close the door,” he says.

I do. Carefully.

Then he lifts his gaze to mine. His eyes are darker than usual, unreadable.

“You were in the warehouse district last night,” he says flatly.

My breath catches.

There’s no point denying it.

“I—” My voice cracks. I clear my throat. “I just—”

He leans forward. “Don’t lie to me, Mia.”

I shut my mouth.

For a few seconds, silence stretches between us. Then, he exhales and leans back, watching me closely.

“I don’t like being followed,” he says.

I grip my notepad tighter. “I wasn’t—”

His eyebrow lifts.

I stop.

He knows. There’s no point pretending.

“I was curious,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

Damien nods slowly, as if he expected that. “Curiosity can be dangerous.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “I—”

“I let it go yesterday,” he cuts in. “I thought maybe it was just bad timing. Maybe you happened to be in the area. But then I saw you run.”

I bite my lip.

His voice drops lower. “So, tell me, Mia. Why were you following me?”

I glance down at my hands, trying to steady my breathing. “I—”

No excuse comes to mind.

Because the truth is, I don’t know why I followed him. It was impulse. A stupid, reckless impulse.

Damien waits.

Seconds tick by.

Then, I do the only thing I can.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

Something flashes in his eyes.

Then, he exhales. “I should fire you.”

My stomach drops.

I open my mouth to protest, but he raises a hand.

“But I won’t.”

I freeze.

He leans back, watching me like he’s trying to figure something out.

“I need someone like you,” he says. “Someone who doesn’t just follow orders. Someone who asks questions.”

I frown. “What?”

“You’re smart,” he says. “Curious. That’s rare.”

I don’t know what to say.

Then, he pushes a folder toward me. “I have a new task for you.”

I hesitate before picking it up. When I open it, my eyes widen.

It’s filled with confidential documents—financial records, reports, company transactions. Some of them are marked URGENT.

I look up. “What is this?”

“Something’s not right in my company,” Damien says. “Someone is stealing from me.”

I stare at him.

“I need you to find out who,” he continues. “Quietly.”

My heart races. “You—want me to investigate?”

He nods. “Think of it as a test.”

I blink. “But I—”

“I know you’re good at noticing things,” he says. “You proved that last night.”

I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a threat.

I glance down at the folder again.

This is insane.

But there’s something in Damien’s voice—something serious.

He trusts me with this.

And maybe… just maybe… this is my chance to finally figure him out.

I meet his gaze. “Okay.”

His lips lift slightly. “Good.”

And just like that, I realize I’ve stepped into something far bigger than I ever expected.

And there’s no turning back now.