The silence between Isla and Damien stretched like a wire pulled too tight, ready to snap.
He stood inches from her, his expression unreadable, his jaw set in that infuriatingly composed way of his. But his eyes—dark, calculating—betrayed something else. Something he did not want her to see.
You are hiding something, Isla said, her voice quieter now, but no less sharp.
Damien exhaled, slow and measured. There are things you do not understand.
Then make me understand.
He did not move, did not speak. For the first time since she had known him, he hesitated.
And that terrified her.
She had come here expecting more of the same—his usual coldness, his deflections. But this? This was different.
I thought you wanted the truth, Isla, he murmured finally. But you are not ready for it.
A bitter laugh escaped her. You do not get to decide that.
Damiens gaze darkened. No? His voice dropped, low and dangerous. You have no idea what you are stepping into. The past is not just some old wound you can reopen without consequences.
Then tell me, Damien, she challenged. Tell me what I do not know.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. His restraint was fraying, unraveling before her eyes.
You think your family was innocent in all of this? he said, his voice almost cruel in its quiet intensity. You think my father destroyed yours without cause?
Isla stiffened. What are you saying?
Damien leaned in just enough that she could feel the heat of him, the weight of his words pressing against her like a force she could not escape.
I am saying that if you keep searching for answers, you might not like what you find.
Her heart pounded. Is that a threat?
His lips curved into something that was not quite a smirk. It is a warning.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them crackled, thick with something more than just anger, more than just old wounds.
Then, with a sharp breath, Isla stepped back. I do not believe you, she said, forcing steel into her voice.
Then keep digging, Damien said smoothly. See where it takes you.
Isla turned on her heel, storming out before she could let the heat in her chest—rage or something far more dangerous—consume her.
The Secrets Begin to Unravel
By the time Isla reached her apartment, her hands were still shaking. She did not know if it was from anger or the way Damien had looked at her—like he knew something that would shatter her world.
She had to find out the truth.
Sitting on her bed, she opened her laptop and began searching. News archives, old reports—anything that could tell her more about what had really happened between Monroe Holdings and Blackwood Enterprises.
And then she found it.
A name.
One that should not have been there.
A person tied to both her father and Damiens.
A person who had disappeared years ago.
Her stomach dropped.
Damien had been right about one thing.
She was not ready for this.
But it was too late to stop now.