Chapter 2 002

The name hit her like a bolt of lightning

Bella's breath hitched as the name sank in. Damian Blackwood. She knew that name. Everyone knew that name. He was the elusive billionaire, the ruthless CEO whose empire spanned industries. He wasn't just rich; he was powerful-untouchable. She stared at him, struggling to piece together the fragments of last night through the fog in her mind.

"What... happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, clutching the sheets tighter to her chest.

Damian's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression a mix of frustration and curiosity. "You barged into my suite, clearly out of your mind, and then..." His gaze flicked over her body before returning to her face. "We had sex."

Bella's heart dropped into her stomach. No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Her mind raced, searching for explanations, for any way to convince herself this wasn't real. "I didn't... I didn't mean to-" Her voice broke off as her memory began to stir, the weight of what had happened crashing over her.

She had been drugged. By Liam. The wine...

"Oh God," she whispered, burying her face in her hands. How could things have spiraled so far out of control? How could Liam have done this to her? And now she was here, with Damian Blackwood, of all people.

"I don't know what you're thinking," Damian's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts, "but you don't need to explain anything to me. What's done is done."

Bella looked up at him, her vision still swimming slightly, but his face was clear now-sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and an unreadable expression. His detachment stung. "I didn't come here on purpose," she said, her voice shaking as anger surged beneath the surface of her humiliation. "I was drugged. My boyfriend-ex-boyfriend-he drugged me and-"

"Save it." Damian's tone was cold, his voice flat. "I'm not interested in your excuses. You made your choices last night."

"Excuses?" Bella felt her blood boil. She sat up straighter, her hands gripping the sheets. "I didn't choose any of this! I was dragged into a situation-"

"You came into my room, threw yourself at me, and now you're blaming someone else?" Damian's voice was low, dangerous. He rose from the bed, his towering presence filling the room as he stood over her. "You expect me to believe you were some innocent victim in all of this?"

Bella's face flushed with anger. "You don't know me! You don't know anything about what happened!"

"I know enough." Damian's eyes bored into hers, dark and unyielding. "But I don't care about your sob story, Ms. Hart. The fact is, you came into my life last night, and now we're in this mess. So here's what's going to happen: you're going to get dressed, and you're going to leave. We don't need to speak about this again."

Bella's heart pounded in her chest. Just leave? After everything? Her pride screamed at her to lash out, to defend herself, but the cold, calculating look in Damian's eyes told her it would be futile. He was done with her. He had what he wanted, and now she was disposable.

Her hand shook as she reached for her dress, discarded on the floor. She could feel his eyes on her, watching, assessing, as if she were nothing more than a complication he needed to get rid of. She couldn't let him see her cry, couldn't let him know how shattered she felt inside.

As she fumbled with the zipper, she muttered, "You don't know anything about me, Damian. I didn't ask for any of this."

"I don't care," Damian replied coolly, buttoning his shirt without sparing her another glance. "This is your problem now. Make sure it doesn't become mine."

Bella's throat tightened, but she swallowed the lump, refusing to let him see how deeply his words cut. She slipped into her heels, head held high, despite the ache in her chest. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her broken.

With her purse clutched in her hand, Bella turned toward the door, every step heavy with humiliation. She could feel Damian's presence behind her, an imposing force she couldn't shake off. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, his voice stopped her.

"One more thing, Ms. Hart."

She froze but didn't turn around. Her pulse raced as she waited for the blow.

"Don't think this gives you any leverage over me. If I hear a whisper of what happened last night in the media, or anywhere else, I'll make sure your life becomes very difficult."

Bella clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening around the door handle. She turned her head slightly, just enough to give him a defiant glance over her shoulder. "I don't need anything from you, Damian."

"Good," he said, his voice cold as ice. "Then we understand each other."

Without another word, Bella left the suite, her heart pounding in her chest as she walked through the hotel corridor. Her hands shook as she pressed the elevator button, and when the doors slid open, she stumbled inside, her knees buckling under the weight of everything that had just happened.

As the elevator descended, the tears she'd been holding back finally fell, hot and silent against her cheeks. She had been used, humiliated, and now she had to face the wreckage of her life.

Outside, the harsh morning light hit Bella like a slap to the face. The world was moving on, people rushing to work, cars honking, the city alive with its usual chaos. But Bella felt like she was standing still, drowning in a sea of regret and confusion.

Her phone buzzed in her purse, the sound making her jump. She pulled it out and saw Liam's name flashing on the screen. For a moment, she considered ignoring it-letting him stew in whatever pit of lies he'd crawled into. But anger coursed through her, hot and unforgiving. She swiped to answer.

"What do you want, Liam?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the noise of the street.

"Bella, I-" His voice was hesitant, like he didn't know how to begin. "I wanted to make sure you're okay. After last night..."

Bella laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in her own ears. "You wanted to make sure I'm okay? After you drugged me, humiliated me, and left me to fend for myself?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. "I didn't drug you. I just gave you something to loosen you up, so you'd-"

"So I'd what?" she spat, her anger boiling over. "So I'd walk into a stranger's room, sleep with a man I don't even know? That's what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted an excuse to dump me and make me look like the villain!"

"Bella, calm down. You're overreacting."

"Overreacting?" Her voice rose, drawing the attention of people passing by, but she didn't care. "You tried to ruin my life, Liam. But guess what? I don't need you. I never did."

Liam's voice dropped, turning cold. "You don't know who you're messing with, Bella. You think you can just walk away from this without consequences?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Liam," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her chest. "You've already done your worst."

Before he could respond, Bella hung up, her hands trembling. She felt a mix of satisfaction and dread wash over her. Liam was no longer her problem, but the fallout from last night... that was something she couldn't escape.

As she walked away from the hotel, Bella knew one thing for sure: Damian Blackwood had just become part of her life, whether she liked it or not. And this was far from over