Chapter 2 Oops, That's Not Coffee

Ava Carter had a gift. A remarkable, borderline supernatural gift for accidentally ruining powerful men's mornings.

And this morning? Oh, she had outdone herself.

Ava was just minding her own business at Café DeLuca, blissfully unaware that her name was being muttered through clenched billionaire jaws all over New York.

She had barely taken her first sip of caramel macchiato when a deep, irritatingly smooth voice cut through the hum of conversation.

"Miss Carter."

Ava sighed. Oh, for the love of croissants.

She looked up-and there he was.

Damian. Freaking. Blackwood.

Standing at her table as he had personally descended from Mount Corporate Olympus to deliver her doom.

His presence had the same effect as a full solar eclipse. The entire café went dead silent. Even the barista, mid-milk frothing, froze in terror.

Ava, on the other hand, smiled brightly. "Oh, Damian! Fancy seeing you here. Did you finally decide to try coffee made by people who don't fear you?"

His blue eyes narrowed. "I assume you think you're clever."

"Oh, I don't assume," Ava said, stirring her coffee. "I know."

Sophia, sitting across from her, looked between them like she was watching a high-stakes boxing match.

"Did you need something?" Ava asked innocently. "Or did you just come here to practice standing menacingly?"

Damian took the seat across from her. "I came to discuss your article."

Ava pretended to gasp. "Oh, you read it? I thought billionaires had assistants who summarized things for them."

Damian didn't blink. "Oh, I read every word."

His tone was too calm. Too measured. Ava had rattled him, and that was delicious.

She took a slow sip of coffee. "And?"

He leaned forward. "And now I know you're a problem."

Ava grinned. "Why, thank you! That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me before 9 AM."

Sophia choked on her croissant.

Damian, unfazed, set a business card on the table.

"Be in my office at noon."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Wow, demanding. Do I at least get a 'please'?"

His smirk was deadly. "You won't be in the mood for pleasantries when I'm done with you."

Oh-ho, threats now? How fun.

Ava picked up the card, twirled it between her fingers, and smiled.

"Alright, billionaire. Let's see what you've got."

Ava arrived at Blackwood Tower precisely at 11:59 AM.

She stepped into the massive marble lobby, where security guards eyed her like she was a stray cat that somehow got inside.

She strolled toward the elevator, completely unbothered.

Until-

She collided. Full-speed. Into a man carrying three extra-large coffees.

The laws of physics did their thing.

The coffee went airborne.

Ava had exactly one second to process her impending doom before-

SPLASH.

Scalding hot liquid drenched Damian Blackwood's $5,000 suit.

The entire lobby gasped.

One of the receptionists screamed.

Ava's soul left her body.

For one frozen moment, Damian just stood there.

Coffee dripped from his once-flawless suit. His black tie was soaked. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Ava was surprised his teeth didn't shatter.

"Uh," she said. "Oops?"

A vein in Damian's temple visibly pulsed.

The security guards backed away. A janitor appeared out of nowhere with a mop, probably sensing that an apocalypse was imminent.

Ava swallowed. "So, um... fun fact. Did you know that caffeine is great for fabric? No? Okay, me neither. Let's pretend I didn't say that."

Damian inhaled deeply as if summoning all the patience in his billionaire soul.

He exhaled.

And then-

He took off his jacket and handed it to his assistant, completely composed.

Then he looked Ava dead in the eyes.

"You," he said calmly, "are an absolute menace."

Ava grinned. "Thank you. I do try."

Damian rolled up his sleeves. "Let's go."

Oh. He was still going to have this meeting?

Bold.

Ava followed him into the elevator, where he hit the button for the top floor.

"Listen, I feel really bad," she said. "So if you need me to, I dunno, pay for dry cleaning or replace the suit."

He shot her a look.

Ava sighed. "Right. Because you can buy my entire apartment building with spare change."

He smirked. "Exactly."

Damian's office was ridiculously luxurious.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, imported furniture, and a desk the size of a small country.

Ava plopped into a leather chair like she owned the place.

"So," she said, "are you here to threaten me, sue me, or offer me a bribe to shut up?"

Damian sat across from her, fingers steepled. "None of the above."

She blinked. "Well, that's disappointing."

He smirked. "You think I'm going to strongarm you. That would be a mistake."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Oh? And what's the 'not-a-mistake' move, then?"

He leaned forward.

"I'm hiring you."

Silence.

Ava blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You're wasted on that small-time newspaper. If you're so obsessed with Blackwood Industries, work for me. You'll have access to real information, not just rumors."

Ava laughed. "Wow. This is, hands down, the worst bribe I've ever heard."

"It's not a bribe."

"Sure, buddy. And I'm secretly a Kardashian."

Damian smirked. "You want to expose corruption? Work from the inside. I'll give you full access to company records-on my terms."

Ava's mind raced.

This was insane.

It was also... tempting.

Dangerous.

A literal deal with the devil.

She leaned back, tapping her chin. "Alright. I'll consider it."

Damian arched a brow. "That's all?"

"Oh, I mean, I'll also make your life miserable every step of the way. But yes. I'll consider it."

His lips curved. "I'd expect nothing less."

Ava smirked.

Oh, this was about to be so much fun.