Chapter 3 The Unraveling

The next morning came too soon, like the crash after an unexpected high. Aria couldn't shake the feeling of Damian's presence lingering in her mind. Even as she dressed for work, the image of his piercing gaze, the weight of his words, and the strange pull she felt toward him clouded her thoughts. He was the last thing she should be thinking about-she had enough of her own problems to deal with. She needed to focus. She needed to survive.

And yet, there he was, standing like a shadow at the edge of her life, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push him away.

The diner was quieter than usual when she arrived, the early morning rush having already passed. She moved through her shift like she always did-efficiently, quietly, her movements automatic. A smile here, a word there, taking orders and refilling coffee cups. The usual hum of her routine helped ground her, giving her the illusion of control.

But it didn't last long.

By mid-afternoon, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, surprised to see an unknown number. Hesitation flickered in her chest, but she swiped the screen open anyway.

"Aria," said a smooth voice on the other end. It was unmistakable.

Damian.

Her heart skipped, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Yes?"

"I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time," he said, his voice warm, but there was a note of something darker behind it. "I thought I'd invite you to lunch. It seems we never really got a chance to have a proper conversation the other day."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Lunch? With him? The man who had turned her world upside down in a matter of seconds? She tried to think of an excuse-she had work, she had things to do, but none of them felt convincing enough.

"I don't-" She stopped herself, realizing how rude she must sound. She took a breath, steeling herself. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm working, and... I don't really know you."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. She could almost hear him smiling, even though he didn't speak.

"I know you don't, Aria. But maybe we can change that, hmm? I think we both have a lot we could learn from each other."

She clenched her jaw. There was something too smooth, too confident in his words. He wasn't giving up. He wasn't used to being told no.

"Look," she began, trying to sound more firm than she felt, "I really don't-"

"Let me make this easy for you," he interrupted, his tone suddenly more businesslike. "I'm sending a car to pick you up in an hour. It'll be at the diner. You can come or not, but I think you'll find it difficult to resist."

Her breath hitched. Her mind raced. Was he really this confident? Or was he just playing some kind of game?

"Damian, I don't need a ride," she started to protest, but there was already a click on the other end. He'd hung up.

A million thoughts rushed through her head, but none of them made any sense. It was ridiculous. He was a stranger. A rich stranger, at that. Why was he doing this? Why was he so determined to get close to her?

But as much as she hated to admit it, curiosity gnawed at her. She could say no-she could ignore the car, pretend it was all just some strange misunderstanding. But something inside her-something she wasn't sure she even wanted to acknowledge-made her think that saying no would be the biggest mistake she could make.

An hour later, she stood outside the diner, the hot sun beating down on her skin as she waited for the car that Damian had promised. She couldn't help but notice how wrong this felt. A woman like her didn't belong in a luxury car. A woman like her didn't belong anywhere near someone like him.

But the sleek black sedan pulled up in front of her, the driver's side window lowering with a quiet hum. The driver, a man dressed in a sharp suit, met her eyes through the glass. "Ms. Vale," he said, with an air of quiet authority. "Mr. Voss is expecting you."

Aria didn't know why she hesitated-perhaps it was the stark contrast between her life and his, the overwhelming gap between them. But she couldn't stop herself. The curiosity burned too strongly. She got in.

The drive was long enough for her to second-guess her decision. The streets of the city blurred past her, the hum of the engine filling the silence, and the further they went, the more out of place she felt. This wasn't her world. She wasn't supposed to be here.

When the car finally pulled up to a sleek building, a high-rise that seemed to touch the sky, her stomach twisted in knots. This wasn't just any building. This was his world. Damian Voss's world. The towering glass structure, the marble floors, the polished steel-the opulence of it all made her feel small, invisible.

The driver opened her door, and she stepped out, suddenly aware of every move she made. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her jacket, trying to hide the nervous tremble she could feel in her limbs. This wasn't her. She wasn't the kind of woman who belonged in places like this.

But Damian was there, waiting for her just inside the lobby. His tall, imposing figure was unmistakable, his dark eyes catching hers the moment she stepped in. And for a brief second, she felt something shift-something magnetic, something she couldn't explain.

"Aria," he greeted her, his voice as smooth as ever, yet there was a certain heat behind it now. He didn't offer her a handshake, didn't even wait for her to speak before guiding her forward. "I'm glad you came."

"I didn't have much of a choice," she muttered, her voice low. Her heart raced in her chest, unsure whether she was angry, afraid, or something else entirely. "What is it you want from me?"

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. "What makes you think I want something from you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "Because no one does something like this without expecting something in return."

He chuckled softly, and for a moment, she swore she saw the glimmer of something else in his eyes-a spark of something genuine, not just the coldness that usually defined him.

"I don't expect anything from you, Aria," he said, his voice quieter now. "Not yet, anyway. But I think you'll find that what I want... might be exactly what you need."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he simply held up a hand.

"Let's talk first, before you make any more assumptions. There's a lot more to this than you think."

And just like that, the walls she had so carefully constructed started to crumble.

What had she gotten herself into?