Chapter 5 The Edge of Temptation

The next few days blurred together like an unfinished painting-faint strokes of color and shadow without a clear picture. Aria hadn't expected to be back in Damian's office so soon. She had thought that their first meeting was a one-off, a curiosity, something she could dismiss with time. But the truth was, his words haunted her more than she was willing to admit.

I think, in time, you will trust me.

She had no intention of trusting him. How could she? She barely knew him, and what she did know felt like it was wrapped in layers of mystery and power, things that made her feel small. Yet, here she was, walking into the same building she had once sworn she'd never step foot in again.

This time, it wasn't the grand elevator ride that had her feeling tense-it was the knowing. She knew what to expect now. The polished floors, the silent hum of expensive machinery, the cold, unyielding luxury. Damian Voss world was impenetrable, and she was an outsider standing at its very threshold, uncertain whether to cross or turn away.

When the elevator doors opened, she hesitated for just a fraction of a second. Her heart raced as her mind scrambled for an excuse to turn around and leave. But her feet betrayed her, carrying her forward.

At the reception desk, she was greeted with the usual warmth, though the receptionist, Emily, seemed to recognize the change in Aria's demeanor. She smiled faintly as Aria approached.

"Good morning, Miss Bell," Emily said. Her voice was light, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity that Aria couldn't ignore.

"Good morning," Aria replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She could feel her nerves tightening as she made her way down the hallway toward Damian's office, each step bringing her closer to the man who seemed to both unsettle and intrigue her in equal measure.

When she reached the door, her hand hovered over the handle, uncertainty flooding her chest. What was she doing here? What had she gotten herself into?

But before she could talk herself out of it, the door opened, and there he stood-Damian Cross, as commanding and untouchable as ever.

His sharp suit hugged his frame perfectly, the dark fabric emphasizing his broad shoulders and lean build. His eyes, however, were what held her attention. Dark, fathomless eyes that seemed to see through her, past all the walls she'd built around herself.

"You're late," he said, his voice smooth and slightly amused, though the way his eyes roamed over her suggested something deeper, something more calculating.

"I wasn't aware there was a set time," she replied, her voice steadier than she felt.

Damian stepped aside, allowing her to enter, his gaze lingering on her as she passed. The air in his office felt thicker than it had the other day. There was a heaviness to it now, an undeniable tension that seemed to have settled between them.

"I've been thinking," he said, his tone low and deliberate as he moved toward the window, his back to her. "About what you said the other day."

Aria took a seat, her hands twisting in her lap as she waited for him to continue. "What I said?"

"That you don't believe in fate." He turned around slowly, his gaze locking onto hers. "I've been wondering why. What happened to you, Aria? What made you so... cynical?"

She recoiled slightly, the sharpness in his voice cutting through her like a blade. "I'm not cynical. I'm just realistic."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Realistic?" He stepped closer, the distance between them closing, though not enough to feel truly intimate. "Is that what you think? That you have to work for everything? That life doesn't give you anything without a price?"

"I don't believe in handouts," she said firmly, looking up at him. "I've worked for everything I have. Everything."

Damian studied her for a long moment, the silence stretching between them, thick and uncomfortable. There was something in the way he watched her that unsettled her, as if he could see the cracks beneath her confident exterior, could feel the vulnerability that she had spent years hiding from everyone.

"You've worked hard, I can see that," he said, finally breaking the silence. "But don't you ever wonder what it would be like to have more? To have something... more than what you can achieve on your own?"

The question hung in the air, the weight of it pressing down on her. Aria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her fingers tapping nervously on the armrest.

"I don't need more," she said quickly. "I'm fine with what I have."

Damian's eyes narrowed, a look of quiet amusement crossing his features. "Are you? Really?"

His words were like a challenge, and Aria couldn't help but bristle at the insinuation. She wasn't some naive girl who needed to be rescued. She had made it this far on her own, and she was damn proud of it.

"Why are you asking me this?" she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended.

Damian smiled, but it wasn't the easy, charming smile she had seen before. No, this one was knowing, calculating. "Because I think you're lying to yourself, Aria. And I think you're going to realize it sooner than you think."

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you look at the world," he said, his tone almost gentle now. "You think you've got it all figured out. That you can survive just by working hard and staying under the radar. But life doesn't work that way. There's always more to it. There's always someone pulling the strings."

Aria stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I don't need your advice," she snapped, her anger bubbling to the surface. "I don't need you to tell me how to live my life."

Damian's eyes flashed with something dark, something dangerous, but his expression never faltered. "Maybe not. But I think you'll find that sooner or later, we all need help. We all need someone who knows how to navigate the things we don't understand. And trust me, Aria-you don't understand this world as much as you think you do."

The words hung in the air, like a final warning.

Damian turned his back to her once again, his voice steady. "For now, let's stick to business. You're here for a reason, remember?"

Aria clenched her fists at her sides, struggling to maintain her composure. But his words-his confidence, his unshakable belief that he knew better than she did-stirred something deep within her. She wasn't sure if it was fear or frustration, but she knew one thing for certain: her life was already beginning to shift in ways she couldn't control.

And Damian Voss was at the center of it.