Chapter Four
Damien didn't move.
There he was, a giant above me, blue eyes like daggers boring into my own, hard and cold. I had the sudden, awful realization that he could see through me. That no matter how cool I tried to act, he could tell I was lying.
My heart pounded.
Say something. Act normal. Don't let him dig.
I managed a faint laugh, despite my dry throat. "What? You don't believe me?"
Damien didn't blink. "No."
His voice was smooth, inscrutable, but the gravity of that one word turned my stomach.
I squirmed in my seat, clenching the edge of the chair. "It was just the wrong number."
"Try again."
I exhaled sharply. "Why does it even matter?"
Something played across his face, dark and calculating. "Because, Elena, you're in my office, under my employ, and I don't like surprises."
I clenched my jaw. "Then fire me."
It made his lips twitch faintly with amusement. "Not that easy."
Of course not.
The papers in front of me became my focus of attention. "Look, I have work to do. Are we done?"
Damien didn't move.
Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Then, at last, he burst into a low chuckle. "For now."
I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding.
But I knew this wasn't over.
Not even close.
I buried myself in paperwork, willing myself to stop thinking about the call. But even while reading through business contracts, I couldn't steady my hands.
That voice on the phone.
I knew who it belonged to.
And if he had tracked me down here, it meant trouble.
A ledge, deep awareness of dread sank into my stomach. I needed to be careful.
I had to leave my past buried.
Damien Blackwood may never know the truth.
The hours dragged on. At one point, a woman entered — Damien's real assistant. Tall, blonde, and ideal, she gave me a measured look before tossing another stack of files onto the desk.
I sighed. More work.
Damien was testing me. Seeing if I could crack.
I wouldn't.
I could never give him the satisfaction.
The next time I checked the clock, it was after seven.
Now, the office was quieter; the steady hum of employees had begun to dwindle the more people were throughout the day. But Damien was still at his desk, busy typing, not even looking up at me.
I hesitated.
Should I leave?
I wasn't sure of the rules. Did I wait for him to turn me away? Did I just walk out?
Finally, I rose slowly, trying the waters.
Damien didn't react.
I moved forward toward the door.
Nothing.
Another step.
Still nothing.
I sighed, reaching for the handle.
"Sit down."
I froze.
His voice was calm. Cold. Commanding.
I turned, trying to tighten the strap on my bag. "It's past seven."
With his head down, he didn't look up from his laptop. "Did I say you could leave?"
I clenched my fists. "I have a life, you know."
He finally glanced up, a twinkle of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Do you?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Yes."
He leaned back in his chair and studied me. "And so tell me, Elena — what are you in such a hurry to return to?"
I swallowed.
Nothing.
I had nothing.
A tiny, crumbling apartment. Unpaid bills. A refrigerator that was practically empty.
I bit my lip. "None of your business."
Damien smirked. "Exactly."
I sighed and slumped back into my chair. "So what now? You're holding me hostage?"
His lips twitched. "If you want to see it like that."
I shot him a glare, but he had already gone back to work.
Silence stretched between us.
I folded my arms, foot tapping impatiently. "This is ridiculous."
"No," Damien said smoothly. "This is discipline."
My jaw clenched.
Damien Blackwood was a nightmare.
But as I waited there, stuck in his office, one fear chased me desperately.
This was only the beginning.
The office felt colder.
Or maybe it was just him.
Damien Blackwood remained calm and unaffected, while I sat stiffly in my seat, ensnared in his world, my throat dry as sand.
I exhaled sharply and looked at the clock. 7:45 PM.
This was ridiculous.
"Stopping me for no reason," I said under my breath.
Damien didn't glance up from his laptop. "You work for me now, Elena. I decide when the day ends."
I gritted my teeth. "So this is a punishment?"
He tapped his fingers lightly on his desk. "This is me managing expectations."
I scoffed. "Expectations? You mean control."
His blue eyes glanced up to catch mine. Sharp. Calculating. "Same thing."
A chill ran down my spine.
I hated him.
I hated that he was always one step ahead of me, always in control, always making sure I felt his power.
But what scared me the most?
A tiny, rogue part of me wanted it.
I snapped my teeth and leaned back in my chair. "What do you want from me?"
Damien tilted his head just slightly, looking at me like I was a puzzle that he was still trying to crack.
Finally, he smirked. "Loyalty."
I frowned. "Loyalty?"
He snapped his laptop shut and leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "Yes. I don't hire people who wig out at the first sign of trouble."
My stomach twisted.
He was testing me.
Seeing if I could break.
I lifted my chin. "I am not afraid of you, Damien."
His smirk broadened, as though I had just dared him to play a game in which he had every confidence in his eventual victory.
"We'll see," he murmured.
I balled my hands into fists under the desk.
I had to get out of here.
I stood suddenly, pulling my bag. "I'm leaving."
Damien didn't stop me. Didn't say a word.
I spun on my heel and strode toward the door.
One step. Two. Three
"Your past is catching up with you, isn't it?"
I froze.
My breath caught in my chest.
Damien's voice was calm, cool—too cool. Like he had the answer already.
I turned slowly. "What?"
He reclined into his chair, staring directly into my eyes. "That call you got today. That was somebody from your past."
I gripped the strap of my bag tighter. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Damien let out a low chuckle. "Lying does not become you, Elena."
A lump formed in my throat.
He knew.
He didn't know it all yet, but Damien Blackwood wasn't the letting-go type.
He would dig, if I wasn't careful. And if he dug too deep…
I pushed the thought away. "Mind your own business, Damien."
His smirk faded. "You work for me now. That makes it my business."
I sucked in a sharp breath. "No. This was a dumb arrangement to pay a debt. Nothing more."
Damien's expression darkened. "Then prove it."
I swallowed. "How?"
He rose slowly, moving toward me with intention.
Every step made my pulse skitter.
He loomed above me, and I had to lean back until I was looking up into his eyes.
"You want me to not dig?" His voice was impossibly low. Dangerous. A challenge.
I nodded stiffly.
His lips curved slightly. "Then earn your place here."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said softly, moving closer still, "I don't trust you."
My heart pounded.
"And trust," Damien went on, his voice gentle yet heavy with intent, "is something you will have to fight for."
I swallowed hard.
I wasn't aware of what game he was playing.
But one thing was clear.
I had just entered the lion's den.
And Damien Blackwood was very hungry.nto The Lion Den