Whispers of Love
Isla could still feel the heat of Damien's touch long after she had stormed out of his office. The way his fingers had brushed against her wrist, the way his dark eyes had burned into hers—infuriating, intoxicating. She should have hated him, and she did. But hatred should not feel like this, should not leave her breathless, should not make her heart race in ways she did not understand.
The elevator ride down was suffocating. She leaned against the cool metal wall, eyes shut, trying to steady herself.
I need to get out of here.
The moment the doors slid open, she rushed out of the building, inhaling the crisp evening air as if she had been drowning. Blackwood Enterprises loomed behind her, its glass exterior reflecting the last hues of the setting sun.
I should not have come back. I should not have taken this job.
But it was too late for regrets.
Damien
Damien stood by the window, watching as Isla disappeared into the city streets. His jaw was tight, his hands curled into fists at his sides. He had seen the defiance in her eyes, the way she had challenged him with every word, every look. She was fire, and for the first time in years, he found himself drawn to the flame.
She despises me.
Good. That was safer. Safer than whatever was stirring inside him every time she was near.
But it was not just about her. It was about the past, about the tangled mess of betrayal and ruin that had brought them to this point. Isla Monroe, the daughter of the man his family had destroyed.
She was never supposed to be here.
And yet, here she was, unraveling him with every sharp remark, every lingering glance she tried to pretend did not mean anything.
He turned away from the window, exhaling slowly. He had work to do, deals to close. Isla was a distraction he could not afford.
But then why did she feel inevitable?
The Past That Wont Stay Buried
The next morning, Isla arrived at the office earlier than usual, determined to keep her head down and get through the day without another clash with Damien. But the moment she stepped inside, she felt it—whispers, stolen glances, an unspoken tension thick in the air.
Something had happened.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Mia, her best friend.
Mia Isla have you seen the news
Her stomach tightened. She opened the link Mia had sent, and her blood ran cold.
Monroe Family Scandal Resurfaces Blackwood Enterprises Tied to the Fall of Monroe Holdings
Panic gripped her as she scrolled through the article. It detailed everything—her father's disgrace, the downfall of Monroe Holdings, and Damien Blackwood's connection to it all. But it was not just the past being dragged into the light.
The article hinted at something more. Something new.
A secret her father had taken to his grave.
Isla's hands trembled as she reread the final lines.