For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick and heavy with unspoken meaning. Neither man spoke, but both understood the stakes—they each felt the truth simmering just beneath the surface, an unspoken acknowledgment that everything was about to change. Neither was willing to back down.
Damien broke the silence, his voice low and deliberate. "What are you talking about?"
Jacob's eyes flickered, a dark intensity behind them. "I felt it," he replied simply. "The surge. The pull. I felt that you felt about her. I was in New York. You were in Raleigh. And I felt you—falling for her. I must have slept with—an indefinite number of women these past few years. Have you felt the surge coming from New York?"
He paused, studying Damien's changing expression—watching the flicker of realization and perhaps a hint of guilt.
"Yep," Jacob said softly, almost to himself. "That's what I thought."
He took a step back, pausing thoughtfully. "You know what this means, right? It's real. The connection is real. And so—what do you intend to do?"
Damien's jaw clenched, his voice steady but guarded. "I have no intention of pursuing my assistant," he replied firmly.
Jacob's lips curled into a faint, sardonic smile. "Too bad. Because I will." Without another word, he turned and walked out of his office, leaving the air thick with tension and unspoken promises.
As Jacob strode out of Damien's office, Jo-anne called after him, her tone teasing yet pointed. "Jacob, do you have a date to the gala?"
He paused, raising an eyebrow. "What gala?" Jo-anne rolled her eyes, stepping closer. "The Guardians of the Forest charity gala. Duh. This coming Saturday. Your brother should go too now that he's here. All the Lancaster's should be there." He blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "I forgot about that," he admitted softly.
Her expression turned a little sharper. "My brother can't come, but I..." An idea suddenly struck him, bright and reckless. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Jo-anne standing there, puzzled and intrigued.
_______________________________________________________________________________
*Isabella's POV*
"Hey, Isabella," Jacob's voice interrupted my thoughts as he approached me. His tone was casual, but there was an undertone of something else—perhaps nervousness or anticipation. What does he want? I thought, refusing to meet his gaze. I kept my eyes fixed on the busy street beyond, pretending to be absorbed in the world around me.
He chuckled softly, and that sound sent a flutter through my stomach—nervous, confusing butterflies. "I want you to be my date to a charity event on Saturday," he said simply. I finally turned to face him, my expression blanked with surprise. "Excuse me?" I managed, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded towards someone behind me. "The Guardians of the Forest charity gala," Damien interjected, stepping into view. "I was invited too. You should go, Isabella," he added with a smile that was both reassuring and slightly mischievous. My heart pounded. "Sir, I..." I began, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
But Damien cut me off smoothly. "You'll be his date. Do as I say, Isabella." His gaze was unwavering, commanding yet gentle. I hesitated, then nodded in resignation, feeling a mix of disgust and reluctant acceptance. I despised the idea of spending an entire evening with Jacob—this man who touched me inappropriately, yet slept with his assistant. A man who showed desire but then rejected me outright. And yet, despite all that, I trusted Damien. If he asked me to do this, I would.
*Friday*
The car was quiet, the kind of silence that presses heavily against my skin, wrapping around me like a thick, suffocating blanket. I sat in the back seat, staring out the window at the blurred cityscape rushing past, my hands folded tightly in my lap. Damien sat beside me, his posture stiff, his jaw clenched as if he was holding back something difficult to say.
Suddenly, his voice broke the silence, sharp and unexpected. "Isabella," he said, breaking the quiet with a tone that carried a weight I didn't quite understand yet. A shiver ran down my spine, not from cold but from the anticipation of what was coming. "There is something we need to talk about."
I turned my head slightly, my heart pounding a little faster. "Yes, Mr. Lancaster," I responded, voice soft but attentive, as if bracing myself for whatever was about to be revealed.
His eyes flicked to mine briefly, serious and guarded. "At noon, I'm leaving. We may not have a single minute alone until then, so I wanted to be sincere with you now." His words hung in the air, heavy with importance. I felt a ripple of curiosity mixed with a faint undercurrent of unease.
"What is it about, sir?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm, even as my mind spun with questions. What could be so urgent that he needed to speak to me in the car, just hours before he left?
He hesitated for a moment, then exhaled slowly, as if gathering strength for what he was about to say. "My brother. I know he isn't the boss you're accustomed to," Damien said quietly, eyes fixed on the road. "I know he can be a little intense. But just know—he's serious about this company." His voice was earnest, almost pleading in its sincerity.
He paused, taking a breath that seemed to carry the weight of his words. "I want you to tolerate him over the next two weeks. And more—" he looked at me then, eyes searching my face—"I want you to support him. Help him with everything. He will need your help with Mr. Pheonix."
There was a pause, the moment stretching long enough for me to feel the tension rise inside me. Damien's gaze lingered on my face, as if trying to gauge whether I was truly listening, truly understanding. His expression softened, a flicker of trust passing through his eyes.
"And as for his coquetry," he added, a faint, almost amused smile tugging at his lips. "I'm positive you'll know what to do." His voice was gentle, yet firm—an unspoken reassurance that I could handle whatever came my way. "I trust you, Isabella. Just hang in there. I'll be home in no time."