Chapter 69

The legal team wrapped up their video call, leaving the Blackwoods to process next steps. Reginald rubbed his temples, the strain of the situation evident on his face.

"I need to make some calls," he announced, reaching for his phone. "Sophia, can you start organizing those documents?"

Sophia nodded, already absorbed in her tablet. "I'll cross-reference them with the banking records."

As they dispersed from the office, Vivi found herself walking the same direction as Damien. The corridor stretched before them, their footsteps echoing off the marble floors.

"Strange day," Damien said, breaking the silence.

"Strange month," Vivi corrected.

A hint of a smile crossed his face. "Fair point."

They reached the junction where their paths would split - his room to the left, hers to the right. Both hesitated.

"Listen," Damien started, then stopped as one of the maids hurried past with fresh linens. He waited until she was out of earshot. "About everything that's happened-"

"We should focus on Romano," Vivi cut in, her voice firm despite her racing heart. "The family needs us to be clear-headed right now."

Something flickered in Damien's eyes - disappointment? Relief? Before he could respond, Sophia's voice called from down the hall.

"Vivi! Can you come look at something?"

Vivi seized the interruption like a lifeline. "Coming!" She turned back to Damien. "We should go help."

He nodded, his expression carefully neutral. "After you."

They walked back together, maintaining a careful distance between them, both acutely aware of all the things left unsaid.

…

The mansion felt different without Ava's presence. The air seemed lighter, yet the tension between Damien and Vivi remained electric.

Vivi stood at her bedroom window, watching the garden below where Damien paced on his phone. His sleeve was rolled up, revealing toned forearms as he gestured while talking. She caught herself staring and turned away.

About five minutes later, a knock on her door made her jump.

"Come in," she called, expecting Sophia or one of the maids.

Damien stepped inside instead, closing the door behind him. "We need to talk."

"About?" Vivi's pulse quickened.

"Us. Now that everything with Ava is over..." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I can't keep pretending there's nothing here."

"Damien-"

"No, let me finish." He crossed the room, stopping just out of arm's reach. "I know you pushed me away because of duty. Because of my father. But after everything that's happened, don't you think we deserve to be honest with ourselves?"

Vivi wrapped her arms around herself. "It's not that simple."

"It could be." His voice dropped lower. "If we let it."

"Your father-"

"Isn't the man you married for. You did it for your family." Damien took another step closer. "And now that threat is gone. You're free to choose."

The air between them crackled with possibility. Vivi could smell his cologne, that familiar scent that haunted her dreams.

"I don't know how to do this," she admitted softly.

"Neither do I." His fingers brushed her cheek. "But I'm tired of fighting it."

Damien's hand dropped from Vivi's cheek as he stepped back, his expression shifting to something more calculated.

"I've been working on something," he said, pacing near her window. "A tech startup that's about to go public. The IPO projections are massive."

Vivi watched him, noting how his eyes lit up when he talked business - just like his father's did.

"My stake in the company..." He turned back to face her. "Once it hits the market, we're looking at eight figures, minimum. Maybe nine."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I won't need my father's money anymore." His voice dropped lower. "And neither will you. Your family's debts, the reason you married him - I could take care of all of it."

Vivi's breath caught. "Damien..."

"Two more weeks. That's all I need." He stepped closer again, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Then we could figure this out. Really figure it out, without my father's money hanging over our heads."

"You'd do that?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"In a heartbeat." His fingers brushed against hers. "Just say you'll wait. Two weeks, that's all I'm asking."

Their hands intertwined, neither quite sure who reached for whom first. The weight of possibility hung heavy between them.

Vivi's heart raced as she looked up at Damien, his warm hand still wrapped around hers. The walls she'd built around her feelings started to crumble.

"I've tried so hard to fight this," she whispered, her free hand moving to rest against his chest. "Every time I pushed you away, it felt like I was tearing myself apart."

Damien's thumb traced circles on her palm, sending shivers up her arm. "Tell me."

"That night at the club - it wasn't just another hookup for me." Her voice trembled. "Even before I knew who you were, something felt different. And after..." She swallowed hard. "After everything that happened, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Every time I saw you with Ava, it killed me inside."

"Vivi..." His other hand came up to cup her face.

"I want you, Damien. Not just physically - though God knows that's part of it." A small laugh escaped her. "I want all of you. Your smile in the morning, your terrible jokes, the way you light up when you talk about your projects." Her fingers curled into his shirt. "I've fallen for you, and it terrifies me."

Tears pricked at her eyes as she continued, "But I've been so scared - of hurting my family, of disappointing everyone, of losing everything we've worked for. And now you're offering me a way out, and I want to believe in it so badly."

"Do you trust me?" Damien asked softly.

Vivi nodded without hesitation. "More than I should."

Their eyes met, conveying volumes of unspoken desire. Damien's hand slid from Vivi's cheek to the nape of her neck, drawing her closer. Her fingers tightened in his shirt as their lips crashed together.

The kiss blazed with months of pent-up longing. Vivi melted against him, her mouth opening to his with a soft moan. Damien backed her against the wall, his free hand gripping her hip. The heat of his palm burned through her thin dress.

Their tongues tangled as the kiss deepened. Vivi's hands roamed up his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him even closer. Damien groaned into her mouth, his body pressing fully against hers.

The passion between them ignited like gasoline thrown on flames. Their lips moved together with desperate intensity, making up for lost time and forbidden touches. Vivi's fingers threaded through his hair as Damien's thumb traced circles on her hip.

"Take me"