"We’re here, boss. Your secretary will be here in half an hour."
The bodyguard opened the door for me to get out first before he helped his boss out. I felt a little awkward because of it, but I quickly got out.
Damian offered me his hand and I felt compelled to grab it. His eyes lingered on my face a fraction longer than necessary, and I could feel a strange heat rise in my chest at the intensity of his gaze. His attention was on me the whole time, even when he turned to address his bodyguard.
"Good. Tell her to come straight up. I will have more work for her to do later."
The bodyguard bowed and, after giving me a pitiful look, he turned and left.
I stood there, not knowing what to do, but Damian seemed to know well. He tugged at me to follow him and I felt like a doll following his every command. I could feel the strength in his grip, the way his hand held mine just a little too firmly, and it made my pulse race.
We entered the elevator and he pressed his card against the scanner before the lift took off. I wanted to ask him where we were headed, but it was kind of obvious where we were going.
Once inside, Damian sat me on the sofa and took a seat opposite to mine. His eyes looked at me with intensity and I waited for him to speak first. He kept stealing glances at me when he thought I wasn’t looking, and I caught him once when his hand twitched slightly, as if he wanted to reach out and brush a strand of hair from my face-but stopped himself.
"I will not beat around the bush any longer. Since I already brought you here, I am going to make use of you well. If you do not want to help me, this is your last chance to leave."
Damian still seemed to be torn about me. On one hand, he wanted me to help him, and on the other, he likely wanted nothing to do with me...which was understandable.
We had not known each other too well in the past, but we had spent a long time being aware of each other. Looking at me must be like looking at a ghost. I could see the way his jaw tightened and his fists clutched unconsciously-he was struggling to control the effect my presence had on him.
’Sorry, Damian. I know you are a good person, but I need to use you to get my revenge. You are the last person I have left.’
"Don’t worry. You saved my life and I owe you a debt as well. I will help you in whatever way I can."
My words made Damian frown. He opened his mouth to speak something before deciding that it would be better to not do that. For a moment, his eyes softened, betraying a flash of admiration at how composed and determined I seemed despite everything.
After a whole minute, he finally spoke about the reason he had brought me here.
"Let’s get to the main issue here-the reason I brought you here. I want you to play the role of my partner for the next few years. You are aware that your face is ’special,’ right? It’s too similar to the now deceased Jenna Harvous, the eldest daughter of Harvous Industries. Her death left a huge hole in the industry that even the Harvours are not aware of, and I intend to use it."
His voice faltered slightly when he said Jenna’s name, and I noticed the brief flicker of pain in his eyes. That tiny crack made me realize he wasn’t just talking business-he was remembering someone he had loved.
"So, I need someone to play my partner and make her presence feel like Miss Harvous. Will you play that part for me?"
Damian asked and I could not help but feel like he was not telling me everything.
If all he wanted was to take over Harvous’s business, then surely there were easier ways to do that rather than going through this whole mess? Was the revenge more...personal?
I was about to comment on that, but the look on Damian’s face stopped me. My instincts told me to not question him.
There was a tension in the air, unspoken yet heavy. I could feel his gaze burning into me, weighing my every expression. I was fragile in this moment, but he made me feel seen in a way that was almost... intimate.
’This is my chance. If I play my role well, I can get closer to my step-sister. I can observe her, learn her weaknesses, and use everything Damian provides to exact my revenge. Survival is not enough-I want power over her, just as she had power over me before.’
After all, whatever reason Damian was doing this for, it coincided with my own plans. It was as if this was an opportunity god had crafted just for me. I was not going to risk this chance.
"Alright, I will do it. I will play the role you want me to. In return, please consider my debt repaid."
I told Damian and he just blinked at me.
Did he seriously think I wouldn’t want to get anything in return for my service? Well, too bad because I was a businesswoman through and through. Being in debt was not something I wanted to be.
"Is that all? Your request is considerably simpler than I expected. But alright, I will repay your debt and also pay you money for your service once everything is over. For now, you should study everything you can on Miss Harvous. You will need to act as her replacement."
Damian told me what I needed to do and I almost burst out laughing at him.
He watched my reaction closely, and I felt an almost magnetic pull from the intensity of his gaze. I caught him frowning as if he was irritated by my amusement-but there was something in the way he stared at me that made my pulse quicken.
’To think that there would come a day when I would have to act as myself. What an amusing and sad turn of events for me.’
"For now, I will show you to your room. I had some clothes prepared for the...actress...who was going to play this role for me, so feel free to use anything in there."
Damian told me and I was even more shocked at that admission. He was going much further than I expected him to.
The room Damian led me to was luxurious.
I was from a wealthy family, but I had never had an eye for luxury when it came to myself. I was practically married to my work to worry about it all. So the room made me feel just a little bit uncomfortable.
Damian noticed my reaction and he immediately came closer to me. I could feel the warmth radiating from him, his proximity making me hyper-aware of my own body and posture. His hands almost touched my arms and I felt his presence covering mine.
"Don’t show your uneasiness to fancy stuff. Remember, you are playing the part of a rich and famous lady. You need to fool the world with your presence."
This man really was trying to get on my nerves. But he was my only lifeline, so I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
"I will make sure to remember that in the future. Now, can I get some privacy? I need to think about some things and get my mind in order."
Damian gave me a stare, but he did not linger around for much longer. I watched him leave, my chest still thrumming with a strange tension that had nothing to do with fear.
I shut the door behind him and leaned against it, letting the silence fill the room. Luxury, power, influence... all of it now lay at my fingertips, but only if I played the part perfectly.
Step-sister. I would make you see what it felt like to be powerless, mocked, and watched with that impossible intensity. Every smile I gave, every move I made... would be a calculated step toward taking everything you held for granted and turning it against you.
This was no longer just about survival or repaying a debt. This was about justice. My revenge would be precise, deliberate, and unstoppable. And Damian... I had to keep him close, even if it made my heart race, because he was my only way to reach her.
________
Damian’s POV :
As I watched her settle into the room, I couldn’t shake the strange pull I felt toward her. She was not Jenna Harvous, yet the resemblance was unnerving-almost painful.
Her posture, the way she held herself... it was controlled, composed, like she had been molded for this moment.
And yet, I could see the flicker beneath the surface.
The intelligence, the calculation, the quiet fire that refused to break. She was fragile in some ways, but the vulnerability only drew me closer. I needed to protect her, even if she would use me as much as I would use her.
I reminded myself to keep my distance, but I doubted I could. Somehow, I felt that in her quest for revenge, she and I were now bound by invisible threads. How far she would go... and how far I would let her... that remained to be seen.