Damien heard the study door close behind him with a heavy click.
For several seconds nobody said anything.
The only noise in the room was the ticking of the grandfather clock next to the bookshelf.
Aria watched the reporters still gathered outside the gates, standing by the window.
She ought to have felt relief.
She had gone through the questions.
She’d been in charge of the situation.
She walked away with her dignity intact.
But there was something about Noah’s find that unsettled her.
The pictures had been released deliberately.
Somebody had wanted the world to believe that there was something going on between Damien and Vivienne.
Someone wanted to hurt her.
Why would any one do that?”
Her voice was lower than she had expected.
Damien looked up from Noah’s phone.
“”This is what we’re trying to find out.”
Aria looked at him.
“No,” she said shaking her head, I mean why would someone use me?
Damien’s expression changed a little.
For the first time since last night she saw more than control in his eyes.
Concern.
“They wanted a reaction.
”From you?” “From both of us.”
Aria looked at him.
“Do you have enemies?”
His lips touched in a humorless smile.
“I run a billion dollar company.
Of course, I have enemies.” “That does not answer my question.
Damien leaned back.
“There are people who want Laurent Holdings to fail.
And you think one of them did it?
“Possibly.”
Noah stepped forward.
“We checked out the account which posted the pictures.
It is professionally concealed.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
Meaning?
Whoever did this knew how to cover their tracks.
A strange sensation came over Aria.
This was no longer just a divorce.
It wasn’t only Vivienne.
Someone was looking.
Waiting.
Have I been in danger?”
She couldn’t stop herself.
The question slipped out.
Damien looked at her at once.
No.” He answered too fast.
Too sure.
Aria noticed.” “Damien.
He stopped.
I won’t let anything happen to you.'”
She nearly laughed.
Not on account of its being funny.
For those words sounded familiar.
He had said something like this on their wedding day.
I’ll keep you safe.”
Then she believed that love was protection.
Now she didn’t know what anything meant any more.”That’s not what I asked.
Damien turned his head away.
There was a little silence.
Then he said, ‘I don’t know.'”
She was surprised at the honesty.
More than any vow ever could.
Noah’s phone vibrated.
He got to his feet to answer it.
A few seconds later the expression on his face changed.
Mr.
Laurent.”
Damien looked over at him.
“Why?” The board meeting.
What about it?” “They’ve pushed it back.” “Until when?” “One hour.
Damien frowned.
“They never call emergency meetings without notice.”
Noah nodded.
That’s why I think you have to see this.”
He gave Damien another tablet.
There was a financial report on the screen.
Several investors had left one of Laurent Holdings’ upcoming projects.
A major partnership was suddenly up for review.
Aria stared at the numbers.
She no longer worked directly for the company, but she knew what she was seeing.
“This started after the photos.
Damien nodded.
“The rumors are damaging investor confidence.
And the board members are concerned,” Noah added.
Aria looked at Damien’s face.
She saw for the first time the burden he carried.
Everyone saw the billionaire.
The great CEO.
The man who never lost.
Very few people saw the person below.
The one who could lose everything.
But then she remembered the stage.
Vivienne at his side.
The divorce papers.
The quiet.
She rebuffed the sympathy.
Not that she didn’t care.
Her one failing had always been that she cared.
I have to go.
Damien gazed at her.
Leave?
“Once the divorce is final.” “That’s not what I meant.
Isn’t it?” )
He gritted his teeth.
Aria.” ”
She reached for her purse.
“”You have a company to save.
“And you?”
She stopped.
“I got a life to get together.”
The answer silenced him.
One hour later, tension reigned in the headquarters of Laurent Holding.
There was a lot of whispering amongst the employees as Damien walked through the lobby.
Normally people would move aside with respect.
Today…
They got out of the way because they feared.
The word had been passed.
Everybody knew it.
Damien Laurent’s life was no longer his own.
Inside the boardroom, twelve executives waited.
Victor Laurent was at the head of the table.
Damien’s father.
Even at seventy, Victor possessed the same intimidating presence that had built the Laurent empire decades earlier.
Sit down.”
Damien sat up.
Victor laid a newspaper down on the table.
The headline stared him in the face.
LAURENT MARRIAGE CRISIS THREATENS COMPANY IMAGE” The market is reacting.”
Damien was composed.
“I know it.
You were wrong about the situation.” “No.” Victor’s eyes went hard.
What have you underestimated then?
Silence.
Damien didn’t say anything.
Because he knew it.
He had underestimated something much more dangerous than the press.
He had not taken into account the sacrifice Aria had made.
The board members started to talk about damage control.
Public pronouncements.
Investor confidence.
Internal strategies
Then a senior executive said: “May be Mr.
Laurent should explain his connections with Miss Ashford.”
It was quiet in the room.
Damien looked up.
“”What do you mean?”
The executive cleared his throat.
“em” If Miss Ashford is really important to the company, it would do investor confidence a world of good to admit that publicly.”
Damien’s face turned cold.
That’s not a business decision.”
Victor watched him intently.
Fascinating.
For the first time in years…
His son sounded agitated.
Before anyone could act, the boardroom doors flew open.
A young clerk came rushing up.
Sorry to butt in.
OK.
Everyone looked.
“What happened?'” “Victor?” he inquired.
The employee looked worried.
“We got another leak.”
Damien stood up.
“”What leak?
The employee swallowed hard.
“This is worse.
He laid a tablet on the table.
There was a secret paper on the screen.
Marriage certificate.
By Damien Laurent.
Laurent Aria.
But under their names was another piece of information.
Something that had never been revealed.
Something that could destroy it all.
Victor’s face changed when he saw it.
For he knew full well what it meant.
And he knew who had the power to unleash it.
The boardroom was still for several seconds.
In the middle of the table was the tablet like a bomb ready to explode.
Damien glanced at the paper.
His name is .
.
.
Name: Aria
Their wedding certificate.
Not surprising.
But what caught his eye was the attached file below it.
For official use only.
One that should never have left the Laurent family vault.
Victor rose slowly from his seat.
“Where did you find it?”
The employee swallowed.
“It was sent anonymously to several news organizations, sir.
They haven’t published it yet.
But?
Damien’s voice grew harder.
The employee nodded.
They’re waiting for confirmation.”
The room went tense.
Everyone knew what that meant.
Somebody wasn’t trying to blow a mistake.
They were preparing to attack.
Victor took up the tablet.
His face hardened as he read the information.
“”This should not happen.”
One of the board members looked confused.
“What exactly is in the file, Mr.
Laurent?
Victor avoided the question.
He looked toward Damien.
“Who else knows about this?
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
I don’t know.
”
Victor’s face changed.
And that scared Damien more than the leak.
His father was not a man who showed fear often.
But now …
He looked frightened.
Father.”
Victor put the tablet away.
“This information was classified 20 years ago.”
The room was silent.
Damien looked at him.
“Twenty years?”
Victor didn’t answer immediately.
That hesitation told Damien everything.
You knew this was here.
I knew.” “And you didn’t tell me?
Because you didn’t have to know.
Damien’s face darkened.
“That’s not up to you to decide.”
Victor looked toward the board members.
“Everyone goes.”
Nobody had asked him.
In seconds the room was empty.
Only Damien and Victor and Noah were left.
Damien crossed his arms.
Start explaining.
Victor studied the document.
Before Laurent Holdings was what it is today, our family had a different problem.
What problem?
A scandal.
Damien scowled.
“You said the company weathered a financial crisis.
It did.
Victor looked at him.
But that was not the only thing we survived.
Meanwhile, at the Laurent mansion, Aria sat in the guest room she was using as opposed to the master bedroom.
She hadn’t meant to.
Sleeping there anymore just didn’t feel right.
Her suitcase was lying by the bed.
Empty yet.
She didn’t know whether to leave as soon as the divorce came through, or wait until everything had calmed down.
There was a knock.
““Come in.
Sophia came in with two cups of coffee.
I come with peace offerings.”
Aria smiled a little.
“I didn’t know we were fighting.
“We aren’t.”
Sophia handed her a cup.
“But you’re stubborn enough to battle yourself.’
Aria took the coffee.
She felt a little normal for the first time that day.
Sophia sat opposite her.
“So.
Aria looked up.
“So?” “Aren’t you going to give me the whole story?” There isn’t much to tell you.
Sophia gave her a look.
“Aria.
She let out a sigh.
“There is a divorce settlement.
Sophia waited.
“There was another woman with him at the gala.” “Vivienne?
Aria nodded.
Sophia’s face became hard.
Does Damien love her?
Aria glanced down.
““I don’t know.”
The answer hurt worse than saying yes.
Because if she found out…
Or she could despise him.
She could move forward.
But uncertainty was merciless.
Sophia reached out and took her hand.
You don’t have to decide about your entire future today.”
Aria looked at her.
I spent seven years thinking it would change.
You didn’t waste ’em.
It feels like I did.
Sophia shook her head.
You loved one man.
Her voice grew softer.
““That’s never something to be ashamed of.”
Before Aria could answer, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She gaped at it.
Again.
Sophia saw.
Don’t answer if you don’t want to.
Aria halted.
Took the call.
Hello?'”
Nobody said nothing.
Silence only.
Then a voice garbled.
“Mrs.
Laurent.
Her body stiffened instantly.
“”Who is this?” “”You should ask your husband what happened before he married you.
Aria stood up.
“What that mean?
The caller continued.
You think you know Damien Laurent.
A pause.
“You don’t.” ”
Her grip on the phone tightened.
“Who are you?”
A gentle laugh.
Someone who understands why your marriage wasn’t ever what you believed it to be.
The call was over.
Aria looked at the screen.
Sophia sprang to her feet.
“What happened?”
Aria didn’t respond.
All at once because…
The divorce papers didn’t feel like the beginning of the story.
They were the middle, I guess.
Damien glanced toward his father at Laurent Holdings.
What’s this about?”
Victor said nothing.
Father.
At last the old man spoke.
Your Mum.”
Damien went still.
His mother died young.
The subject was rarely mentioned.
What about her?
”
Victor turned away.
Your marriage to Aria was not as simple as they made you believe.”
Damien’s face changed.
“What does Aria have with my mother?”
Victor said nothing.
That silence was enough.
“Tell me.” “Not here.
“Why?
Because some things..
Victor looked at the closed board-room door.
“…are best kept away from those who can use them against you.”
Damien took a step forward: Who is using them?
Victor looked at him.
And for the first time in years…
Father and son had the same fear .Someone we knew.
That night Aria went back to the bedroom and booted up her laptop.
She went through old files.
Marriage papers.
Family history.
Anything she hadn’t looked at closely.
She stopped her hands as she found an old envelope.
It had come right after her marriage.
She remembered that.
She had thought it was another business paper.
The sender’s name was smeared.
But readable anyway.
Papers of the Laurent Family.
Her heart started pounding.
Why would the Laurents send her anything?
She gingerly opened it.
Inside was one picture.
A picture she never saw.
The picture of Damien…
When I was a kid.
Aria recognized her immediately, standing next to a woman.
For that woman was no stranger to her.
She was someone Aria’s own family had been trying to forget for years.
There were six words in ink on the back of the photograph.
“Truth always returns, Aria.”
Her hands started trembling.
Suddenly she understood one terrifying thing.
The person attacking Damien wasn’t just after Laurent Holdings.
They knew her as well.