Chapter 14 - Jade

When I started working at Damien’s tech company, I never expected everything to feel so… normal. I mean, for the most part, I figured I’d be spending my days dodging awkward glances and pretending like I belonged here, but honestly? The employees have made me feel more welcome than I could’ve imagined.

And then there’s Damien.

He walks in like he owns the place—which, okay, he technically does—but still, it’s unnerving. Every time he strolls through the reception area, the air seems to shift. People stand a little straighter, voices drop to whispers, and somehow, it’s like he’s carrying the entire room’s attention in the palm of his hand.

I’d like to pretend it doesn’t affect me, but that would be a big, fat lie.

Damien’s been a constant in my day now, popping by more often than I think is necessary. I mean, I get it—he’s the CEO, and this is his company—but somehow, he always seems to appear when I’m not quite ready for it.

And then there’s Penny, who’s as much of a constant as he is. It’s like they’re some weird little duo I’m constantly watching from the sidelines.

“Mama, look! Damien got me a new toy wolf!” Penny’s voice is bright, and her face practically glows as she holds up the small plush wolf, showing it off like it’s the greatest treasure on earth.

I glance at her, and there’s that familiar tug in my chest of equal parts joy and anxiety. Joy because Penny looks so happy with her little face lit up with pure excitement, and anxiety because Damien’s standing right there, watching the whole thing unfold with a proud smile that chips at my nerves in the worst way.

“Isn’t it cool, Mama? Damien said it’s just like the wolves we see in the forest!”

My eyes dart to Damien, who’s leaning casually against the front desk with his gaze locked on Penny like she’s the center of his universe. “She wouldn’t let me leave the store without it,” he says with a shrug.

“That’s nice,” I comment, trying to keep my tone neutral. “But remember, we don’t need to spoil her, Damien.”

He chuckles and argues, “It’s just a stuffed animal, Jade. Hardly spoiling.”

Penny, completely oblivious to the tension between us, cuddles her new toy close. “I’m going to name him Shadow!” she declares before darting off to play in the small corner of the reception area I’ve managed to make her “camp.”

Damien watches her go, and his eyes soften in a way I don’t expect. It’s… disarming, seeing him like this. Like a real dad. Like someone who genuinely cares. The Damien I remember would never have been so attentive, so thoughtful. But now? He’s different.

And that’s the problem.

He’s making it hard—really hard—to stick to my original plan of keeping him at arm’s length. I came back here with my walls firmly in place, determined to keep Penny safe from his influence. I still remember the Damien who hurt me, the one who made me feel small, like I didn’t matter. But now… he’s making it impossible to reconcile that memory with the man standing in front of me.

“Look, Jade,” his voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “I know we have… history, but I’m trying to be better. For Penny.”

“Better? That’s a pretty low bar, considering where you started.” I know, I know. But I can’t help myself.

He winces but doesn’t argue. “Yeah, I was a jerk back then. I know that. But things have changed. I’ve changed.”

“Maybe, but I’m not ready to just forget everything that happened.”

“I’m not asking you to forget,” he replies. “I just want a chance to prove I’m not that guy anymore.”

I don’t answer right away. Part of me wants to believe him—God, it would be so easy to just believe that he’s changed for the better. But the other part of me, the part that still remembers the hurt, the betrayal, isn’t so quick to let go.

“You say that now,” I finally say, “but how do I know it’ll stick? How do I know you won’t just go back to being the same Damien once things get hard?”

“Because I have more to lose now.”

The weight of the truth in that statement is crushing, and I can feel my defenses cracking just a little. He’s right. He does have more to lose—Penny. And maybe that’s enough to keep him on the straight and narrow. But it still doesn’t erase everything that happened before.

Before I can respond, Penny skips back over, clutching her new wolf toy in her small hands. “Damien, are you staying for lunch?”

Damien kneels down to her level. “Not today, sweetheart. I have to head up to my office.”

Penny pouts, her big eyes widening in that way only a two-year-old can pull off. “But I wanted to show you how I make Shadow do flips!”

He chuckles, ruffling her hair. “Next time, I promise.”

As he stands, I see the flash of disappointment on Penny’s face, but she quickly hides it and turns back to her toy. Damien’s not perfect—far from it—but damn if he isn’t trying. And that’s what makes this so hard.

I watch him stand, and his eyes linger on Penny for a moment longer before he turns back to me. “If you need anything, just let me know,” he says. His voice is low, like it’s meant just for me.

I don’t know what to say to that, so I just nod, feeling a strange mix of emotions swirling in my chest. Anger, confusion, maybe even… hope?

No, I push that thought away quickly. I can’t let myself go there. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Damien doesn’t say anything else as he heads toward the elevator. I watch him go, and my heart is doing that stupid thing where it flutters for no reason. Damn him.

As the elevator doors close behind him, I let out a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My eyes drift to Penny, who’s now completely absorbed in making her new toy “fight” the other stuffed animals she’s collected over the past few months. She’s so innocent, so blissfully unaware of the complications in the world around her.

And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Penny deserves a father who’s present, who cares. And maybe Damien is trying to be that man now. But it’s hard to forget the Damien who hurt me. The Damien who made me feel like I was nothing more than a conquest.

Is it fair to hold onto that? Or should I let go, for Penny’s sake? For my sake?

I don’t have the answers yet, but one thing’s clear: I’m stuck in this confusing limbo, balancing between the past and the present, unsure of which way to fall.

I’m staring at the front desk, trying to focus on anything but Damien. Penny’s giggling, holding up her little wolf toy for Haley to see, and Haley’s smiling down at her like she’s the most adorable thing in the world. And she is.

But my mind keeps drifting back to Damien, to the way he looked at Penny earlier. There was something so natural about it, like he’s done it a thousand times before, even though I know he hasn’t. It’s confusing, watching him like this, balancing his alpha nature with this new side of him. He’s not the guy I remember from years ago. But how much of that is real? How much of it is just him playing the part because he feels guilty?

I need to clear my head.

“Hey, Haley, can you keep an eye on Penny for a minute?” I ask. “I need to grab some staples from the storage room.”

Haley looks up from where she’s kneeling beside Penny. “Of course. Take your time. We’re having too much fun over here, aren’t we, Penny?”

Penny nods enthusiastically, barely glancing at me as she continues coloring. “Yep! We’re drawing wolves.”

I smile, feeling a little lighter as I leave them to their fun. If only it was that easy for me to shake off the weight of everything.

When I get to the storage closet, I push open the door and step into the dim room. I grab a few packs of staples from the shelf along with some copy paper, knowing I’ll need them later, anyway. Simple, mundane tasks—that’s what I need right now. Something to ground me.

But of course, life doesn’t give me a moment’s peace. The door creaks open behind me.

I already know who it is before I turn around.

Damien.

He closes the door with a soft click, and just like that, the air in the room changes. It’s charged, saturated with the tension that’s been building between us for weeks. My heart pounds in my chest, and I grip the boxes a little tighter, refusing to look at him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, even though I can already feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

“I came to find you,” he declares.

I force a laugh, trying to deflect. “I’m not that hard to find. I work here, remember?”

“Jade, stop,” he demands, stepping closer. His presence fills the small room, making it feel ten times smaller. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” I ask impatiently, finally looking up at him. “About how you keep making decisions for me? How you keep acting like you know what’s best for me and Penny?”

“I’m not trying to control you.”

“Really? Because that’s exactly what it feels like.” I step back, my pulse racing as I try to put some space between us. “You keep stepping in, taking over. It’s like you don’t think I can handle things on my own.”

“I’m trying to help, Jade,” he says, his voice softer now but no less intense. “I’m trying to be there for you. For Penny.”

“I didn’t ask for your help!” The words come out sharper than I intended, but I don’t take them back. “I’ve been doing just fine without you, Damien. I don’t need you swooping in and acting like you’re going to fix everything.”

He doesn’t back down, though. If anything, he steps closer. “I’m not trying to fix you. I just… I care about you. About Penny. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you struggle when I can do something about it.”

The way he says it—so calm, so certain—makes my chest tighten. I hate how his words make me feel, how they stir something inside me that I’m not ready to deal with.

“Damien, you don’t—” I start, but I can’t finish the sentence. Because suddenly, his hand is on my arm, pulling me toward him.

“Jade,” he whispers, his voice so low that I barely hear it, “I care about you.”

And just like that, all the tension that’s been simmering between us finally snaps.

I don’t know who moves first, but suddenly, our mouths collide in a kiss that’s anything but gentle. It’s fierce, desperate, like we’ve both been holding back for too long and now we’re too far gone to stop. His hands are on my waist, pulling me closer, and the boxes I was holding slip to the floor, forgotten.

I gasp as his lips move down to my neck. His breath is hot against my skin, and a trail of goosebumps rises to the surface in its wake. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer.

For a moment, it’s just us. No pack politics, no accusations, no past. Just the heat of his body pressed against mine, and the way his hands slide under my shirt, making my skin tingle.

This is wrong. I know it’s wrong. But God, it feels so right.

“Damien,” I whisper, not even sure what I’m trying to say. His name is the only thing that makes sense right now.

He groans before his lips find mine again in a kiss that’s somehow even hotter than the last one. His hands are everywhere, sliding over my waist, my hips, my ass, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.

I can feel the edge of the shelf digging into my back, but I don’t care. All I care about is the way his body feels pressed against mine, the way his lips make me forget everything except the here and now.

But then, just as quickly as it started, something shifts. I hear a noise outside the door—a soft creak, like someone walking by—and reality crashes back in.

I push him back as my breath comes in quick, shallow gasps. “No. We can’t… not here.”

He’s breathing just as hard. His gray eyes are darker, almost the color of slate. “Jade…”

I shake my head, trying to catch my breath. “Not now. I need… I need to get back to Penny.”

He doesn’t argue, but I can see the frustration in his eyes. The way he wants to push this, to make me stay.

But I can’t. I’m not ready for this. Not yet.

I bend down, grabbing the staples and paper off the floor as my hands tremble. “I’ll… I’ll see you later.”

And before he can say another word, I slip past him, out of the storage room and back into the hallway. I don’t stop until I’m back at the reception area, where Penny is still happily coloring and Haley’s chatting with another employee.

I glance over my shoulder, half-expecting Damien to follow me, but he doesn’t. He stays behind, leaving me to wrestle with the storm he’s stirred inside me.