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CHAPTER 10
Skai refused to let the thought of another woman having Damien bother her. She convinced herself that it was their loss, not hers.
Not only that, she did not think an office romance was the best.
From how private she viewed Damien, she knew she'd have to hide her relationship and probably sneak if they had something together.
Nah, that wasn't something she was up for.
Despite her bravado, a lingering question gnawed at her: Was she that grateful for the opportunity that slipped through her fingers?
With a nonchalant attitude, she made herself comfortable, eagerly anticipating the soothing effect of a relaxing bath to wash away the burdensome thoughts and anxieties of the day.
*********
Damien typed furiously on his laptop, trying to finish a report before the deadline.
But as much as he tried to focus on the spreadsheet on the screen in front of him, his mind went back to this morning at the company, outside Draven's office.
"Hmm..." he tapped his chin gently, his mind displaying an image of Skai. "Her face seemed oddly familiar, but where have I seen her?" Damien blurted out the question.
As if on cue, his mind flickered with images of a lady with blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and a bright smile—a nightclub with loud music and colourful lights.
Damien gently shook his head, as if to coax his thoughts into dispersing. He experienced a sharp, unpleasant sensation in his temples, causing him to emit a groan.
It felt as though someone was giving his skull a good pounding.
"Damn that, Raphael. There's no end to his escapades. Always leaving me with his... souvenirs," Damien muttered as he rubbed his forehead in an attempt to soothe the pain.
Just then, his phone rang, jolting him back to reality.
He glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Attorney Gregory, his client. Answering the call, Damien put on his professional voice.
"Hello, Attorney," he greeted him, exuding an air of confidence. "How's it going?"
"Going well, Mr. Raphael. Are you in the office?" Gregory asked.
"Yeah. Why?" Damien replied, feeling impatient.
"Regarding our last discussion, I'll be sending the documents to you now. When you're done with it, just... let me know," Gregory said.
Damien gritted his teeth. Just when he thought he would soon be through, now this—more work.
Exactly what he needed—not!
"Alright, I'll work on it immediately," Damien informed, ending the call.
Pushing all thoughts and worries aside, he squinted at his laptop screen, his mind pushing back any unwelcome thoughts.
'I should probably get some rest after finishing with this.' Damien advised himself.
As he resumed typing, his fingers slowed down on his keyboard. He felt another wave of headache wash over him.
This time, faster and harder.
The world seemed tilted, with the screen swimming before his eyes.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, hoping to ease the pain. Instead, his head throbbed more, causing him to let out a muffled groan.
"Damn it all," he cussed under his breath as the pain subsided all of a sudden.
When he eventually opened his eyes, something changed.
He felt different. A tinge rushed up his spine as a sharp sigh of relief escaped his charming lips.
His emerald eyes had a darker shade, and a mischievous glint sparkled within them while his lips pulled back in a lopsided grin.
But it was gone the next second.
Raphael's frown deepened as he glanced at the documents on his screen.
"Damien, Damien, Damien..." he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Always busy with one boring task or another. Where's the fun in that?" he asked in a mocking voice, followed by a slight chuckle.
His eyes darted to the wall clock in the office, watching the hands tik-tok.
As he did, his mind drifted to the night before.
He remembered Skai. She was beautiful, smart, and wild. They had met at the club and had hit it off instantly.
His body tinged with excitement coursing through his veins. Now, all he wanted was to see her again.
"Hmmm... Skai," he murmured, a smile tugging at his lips. "Time to pick up where we left off."
As his gaze returned to the laptop screen, a noticeable frown appeared on his face, casting a shadow of uncertainty and distress.
Quickly, he scanned through their memories, his lips tugging downward each time he recalled the problems he needed to fix.
"Well, someone else needs to tend to this."
Reaching for his phone, he placed a call to his PA, Ace.
"Hello."
"Hey Ace. I need you to get through to Draven for me," he immediately dished out.
"Got it, boss."
"Patience. I'll forward some documents and email them to you, have Draven work on it immediately," he said without any explanation and added, "He knows what to do."
"Okay, boss," Ace agreed, sounding confused.
"Okay, that will be all and... Ace?"
"Yes?" Worry flashed in his eyes; he wondered if there was anything else you wanted.
"Have my car ready. I'm leaving in two minutes." Raphael said, hanging up, not giving the chance to respond.
His fingers worked on the keyboard as he forwarded the email and the documents to Ace, not caring if they were done properly or not.
Standing up, he grabbed his coat and his keys, his mind slipping back to Skai.
With that, Damien slipped out of the office, leaving behind his work and life. It was time for some fun.
*********
As soon as Skai ended the call, Kiera's puzzled expression did not go unnoticed and unchecked by her boyfriend, who sat opposite her.
"What's the matter, babe?"
"Um..." she rolled her eyes and playfully laughed it off. "It's Skai. She's just been overly dramatic."
She pressed her lips together, smiling cutely as she scooped up her wine glass for a toast.
"If you say so."
'Yeah. I will check on her later or tomorrow morning' she finalized inwardly.
*********
Having missed out on the chance to revel in a night of uncharted pleasures and desires with the intriguing birthday girl, Skai, from the previous encounter, Damien found himself back at the club once more.
Yet, despite his anticipation, Skai was nowhere to be found.
His gaze swept the club, scanning the faces in search of her until it settled on a familiar visage—Kiera's.
Recognition flickered within him—memories of the girls who had spirited Kiera away before he could capture her attention further.
Skai seemed to toy with his mind, her absence heightening the intrigue. Was she intentionally evading him? Or was it a mere turn of events?
As he observed Kiera's animated chatter with the man she was with, Damien's mind wandered back to the girl who had seemingly vanished into thin air, sharing almost the same fun charism as Kiera.
A pang of disappointment tugged at his thoughts, mingling with an inexplicable curiosity. What happened exactly?
Did she get his message from the staff? If yes, did she call?