Damien
The moment Isla Monroe walked into his office, Damien knew hiring her had been a mistake.
A mistake he was unwilling to correct.
She stood in the doorway, her posture stiff, her fingers gripping the folder in her hands as if it were a lifeline. The soft glow of morning light caught in her dark waves, making them gleam like silk.
She was beautiful. That much was undeniable.
But beauty had never been enough to interest him.
No, it was the fire in her eyes that held his attention. The quiet defiance woven into every word she spoke. She hated him, and she didn't bother to hide it.
Most people feared him. Isla resented him.
And that made her a problem.
A problem he wanted to keep close.
"Miss Monroe." He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Did you enjoy your first day?"
Her chin lifted, a subtle show of defiance. "It was… enlightening."
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Enlightening. That's an interesting choice of words."
She didn't reply, simply stood there, waiting. Most women would have filled the silence, would have squirmed under his gaze. But Isla? She held her ground.
Intriguing.
He gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit."
A pause, a flicker of hesitation, then she moved forward, lowering herself into the chair with careful precision.
Damien took his time studying her. He had spent years mastering the art of reading people—the flicker of their expressions, the subtle shift of their body language. Isla was difficult to decipher. She kept her emotions guarded, locked behind careful restraint.
But she wasn't as unreadable as she thought.
She was tense. On edge.
And despite the cold front she put up, he saw the truth beneath it.
She felt this. Felt the charge between them, the unspoken tension threading the air like a live wire.
And that was dangerous.
For both of them.
"Tell me, Miss Monroe," he said smoothly, "why did you apply for this job?"
A flicker of something crossed her face—so quick he almost missed it.
"To further my career." Her voice was steady. "Blackwood Enterprises is one of the most powerful firms in the country. Working here will open doors."
He studied her. "You don't belong here."
Her fingers tightened around the folder. "Excuse me?"
"You're not like the others," he mused. "You don't crave power, at least not in the way most people do. So why this job? Why me?"
She held his gaze, her expression unreadable. "I go where opportunity leads me."
Another lie.
He tilted his head. "And your father? What does he think of you working for me?"
A muscle in her jaw clenched.
There it was.
A reaction.
Damien had spent years ensuring people felt nothing around him except fear and obedience. But Isla? She was different. He could see it in the way she fought to control herself, the way his presence alone ignited something in her—anger, resentment… attraction.
She hated him. But hate was just another form of obsession.
And he knew all about obsession.
"I assume my father's opinion is irrelevant to my employment," she said carefully.
Damien smirked. "Of course."
But they both knew that was a lie too.
She was here for a reason. Whether it was revenge, curiosity, or something far more dangerous, he hadn't decided yet.
But he would.
He always did.
Isla
The moment she stepped out of his office, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Her pulse was erratic, her skin still prickling from the intensity of Damien's gaze.
Damn him.
She hated the way he looked at her. As if he could see right through her. As if he knew every secret she fought to bury.
Focus, Isla.
She wasn't here to fall apart under his scrutiny. She had a purpose. A plan.
And Damien Blackwood would never see her coming.
As she made her way to her desk outside his office, she took a steadying breath. Today was just the beginning. She would prove herself, learn everything she could, and when the time came—
She would make him pay.
For her family.
For her father.
For everything he had taken.
Even if it destroyed her in the process.
Damien
Damien watched through the glass wall as Isla walked to her desk.
She was a puzzle, one he wasn't sure he wanted to solve—but couldn't seem to ignore.
He should fire her. Cut the problem off at the root before it had a chance to grow.
But he wouldn't.
Because there was something intoxicating about her presence.
Something dangerous.
And Damien had never been the kind of man to walk away from danger.
No, he embraced it.
Craved it.
And Isla Monroe?
She was about to learn exactly what that meant.