Of Silk, Scent, and Shadows.
And Eva?
Left behind, breath caught in her throat, Eva's eyes stung with a mix of anger and something she didn't dare name. Heart pounding in her ears, fingers trembling with everything she was really too proud to say.
Eva gasped silently, her chest tightening in disbelief. What the hell was that? Her heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it would rip through her ribs. Though she kept her face calm, her clenched jaw and stiff posture betrayed the storm inside.
She was furious.
Maybe it was the audacity of Damien, constantly abusing his power like it meant nothing. Maybe it was the way he had spoken to her moments ago, cold and cruel, as if she were beneath him. Or maybe, just maybe, it was something far more personal.
Something that had nothing to do with authority or workplace dignity. Something that tugged at her heart.. the very thing she thought she had buried long ago.
No, she snapped inwardly, shutting it down before it could surface. She had no right to feel this way. Not after everything.
With practiced resolve, she shoved the thought aside, bricking it back into the grave where it belonged, only this time, she buried it deeper than ever.
Less than five minutes later, Damien stepped out of the inner room, shirtless, with his trousers only half-buckled, and a strong, acrid scent of smoke clinging to him.
Eva instinctively wrinkled her nose. She had always disliked the smell of smoke, especially the sharp, suffocating, and everything, it clung, suffocated, Eva frowned, resisting the urge to cover her nose. She had never been a fan of smokers.
Since when did Damien start smoking? She wondered. Maybe he'd always been one, and she just hadn't noticed. Either way, she pushed the thought aside, straightened her shoulders, Or had he always been like this, hidden beneath charm, power, and that immaculate suit?
Still, she forced herself to remain composed, holding her posture and schooling her face into professionalism.
But curiosity, or perhaps mild disbelief, flickered through her. 'Back already?' she mused. 'Was that really all he's got?' For someone with the perfect face, the powerful title, the wealth, and magnetic charm, turns out he is actually lacking where it truly mattered.
Clearly stamina, it was obvious it wasn't on the list.
She cast a fleeting, discreet glance downward, at his Willy-willy, unable to stop herself. Poor girl, she thought dryly, imagining what his girlfriend must be thinking after such a short performance.
But then she quickly looked away, feeling foolish for even letting the thought cross her mind. As she immediately reminded herself that it was none of her business.
Unbeknownst to her, Damien caught her looking at his Willy-willy. So he gasped in disbelief. His eyes narrowed slightly, a scoff escaping his lips. 'Seriously?' he thought. 'Was she hoping I'd strip so she could get a better view?' What a joke. '
'Or could it be, that she also would like a taste of it? Lol, let her keep dreaming'.
He shook his head, more annoyed than amused.
He picked up his shirt and slipped it on, then fastened his belt and adjusted his trousers. When he reached for his tie, however, his fingers fumbled with the knot. Eva noticed his struggle and, almost instinctively, stepped forward.
"Let me help sir," Eva offered gently as she stepped toward him.
Tying a tie wasn't a problem for her. She had years of practice. Growing up, when her father worked as a receptionist at a major firm, Eva often helped him get ready for work, she used to help him knot his tie because most times, her mother had always been battling health issues, so she would always be the one to help dress her dad to work, including Bob. She also used to fix Bob's tie every morning before school. So knotting a tie is infact not the problem at all, as a matter of fact, It had become second nature.
When she offered to help, Damien didn't object. She took the tie from his hands and began to knot it with ease, her fingers deft and confident. The moment felt strangely quiet between them, intimate, even, until the sound of heels clicking sharply on the floor shattered the silence.
Eva froze.
She turned slightly to see the stunning woman from earlier entering the room, elegant, poised, and oozing confidence. Eva instinctively knew; this had to be his fiancée. And truth be told, she looked the part, perfectly polished and beautifully composed.
"Excuse me?" the woman snapped, her voice laced with irritation.
Without waiting for permission, Seraphina strode up and shoved Eva aside, sliding smoothly into her place and seizing the tie as though it belonged to her. She began fixing it herself, ignoring Eva entirely.
Damien, who just moments ago seemed to be having a feeling of floating to the heavens, his guarded world cracking just a little, was abruptly being slammed back into reality.
The cold, familiar reality.
It felt like suddenly being pulled back from heaven to hell.
He didn't say a word, but his gaze darkened slightly.
The warmth Eva had stirred, the brief reminder of something softer, something human, was gone. In its place stood Seraphina, all boldness and entitlement.
Eva stepped back quietly, her composure intact but her heart quietly bruised.
Damien had never really bothered much with dressing himself, Eric usually handled those details for him. From buttoning his shirts to adjusting his ties, everything was done for efficiency and perfection.
So naturally, when it came to fixing a tie, Damien was completely not a fan. He was actually about calling Eric when Eva suddenly offered. At first, he was skeptical, especially after the disaster with the coffee, but as he watched her fingers move, his doubt slowly faded.
There was a practiced ease in the way she handled the fabric, a quiet confidence that didn't match her usual clumsiness demeanor. She wasn't fumbling. She wasn't guessing. She tied the knot with speed and precision, like someone who'd done it countless times before
Interesting, Damien thought.
Who taught her that? Who had she been fixing ties for so often that she became this good at it?
He was still lost in thought, watching her deft fingers work the tie, when she leaned in a little closer to adjust it properly. That was when the scent hit him, and it struck like a wave of adrenaline crashing through his system.
Her scent.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. Clean, soft, and hauntingly familiar. His entire body tensed.
Eva smelled exactly like Tyler.
The realization hit him with a force he wasn't prepared for. That same natural, delicate fragrance, the very one he remembered from that night she stayed at his house. She'd been unwell, and he had taken care of her, stayed by her side for three whole days. He remembered every detail.
That very day she was at his place, the softness of her breath, the way she curled into herself when she slept, and most vividly, that scent. It was just so her signature, he could never forget.
He used to love that scent, sweet, soft, almost like strawberries. Maybe it came from her soap, her shampoo, or some subtle perfume. He was never quite sure. But whatever it was, it clung to her like a second skin, and back then, he found it utterly intoxicating.
And now, that same scent was radiating off Eva. His heart nearly stopped.
It was impossible, unbelievable. He stood frozen, trying to make sense of the familiar aroma wrapping around him like a ghost from the past. Then her fingers brushed against him.
That's when his breath truly caught in his throat.
Her touch.. it was like a curse.
A bolt of electricity shot through him, sharp and unsettling. His entire body reacted, too strongly. So strongly it alarmed him. He had the sudden, irrational urge to grab her and kiss her senseless, and the thought itself made him gasp silently in disbelief.
'What the hell was wrong with me?'
Damien Lopez wasn't like this. He prided himself on his self-control, on the airtight grip he kept on his emotions. He wasn't easily moved. Never easily aroused. A perfectionist to the core, a neat freak, and above all, a man who had built walls so high even desire didn't climb them.
He didn't think about things like this, certainly not with his employees.
But now, here he was, spiraling.
No matter how hard women had tried in the past to seduce him, it had never worked. Damien was immune, always had been. So why was it that anything involving this particular girl always seemed to throw him off balance?
Just when he felt he couldn't take it anymore, Seraphina suddenly appeared, pushing Eva aside and stepping in to fix his tie.
He exhaled slowly as he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the distraction. But he quickly became disgusted when seraphina's perfume hits him.
Ugh. That scent.
Oh! he detest her smell so much, it was too sharp, too excess, he really doesn't like it for anything. As if that was not enough, her heavily manicured nails grazed his neck, leaving tiny, stinging scratches and he almost pushed her away, 'how could someone fix such long nails', he wondered,
Untill she did the worst .
She couldn't even fix the damn tie.
She was in everyway useless.
Turns out, she hadn't stepped in out of grace, only jealousy. And now, here she was fumbling awkwardly with the tie, wasting his time and pricking his skin with her claw-like fingers. After several failed attempts, she let out a small, sheepish laugh, clearly out of her depth.
'Useless. In every possible way.' Damien muttered under his breath for the second time.
"I don't know why the tie won't fix," Seraphina muttered, her tone light, almost amused.
Damien stared at her in disbelief, then let out an irritated snort. Without a word, he snatched up his jacket and stormed out of the room, silently deciding that Eric would fix it on the way. He'd wasted enough time.
As soon as the door slammed shut, Seraphina turned her eyes toward Eva with the smug pride of a queen addressing a lowly servant. Her lips curled into a smile that was as fake as her perfectly done lashes. Then she strolled over, hand extended with affected grace.
"Hi," she said sweetly. "I'm Seraphina Blake. Your boss's fiancée and soon-to-be Mrs. Lopez."
Her eyes glittered with expectation, clearly waiting for Eva to curtsy, or at the very least, respond with a meek "pleased to meet you."
But Eva simply stared at her, no words, no smile. Her expression hardened into something cold and unbending. Then, without a word, she gave Seraphina a sharp, dismissive scowl, turned, and walked away, pausing only to throw one last icy glare over her shoulder.