The storm that had been building finally broke.
Not the one outside—the sky had cleared after days of relentless rain—but the one swirling inside the Blackwood estate.
Damien stood in his study, the anonymous message still glowing on Aria's phone where he'd placed it on his desk. The words burned into him: "Shame it won't matter once I show them what you're really hiding."
He had read it three times, each pass stoking the fire in his chest. Hayes wasn't finished—not even close. The interview had been a blow to his plans, and now the man was cornered, desperate, more dangerous than ever.
Damien's men stood at attention near the door, waiting for orders. He turned to them, his voice low but razor sharp.
"I want his devices traced. Every email, every burner number. Find out who he's feeding information to and shut them down before the story spreads."
"Yes, sir." The men moved swiftly, but Damien barely registered them. His focus snapped back to Aria.
She sat on the leather couch, pale but composed, Noah's dinosaur blanket clutched tightly in her lap. She hadn't let go of it since the message arrived.
When their eyes met, Damien's fury softened—just slightly. "He's trying to scare you."
"It's working," she admitted, her voice trembling despite her attempt to keep it steady. "Damien… what if he really does have something else?"
"He doesn't." The certainty in his tone was absolute.
"You don't know that," Aria whispered.
"I do." He crossed to her, crouching in front of the couch. His hands covered hers, steady and warm. "Because the only thing you've been hiding was your name. And now it's out. There's nothing left he can use against you."
Aria looked down, shame flickering in her eyes. "You make it sound so simple."
"It is," he said firmly. "Hayes deals in shadows. He thrives on making you believe there's more to fear. But we've dragged the truth into the light. He's bluffing now, and I'll prove it."
Her lips parted, but before she could respond, a knock rattled the study door. Elise entered, phone in hand, her expression grim.
"You need to see this." She handed Damien the device.
On the screen was a grainy photograph, already spreading online.
It showed Aria outside the Riverside Café—her secret meeting with Hayes.
Damien's blood went cold. The image was blurry, but clear enough: Aria standing across from Hayes, his hand outstretched as though offering hers a shake, her face pale and strained.
The headline blared: "Mrs. Blackwood's Secret Meeting with Victor Hayes — What Is She Hiding?"
Aria gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth. "No…"
Damien's jaw tightened. "When was this released?"
"Minutes ago. It's already climbing the feeds," Elise answered quickly. "They're framing it as collusion. As if she's playing both sides."
Aria's eyes flooded with panic. "That's not true. Damien, I swear—"
He was already shaking his head. "I know. But the public doesn't." He handed the phone back to Elise. "Kill it if you can. Flood the feeds with counter-stories, anything that buries it."
"I'll try, but once it's out—"
"Do it anyway," Damien snapped. Elise nodded and hurried out.
The room fell silent, heavy with the weight of what had just happened. Aria's chest heaved as she looked at Damien, fear etched in every line of her face. "He set me up."
"Yes," Damien said darkly. "And he's not done."
The fallout was swift.
By evening, news vans lined the streets outside the estate gates. Reporters shouted through the bars, their questions venomous.
"Mrs. Blackwood, are you working with Victor Hayes?"
"Why meet him in secret if you have nothing to hide?"
"Does Knight Enterprises condone these backroom deals?"
Aria kept to the upstairs rooms, curtains drawn tight. She could hear them even from there, their voices rising like a chorus of vultures.
Noah sensed the tension immediately. "Why are there so many people outside, Mommy?" he asked, tugging at her sleeve as she tucked him into bed.
Aria forced a smile, brushing his curls from his forehead. "They're just noisy grown-ups, sweetheart. Nothing for you to worry about."
"Daddy looked mad," Noah said, his little brow furrowing.
Aria's heart squeezed. "Daddy's just… trying to fix things. He always does, doesn't he?"
Noah nodded slowly. "He's strong. Like a dragon."
She kissed his forehead, whispering, "Yes, he is."
But when she closed the door behind her, her smile fell. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, the weight of it all pressing down.
That was when Damien found her.
He stood in the hallway, jacket off, his tie loosened, his eyes shadowed with fatigue and fury. "He timed it perfectly," he said quietly. "Right after the interview, when the public had started to side with us. He wanted to twist the knife."
Aria looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix this."
"You don't fix it," Damien said firmly. "I do."
"Damien—"
"No." His voice softened, but the steel remained. "You've carried enough of this alone. From here on out, it's on me."
Aria swallowed hard. "And if Hayes drags Noah into it?"
Damien's expression darkened, his eyes like thunderclouds. "Then I'll end him."
The next morning, Damien convened his most trusted advisors in the boardroom at Knight Enterprises' headquarters.
The air was taut, the stakes higher than ever. Elise had charts and articles projected onto the screen. Damien's legal counsel, Marcus, flipped through documents with grim efficiency.
"This smear campaign won't die on its own," Elise said bluntly. "We need something bigger than a denial. We need proof that Hayes orchestrated it."
"Proof he won't want exposed," Damien murmured, his mind already racing.
Marcus cleared his throat. "There are whispers about his accounts offshore. Shell corporations tied to shady dealings. If we can trace the money trail—"
"Do it," Damien cut in. "I don't care how deep you have to dig."
Aria sat quietly beside him, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Every instinct screamed to speak up, to defend herself, but she stayed silent. Damien's hand brushed hers under the table, a silent reassurance: You don't need to. I'll carry it now.
Elise leaned forward. "There's one more angle. Hayes has allies in the press, but he also has enemies. People he's burned on his way up. If we can flip one, get them on record—"
"Then we cut off his legs before he can stand again," Damien finished. His lips curved into a cold smile. "Find them. Money, favors, immunity—whatever it takes."
That night, Aria found Damien in his study again, the glow of the desk lamp casting shadows across his sharp features. He was poring over documents, phone pressed to his ear, voice low.
She lingered at the doorway until he ended the call. "Damien?"
He looked up, the storm in his eyes softening slightly. "You should be resting."
"I can't." She stepped inside, her heart heavy. "You're doing everything to fight for me—for us—and I'm just sitting here, useless."
His gaze softened further. "You're not useless. You're the reason I'm fighting."
Her chest constricted. She crossed the room, placing her hands on the desk. "Then let me fight too. Hayes came after me first. He wants to break me. Maybe… maybe I should face him again. On my terms."
Damien's expression hardened instantly. "No."
"Damien—"
"I said no." His voice was sharper now, rising with the intensity she knew too well. "He won't get another chance to touch you. Not in public, not in private. He had his chance, and he wasted it."
Her throat tightened. "I don't want to be a burden."
He stood suddenly, cupping her face in his hands. "You're not a burden. You're my wife." His voice cracked, just slightly. "Aria, don't you understand? Losing this fight means nothing compared to losing you."
Her tears spilled. She leaned into his touch, her voice barely a whisper. "Then promise me you won't lose yourself in this."
He kissed her forehead, lingering there. "I promise only this: Hayes will never win."
But even promises couldn't stop the inevitable.
The next day, as Aria was helping Noah with his crayons in the living room, the phone rang. Marianne answered in the hall, her tone calm at first—then sharp with alarm.
"Madam," she called, rushing in, cordless phone in hand. "It's the school. There was an incident."
Aria's blood froze. "What kind of incident?"
Marianne hesitated, her face pale. "A man was seen lingering near the playground. Asking questions about Noah."
Aria's world tilted. "What?"
"They didn't let him near the children, thank God," Marianne hurried to explain. "Security intervened, and the man disappeared before police arrived. But…" She swallowed. "They said he asked specifically for Noah Blackwood."
Aria's chest constricted, terror flooding her veins. She clutched Noah tightly against her, her voice breaking. "Damien…"
When he arrived minutes later, his fury was palpable, cold and lethal. He stood in the foyer, fists clenched, every line of his body radiating danger.
"He went after Noah," Damien said quietly, his voice low enough to chill the air. "Hayes crossed the line."
Aria clutched their son tighter, her tears spilling freely. "What do we do?"
Damien's gaze was unyielding, his voice a vow carved in stone.
"We end this. Once and for all."