Sophia's POV
I didn't sleep all weekend.
How could I, knowing that Damien Cross—the Devil of Wall Street—had orchestrated everything? The bar. The night together. All of it.
I knew who you were. I've been waiting for you to walk through that door for three months.
His words played on repeat in my head.
Monday morning arrived too fast. I stood in front of Maya's closet at 5 AM, staring at my limited options.
Wear something that says 'I'm not afraid of you.'
I chose a black dress—fitted, professional, with just enough edge to say I wasn't some scared little girl he could manipulate.
Even if that's exactly what I was.
You don't have to do this, Maya said from her bed, watching me with worried eyes. We'll figure something else out
With what money? I checked my reflection. Dark circles under my eyes from three nights of no sleep, but the dress looked good. Armor. I have two hundred dollars left, Maya. This is happening.
Just... be careful. Men like Damien Cross don't help people out of kindness.
I knew that. God, did I know that.
But I was out of options.
Cross Capital looked even more intimidating at 6:45 AM. The building was already buzzing with people in expensive suits, everyone moving with purpose.
I rode the elevator to the top floor, my heart hammering against my ribs.
The secretary from Friday looked up as I approached. Miss Chen. Mr. Cross is expecting you. Conference room, not his office. Down the hall, last door on the right.
Conference room? Not his office?
I walked down the hallway, my heels clicking against marble. The last door stood slightly ajar.
I pushed it open—and froze.
Damien sat at the head of a massive table. But he wasn't alone.
Two other people sat with him: a man in his thirties with kind eyes and an expensive suit, and a woman about my age with sharp features and a tablet in her hands.
Sophia, Damien said, his voice smooth. You're early. Good. Sit.
I sat, feeling ambushed.
This is Alex Torres, my COO, Damien gestured to the man. And Diane Foster, head of PR.
Alex smiled warmly. Nice to meet you, Sophia.
Diane just studied me like I was a puzzle she needed to solve.
Why are they here? I asked Damien.
Because before we proceed, you need to understand what you're agreeing to. He pushed a thick folder across the table toward me. Open it.
My hands shook as I opened the folder.
Financial documents. Offshore accounts. Transaction records. All bearing the Wellington & Associates letterhead.
What am I looking at? I asked.
Proof that Robert Wellington has been running a money laundering operation for twenty years, Alex said quietly. Hiding billions for organized crime, corrupt politicians, and worse.
My stomach turned. That's impossible. The Wellingtons are
Respected? Powerful? Untouchable? Damien's voice was cold. Yes. That's what makes them so dangerous. They've built an empire on blood money and made it look legitimate.
I flipped through more pages. Then I saw it—a name I recognized.
Chen Industries.
No, I whispered. My father wouldn't
Your father didn't have a choice. Diane spoke for the first time, her voice clinical. Six years ago, Chen Industries was failing. Robert Wellington offered a bailout. What your father didn't know was that Wellington planned to use his company as a front for laundering money. By the time he figured it out, he was in too deep.
The room spun.
Marcus knew, I said slowly. That's why he was really there. Not for consulting. He was making sure my father stayed in line.
Exactly, Damien confirmed. And when you got too curious, when you started asking questions about transactions that didn't make sense
They needed to get rid of me. Everything clicked into place. The engagement was to keep me close and controlled. When that failed, they destroyed my reputation so no one would believe me if I talked.
Alex nodded grimly. You were collateral damage.
Rage burned through me, hot and fierce. Why are you telling me this?
Damien leaned forward. Because I need you to access Chen Industries' internal files. The ones Marcus worked with. Your father's private records. Things I can't get from the outside.
You want me to spy on my own father.
I want you to help me expose the truth. There's a difference.
I looked at the documents spread across the table. Years of crimes. Money stolen from people who needed it, funneled to criminals who didn't.
And my father was part of it.
What happened to you? I asked Damien quietly. You said the Wellingtons killed someone you loved. Who?
The temperature in the room dropped.
Alex and Diane exchanged glances.
Damien's expression went blank—that dangerous stillness before he destroyed someone. My brother. Julian. He was twenty-three when he died.
My heart clenched. I'm sorry
He worked for Wellington & Associates. Damien's voice was ice. He discovered the same fraud our father had found years earlier. They framed him for embezzlement. He killed himself in jail before I could save him.
Oh God.
Your father, I whispered. He found the fraud too?
My parents died in a car accident when I was twelve. Except it wasn't an accident. Robert Wellington had them killed to cover up what my father discovered. His gray eyes burned into mine. I've spent six years building a case against them. Gathering evidence. Waiting for the right moment. You're the missing piece, Sophia. With your access to Chen Industries, I can finally finish this.
The weight of it crushed me. He wasn't just asking me to betray my father. He was asking me to help him destroy an empire.
If I do this, I said carefully, what happens to my father? Does he go to prison too?
Diane answered. That depends on how cooperative he is. If he testifies against Wellington, we can probably negotiate immunity.
And if he doesn't?
Silence.
I looked at the documents again. My father's signature on forms that authorized illegal transactions. He'd known. Maybe not at first, but eventually, he'd known and done nothing.
He'd chosen the Wellingtons over me. Over his own daughter.
What do you need me to do? I asked.
Damien slid a contract across the table. Sign this. It's a standard employment agreement—
With a couple of special clauses, Alex interjected gently. You'll be working directly with Damien. Everything you see and hear is confidential. You can't discuss any aspect of this case with anyone outside this room.
Not even Maya, Diane added.
My best friend. The only person who'd stood by me.
I can't lie to her
Then tell her you signed an NDA for sensitive business dealings, Damien said flatly. I don't care how you handle it. But if you compromise this investigation, you'll face consequences. Legal ones.
He was threatening me.
I should walk out. Should refuse to be manipulated by another powerful man who saw me as a useful tool.
But then I thought about Marcus's smug face. Vanessa's fake tears. My father apologizing to Robert Wellington while I fell apart.
They'd used me. Destroyed me. Thrown me away.
Maybe it was time I returned the favor.
I have conditions, I said.
Damien's eyebrow rose. Do you?
When this is over, when the Wellingtons are destroyed, I want my reputation back. Public exoneration. Proof that I was never guilty of anything.
Done.
And I want protection. If the Wellingtons figure out what I'm doing
You'll have twenty-four-hour security, Alex assured me. We're not letting anything happen to you.
I picked up the pen. My hand hovered over the signature line.
This was it. Once I signed, there was no going back.
One more thing, I said, looking directly at Damien. That night at the bar. You said you knew who I was. How? How did you know I'd be there?
His smile was sharp. I didn't know you'd be there. But I knew about the engagement party. I'd been monitoring the Wellingtons for months. When I saw the livestream of your humiliation, I tracked your location through your phone's social media posts.
My blood ran cold. You tracked me?
I followed you to that bar. Sat down next to you. Made sure you noticed me. His gray eyes held no apology. You needed saving that night, and I needed leverage against the Wellingtons. It was convenient for both of us.
That's insane, I breathed. That's
Strategic, he corrected. Welcome to my world, Miss Chen. Nothing happens by accident. Everything is calculated. Including you.
I should be furious. Horrified.
Instead, a dark thrill ran through me.
He'd wanted me that much. Had planned for me. Had seen me as valuable even when everyone else saw me as worthless.
It was twisted and wrong and somehow... flattering.
God, what was wrong with me?
Sign the contract, Sophia, Damien said softly. Or walk away. But decide now.
I signed.
The moment my pen left the paper, Damien's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and his expression changed—something dark and satisfied crossing his features.
What? I asked.
Your father just requested an emergency board meeting at Chen Industries. This afternoon. He looked at me. And according to my source, Marcus Wellington will be there.
My heart stopped. Why?
That's what we're going to find out. Damien stood. Pack a bag. You're moving into my penthouse tonight.
What? No
The Wellingtons know you interviewed here. They'll be watching you. You're not safe at Maya's apartment. His voice left no room for argument. You work for me now. That means you're under my protection. Twenty-four seven.
I am not moving in with you
You already did once, he said with a wicked smile. Consider this a reunion.
Heat flooded my face. Alex coughed to hide a laugh. Diane looked between us with raised eyebrows.
We'll discuss this later, I said through gritted teeth.
No, we won't. Alex, have security pick up Miss Chen's belongings from her friend's apartment. Diane, I need a full background check on everyone attending the Chen Industries board meeting. And Sophia— He turned those gray eyes on me. Welcome to Cross Capital. Try to keep up.
He walked out, leaving me standing there with a signed contract and the terrifying realization that I'd just sold my soul to the devil.
And the worst part?
Part of me didn't regret it at all.