Chapter 100: The Devil’s Deal Breaker
Later that afternoon, Anastasia sat across the sleek desk inside Clara’s office, a thick strategy file resting between them.
Clara flipped through the pages with sharp, professional precision, nodding in approval before closing the folder and leaning back in her chair.
”The structural layout for the rebrand is flawless, Ana,” Clara said, setting her pen down. Then, lowering her voice, her tone shifted from manager to confidante. “Did Damian tell you anything new about Vivian’s status?”
Ana sighed softly, her shoulders sinking. “She still hasn’t been caught. Damian didn’t share much, but I believe she’s hiding somewhere secluded… probably waiting for the dust to settle.”
Clara hummed in thought, tapping her fingers lightly against the desk. “With the level of federal heat on her, she won’t stay hidden forever.”
Silence fell over the office for a brief moment. Ana fidgeted with the edge of her folder, her fingers tightening against the paper as an internal debate raged behind her dark eyes.
She needed clarity… She needed someone grounded to help her untangle the chaotic knot in her chest.
”Clara…” Ana began hesitantly, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Can I ask you something personal?”
Clara arched an eyebrow, leaning forward. “Of course. What’s on your mind?”
”What would you do…” Ana paused, searching for the right words, her cheeks warming slightly. “What if your partner does something you really don’t like? How are you supposed to feel about it?”
Clara tilted her head, studying her closely. “That depends entirely on the context, Ana. Are we talking about a missed anniversary, a breach of boundaries, or…”
”In the bedroom,” Ana cut in quietly, her gaze dropping to the glass desk.
Clara blinked in surprise, but her expression quickly softened into quiet understanding. “Well… if it happened in the bedroom and it crossed a line for you, you really need to talk to Damian about it. Silence will only let the resentment fester.”
”I did talk to him,” Ana muttered, a sudden flash of heat returning to her eyes. “Or rather… I lost my temper. I said something really hurtful to him. But he deserved it, Clara. He absolutely deserved it after what he did.”
Clara watched her expressive face carefully. “And let me guess… you feel guilty for saying it?”
”No, I don’t!” Ana said immediately, defensive. But as Clara’s steady, knowing gaze held hers, Ana looked away, her posture deflating. “…Maybe. I don’t know. The whole thing is just driving me insane. All I want to know is why he did it. Why push that far?”
Clara offered a sympathetic, gentle smile. “Look, Ana. Men can be reckless, impulsive, and downright insensitive sometimes… especially men like Damian, who are used to having total control over everything in their orbit. But almost anything can be resolved with a direct, honest conversation. Demand answers from him. Grill him if you have to. Don’t let him off the hook until he gives you the real truth.”
Ana processed the words, the hesitation in her chest suddenly evaporating, replaced by a blazing spark of determination.
She stood up straight, smoothing down her tailored skirt, her dark eyes lit with fierce resolve.
”You’re right,” Ana declared, her chin lifting. “I’m going to pin him down until he tells me his real motives.”
Clara blinked, suddenly bewildered by the extreme wording. “Wait… real motives?”
”I’m going to demand answers right now. Right this second.” Ana grabbed her tablet, turning on her heel toward the door.
”Wait, right now?!” Clara called out, half-rising from her chair.
But Anastasia was already out the door, marching toward the private executive elevator like a woman ready to bring a full-blown storm straight to Damian’s fifty-fifth floor.
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The private elevator dinged on the fifty-fifth floor, and Anastasia marched out with the unstoppable momentum of a Category 5 hurricane.
Damian’s personal secretary barely had time to gasp out a frantic, “Mrs. Sterling, wait… he’s in a…” before Ana pushed the heavy double doors wide open.
”Damian, we need to talk right…”
The words died on her tongue.
The sprawling executive office was dead silent. Damian sat at the center of his massive desk, looking dominating in a tailored dark vest and rolled-up sleeves. But he wasn’t alone.
Seated in front of his desk were two senior legal counsels. The massive wall monitor displayed a live video conference with three stony-faced, elderly Swiss board members.
Everyone turned to stare at her.
Ana froze for a split second, her cheeks instantly flaming red. But remembering Clara’s fiery words… demand answers, grill him, don’t let him off the hook… she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and refused to back down.
She marched right up to the side of his desk, clutching her tablet like a shield.
”We have an urgent domestic discrepancy, Mr. Sterling,” Ana declared, her voice ringing with formal defiance despite the blush burning her neck. “Your reckless actions last night breached our fundamental terms. You ignored explicit warnings, you refused to stop when instructed, and you created a massive liability that I am currently forced to manage.”
A suffocating silence fell over the room.
On the video feed, the lead Swiss banker adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, looking deeply unsettled. “Err Mr. Sterling… did your legal division execute an unapproved hostile acquisition overnight?”
Damian didn’t break a sweat. His dark eyes locked onto Ana, a dangerous, utterly amused spark dancing in their depths.
Slowly, Damian reached forward, tapping a button on his console to mute the video feed. He gestured subtly toward the door. “Gentlemen. Give us the room.”
The two corporate lawyers scrambled out of their chairs as if the building were on fire, while Walter offered a polite, discreet bow before following them out, pulling the heavy double doors shut with a soft click.
The second they were alone, Damian stood up from his leather chair. He walked slowly around the mahogany desk, leaning against its front edge with his arms casually crossed over his broad chest.
”An unapproved hostile acquisition, was it?” Damian rumbled, his baritone dripping with dark humor as he tilted his head. “You stormed into my board briefing to talk about bedroom stories, Anastasia?”
”Stop acting smug!” Ana snapped, crossing her arms to match his stance. “Why did you do it, Damian? You knew my pills were finished, yet you completely ignored it and took that risk anyway. What were you thinking?”
Damian’s amused smirk softened, settling into a calm, unbothered expression.
”I didn’t overthink it, doll,” Damian answered smoothly, his dark eyes never leaving hers. “I took the matter casually because I knew perfectly well that emergency precautions were sitting in our cabinet at home and could be administered within hours. It wasn’t a catastrophic gamble.”
Ana narrowed her eyes, still suspicious. “And what if the pill failed? What if something happened?”
Damian pushed off the desk, taking two slow, deliberate steps until he towered right in front of her. He reached out, his large, warm hand cupping the side of her neck, his thumb resting gently against the rapid pulse at her throat.
”Then the outcome is very simple,” Damian murmured, his voice dropping into a low, possessive rumble that sent a shiver down her spine. “If you do get pregnant with my child, Anastasia… you will never, ever be allowed to leave my side.”
Ana’s breath hitched at the terrifying conviction in his words. The raw possessiveness in his gaze was suffocating, making her heart hammer against her ribs.
She swallowed hard, refusing to let him see her waver. She reached up, placing her hand firmly over his wrist to push his touch back, planting her feet on the ground.
”Then I am setting the boundaries right here, right now,” Ana stated firmly, staring directly into his dark eyes. “No more unprotected sex. Not once, not ever again. I am not taking any risks with you.”
Damian studied the fierce, unyielding resolve burning in her dark eyes. A dangerous smile touched the corner of his lips as he inclined his head.
”Fine,” Damian murmured. “I accept.”