Love in Shadows

Morning light spilled through the hotel suite's tall windows, casting a soft glow over Ariana's face as she stirred awake. For a fleeting second, she forgot where she was—until she felt the weight of memory press down.

The kiss.

Damien.

Last night.

Her eyes flew open.

He wasn't beside her. In fact, he hadn't stayed—not that she expected him to. Still, the silence in the room felt heavier than before. Her heart thudded, caught between the warmth of what had happened and the cold realization of what it meant.

They had crossed a line.

Down the hallway, Damien was pacing his room, shirt halfway buttoned, hair still damp from a rushed shower. His mind raced with every reason why that kiss was a mistake… and every reason why it didn't feel like one.

They weren't supposed to feel this way. Not when their families had built a life together. Not when they were supposed to be siblings—even if only by marriage.

And yet…

He couldn't stop thinking about her lips, the soft gasp she gave when their mouths met, the way her hand clutched his shirt like she didn't want it to end.

But it had to. It had to.

A knock came at her door.

Ariana opened it slowly, bracing herself.

It wasn't Damien.

It was Sienna.

"Oh, thank God," Sienna said, storming in. "You won't believe the mess outside. The news is already buzzing about Damien being here all night. People are sniffing around like sharks."

Ariana's heart dropped. "About last night? The storm?"

"Not just that." Sienna gave her a long look. "You and Damien were seen talking. A lot."

Her stomach flipped.

"Careful, babe," Sienna said quietly. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but the world's watching. Especially his father."

After she left, Ariana stood frozen. The guilt crawled in, hot and unbearable.

She needed space.

Later that day, as she walked through the halls of Damien's firm—where her internship had just started—she avoided his eyes. He noticed.

In a quiet moment in the stairwell, he caught her hand.

"Ariana. About last night…"

"Don't," she said, eyes pleading. "We can't do this. We said we wouldn't."

"But we did."

She pulled her hand away. "Then we forget it happened."

Damien's jaw clenched. "If that's what you want."

"It's what we need."

He didn't argue.

But as she walked away, neither of them believed it.