You Look A Little Shaken

The door swung open and Chloe's breath stopped.

She stared at the man at the doorway and let herself breathe.

…..It was time.

Ethan Graves stepped into the room.

"Good morning, Miss Bennett," he said smoothly. "I'm Ethan Graves, lead negotiator for Cross Corp."

Chloe exhaled, forcing herself to nod.

"Good morning," she replied, her voice shaking.

Ethan gave her a curt nod. "Mr. Cross will be with you shortly."

She had spent so much time bracing herself for this meeting, for him, and yet, for some reason, her pulse hadn't settled.

Instead, a strange anticipation lingered.

The seconds stretched as they waited for Damien.

Then, finally, the door opened again. Chloe's pulse slowed, just slightly.

She put her hand on her chest, hoping to slow down her rapid breathing.

A presence filled the room before she even looked up.

His footsteps were slow and calculated. Strolling in like he owned the place. Well….he did.

Chloe looked up and it felt like her lungs gave out.

The world slammed to a stop.

Her breath vanished.

Her heart tightened in her chest as she tried to move but she couldn't. She couldn't think. She couldn't do anything.

The man standing before her—

The man with the sharp, piercing eyes.

The man with the devastating smirk.

The man who had kissed her, touched her, the man who had claimed her body and left his mark.

The man from the rooftop.

The face behind Cross Corp.

Damien Cross.

A crashing weight tumbled onto her chest, pressing every breath from her lungs.

This couldn't be happening.

Damien's lips curved into a slow, devious smirk.

"Good morning, Miss Bennett," he said, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Chloe barely heard the words. Her entire world had just imploded.

Chloe took a deep breath, deep enough to be heard by anyone who walked past that room.

"This is Mr Cross," Ethan said gesturing towards Damien. "He'll be leading this meeting."

"You….you're the representative." She says stuttering, facing Damien.

He chuckled, the sound of his laughter tightening the knot in her stomach.

"Guilty as charged, Damien Cross. At your service."

Damien stretched out his hand for a shake but Chloe began to feel the walls closing in on her. 

She had to get out. Now.

She stumbled against her chair, her legs scraping against the floor in an awful screech.

"I—I need a minute," she mumbled, barely hearing the confused murmurs as she bolted out the door.

Silence filled the boardroom as she left.

Damien watched the space where she had been. Then, slowly, he raised a brow at Ethan Graves. A silent command to follow her.

Ethan inclined his head slightly before stepping out after her.

Damien didn't move. He didn't chase. He simply strutted toward the head of the table where he sat down. Waiting for her return.

Chloe shoved open the bathroom door, gripping the sink with both hands. Her reflection stared back at her, with wide eyes, and flushed cheeks, she was disoriented.

"Breathe," she whispered, her chest heaving.

But her thoughts wouldn't stop spiralling.

"I slept with him. I know him. He called me. He said he'll see me again. He knows."

A choked laugh bubbled from her lips. What were the damn odds? Of all the men in this city, she had to sleep with Damien Cross.

She squeezed her eyes shut, running shaky fingers through her hair.

"Get it together, Chloe. Get it together."

It took a full minute to steady her breathing. One last deep inhale, one last glance in the mirror. Then she squared her shoulders and stepped out—only to find Ethan Graves waiting for her.

He leaned against the wall, arms behind his back, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"You alright?" His voice was even, but there was something sharp beneath it.

Chloe swallowed and gave a stiff nod. "I'm fine."

Ethan didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he straightened, gesturing toward the boardroom.

"Shall we?"

Chloe forced herself to walk, every step heavy. When she entered the boardroom, she kept her gaze firmly ahead—avoiding the amused stare she could feel burning into her skin.

She took her seat and cleared her throat.

Before she could say a thing, Damien cut in.

"Are you alright, Miss Bennett?" He paused, just long enough to make her squirm. Then, with a tilt of his head, "You look a little… shaken."

Chloe clenched her jaw while gripping her wrist.

"My apologies for stepping out like that….I just…needed a moment."

"Do you perhaps need something? Water, Coffee? Maybe." 

"No, no I'm good." She straightened herself in the chair.

Her gaze sharpened as she leaned back in her chair, studying him.

"I heard that outside of high-stakes meetings, no one sees you. Why are you here?"

Damien smirked, his fingers tapping lazily against the armrest.

"Well, darling, this is a high-stakes meeting."

Chloe stared at him with a fire biting in her eyes.

"And I couldn't possibly leave it in the hands of—" he flicked a dismissive glance at the documents in front of him, "let's just say… incompetent subordinates."

Ethan looked at Damien accusingly. "Incompetent?" He muttered under his breath.

Damien's smile deepened as he leaned in just slightly.

"Besides, I couldn't miss the chance to finally meet Chloe Bennett…"

He let the words hang between them.

"Finally?" He'd known her from the very beginning and he's saying finally?

Damien spotted the coldness in Chloe's eyes. He was the least bit concerned. If anything he liked that frozen glare.

Cutting eye contact he spoke.

"Very well then…shall we begin." Damien urged. "This shouldn't take long." He says facing Ethan.

"Vincent Morelli runs one of the most exclusive auction houses in the world." Ethan began. "His clientele consists of billionaires, royalty, and collectors willing to pay millions for rare artifacts, jewellery, and historical pieces. But that's just the public side of his business."

He slides a file across the table.

"Morelli also has dealings in the underground market. Some of his 'private sales' involve items with complicated histories—stolen art, restricted antiquities, and assets that governments would rather keep locked away. That means his exhibition isn't just a high-society event. It's a target."

Chloe frowned, scanning the file. "A target for what?"

Damien leaned back onto the chair. "Rivals. Criminal networks. Governments that want certain artifacts returned. Hackers looking to expose his business. You name it."

Ethan nods while clearing his throat "Morelli needs a security solution that covers all angles—elite physical protection to guard his guests and merchandise, and airtight cybersecurity to ensure no one can infiltrate his systems. That's why we're here."

"That's why you're here Miss Bennett."Damien says teasingly, twisting in his chair.

"Vincent Morelli is hosting an exclusive week-long exhibition. He expects high-profile guests—CEOs, government officials, and certain individuals who prefer to keep their identities private. That means two things: extreme discretion and airtight security." Ethan charged.

Chloe nodded confidently. "Bennett Industry specializes in handling high-profile events. Our team has secured summits, private auctions, and international conferences."

Damien who had been listening to the conversation chimed in. "Yet, your last two contracts had breaches."

Chloe's fingers tightened around her pen, but she didn't let her irritation show.

"Minor breaches, which were contained immediately. Unlike CrossCorp, we don't rely on an algorithm to do all the work."

Damien let out his devilish smirk. "And yet, without CrossCorp, those 'minor breaches' would have turned into major leaks. Morelli wants a fully integrated security solution, one that combines physical surveillance and cyber defence. The reality is, Bennett Industry can't provide that without us."

"And CrossCorp can't do this without us either. Or do you plan to stop hackers with AI-generated bodyguards?"

Ethan suppressed a smirk, but Damien didn't break eye contact.

He proceeded casually as if he didn't just see Damien's ego twitch. "The contract is clear. Morelli needs a dual-layered security approach. CrossCorp will handle digital threats—firewalls, network monitoring, and cyber threat intelligence. Bennett Industry will handle physical security, on-ground personnel, surveillance installations, and entry-point control."

"Which means operational leadership should fall under Bennett Industry." Chloe said switching her face between Ethan and Damien.

Damien chuckles, shaking his head "Not happening. The biggest threat to this event isn't a physical one—it's cyber infiltration. We take the lead."

"If the security fails on-site, all your firewalls mean nothing. No one will feel safe if they can't trust the men protecting them." Chloe challenged him.

Damien leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "Let's not pretend here, Miss Bennett. If you don't agree to our terms, Morelli will cut you out of the deal. Bennett Industry," his tone is mocking "—will be left scrambling while we take the contract solo. Don't push it."

A tense silence filled the room. Chloe knows Damien isn't bluffing. Morelli values efficiency, and if Bennett Industry refuses to cooperate, he'll find another way. And her father would kill her.

Chloe exhales slowly, calculating. She hates that Damien is right. But she can't afford to lose this deal.

"Fine. CrossCorp takes the lead on cybersecurity. But Bennett Industry still oversees physical deployment and crisis management."

Damien smiled. "Well Done, Miss Bennett."

Ethan nodded. "Then we have a deal. CrossCorp will run all digital security, while Bennett Industry controls on-site operations. Both companies will report directly to Morelli's head of security. I'll get in touch with them now." 

He gathers the files and exits, leaving Chloe and Damien alone.

Damien leans back, satisfied.

"Looks like we're stuck with each other, Chloe."

She crosses her arms unimpressed."Unfortunately."

"Sorry, I didn't get that." He said, tugging at his collar.

"You heard me." Chloe snapped.

A brief silence settled between them. Chloe's frustration boiled over.

"How long?"

Damien slowly shook his head. "How long what?"

"How long have you known? That I was Chloe Bennett?"

Damien watches her, his expression is blank and his silence only infuriates her more.

"Was this all just some kind of game to you? The phone call. The rooftop. The night we—" she stops herself, her voice breaking.

"Was that just your way of messing with me?"

Damien doesn't answer immediately. His eyes trace over her as if searching for something.

"And why would I want to mess with you, Chloe?" His voice was calm and innocent.

Chloe felt a tear coming down her eyes, her patience snapping. She got up from her chair and headed toward the door.

"That jacket looks good on you." Damien blurted out.

Chloe freezes. The words hit her harder than she expected. She glances down, remembering—his jacket, the rooftop, the way he had draped it over her shoulders. The moment she had thrown it back at him in anger, only to receive it again from a waiter. And now… here she was, wearing it.

She turns her eyes locking with his. "Screw you, Damien." She snapped, pushing open the door.

Damien leans back in his chair, his fingers intertwined. He watched as she walked down the hall until she disappeared.

"Oh Chloe, we're just getting started."