Chapter 14: The Blind Date Twist

Chapter 14: The Blind Date Twist

Zara arrived at the restaurant with her signature confidence, but deep down, a knot of nerves twisted in her stomach. She hated blind dates especially ones where her mother kept everything a secret. She stepped down from the car, smoothing her dress with a graceful hand.

"Thank you, Marcus," she said.

"My pleasure, ma'am. Call me when you're done," Marcus replied with a respectful nod before driving off.

Zara exhaled slowly. It's just dinner, Zara. You've faced worse.

The restaurant was breathtaking. Marble floors gleamed under soft golden chandeliers, and crystal-clear tableware shimmered in the warm lighting. Everything screamed luxury from the velvet chairs to the rose-tinted champagne flutes arranged on every table. But what caught Zara off guard was the eerie emptiness.

"All the seats are empty," she muttered. "Did this guy rent the entire place?"

A waiter in a sleek black suit approached her with a courteous smile. "Good evening, ma'am. Please follow me."

She followed him, heels clicking softly on the polished floor. Her heart skipped as they approached a private table near the tall glass windows. The man seated there had his back turned, speaking into his phone in a low, commanding voice.

"Enjoy your evening, ma'am," the waiter said, pulling out her seat.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Zara sat down, adjusting her posture with poise then he turned.

And her breath caught.

There he was. Damien Cross.

The man was dangerously handsome—tall and sharply built, with broad shoulders filling out a perfectly tailored dark grey blazer. His sculpted jawline was lightly dusted with stubble, adding a rugged charm to his already striking face. Midnight-black hair swept back effortlessly, and his piercing steel-gray eyes locked onto hers with quiet intensity. He looked like he had stepped right out of a luxury magazine shoot—and straight into her evening.

Zara stared, unable to look away. Her heart fluttered despite her best efforts. There was something magnetic about him something cold, powerful, and unapologetically male.

God… why is he so fine? she thought. Focus, Zara. Focus.

"You… you're Damien Cross, right?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky.

He picked up his champagne glass, sipping with maddening calm. "Yes."

Zara's thoughts scattered in all directions. Dammit, Julia. You couldn't even drop a hint? Now I'm here, looking like a confused intern on her first day.

Damien kept his eyes locked on hers, sharp and unreadable. Then something shifted in his gaze. Recognition.

Zara fidgeted in her seat. His stare was too much like he was peeling back layers of her soul. She sat straighter, forcing a smile.

"Why is he looking at me like that? Do I have lipstick on my teeth? Or maybe he knows me… I mean, I am pretty famous," she thought nervously.

A smirk tugged at Damien's lips.

"I know you," he said flatly.

Zara tilted her head, confidence flickering back. "Of course you do. I'm the CEO of Zara's World. Duh."

But Damien's next words sliced through her like a blade wrapped in silk.

"You're the drunk girl who ruined my car with vomit."

Zara almost choked on her champagne. "Drunk what?"

"And," Damien continued, still unbothered, "you're the girlfriend of David Woods."

Zara froze.

Her mind raced. David… Woods?

And then it all clicked. David works at Cross Law Firm. He used to talk about his boss the cold, brilliant Damien and his father, Raymond. Now it all made sense.

She wasn't just on a blind date.

She was sitting across from her ex-boyfriend's powerful, emotionally unreadable, stupidly handsome former boss.

And he remembered everything.

"Ex-girlfriend. We're no longer together," Zara said coldly, her voice sharp with finality.

Damien noticed the shift in her tone, but as always, remained unfazed.

"Listen," Zara said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "I know our mothers set this whole thing up, but we don't actually have to go through with it. If you're uncomfortable or bored, we can just call it a night and go home."

She was already feeling a storm of emotions ever since David's name came up, but she masked it expertly behind a calm, unreadable expression.

"Who said I'm uncomfortable?" Damien replied, his smirk not faltering for a second.

Zara narrowed her eyes, sensing something off. Damien, on the other hand, saw this moment as the perfect opportunity to strike. She was strong-willed, commanding, and carried an aura that could silence a room. A successful, independent, and breathtaking CEO — she was exactly what he needed.

The perfect pawn.

He was going to use her to silence his father, mother, and especially Pearl. And he was ready to make his move.

Zara couldn't read the expression on his face. Something told her he was calculating, but she couldn't tell what was going through his mind.

"I want to make you an offer," Damien said smoothly.

"An offer?" she asked, her brow arching. "Like... a business offer or...?"

He sipped his champagne, slow and deliberate.

"Well... you could call it that. A business offer. Because we both stand to gain."

Zara didn't like the sound of it, but she kept her cool. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"Alright. What is it?"

"I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend," he said, as casually as if he were asking her to pass the salt.

Zara's eyes widened. "What?! Pretend to be your girlfriend? What do you take me for? A girlfriend-for-rent?"

The air grew tense with silence.

But Damien was calm. Always calm.

"If you think about it," he began, "you'd get your mother off your back… and maybe prove to your ex-boyfriend that you're better off without him. It's a win for both of us."

Zara looked away for a moment, her mind spinning. She wanted to move on from David… but a part of her still wanted him to regret ever letting her go. Still, was this worth it?

"Ughhh, what the helly!" she muttered under her breath. "I've never been on a more brain-wrecking blind date in my life."

Damien said nothing. His face was as calm as the evening breeze.

Zara looked back at him. "And what do you stand to gain?"

"Don't worry about that," he said coolly. "You should worry about what you stand to lose if you don't accept my offer."

She groaned in frustration, running her fingers through her hair.

"It's not just about accepting the offer," she said. "It's everything that comes after. Faking a relationship? We'll get tangled in each other's lives. That's bound to get messy. This could end in disaster."

"We'll keep it up for six months. Tops," Damien replied with ease. "All the terms will be in the contract... that is, if you agree."

Zara let out a long, weary sigh.

"To be honest," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag, "I actually like your offer... but I don't have the energy for any of this fake love drama. No matter what I stand to gain. I'm not cut out for it. Sorry."

She turned to leave.

Damien remained seated, calm and unreadable. As she reached the exit, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black card.

"I think you should take this," he said. "In case you change your mind."

Zara paused. She turned and looked at him, then at the card. With a reluctant sigh, she walked back and took it from him, slipping it into her bag without another word.

And then she was gone.

Damien sat there, glass in hand, watching the door she had just exited. A slow smirk curved across his lips.

There was something about her.

Something dangerously captivating.

He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and brought it to his ear.

"Let's proceed," he said simply, still thinking about Zara Williams.