(Isabella Moretti)
I'm staring at Damien, his folder sprawled across my bed, papers spilling like secrets. He's in my suite, uninvited, his blue eyes burning into me. The air's thick, and my heart's pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it. Operation Reignfall. He knows I accessed it, and now he's here, acting like he owns the place.
"You've got no right to be here," I say, my voice sharp, stepping closer. "Breaking into my room? That's low, even for you."
Damien doesn't flinch, just leans against the desk, his arms crossed. "Low? You're hacking my dad's files, Isabella. You're stealing from a dead man."
I laugh, bitter, and grab the folder, shoving it at him. "Stealing? You're the one obsessed with my family. What's Reignfall to you? Another way to hate us?"
He snatches the folder, his jaw tight. "You're a Moretti. Cruelty's in your blood. Vivienne's trained you well, hasn't she?"
My face burns, and I step right up to him, our shoes almost touching. "Cruelty? You're a leech, Damien. Clinging to some old grudge, thinking it makes you a hero. You're just a man with a vengeance complex."
His eyes flash, and for a second, I think he's going to yell. But his voice drops, low and dangerous. "You don't know what your family did. Vittorio ruined my dad. Took everything."
I freeze, my breath catching. "Vittorio?" I say, my voice softer now. "My dad? He's dead, Damien. Just like yours. Why can't you let it go?"
He steps closer, his voice shaking. "Let it go? My dad died in a crash after your family bled him dry. You think that's a coincidence?"
I swallow hard, the photo of us as kids flashing in my mind, laughing, innocent. My dad's note: Start with Damien Cross. I shake my head, my eyes stinging. "My dad didn't kill anyone. He had a heart attack. I was there. I saw him, "
"Saw what?" Damien cuts in, his voice raw. "What they wanted you to see? Wake up, Isabella. Our fathers didn't just die. They were taken."
The room feels too small, his words too heavy. I want to scream, to push him out, but my throat's tight, and all I can say is, "You're wrong."
He moves closer, so close I can feel his breath. "Am I?" he whispers, his eyes searching mine. "Then why are you digging into Reignfall? Why's your mom watching your every move?"
I open my mouth to answer, but before I can, he grabs my face and kisses me. Hard, desperate, like he's trying to prove something. My mind goes blank, my body frozen. Part of me wants to lean in, to remember the boy who gave me pastries in Tuscany. The other part screams to run, to hate him for what he's done, for what he might be.
I shove him back and slap him, my hand stinging. "You kissed me when we were seven," I say, my voice shaking. "That didn't save your father then either."
He touches his cheek, his eyes dark, but he doesn't say anything. Just stares at me, like he's seeing someone else. Then he turns and walks out, the door clicking shut behind him.
I sink onto the bed, my hands trembling. The folder's still there, papers scattered. I don't touch it. I can't. Not now.
I don't sleep. I spend the night pacing, replaying the kiss, the slap, his words about our fathers. By morning, my head's pounding, and I'm due at another summit panel in an hour. I'm splashing water on my face when there's a knock at the door. I freeze, thinking it's Damien again, but when I open it, Rafi's there, her curly hair a mess, her eyes worried.
"Bella," she says, stepping inside, "you okay? You didn't answer my texts."
I force a smile, shutting the door. "I'm fine. Just… a long night."
She raises an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "Long night with who? I saw Damien Cross leaving the VIP floor at midnight."
My stomach twists. "He… showed up. It's nothing."
"Nothing?" she says, her voice sharp. "He breaks into your suite, and it's nothing? What's going on, Isabella?"
I sigh, sitting on the couch. "He knows I accessed some files. About his dad's project. Reignfall. And he's got this idea that my family's to blame for everything."
Rafi sits next to me, her voice soft. "And you? What do you think?"
I look at her, my throat tight. "I don't know. My dad's note said to start with Damien. But every time I get close, it's like I'm stepping on a mine."
She grabs my hand, squeezing it. "Then be careful. Damien's not just some guy. He's dangerous. And your mom's not helping."
I nod, but her words don't ease the knot in my chest. Rafi leaves to grab coffee, and I'm alone again, trying to pull myself together for the panel. I'm halfway through changing when there's another knock. This time, it's not Rafi.
I open the door, and Vivienne's standing there, her white suit flawless, her silver-blond hair pulled tight. She doesn't wait for an invitation, just walks in, her heels silent on the carpet. I shut the door, my heart racing. She's never come to my room like this, not at a summit.
"Mother," I say, keeping my voice steady. "What's this about?"
She turns, her emerald eyes cold. "You've been busy," she says, her voice smooth but sharp. "Making friends with Damien Cross."
I stiffen, crossing my arms. "He broke into my room. I didn't invite him."
She raises an eyebrow, stepping closer. "And yet you didn't call security. Why?"
I don't answer right away. She's fishing, testing me. "He's not worth the drama," I say finally. "What do you want, Vivienne?"
She smiles, but it's not warm. "I want you to do your job," she says, pulling a thin file from her bag. "Damien Cross is a problem. But he's also an opportunity."
"Opportunity?" I say, my voice sharp. "He's trying to tank our merger."
"And you're going to stop him," she says, her voice like ice. "By bringing him to our side."
I laugh, short and bitter. "You think I can just charm him? He hates us."
"Hate is flexible," she says, her eyes narrowing. "You're a Moretti. Act like one."
I step back, my hands clenching. "And if I don't?"
Her smile fades, and she sets the file on the desk, her movements slow, deliberate. "You have forty-eight hours to get him on our side," she says. "Or I will."
She walks out, the door clicking shut, leaving the file behind like a bomb. I stare at it, my pulse pounding. Forty-eight hours. To do what? Win over a man who kissed me and accused my family of murder? I grab the file, my hands shaking, but I don't open it. Not yet. I need to think.
I'm late to the panel, but I slip into the conference room just as it starts. The room's packed, investors and tech reps all buzzing about Horizon. I'm supposed to speak, but my mind's on Vivienne's ultimatum, on Damien's kiss, on that damn file. I spot him across the room, his dark hair catching the light, his eyes on his tablet. He doesn't look at me, but I know he's aware I'm here.
The moderator calls my name, and I stand, forcing a smile. "Moretti Group is committed to Horizon's future," I say, clicking through my slides. "Our funding ensures growth, innovation, and, "
"Growth?" Damien's voice cuts through, loud and sharp. He's standing now, his tablet in hand. "Your funding's a band-aid on a sinking ship. Horizon needs restructuring, not Moretti's checkbook."
The room murmurs, and my face heats. "And Cross Enterprises needs to stop throwing stones," I fire back, my voice steady. "Our plan's solid. Yours is just noise."
He smirks, but his eyes are hard. "Noise that's waking up the investors, Moretti."
The moderator steps in, calming the room, but the damage is done. I sit, my hands clenched under the table. He's not just fighting me, he's enjoying it. And I've got forty-eight hours to change his mind.
After the panel, I'm in the hallway, trying to dodge reporters when Rafi catches up. "What was that?" she says, her eyes wide. "You and Damien, again?"
"I don't know," I mutter, heading for the elevator. "He's everywhere, Rafi. And now Vivienne's got me on a leash."
She grabs my arm, stopping me. "What's she doing now?"
I glance around, making sure no one's listening. "She wants me to get Damien on our side. In two days. Or she'll… handle it."
Rafi's face hardens. "Handle it? Bella, you can't trust her. Or him."
"I know," I say, my voice low. "But I don't have a choice."
She sighs, letting go. "Just… watch your back. I'm here, okay?"
I nod, but as she walks away, I'm alone again, the file in my bag feeling heavier than ever. Damien's out there, plotting, hating. And I'm caught in the middle, with no way out.